Blogging from the Bog

   The coming of the new year brings with it a fresh sense of optimism.  Despite many disappointments with the government’s past bungling, bolloxing, and banjaxing of the Budget and public funding, we look with fresh eyes and new hopes that this year things will be different.

   Between the Budget and the National Development Plan there are billions and billions that are supposed to be spread around the various departments in order to make Ireland a wonderful, progressive and safe place to inhabit.

   Public housing, transportation, health, and education are only a few of the areas earmarked for big influxes of cash according to the plan as outlined by Minister of Finance Brian Cowen.  These areas of course have been heavily financed year in and year out for the past decade under this government and were scandalised by mis-management, mayhem and misery.  We can only grimace and say, "But not this year!" 

   In the past huge money was spent on the Millenium Spire, e-voting machines, and the health care system.  There were massive budgetary over-runs on the Port Tunnel, the LUAS, and the M50 motorway money pit.  The re-location of government employees to regions outside of the pale was a non-runner even after throwing millions into it.  Most of these financial fiascos were directed at pandering to areas inside the Pale.  Remember the Bertie Bowl?, the new Bertie Jet? all vainglorious myopia.

   Outside of the Pale we get Lismullen, Shannon Airport, Waterford, and Cork.  The schools, roads, and hospitals beyond the Dublin area look very similar to the way they did a decade ago, and most of the development taking place is driven and financed by the private sector.

   It doesn’t mention in the Budget or the Plan about the mega wage increases scheduled for the Dail members, or the monies that will fund their advisors, spin-doctors, make-up people, public relations firms, pollsters, and other assorted "handlers".  The vanity of our politicians beggars belief, Bertie will get his jet, "But not this year!"

 "All is Vanity"

   South American revolutions have been widely covered in the media over the last few decades; but, apart from the headlines, there is very little we know of the day-to-day struggle that the people must endure.  After hundreds of years of exploitation and the abject poverty and misery it has left behind we tend to think that, like parts of Africa, the leaders of these nations are as corrupt as their European predecessors.  We hear the phrases "Banana Republics", communists, and sandanistas bandied about, we hear of cocaine cartels, juntas, and the rainforests and upon this scant information we base our conclusions.

   We here in Ireland have also of course heard of "Che" Guevara because his great-grandfather, Patrick Lynch, was from Galway and whose family was one of the famous Fourteen Tribes.  Another Irish connection is the popular depiction of "Che" done by Jim Fitzpatrick, an Irish artist born in Skerries, County Dublin.  Jim’s poster of "Che" is known throughout the world and is a recognised symbol of revolution.  But, have we heard of the Water Wars of Cochabamba? or of the continuing droughts? or of Evo Morales in Bolivia?  What of Hugo Chavez?, his recently defeated referendum? or of the barrio adentros in Venezuela?  No we have not.  "Por ahora."

   When Gil Scott Heron penned the words "The revolution will not be televised" he did not envision blogs.  The revolution in South America may not be televised but it is being blogged!  And a tremendous blog it is!  

   Written by an Australian woman named Tamara, A Gringa Diary, gives us an insider’s look at revolution and could well develop into the most extraordinary blog of 2008.  Started a mere five months ago, we can follow Tamara’s journey (best read from the beginning), from a taxi conversation on her arrival to Bolivia in August to a battalion council meeting in Venezuela in mid-December.  Part tour guide and part historian, Tamara writes with flair, of the people, places, and politics of the region from an on-the-spot and behind the scenes point of view.  This blog is a must read for everyone!

   There doesn’t seem to be much cead mille failte in the Garda National Immigration Bureau’s handling of the recent case involving a student and her child in Galway.  Citing inadequately formulated legislation, concerning the rights of international students to have their dependents educated in the national school system, the authorities have dropped their deportation orders against Erin Britton and her son Aidan.

   Erin, who is a student of Medievel Studies at NUIG, is getting some first hand experience in the medievel mentality of the governments’ immigration policies.  These policies were put in place with panic and haste to plug loopholes in legislation that was poorly drafted into law.  Not quite a Christmas miracle, but with hard work, diligence and the aid of an Immigration Council solicitor, local TD Michael D. Higgins, and a hearing in the High Court, Erin was given an exemption to remain in Ireland where she and her son will continue their studies.  "Yes Aidan, there is a Santa Claus!"  Aidan’s father James has a blog where he has written about the family’s ordeal.  Why not visit the site and offer them a proper "Cead mille failte!"?

 Erin and Aidan Britton

   With the advent of multi and instant media coverage we can witness nearly first hand the wheels of justice in motion.  Long gone are the days of next day reportage of some distant court trial and it’s verdict with maybe a pic above the fold of a daily rag.  No, we have televised court dramas, newspapers that are full of victim’s photographs, charts, graphs, suspect’s whereabouts and timelines, mobile phone triangulations, and all provided real time for our voracious appetites and vicarious involvement.  Sure don’t we know the fecker is guilty innocent guilty (the barstool barristers can spoil a good pint) before the opening statements?

   Gone too are the days of vigilantes and mob rule.  That was a messy ol’ business anyway, what with the gettin’ all lickerd’ up and then the chasin’ and the hangin’ of the culprit.  We are too civilised for that these days.  Instead we prefer to get all lickerd’ up at the local and pronounce sentence after the TV, radio, and newspaper evidence is scrutinised.  And besides, the gardai, judges, and the office of Public Prosecutions are all hard working, thorough and honest, aren’t they?  We now leave it to them "To provide on behalf of the People of Ireland a prosecution service that is independent, fair, and effective." -according to the Director’s welcome message on the DPP website.

   We now know from recent tribunals what the Gardai can be like, and the only consistency we get from the judges these days is in-consistency; but, what of that nameless, faceless crowd in the Department of Public Prosecutions?  I am not a big fan of secret societies or organisations that have loads of control and no transparent controllers, yet in their hands lie the keys to civilisation.  And according to the Act of the Oireachtas that brought this organisaton into being (The Prosecution of Offences Act 1974) the Director is the Taoiseach’s hand picked puppet.  My, my, my aren’t we blessed?

   We saw live television coverage of the OJ Simpson trial in 1995 and even with lorry loads of evidence the Prosecutors could not secure a conviction.  Simpson had his day in court (all 133 of them) within about six months of the crimes he was accused of.  Three years later on the 15th of August 1998 the car bombing of Omagh took place with the loss to our land of 29 souls.  It was not until three years later that the Northern Ireland authorities brought their first suspect to trial for this obscenity, his guilty verdict was subsequently overturned because the RUC (at the time) had fabricated evidence!  Ten years after the bombing a second defendant was brought before the judicial system on such flimsy evidence that the judge had to publically admonish the prosecuting team for their incompetence.  There are no other suspects awaiting trial in this case, and much to the heartache of the victim’s families and friends, it will be a hard road if they have to begin the investigation all over again.  Read O’Conall Street’s post.

   In the Republic there have been some really bizarre court cases, convictions, aquittals, and sentences for minor and major crimes, that seem to boggle the imagination.  Within this process the only un-accountable and uncontrolled players appear to be the DPP, do we take it for granted that they are our invisible super-heroes?  Or is it time that some light is shed on their abilities to perform to the high standards we deserve?  At least in Los Angeles they have the opportunity to vote out a District Attorney who is not meeting the expectations of the people he is sworn to protect and defend.  Here we don’t even know who they are, never mind why they do what they do, or if they’re good at it!

  OJ Simpson

   They say that necessity is the mother of invention and David Duncan needed some relief after 14 years of suffering with psoriasis.  David, who hails from Sligo, has made a concoction based on an oil extracted from the nuts of a Moroccan tree, according to Anita Guida’s article in yesterday’s Independent.

   Mr. Duncan was able to get immediate results with his discovery and has since overcome this affliction and restored his life back to normal.  Others have used it with similar results.  There is an email address listed in the article as scalppsoriasis@gmail.com by which you can contact him.  Even if you don’t suffer from this itching condition you might pop him off a note and say "Nice job David!"

  Scientist David Duncan

   If there hasn’t been a conspiracy going on in the house building industry these past few years then at least some evidence of collusion is becoming apparent.  There are too many faces looking at the plans and architectural drawings, too many architects, engineers, and tradesmen with their fingers in the pot, too many solicitors, auctioneers, and of course the developers, with a lot to gain, or lose, for the sorry excuse of the so-called "quality home" in Ireland today, and to have the finished product go unnoticed and unchallenged?  Remarkable!

   The developer hires an architect that will put as many dwellings on a piece of land as is feasible and still get planning permission.  The Planning Crowd cannot be scrutinizing the individual house drawings very carefully!  The developer next gets the cheapest builder he can find, who then subcontracts the work, where possible, to save himself even more money.  When it comes right down to it nobody knows what the lads with the tools are doing and as long as "progress" is being made, no one cares.  Progress is defined as speed and profit in the building industry, otherwise known as best practice.  Every shortcut, whether safe or not, is used to speed up the works, and put more money in the pockets of those involved, and there are no inspectors monitoring the workmanship along the way to check for potential hazards or structural integrity.

   The concept of square, level, and plumb is unheard of on the jobsite.  Each tradesman has to contend with the previous dodgey craftsman and has little or no time to correct those mistakes to leave his own work looking right.  "Leave it to the painter", they all say!  There are Building Regulations on the books, if any homeowner cares to check them out, and if you follow this link you can read for yourself that, "Building Regulations are set out by the government to ensure that each house built in Ireland is to a minimum standard…", and minimum is exactly what you get, not even mediocre, minimum!  But then again what else would you expect?

   More than 95% of what is in the Regulations gets covered up during the actual construction.  If you think the rigid insulation was put in between the cavity blocks with care think again.  Roof rafters and collar ties, floor joists (often too far apart which is unsafe), door and window frames, and all other woodwork is installed with a very high moisture content (wet), and will warp, bend, and twist.  You can see the effects in your own residence: ceiling and wall cracks, doors don’t shut properly or open fully, gaps between the skirting and walls are all evidence of the haste in which these structures are put up.  Not to mention exposed water pipes and electrical wiring, gaps at the wall on stair landings, mis-shapen architraves, and what kind of wood butchers put in the kitchen and bedroom presses? 

   Thomas and Deidre paid a lot of money for a house that will have to undergo major renovations, not because they want to, but because they have to.  From the faulty plumbing to the dodgey wiring, bring on the kangoes!  They can hear their neighbours bounding up the stairs and even the flushing of the toilet next door, when they are home that is, Thomas and Deidre have to work all the hours God sends in order to pay for the pleasure of this high maintainence nightmare.  They had hired an "engineer" to snag the property before they took possession, €600 worth, and he inspected absolutely no engineering of the structure, he couldn’t, it is all hidden in the walls and ceilings!  He spotted a few wall scratches and rough untreated wood under the windows boards and ran away to cash the cheque!  The builder claims best practice and won’t return their calls, he has no one competent enough to sort the mess, and besides the bank owns it now, Thomas and Deidre are just paying for it.  Thomas claims his name is an acronym for the plight of many: The Home Owner Must Always Suffer, Deidre of the Sorrows needs no further explanation.

   Most of the sloppy workmanship doesn’t lend itself to pictures very well; however two scary representations of dangerous wiring are included here.  Electric wiring and the proper installation thereof is critical considering it is potentially lethal, have a look see at the two pics and ask yourself  "Is this best practice?"

   The one on the left was an undercounter appliance installed before the house was purchased, on the right is the handywork of a RECI electrician who replaced a one year old faulty boiler, 3 years ago, and won’t come back to sort it out!