Blogging from the Bog

   On Sunday the Swedish Pirate Party boarded the EU super-ship the S.S. Brussels by winning a seat in Parliament with 7 percent of the popular vote.  According to founder Rick Falkvinge, the platform of: reform to copywrite law, reform of the patent system, and respect for online privacy has struck a chord with the file-share generation and those concerned with keeping internet communications secure.

   The Piratpartiet was begun as recently as January of 2006 by Falkvinge, et al, and has been warmly received, especially by new voters, becoming the third most popular political party in Sweden.  Several other chapters have sprung up in the last couple of years with less success; but, the win in Europe is sure to add wind to the sails of these brazen buccaneers of byte-booty. 

    You can read Rick’s blog here.

   Who wouldn’t want to throw a shoe at George Bush?  The President and Commander in Chief of the country that embodies capitalism and free enterprise shows his leadership abilities and understanding of the situation during this time of financial difficulty by saying, "I’ve abandoned free market principles to save the free market system."  This is about the same as saying that, "We will be taking away your inalienable rights to protect our free society."  What a gobshite…

   These bailouts for badly run financial institutions, car manufacturers, and semi-state home mortgage bodies is the worst course of action to take and will only insure deeper economic miseries over a longer period of time.  The open market system should be allowed to operate and weed out the mismanaged and incompetant companies by take overs, distribution of assets, and bankruptcies just as any other industry.

   It may bring you a little holiday humour to have your very own chance to fling a shoe at George Dubya for whatever reasons that might occur to you so click on this link and have a go!  You’ll be glad you did!

 Throw a shoe at this fool!

   Radovan Karadzic was arrested for war crimes by the Serbian security forces Monday after eluding his pursuers for over 10 years.  He is being incarcerated in Belgrade today to face the War Crimes Court on several charges including genocide.

   Karadzic, as leader of the Bosnian Serbs during the 1991-95 war, is to be prosecuted for a 1995 incident in which 8,000 men and boys were slaughtered in the town of Srebrenica.  More criminal charges are to be brought against him for extermination, persecution, and inhumane acts, among others.

   Stojan Zupljanin, head of the Bosnian police at the time, was arrested last month for similar crimes.  General Mladic, another indicted criminal, is still being sought by authorities.

   EU Observer coverage here.

 Radovan Karadzic

   During this time of high mortgage payments, dwindling property values, and rising heating and energy costs some people are beginning to think seriously about tailoring their housing needs.  Some downsizing alternatives have been with us for years, mobile homes, houseboats and caravans; but, these are neither stationary nor controversial.  There is another option being explored today that both delights some and infuriates others. 

   Jay Shafer is a former art teacher who has been invited to speaking engagements in the United States and Canada to promote his ideas on "tiny houses".  For ten years he has been residing comfortably in a succession of homes that were all less than 100 square feet in size.  This man is not "living large" though he is getting large receptions wherever he speaks to enthusiastic audiences who are concerned with the environment, reducing overhead expenses, and looking for something suitable to their changing needs.

   Not all is rosy however in this Lilliputian land of little houses.  Many local residents are outspoken and concerned that these miniatures, built in their neighbourhoods, will cause housing prices to drop even further. 

   *  Here is a YouTube link for a tour of his house.

   What started out as school project a few years ago has grown into an international effort of creativity, forward thinking, and co-operation among individuals and groups with a view to the future.  Not satisfied with the rhetoric of government, big business, or doomsday theorists these visionaries are proactively making a concerted effort to prepare their communities for the inevitable.  They are not passing judgement, they are not getting entangled in spurious debates or mudslinging, and they are not promising miracles.  They are creating Transition Towns.

   In 2005 Rob Hopkins was teaching a class in the world’s first two-year program of permaculture at a college in Kinsale, County Cork a seaside community on the southern coast of Ireland.  Permaculture, in theory and practice, is the idea of sustainable living and as part of his lecture series Hopkins showed the movie The End of Suburbia to his class.  At a time when the price of oil was still around the $35 per barrel stage the implications of peak oil were not lost on the students and a proposal was drafted designing the Transition Town concept.  The cleaner, greener, community based initiative was adopted by the Kinsale Town Council as proposed by student Louise Rooney and the project was underway.

   The Transition Town concept is becoming more and more relavent, as the price of oil is now $135 a barrel, and deals with how communities will adapt, adjust, and flourish despite being faced with declining natural resources, rising fuel and energy prices or shortages, and climate change.  There are currently 50 towns actively participating in this project and hundreds of others contemplating the idea of getting involved.  Is your town or city considering the prospect?  Check this list of communities around the globe.

   A quote from Rob Hopkins’ website reads, "We are communities, a society, a world in transition, and to do that we need a culture of transition, but also we need the tools for manifesting it."  Indeed we do Rob, indeed we do.

Rob

   In our globalised economy and lifestyle many things have changed here in Ireland.  The increase in discretionary income has allowed for more frequent travel, a larger variety of exotic food and beverages on our grocery shelves, and some changes in our consumption patterns.  One notable item features high on our new shopping list, wine, the Irish are now in love with the nectar of the vine. 

   Amid all the controversy with global warming, fuel prices, and a slumping world economy the French wine growers, Irish truckers, UK and Scottish fisherman, and others around Europe are reacting to rising costs, EU controls and dwindling profits by holding strikes, slow downs and riots.  Is this a sign of the times and a preview of what is to come?  Or, will we take a pro-active stance, adapt as humans are capable of, and rise to the challenges we face as we approach peak oil?

   In late July a ship will quietly leave a dock in France bound for Irish shores, it’s hold will contain 12,000 bottles of wine for the thirsty Irish market, and it will be using free fuel.  A three-masted schooner, the Kathleen & May, is scheduled to deliver her cargo to the Dublin port on the 25th of July.  Over one hundred years old, the sailing vessel is one of many operated by the Compagnie de Transport Maritime a la Voile, and according to company executives will save nearly 5 ounces of carbon emissions per bottle. 

   Will we again see horse drawn wagons and a return of the canal barges in Dublin?  We can only hope! 

   On Friday the European Union instructed member countries to tighten border security.  The new policies will include fingerprinting and screening of all visitors, including North Americans, Africans and others coming to European countries and will cost several billion dollars.

   Nicolas Sarkozy will take over the leadership position of the EU on the first of July and is making "border management" and immigration policies some of his top priorities.  Other items on Sarkozy’s plan for Europe include boosting Europe’s military defences and energy security.  The Lisbon Treaty may be dead but the agenda behind it is not.

   Satellite tracking will be used to monitor "illegal immigrants" and many believe privacy and human rights abuses could result.  Will this have any effect on tourism?  Will our visitors appreciate the Cead Mille Failte after they are photographed, fingerprinted, and processed?

   Spencer Tunick was at it again this week in Ireland.  A few days ago an installation, photo-shoot, was organised on the grounds of Blarney Castle in Cork and today one is being done at the Dublin docks.  Tunick, famous for his photographs of large groups of naked volunteers, made his Irish debut Wednesday at the castle with 1200 enthusiastic participants.

   Braving the chill early morning Irish mists the models were asked to strip off and follow instructions for four different scenes around the castle including clutching roses, standing in the cold water holding gold coins, and "mooning" the camera. 

   Usually public displays of nudity are against the law here in Ireland but the members of the Cork Midsummer Festival were granted special permission to hold the event to coincide with the celebrations.

   This video shows the crowd following Tunick’s direction, notice the big coats and wooly hats in the beginning! Brave souls indeed, all in the name of art!

   The character and integrity of the Irish and European politicians will be on display next week as they meet in Brussels to explore the ramifications of Ireland’s rejection of the referendum.  The Treaty of Lisbon had to be approved by every member country to come into force on January, 1st, 2009.  At least that is what we were told initially, it now seems there may be yet another democratic deficit within the Uber Union.

   As previously agreed, by all nations concerned, the rule was set that if one country rejected the Treaty that it was dead.  Will the politicians of Europe stand by this decision or will the rule be changed?  Will the Irish election results be ignored?  It seems so as the remaining eight countries are being encouraged to continue the ratification process.  In the coming weeks and months Ireland’s "NO" vote will do more than just send a message to Brussels, it will shine a democratic light on the institution itself in a way that a "YES" vote could never have done.

   Our own fledgling leader, Brian Cowen, who asked us to rubber-stamp this referendum without bothering to read it himself, will be facing his European counterparts next week with a democratic dilemma.  Will he respect the people of his nation and declare to the Union that the Treaty of Lisbon is a non-runner?  Or will he conspire with them to circumvent due process?  Barroso, Merkel, and Sarkozy are in denial.   Sarkozy, who will ascend to the EU Presidency on July 1st, is going full steam ahead with his plans for a European navy!  Do you think they are going to let a simple thing like the Irish democratic process get in their way?

 Tell ‘em Brian!

   We got back into Trim a little later than I hoped as our gracious innkeeper had suggested a bit of live music was going on that Monday night at Griffin’s in the town.  Hurrying passed the ancient castle, where some of the scenes from the movie Braveheart were filmed, we came upon a very quiet town, all the pub doors were closed and silent.  Things were not looking good.  We turned a couple of corners on the empty street and found Griffin’s, the door was slightly ajar so in we went.

   The place was packed and there was a great buzz of activity, lucky for us the barmen were still serving, so I doubled our drink order (just in case) while the others checked the rooms out.  They found a table next to a fireplace and right in front of the band, so the four of us settled down to a table full of pints.  The musicians were quenching their thirsts too and seemed in no hurry to get the instruments tuned so we got a chance to chat a bit about our good luck and take a few snaps.  Those keen Meath men were not long in sussing out the situation and began a session that would delight any tourist.  Banjo, mandolin, accordian and guitar rang out and voices from stage and audience sang the songs.

   More pints kept arriving as if from thin air (the girls adapted quickly to the Irish system of buying rounds), and the music was brilliant.  Most of the songs were familiar but some were not, all were entertaining.  As the banter between the crowd, the band and us became easy and familiar it began to seem as if time were standing still and we were at a party with old friends.  It was a great night, our innkeeper was right.  Gerry Tully was the guitar player and sang most of the songs, as luck would have it Gerry has a website and has posted some of his music on the Net, you can catch him at Griffin’s most Monday or Wednesday nights.  All the best Gerry, thanks for the great show, and good luck with the new album!