Police and Thieves

What is it that drives young men to attack the elderly? Over the last two months the papers seem to be filled with headlines detailing atrocious attacks on pensioners. The victim in the latest of these attacks was a 95 year old man from the Beechmount area. I knew the man personally, and was shocked and dismayed that a man who has worked all his life to make a living is attacked by five thugs, who probably never worked a day in their lives, for what amounts to 'carry out' money stolen from an old man.
Over the last few years the people of Beechmount and other areas have been under attack, not from a foreign enemy, but a domestic one. The people have had enough and stood up in protest against the so called 'hoods', but their voices seem to be lost in the other more pressing matters of Government such as waging war in Iraq, and paying off their buddies in the banking industry. Now, if thousands of people marching across the North calling for an end to the violence over the last few weeks, is what it takes for the government to listen, can the same not be applied to calling for peace in the streets, and an end to the violence perpetrated against the elderly of the nation?

Cá bhfuil na daonlathas?

During the Bush administration, the call for democracy in so called 'failed states', was a rallying excuse for the wars in the middle east, and elsewhere. So in 2006, the people of Palestine heeded the call, and went to the polling booths. The result of that democratic election was a victory for Hamas. Now, maybe I am biased in my belief that governments who have had an impact on my life so far, have elements of corruption, thievery, and trickery. But for a moment lets say I am wrong, and lets say GB actually won his Presidency, and democracy was working as it should, then why have Hamas been rejected outright by the Western Democracies, and their leaders arrested and imprisoned? I understand the frustration of the Israeli government over the kidnapping of one of their soldiers, but consider the frustation of the Palestinian people over the imprisonment of 11,000 of its people.

In the early 1980s the Irish people democratically elected political prisoner Bobby Sands to government, and the voice of the Irish people was heard around the world, Maybe in this time of change in America, the Palestinians voices could be heard, and Israel called upon to recognise the democratically elected officials, and cease its blockade of Gaza. If not then where is the democracy to be found? Cá bhfuil na daonlathas?

Hail, Hail, The Celts are here!

You'll Never Walk Alone!!

Bucky Bombs

I wonder if Frank Mitchell used this picture on his daily skit "Where in the North?", would you say Falls Road? Take a closer look at the improvised bombs these two fine wooly faced chaps are holding. There is one clue this is definitely not in the big smoke hey! And what gave it away is the, you guessed it, bottle of Bucky! Buckfast, the world famous 15%, red wine 'wreckahouse' tonic, made by monks at Buckfast Abbey in England, now availabe in molotov cocktail flavour, will be winging its way across the streets of Lurgan.I wonder if they drank the wine or just stuck a rag in the top. That stuff could stoke the fires of hell.

Not to be outdone by the tonic swigging rioters, even though assurances were given for no retaliation, Loyalists staged a cowardly attack on the Fountain Bar in North Belfast, throwing pipe bombs into the bar's beer garden. Luckily the pipe bombs did not explode, but in a separate attacks launched from the Tigers' Bay area, one of these devices did explode, and another two found by police in a follow up search of the area. No-one has been hurt so far, but if the attacks are allowed to escalate, we all know what the outcome may be.

Irish-American Month

In the days preceding the attacks in Ireland on the two soldiers, and the policeman, the President of the United States declared March 2009, Irish-American Heritage Month. Reflecting upon the suffering endured by the Irish people during an Gorta Mor, and the resilient nature of the Irish people to overcome hardship, President Obama declared, "NOW, THEREFORE, I, Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2009 as Irish-American Heritage Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities" (The White House, 2009).

Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson, once enemies, are now, together going to meet with the new President this week. Three men once separated by violence, and bigotry are meeting together to bring change to the country where their forefathers lived. Are their wishes, and the wishes of the thousands who marched in a rallying call for an end to the violence this week, going to be overshadowed by the hatred portrayed in the window from the past? Or will the changes in the past year in America influence the people of Ireland, like the events in the 1960s did when the marchers for freedom in America were mirrored by the Civil Rights Marchers in Ireland? Tá súil agam sin.

Cothrom an lae bás m'athair

My da always loved this song, and on his anniversary March 9th, anseo an Samradh o Tom Waits. Hope you enjoy!

Tom Waits - Summertime (1978)
Uploaded by revolution2

Celtic preab anios faoi chuimsiú!

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

Flesh Gordon and the Attack of the Orangemen

Nior mise anseo ar feadh scathaimh ach mar gheall ar sin seo an sceal greannmhar!
Not to be outdone by the ever increasing popularity of the Irish language, Ulster-Scots enthusiasts have 'shot' back with the release of an t-Uladh na Albanach version of the 1970s cult soft-core porn Flash Gordon parody, "Flesh Gordon". My favorite part of this story is not the Flesh Gordon movie, though I did enjoy the movie (hmmmmmm), but rather the comments from Thatcher wannabe, UUP David McNarry. McNarry's use of the double-entendre,well makes 'fae a quare yarn'.
"Porn is porn, is porn, is porn - and whether it is done Ulster-Scots-style, well, it really doesn't come into it. This event has presumably been given funding and all this kind of thing does is make people look all the harder at an application the next time it comes round.said the UUP MLA.

Oooh Matron!

Hail, Hail!!

I'll make this quick: 7-0