Archive for December, 2004

Tsunami not Tidal Waves

Tuesday, December 28th, 2004

A few points on the death toll in Southern Asia

  • The tragedy has been under estimated since it began
  • Why didn’t the coastal towns get 3+ hour warning (the lack of central telephone alert is not a good enough excuse)
  • Its NOT a tidal wave, the tide has nothing to do with a tsunami.
  • Will greater emphases be brought to bear on the tragedy because of the status of the western holidayer’s that were killed? (according to John O’Shea of GOAL it will, and this is a good thing)
  • The aid package from the UK govt. was a joke.

This has been a horrific disaster, when the 24 hour news channels have lost interest in the body count, the reconstruction and clean up will go on. If the above sounds like cribbing, well in part it is. I just wish there was a better way to avoid it, a swifter reaction to help when it does happen and a longer term commitment to help our fellow citizens of the planet when they need it.

USATODAY – Mosul attack evidence insurgents’ intel better

Thursday, December 23rd, 2004

The implications of the audacious suicide attack in the center of a heavily guarded U.S. military base in Mosul go beyond a failure of base security.

The attack is the latest evidence that Iraqi insurgents have better intelligence about U.S. forces than U.S. forces have on the insurgents

Blazing Salads Cookbook

Monday, December 20th, 2004

It all began more than thirty years ago when the Fitzmaurice family decided to adopt a strictly wholefood diet. It was not easy; ingredients were scarce and there was little popular understanding of the benefits of wholefoods. But to the Fitzmaurice’s the benefits were soon evident in high energy levels and a general sense of well being. A passion for real food was born and led, almost inevitably, to the opening of a wholefood/vegetarian restaurant.

Sinn Fein 4 suits

Thursday, December 16th, 2004

DUBLIN’S Deputy Lord Mayor has strongly hit back at claims that he showed disrespect to a Northside art group by turning up at their function dressed in a sweater, jeans and runners.Cllr Andrew Montague (Lab) received a late call to represent the mayoral office at the Coolock Library Art group’s 13th annual exhibition last Tuesday night.
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has larry lost it? Cllr Larry O’Toole of Sinn Fein has attacked deputy lord mayor of Dublin City Council for attending a function in jeans n trainers. Is this what the sum total of a weeks agenda amounts to? the fact that the LAB rival of SF Cllr is not wearing an armani ? surely there are more important issues that SF could tackle like Irish Ferries lockout (this week) Bin Charge increases and NTL hikes of 8.5%. Larry if you need to get published in print so often, release a local issue of your own party newspaper…..

Prices lure Republic’s Christmas shoppers north of the Border

Thursday, December 9th, 2004

Irish Times Article
Supermarkets in the North are under siege from bargain-hunters from the Republic eager to stretch their euro in the run-up to Christmas.

Customers from the South have been arriving in Border towns such as Newry and Enniskillen in their thousands to benefit from significant savings on many goods including alcohol, toys and household items.

New figures show that visitor numbers from the Republic have almost doubled on last year, with most taking advantage of the bargain prices. Last year’s figures were in addition to a 25 per cent increase on the previous year.”


So we go North and buy it and go south and use it, dispose of it and cowboys bring the waste back up the North and dump it illegally
see Prime Time Investigates: Waste management strategy