Marking Time

Can you conjure up that feeling you had the first time you thought of Santa Claus -
the very idea of him? Start with that feeling. That feeling is real.

Mr O’Neill said he appreciated that in August 1994 Mr Ahern had lodged £20,000 to an account for his daughters but the previous December he had £50,000 available to him.

“You are not listening to me,” the Taoiseach replied testily and went on to repeat that the £20,000 was already a commitment to his daughters’ education.

“When you have a commitment to something, at least the way I operate, I go before the electorate on commitments. I had a commitment to my wife and daughters to put £20,000 into an account. It was not available to me.

“I had it designated and linked in a commitment to give to my daughters,” Mr Ahern continued.

“I had saved it since 1987 through the whole period of my separation which, I think, is none of your damn business.”

Irish Independent, 21 December, 2007

In a wide-ranging speech on future economic policy in Dublin, Mr Cowen said he had all but ruled out any prospect of fulfilling his promise in last year’s Budget to cut the top rate of income tax to 40pc.

Mr Cowen’s speech drew a rapid reaction from Labour’s finance spokesperson Joan Burton, who said Fianna Fail was getting rid of its general election promises.

“Mr Cowen’s speech today is very different from the message the people were given by the Taoiseach, the minister himself and other Fianna Fail figures prior to the election.

“It appears as if the ground is now being prepared for wholesale reneging on Fianna Fail’s pre-election promises,” Ms Burton said.

Irish Independent, 20 November, 2007

I am the curse of surfers everywhere. Whenever I show up the sea turns to a calm lake. When they finally catch a wave they inevitably fall off as soon as I point my camera at them. I finally caught a few, probably because I was far enough away not to be noticed.

more…

Most media pundits commentating on the state of the country at the moment are akin to pedestrians attempting to lip-read conversations in passing cars. Oh yeah, everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows something.

Meanwhile I’m left speechless. I reckon there’s going to be a reckoning. In Biblical terms we’ve melted everything down to make the Golden Calf and Moses is just about to arrive back from the mountain.