SHOULD THE PENSION LEVY BE CHANGED?

Currently this nation is in a period of deep depravation, mourning, a flux, if you like.  We have no money.  What we do have we’re afraid to spend.  And, what we do spend we spend sparingly.

I am the accursed devil of the current political/social/financial situation.  I am a civil servant!

I expect that that will draw extreme panic from any reader.  I am after all a overpaid, leech on society.  I’m sure that it is irrelevant to you, dear reader, that I earn no more than the average industrial wage, or that I already, despite popular opinion pay 5% of my wages towards my pension.  This is to be now increased to 13.9%, therefore taking €75 per week extra from my wages.  I don’t want your sympathy, nor am I stupid enough to expect it.  I appreciate that we all have to make a contribution.

However, it should be a fair and equitable contribution.  Civil servants have mortgages and bills too, they pay taxes too.  Yes, we are fortunate enough to have guaranteed jobs (up to a point), and to have a pension.  But, to pay for these we are, on average, paid less than m0st private employees.

So, no, we aren’t being unfair by looking for the levy to be changed.  We aren’t the cause of the problems.  The people who chased every available euro where they could get it are.  You might be one of them, so you won’t get any sympathy either.

DESIDERATA

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let not this blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams; it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

— Max Ehrmann, 1927

CONGRATS BARACK!

Many congratulations to Barack Obama!

You ran a great campaign and generally seemed to keep it clean and about the issues.  I know that some people will have problems with some of your policies but if ever anyone had a chance to prove people wrong, well, its you!

Commiserations to McCain, you contributed to one of the greatest presidential races since the 60’s.

And, of course, you gave us every mans dirty little secret……….Sarah Palin!

NIL SATIS, NISI OPTI……..MUM!

For anyone who still doesn’t know/care what the name of this blog refers to.

This blog is named after the motto of my favourite football (soccer for the yanks) club.  Everton FC.

And, man, like every club, in every sport, supported by anyone out there; they really, really know how to put you through the ringer!  After qualifying for Europe last season and doing so well, here we are this year already out of Europe and struggling in the league.  Didn’t but any new players until the last possible moment and then compounded that by breaking the clubs transfer record for a virtually unknown twenty year old Belgian international.

But, I’m all for positives, and after two struggling wins over Bolton Wanderers and Fulham we seem to be getting some way back on track.  Hopefully, now that David Moyes, the manager, has signed a new contract the club can push on and hopefully have a run in one of the cups and push back up the league.

I’ll live in hope, but hey, isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be!

REVIEW: “THE QUANTUM OF SOLACE”

Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench and Giancarlo Giannini.

 

Plot: Seeking revenge for the death of his love, secret agent James Bond sets out to stop an environmentalist from taking control of a country’s water supply.

 

Review:  I went to see the latest installment of Bond not expecting too much.  I’d heard some of the not so complimentary reviews but went along anyway because I generally like the genre, liked the last one and wanted to be able to make up my own mind.  This film is non-stop action right from the start and doesn’t at any point disappoint in the action stakes.  We’ve got a great car chase and some more free jumping, all within the first twenty minutes.  Unfortunately, the storyline is weak enough and can’t really be even summarised much without giving too much away.  The end of the film takes place in a hotel in the desert.  Not unlike the end of another Bond film “Die Another Day” taking place in an ice hotel at the North Pole or some such place!  Daniel Craig puts in another good shift of looking intense for almost 2 hours.  The Bond women serve their usual purpose of looking good and almost getting killed on several occasions.  And, the villain, Dominic Greene is verging on the comical.  Basically, what we’ve ended up with is a cross between “Die Another Day” and the Bourne films.  It is worth a look, just to fulfill any action urges you have, but don’t expect to have to think too much when watching it.  Nor, in my opinion, will you feel the need to disect this film with your friends later!

ONLY HANGING IN THERE…..

Herself has a dose of the flu at the moment.  Was up all night coughing.  Hence, I too have a bit of a dose, and am suffering from an equally crippling lack of sleep!

However, we did win our Eastern Junior Football Semi-Final against Fenor by 4:07 to 2:08.

I’m going to hide under my desk now……………

SPEECH FOR JUNIOR FOOTBALL SEMI-FINAL!

Lads, in a few minutes you will walk out of this room to participate in the most important game of this season.

And, how are we going to win this game? You won’t be fitter, you’re already the best junior footballing team in the county? All that has to be done now is for ye to prove it.

I won’t say that there’s not pressure today, there is. But every single one of you thrive on this kind of pressure. This is the pressure of expectation lads! I’ve said already that ye are the flagship team for this club. You are the yardstick by which this club will be measured, and you should be proud of that!

(Hold up jersey!)

We are Kilmacthomas GAA Club! And, I’m proud of that. I’m proud to be associated with each and every single one of you. Like it of not, younger players in the club look up to you. Think of what you have already achieved for this club. 22 of you at training the other night. When was the last time that happened at the end of July? The other night 4 underage players were practicing hitting the crossbar from 21 yards so that, in their words, “they’d be ready for the hemi-muller when their time came”. You lads should be proud of things like that, as a team. You train as a team, you play as a team and today you will win as a team.

Everyone, stand up! Move in. (Arms around shoulders)

Support each other, encourage each other. The man who thinks he’s better than anyone else out there today will soon find himself watching this match. Fight tooth and nail to get to every ball, make the hard yards, the hard inches. Run, run and run until you seize up and collapse. Look at each other lads, each of us will do that for each other. I don’t need to ask because I already know you’ll do it! That’s the essense of a team, this team. Now you guys go out and win this match and you continue to be a team. Lose and you’re just a collection of individuals.

Now! What are you going to do?

RACISM IN THE GAA

Read this folks:

Carlow Nationalist Story

Got all of that?

Good!

If ever the GAA had an opportunity to make a positve statement surely this isit? There is not place for racial abuse in sport, any sport.  Global sports such as soccer and athletics have had their racial issues, and some would say still do.  But, due to the localised nature of the GAA’s sports, and due to the relatively new issue of immigrants in the Republic of Ireland these issues appear to be only starting to arise within the GAA now.

An example has to be made of the perpetrators of this crime.  And, I say crime because that is the manner in which it should be treated. Cut this kind of thing down, don’t give it usualy GAA shrug of the shoulders!!!

WATERFORD STREET ENTERTAINMENT

http://www.tubeeireann.ie/view/2/alco-in-red-square-waterford-very-funny/

RELIGIOUS CONFUSION

Just casting my ear over Ray Darcy on the Today FM as I “work” here today.  They’re discussing religion in Ireland and what it now means to the people.  Its a topic that I have often considered myself.  What does it mean to us, what does it mean to me.  I can’t speak for everyone out there, though I will defend till the day I die the right of people to differ from me in their opinion and I value the opinion of everyone out there.  And, I’d like to know all of your opinions.

I can only offer my own take on it:

I was born into a Roman Catholic family.  I still remember all of us in our living room saying the rosary on certain nights, led my my Granny (R.I.P.).  I remember attending all of the religious ceremonies at Easter time, including the Good Friday service.  I served as an altar boy, I did mass readings for a long time, and I even remember when I was very small, watching mass on RTE1, pretending that I was the priest, using cut out circles from a Brennan’s sliced pan as communion wafers.  All of my Aunts thought that I too would one day end up being a priest.  Later in life in times of extreme strife and worry I turned to prayer and to reading the Bible, and I found it helpful and therapeutic.

Fast forward many years.

I now consider myself an “a-la-carte Roman Catholic”.  That is to say that I still consider myself to be a Roman Catholic, and I still practice in my own way, but I now only take what I deem to be relevant from the practice.  I know that to most followers of the “one true faith” that this makes me a non-believer.  And, believe me, I do believe, and furthermore I wish I did now believe to the extent that I once did.  But, now, I find it difficult to take the Church seriously.  Their hypocrisy has turned me and I feel that they are more of a group of chancers and hangers on that the vessels through which God travels.  My opinions sometimes differ from theirs, so why am I automatically wrong as a consequence of this?  Why are they always right?

I think that eventually we will all meet God/our God, in a better place.  Hang on to your beliefs they may someday be all that you have, and hopefully someday I’ll get mine back.