Here’s to the end of democracy, eh?

FF seem determined to distract from the small matter of the economy with a range of other issues which are sure to piss at least some people off.

Did Eamon Ó Cuív really question the “DRINK (responsibly)” ads? Are Fianna Fáil members allowed to do that?

Did Jim Walsh think it was a surprise to anyone when him and his lovely friends decided that state sanctioned discrimination is actually kinda fun?

And on a related note, did Sen. Mary White not see the irony of her statement on newstalk this morning when she said “I don’t support gay marriage but I do support their human rights”?

I for one am very excited about becoming a qualified cohabitant.

In the meantime, the best quote I’ve found about this whole malarky is from the original debate on decriminalisation in 1993, courtesy of one Nora Owen:

For goodness sake, we are not making it compulsory as if we should all go out and practise homosexuality as soon as this Bill is enacted. There is a feeling that this legislation is attacking heterosexuals and family life, but that is not the case. We are legislating for a basic human right.

Papers today are full of stories about the availability of the contraceptive pill online courtesy of Dr. Thom.

What I don’t understand is how another service offered by the site isn’t being mentioned - photo assessment of your STI!?!

Surely a step too far? And seriously, where will those photos end up once they’ve been assessed?

Quite a while ago, I wrote about Indra Sinha’s novel, Animal’s People, when I read it for the booker shortlist.

Sinha wrote in the guardian last week, and spoke on the Moncrieff radio show today, about the ongoing campaign to get Dow Chemicals and the Indian government to take action to make the Bhopal area a safe place to live.

You can read more about the Bhopal Medical Appeal and/or make donations here.

So it looks like Lisbon Treaty is being comprehensively rejected across the country, and media reports are showing more than a little bias, but then with all but one major political party on the same side I don’t know if you can really hold it against them.

One thing that did bug me about the Yes campaign was the tone of “Vote Yes, don’t worry about why”. I’m sure this wasn’t the intention, but the reasons giving for voting yes were far too vague compared to those presented by the no side. While some of the groups advocating a No vote were being deliberately alarmist, the fact is that they presented their arguments in soundbites that stuck in people’s heads, and “good for ireland, good for europe” etc couldn’t compete.

It will be interesting to see what happens now.

Will we be asked again a la Nice? Will they try to find a way around it? Will FF blame FG/Lab and vice versa?

Sunday papers should be fun & full anyway.

Great to see the IMPAC award going to a first-time novel, particularly in light of the Booker short list having ignored a few too many.

Got around to reading De Niro’s Game a few weeks ago, wasn’t my favourite of the shortlisted books I had read (much preferred Let It Be Morning) but still a worthy winner, definitely worth taking a look at.

A report presented to the Spelling Society in England at the weekend has suggested the removal of unnecessary vowels from the English language, because as it stands the language is too complicated.

Is this the proof of the txt spk pudding?

Willie Walsh - what can you say, other than buy that man a pint?

And on that, what’s in the drinking water in England that allows people to take responsibility for their actions? And can we import it, whatever it is??

Marie Cocco’s article in yesterday’s Washington Post sheds an uncomfortable light on the reality of the Democratic nomination process that seems to be finally coming to a conclusion.

When I have mentioned the role gender has played in the race, far too many people have dismissed as nonsense the possibility that Clinton has in any way been discriminated against for being a woman. I have had difficulty deciding if this is because they don’t think misogyny is a problem, or they don’t recognise misogyny at all.

Similarly, when all that nonsense with the (blissfully) EX taoiseach’s slush funds was going on, there were far too many people actively denying that there was any corruption involved. Even when a full list of the amount of money involved was presented.

Cocco raises questions that at some point are going to require an answer -

Would the silence prevail if Obama’s likeness were put on a tap-dancing doll that was sold at airports? Would the media figures who dole out precious face time to these politicians be such pals if they’d compared Obama with a character in a blaxploitation film? And how would crude references to Obama’s sex organs play?

What worries me is the prospect that they won’t be answered in the lifetime of this generation. What with all this equality and how women are grand now that we’re allowed to work sometimes for 17% less pay.

I have been swayed by Obama’s apparent ability, and I have loved watching the level of engagement he seems to have inspired, particularly in young people. But if he is to be the Democratic nominee, and if he is to be the next president, then will he rise to this platform, and challenge this discrimination?

Surely nobody has watched the press coverage of Hilary Clinton’s campaign as closely as he has.

If he is as intelligent as he seems, he can’t have missed the ‘highlights’ that Cocco’s article lists.

If he is as worthy as he claims, he can’t miss the opportunity to make this change.