tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91467981560428801012024-03-19T08:47:44.454+00:00Occasional ScribblesMichael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.comBlogger6601125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-82283093982742277252024-03-19T00:30:00.004+00:002024-03-19T00:30:00.140+00:00 Garda Vetting system is a shocking waste of resources<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: large;">Michael Commane</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond;">I want to explain to you something the Irish State is doing that is beyond ridiculous. I have written about it before but it urgently needs to be brought into the public forum and the exercise must be stopped immediately. </span><span style="font-family: "Cormorant Garamond";">It is the complete nonsense of the current system of Garda Vetting.</span></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Let me explain my experience.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">My job requires that I be Garda vetted every number of years to ensure that I have no criminal record. That makes perfect sense as my work can involve my interacting with children and vulnerable adults. I understand why I need Garda clearance for my job.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Cormorant Garamond"; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Cormorant Garamond"; font-size: x-large;">But the way the State is currently doing it is worse than preposterous. And what a waste of money and human resources.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Cormorant Garamond"; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">On January 9 this year I received notification from the Dominican Order that having completed the Garda Vetting application form my records showed that I had no criminal record. In order for that Vetting Disclosure to be made I had to complete a form giving all my addresses from the day of my birth until then. Each address had to include full postal details and the length of time I spent at those addresses. In my case that is 14 addresses.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Earlier this month I received notification from my employer, this time not the Dominican Order, that to continue in my employment I had to be Garda vetted. Some days later I received the Garda Vetting application form. And guess what, I had once again to fill out all my addresses since my birth. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I have no idea how many times I’ve done this exercise since it was introduced on April 29, 2016. And each time the applicant’s application form has to be studied and examined by heaven knows how many people. What a complete waste of money. How many people are employed in this exercise?</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I was told by the State only on January 9 I had no criminal record, which implied I could continue in ministry as a priest in the Dominican Order. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">And now, just less than three months since I had been told I had a clear criminal record, I have been required to ask the State once again whether or not I have a criminal record.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I know someone who was required in a two-week period to complete three separate Garda Vetting application forms for three different employments.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Honestly, it is insane. Why not ask me only for my addresses since the last time I applied for Garda clearance? If Social Welfare can give me so much information about myself why can’t the Garda Vetting system have a similar system in place?</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Why does the person who requires Garda Vetting have to be vetted for each different employment? Why does the Garda Vetting system not have a universal application?</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Who thought up this system? Probably, whoever they are, has retired on a multi-thousand severance package.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Why are people not objecting to the current system? Has anyone ever phoned the Joe Duffy Show about it. It would make a great topic on which Joe could chew. Someone, please call Joe.</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-8989210435593222342024-03-18T00:30:00.009+00:002024-03-18T00:30:00.131+00:00Donald Trump in Ohio and Adolf Hitler in pictures<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The link below is Donald Trump’s speech in Dayton Ohio on Saturday.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">It is excruciatingly boring, a rant but a mix of so much. At times it is vile, other times ignorant and rude. The man uses extreme vulgar words and on one occasion sexual words that are not fit for the gutter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">But note the adoring crowds, watching and listening in adulation to every word he says.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Every time he denounces people the crowd screams. The young women and men, adoring every word he says. They are in their element.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Last evening RTÉ2 Television screened an hour-long documentary, titled ‘Hitler: A Life in Pictures’.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Hitler in Pictures complements Trump in Ohio. Frightening.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">It’s has always been considered taboo and journalistically kitsch ever to compare anyone to Hitler. But the day is here and the reality is happening in front of our eyes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">On Saturday Trump uses the word ‘bloodbath’. Listen to him, watch him. </span></p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/-oVCoN74hjw" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;">https://youtu.be/-oVCoN74hjw</a></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-73960085768659872792024-03-17T00:30:00.007+00:002024-03-17T00:30:00.142+00:00Yulia Navalnaya asks all Russians to vote at midday<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Yulia Navalnaya takes up her husband’s cause.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">She has called on all Russians to protest today. She asks Russians to go the polls at midday. By doing so at that moment they will show Putin and the world how strong their protest is.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The three day ‘election' across 11 time zones ends tonight. The result is already known, <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202124;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin will be the next president of Mother Russia. Term of office is for six years, after which he is eligible to be ‘reelected’.</span></span></span></span></p><p> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/yulia-navalnaya-urges-russians-election-day-protest-putin-rcna141994" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;">https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/yulia-navalnaya-urges-russians-election-day-protest-putin-rcna141994</a></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Happy St Patrick's Day to all readers.</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-89470591866541242632024-03-16T00:30:00.002+00:002024-03-16T00:30:00.347+00:00Irish law concerning rape victims makes no sense<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">A victim of rape whose case goes to court is considered by Irish law to be a witness and not a victim.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">State authorities have access to the person’s therapist’s notes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Strange law, strange rules.</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-76602370713864990382024-03-15T00:30:00.026+00:002024-03-15T09:12:40.236+00:00Matt Fradd's comments leave much to be desired<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">Matt Fradd is a Catholic speaker, evangelical in style. He is creator and host of the 'Pints With Aquinas' podcast. He is the author and coauthor of several books including Does God Exist? A Socratic Dialogue on the Five Ways of Thomas Aquinas. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">On his website there is a picture of him smoking what seems to be a giant cigar.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Mr Fradd is a convert to Catholicism. Having attended a World Youth Day in Rome he became a Catholic.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">He has many videos on YouTube, including one called Defending The Faith.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">In this 34-minute talk he tells the story about chatting with Jehovah Witnesses who call to his home in San Diego. He refers to them as being 'beautiful Jehovahs Witness' and then says: "They weren't terribly attractive physically, but I am sure they had good hearts, I'm not actually terribly sure of that either, I'm just trying to be charitable, they were decent people probably, maybe not, I don't know, didn't have a long in-depth conversation, so the two men,[the crowd laugh, he says 'shut up'], showed up with Bibles and we started talking about the faith."</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">It's not impressive, indeed anything but. And right through his talk on several occasions he uses profanities and vulgar words.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">It was a comment he made while explaining about logical fallacies.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Matt Fradd is currently giving talks in Ireland.</span></span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-19577106852751176392024-03-14T00:30:00.001+00:002024-03-14T00:30:00.264+00:00The Rise and Fall of Boris Johnson as seen by Channel 4<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Channel 4 concludes its four-part series on the Rise and Fall of Boris Johnson this evening at 9pm.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The series clearly shows that Boris Johnson is a supreme chancer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Jeremy Corbyn in the programme describes him as someone with a very intelligent mind inside a strange dishonest persona.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Johnson’s prorogation of parliament was judged illegal by the Courts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">It’s striking how quickly we can forget outrageous behaviour.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Tune in this evening at 9pm.</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-83846499063112808212024-03-13T00:30:00.006+00:002024-03-13T00:30:00.262+00:00Cillian Murphy is the worst celebrity in the world<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">This is a lovely story. To recognise genius and then speak about it in these words is powerful, so clear, brilliant.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Thank you Emily Blunt.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE0SkPNO9p4" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE0SkPNO9p4</a><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;" /><br /></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-16814230171251369612024-03-12T06:30:00.002+00:002024-03-12T06:30:00.139+00:00Obscene language can sound so angry and violent<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: large;">Michael Commane</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I never heard either of my parents say the f… word, indeed, my parents did not use bad language. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I watched a few minutes of RTÉ’s drama series Blackshore and in that short time I heard a number of fs… being said.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">There are people who will say they are simply words. But have you ever noticed when you hear people raising their voices and fighting on the street when they use bad or obscene language how awful and vulgar it sounds?</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">And then there’s the daily use of obscene words, the f word is used in every second sentence, used as a noun, adjective, verb, every possible part of speech.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Comedians tend to use dodgy words and it seems to get them more laughs.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Is there anything wrong with vulgar or obscene language?</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I’m sure I’m using more bad language today than I did 10, 20, 30 years ago. And that’s not a good idea. I certainly know my parents would not approve of some of the words I have said.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Come Ash Wednesday I often find myself scratching my head and wondering what I should or should not do for Lent. This year I made a timid decision to try to stop saying all bad words. We are now into the fourth week of Lent and guess what, I’m not doing too badly.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Any time I do say an expletive these days I’m reminded of my Lenten intention and reprimand myself for what I have said. Especially at home when I curse in my own space I’m simply not happy with my behaviour.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I was made aware of the horror of bad language last week. I was walking to work. Rain was forecast and just as I was leaving home I noticed a drop of rain, which meant I decided to take an umbrella with me. The rain stayed away so there was no need to use the umbrella, at least to protect me from he rain. It was morning rush hour, heavy commuter traffic. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I was on the footpath passing an entrance to a large apartment block when a black SUV came right out in front of me. I spontaneously and immediately lifted my umbrella in the direction of the car to tell the driver to stop and that I had right of way. Had we both kept going he would have knocked me down.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">On seeing the raised umbrella he opened his window, and in a rage, screamed expletives at me. He was verbally abusive. I was shocked but not shocked enough to run away. Instead I simply said that his foul language was in keeping with his general bad behaviour and dangerous driving. That made him even more crazy, shouting more expletives at me as he drove off in a most aggressive fashion.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">It all sounded so violent and angry. The moment he drove off I was saying to myself what must life be like inside his home. How must he treat his partner and other members of his family. Does he use that sort of language at work, every time things don’t go his way?</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">That driver in his SUV has been a great help to me to continue on my Lenten resolve, indeed, to give up all bad language for good.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Is Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) correct when he says death is the only thing we haven’t succeeded in completely vulgarising?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-64116868996514064132024-03-11T00:30:00.001+00:002024-03-11T00:30:00.131+00:00Ukraine rebut Pope Francis’ call for peace talks<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">It is estimated that 29,000 Russian troops were killed or wounded in Ukraine in February, their heaviest loses since the invasion began two years ago.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">What horror that is for the women and men and their extended families. It sure is some 'Special Military Operation'. It’s ‘special' to lose a limb. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">It is said over 100,000 Russian lives have been lost in the battle to date.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">A senior EU official was quoted last week as saying that it is no longer a case that there could be a full scale war in Europe but rather when.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Pope Francis’ comments as reported last evening of his calling for talks to begin has upset the Ukrainians and many of its allies.</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-18844134428774324332024-03-10T00:30:00.002+00:002024-03-10T00:30:00.129+00:00Referendums that should never have taken place<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Two referendums that should never have happened. Why The Citizens’ Assembly? Is the Oireachtas not the place to legislate?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">These referendums will give impetus to the far-right.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">How much did the entire operation cost?</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-9968070927730250592024-03-09T00:30:00.003+00:002024-03-09T00:30:00.134+00:00Joe Biden is by no means dead and buried<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">US President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">He seems fit and well. Compare his words with those of his predecessor.</span></p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/cplSUhU2avc?si=giMDFkzWQclMIZE-" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;">https://youtu.be/cplSUhU2avc?si=giMDFkzWQclMIZE-</a></p><p><br /></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-46583989865668310232024-03-08T00:30:00.001+00:002024-03-08T00:30:00.137+00:00The night Nelson was toppled in Dublin <p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">On this day, March 8, 1966 </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8Z-zD2gNiCrzXzy7GHkX0WyKIgbcmZDJSsacERGYkqu5YtONOWqAln9O07nd2EzyHsUmMir6cQ3DRSZizqxhkvT1vgH0vvk8CBULuEBv9YB2oW78xpi8FwUHBsmCf2RngYqleWS9KnBkPArCJXa1eOkwR3dEf6aRtHtepli_20BBVkYzqW4tLQgF3dI/s384/Nelson's_Pillar_destroyed.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="384" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8Z-zD2gNiCrzXzy7GHkX0WyKIgbcmZDJSsacERGYkqu5YtONOWqAln9O07nd2EzyHsUmMir6cQ3DRSZizqxhkvT1vgH0vvk8CBULuEBv9YB2oW78xpi8FwUHBsmCf2RngYqleWS9KnBkPArCJXa1eOkwR3dEf6aRtHtepli_20BBVkYzqW4tLQgF3dI/s320/Nelson's_Pillar_destroyed.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">the people of Dublin woke up to discover that ‘the pillar’ was almost gone.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">During the night Lord Nelson had been toppled. Dublin’s Nelson's Pillar had been blown up and all that was left was less than half the structure. It was purportedly blown up by the IRA.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The Irish Army, using explosives, removed the rest of the structure. It’s said that the army did not do as neat a job as the original bombers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">In its place today stands the Spire.</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-40671678074716028922024-03-07T00:30:00.006+00:002024-03-07T00:30:00.127+00:00The unfairness of the world of supermarkets<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Supervalu sells a 500g pot of Glenilen Farm natural yoghurt for €1.75. Lidl sells the same product for €2.25.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">A number of people were told the Supervalu price and then asked what it was selling for in Lidl. One hundred per cent of those asked guessed it was selling cheaper in Lidl.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">That’s a large markup, close to 29 per cent. Is it fair?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Many shoppers are both money and time poor. They have not the time nor inclination to ‘shop around’. People go into a shop, get a trolley and fill up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">People with little resources need to be helped and supported and not exploited by the tricks of wealthy business.</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-43292007746700934392024-03-06T00:30:00.001+00:002024-03-06T00:30:00.130+00:00The unspeakable horror of Gaza<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Last evening Channel 4’s evening news carried a report on children dying in Gaza as a result of starvation. The pictures were horrific. One tiny child suffering from cerebral palsy, his desolate mother standing by his bed. At the end of the clip we were told the child had died. His eyes, his legs, no child should suffer this.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The programme went on to interview a Palestinian politician who had been released from prison. He spoke about how he had been stripped naked and humiliated while in an Israeli prison.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">And then at the end of the programme a former member of the Knesset was interviewed. She spoke about the evil and horror that Hamas inflicts on the people of Israel and on its own people. She denied that prisoners are humiliated in Israeli prisons and blamed Hamas for the suffering of the Palestinians. She also said that the UN does not favour Israel.</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-13005752200965408612024-03-05T06:30:00.004+00:002024-03-05T06:30:00.134+00:00 Michael O’Regan a gentleman and a journalist<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ colum.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: large;">Michael Commane</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">It must have been in the </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMtWMQexo35hgA8rGQbwfplfVJjjmr1YGZAdchx95oxk9XpywcMH_EXOd_0XcSEtxQEC8_ZVRMxciUsmowR-ARqNvwrL0CYkphE6urw0IHICy_ZPuQyWU3L8fHbMaYX5rQ4nsW-zsrWUzNjnn7jf3f3kRb2k63frZDzNxtkh1G3Pii4v-xhV-olEVV4Y/s275/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMtWMQexo35hgA8rGQbwfplfVJjjmr1YGZAdchx95oxk9XpywcMH_EXOd_0XcSEtxQEC8_ZVRMxciUsmowR-ARqNvwrL0CYkphE6urw0IHICy_ZPuQyWU3L8fHbMaYX5rQ4nsW-zsrWUzNjnn7jf3f3kRb2k63frZDzNxtkh1G3Pii4v-xhV-olEVV4Y/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" width="275" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">mid-1990s that I asked my provincial if I could go back to college and do a post grad in journalism. I presumed he’d say yes. I was correct, he did. I was delighted and did a year’s post grad in the then DIT, now TU Dublin in Aungier Street. </span><p></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">After the course I spent a few months working at The Irish News in Belfast and then got a job with the Newry Democrat. It was sometime around the time of the death of Princess Diana that I saw an ad in The Sunday Independent where The Kerryman newspaper was looking for journalists. I answered the ad, got the job and spent a number of extremely happy years working as a sub editor at the newspaper. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">It was my job to edit texts, put stories and pictures on pages. It was a pressurised job and I by no means was the fastest sub editor in the world but I learned so much about words and how to string sentences together. The job gave me a great feel for words and how important they are.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Every Monday morning Michael O’Regan’s weekly column would land in my inbox. The sad death of the proud Kerryman on Sunday, February 18 has received wide coverage in the national media and in The Kerryman. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Michael was parliamentary correspondent for The Irish Times but took great pride writing his brilliant weekly political column in The Kerryman, where he started out on his journalistic career. It was my job to sub it and then place it on the page. In all the years I did that job I don’t think I ever had to change a word and if, on the odd occasion, I had a question for him he always dealt with it in such friendly way. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Michael O’Regan never for a moment thought his words or full stops were the most important in the world. As a result of working with him on that column we became friends over the years. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Any time I wanted advice about something I was writing I always knew Michael was at the end of the phone. In the close to 30 years I have known him he was always so kind and helpful to me.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">And then in recent years when he fell ill with cancer we had some great chats.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Michael had that wonderful gift of making me feel important. He never stood on ceremony and always had time to listen and consider a different view than his own.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Only in January I called him to go over some legal issue pertaining to a piece I was writing. He was so helpful. He went through it with me, and by the time the call ended I found myself taking his advice and then editing the piece accordingly.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I attended Michael’s funeral Mass in Holy Cross Church, Dundrum. The Mass booklet was a fabulous production, which included John B Keane’s poem ‘My Father’. It was a true Christian goodbye to a man who had spent his life in courage and sensitivity, always trying to tell the story in as an objective and truthful a manner as possible. In doing so he could often be funny but never nasty. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">He was a people’s person, who enjoyed observing them. I shall miss him. A gentleman and a great journalist.</span></p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-72072257807822663262024-03-04T00:30:00.001+00:002024-03-04T00:30:00.133+00:00Jesus and the money changers in the Temple<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The Gospel reading at yesterday’s Mass made for an interesting read. It was the story of Jesus throwing the money lenders out of the Temple.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Menionted earlier in this blog, the three wealthiest men int he US own the worth of half the population of the United States.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">A modern fighter jet can cost up to $300 million dollars. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The shares of the Düsseldorf armaments facility, Rheinmetall have soared since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. The company is in existence since the end of the 19th century.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The rights and wrongs of the world of money is always a nuanced subject in Catholic teaching and the pastoral letters of bishops.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">And yet when it comes to most, if not all, matters of personal sexuality, ‘grave sin’ is the main menu.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Confusing, to say the least?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Jesus is usually understanding and sympathetic with the poor, weak and marginalised. He shows a different side when it comes to his relationship with money and power.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Is that what the churches do?</span></p><p><br /></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-1450486232075611032024-03-03T00:30:00.001+00:002024-03-03T00:30:00.134+00:00 Award-winning broadcaster blazed a trail in Irish radio<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Below is an obituary of <span style="caret-color: rgb(15, 15, 15); color: #0f0f0f;">Máire Ní Mhurchú. It appears in weekend edition of The Irish Times.</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(15, 15, 15); color: #0f0f0f;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Máire is/was the sister of Dominican priest Canice Murphy.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #0f0f0f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(15, 15, 15);">What it doesn</span></span><span style="color: #0f0f0f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(15, 15, 15);">’</span></span><span style="color: #0f0f0f;">t say in the obit is that the man she married at 69 was an old childhood fling of hers.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #0f0f0f; font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(15, 15, 15);">Obviously, just like her brother she must have been a super person, kind, honest and very smart.</span></span></p><section style="caret-color: rgb(15, 15, 15); color: #0f0f0f; margin: 1em 0px;"><span name="articleSubTitle" style="display: contents;"></span><span name="articleDescription" style="display: contents;"></span><span name="audioPlayer" style="display: contents;"></span><address style="align-items: center; display: flex; margin-bottom: -1em; margin-top: 1em; min-height: 1px;"><span name="author-image" style="display: contents;"></span><span name="author" style="display: contents;"></span><div><span name="byline" style="display: contents;"></span></div></address></section><hr style="border: medium; height: var(--hr-height,1px); margin: 0px; opacity: 0.4;" /><article style="caret-color: rgb(15, 15, 15); color: #0f0f0f; margin-top: 1em;"><span name="gallery-portrait" style="display: contents;"></span><span name="articleContent" style="display: contents;"><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Cork-based RTÉ broadcaster Máire Ní Mhurchú has died aged 91. She was an award-winning presenter and later head of regional radio broadcasting in Cork city during the time when Raidió Éireann offered a radio service for Cork listeners for a few hours each day.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The Echo Boys, a profile of the newspaper boys who sold the Evening Echo on the streets of Cork city and Someone To Love, a two-part radio series on the harsh life in a convent orphanage in the 1960s, were among her most celebrated documentaries.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">In 1969, she won a Jacob’s Award (Irish television and radio awards) for what was described as her “intuitive sympathy” for those she spoke with and her enthusiasm for broadcasting.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">She was also responsible for launching the careers of a large number of well-known contemporary RTÉ broadcasters including Mary Wilson, Tony O’Donoghue, Eileen Whelan, Ger Canning and Marty Morrissey.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Following Marie Murphy’s death (she took on the Irish version of her name when she joined RTÉ), many of her former colleagues and mentees recalled her beautiful, gentle radio voice, her quiet dignity and her elegance.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">RTÉ Radio 1 broadcaster and Morning Ireland presenter Mary Wilson said it was Ní Mhurchú who first hired her along with Eileen Whelan and Tony O’Donoghue. “We had the run of the Union Quay – as the HQ of the RTÉ Radio Cork opt-out, Cork 89FM, was known. Under Máire’s guidance and under the direction of the station’s three excellent producers, Pat O’Donovan, Aidan Stanley and Dan Collins, we were given opportunities to report on stories the length and breadth of the country, many of them of national significance,” said Wilson.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Reflecting on those years, Wilson added that Ní Mhurchú was managing a radio station long before women were seen in such roles in Ireland. “She certainly blazed a trail for others to follow. She gave us the opportunity to break into broadcasting and I like to think that she looked at the careers we each carved out in RTÉ with some pride. She wasn’t given to micromanaging but she did tell me it was important to put ‘a smile in your voice’. Good advice that I try to follow.”</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Sports commentator Ger Canning said he owed his career as a sports journalist to Ní Mhurchú. “In 1978, I trained as a newsreader in RTÉ but I declined the offer to become a newsreader as I wanted to get into sport. I went back to Cork and she welcomed me in and gave me my first-ever full-time commentary at the Cork county hurling final between Blackrock and Glen Rovers. The day before she rang me to say, ‘Do your best, get the scores right and it will be okay’.”</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Radio presenter Alf McCarthy, who grew up close to Ní Mhurchú in Cork, also worked with her and remembers the strict, hierarchical atmosphere that existed in the Cork office at the time. “Raidió Éireann was very much part of the Civil Service at that time and she brought a sense of order. When we arrived as the young and groovy presenters, there was a clash of cultures in a sense. I took over from Mark Cagney when he moved to 2FM,” recalls McCarthy.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Ní Mhurchú began her radio career in RTÉ Cork local radio in the 1950s. At that time, the Cork station was on air for a limited number of hours a week, relaying the national radio service at other times. It remained the only local radio station in Ireland until the pirate radio stations and later the independent stations began.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Enthusiastic right from the start, Ní Mhurchú carried the heavy Uher 4000 DS portable tape recorder to schools and homes to record hours and hours of interviews with children for several series. These included Young Munster on the Air, Munster Journal and Children Talking. She also worked with broadcaster Síle Ní Bhriain on a series entitled A Woman’s World.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">And, with a team of helpers, she put together the annual hour-long programme about the Cork Choral Festival, which attracted choirs from around the world for a number of years.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Her piece for radio on the Echo Boys was filmed for television in 1977. The boys told her how they earned tuppence for every copy they sold and how the best stand was down by Ford’s car factory. Remarking on the young age of some of the sellers, Ní Mhurchú was told by one of the main distributors in Cork that he, too, was selling the papers at seven and eight years of age and that the experience helped give him a sense of the outside world.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">In 1989, Ní Mhurchú was promoted to divisional head of Cork Local Radio, which was rebranded as Cork 89FM when the first independent radio stations were being licensed. She retired in 1998.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The radio station was subsequently closed down as a loss-making enterprise years before the current RTÉ television and radio studios in Cork city emerged as the country’s second biggest broadcasting hub.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Máire Ní Mhurchú was born in Dublin, the eldest of five children of Nora (nee McCarthy) and Lieut Col John Murphy. The family moved to the Cork suburb of Ballinlough when she was 13 when her father took up a role in the Defence Forces there.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">His subsequent death while the children were still young meant that following her secondary school education at St Aloysius’ Girls School in Carrigtwohill, Ní Mhurchú began her working life to bring income to the family. Before joining RTÉ Cork local radio, she worked with the Dutch consul for a time. She remained in her family home to look after her mother until her death in the early 1990s.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">After her retirement, Ní Mhurchú stayed in Cork and at the age of 69, she married a widower, retired Lieut Col Paddy Kelly.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">She spent the last number of years of her life in Bishopscourt Residential Care in Liskillea, Co Cork.</span></p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); touch-action: pan-y;"></span></span><p class="articleContent" slot="articleContent" style="--font-color: var(--font-color-light); --font-size: 1em; --font-weight: 400; --line-height: normal; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: var(--font-style,"inherit"); line-height: var(--line-height,"inherit"); margin: 0px 0px 1em; touch-action: pan-y;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Ní Mhurchú is survived by her husband, her two stepdaughters Toni (Marie) and Carol-Anne, and her brother Pádraig. She was predeceased by her sister Sr MF de Chantal and brothers John and Fr Canice (Michael) Murphy.</span></p></span></article>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-13784659713181733452024-03-02T09:26:00.003+00:002024-03-02T12:47:28.279+00:00Martin’s colleagues should be praising her openness<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Justine McCarthy’s column in The Irish Times yesterday. It makes perfect sense.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">For as long as audiences find ventriloquists entertaining, our politicians will never be out of work. Their talent for speaking not only out one side of their mouths but out both sides simultaneously truly is a wonder to behold. And, by golly, did we behold it on Tuesday night when a marathon Oireachtas committee interrogation of Minister for Media Catherine Martin produced a virtuoso performance of political doublespeak.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The State’s public-service broadcaster is swirling crazily in the rapids of unprecedented scandals, at risk of capsizing and being swept away. The Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media is rightly concerned and demanding “full transparency” from RTÉ.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">But when the Minister appeared before them, the committee members accused her of being too transparent altogether. The 3½-hour encounter in committee room two boiled down to one question for Martin: What on earth possessed you to go on the telly and tell everyone the truth?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Martin was summoned by the committee after she refrained on Prime Time from expressing confidence in RTÉ’s chairwoman, Siún Ní Raghallaigh. This was followed within hours by the latter’s resignation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.15pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Repeatedly and incorrectly<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">It has since transpired that the former chairwoman had repeatedly and incorrectly assured the Minister during meetings on Monday and Wednesday last week that she and the RTÉ board had played no role in rubber-stamping goodbye deals worth hundreds of thousands of euro to the broadcaster’s former director of strategy, Rory Coveney, and financial director Richard Collins.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Thus, on Monday evening, Martin had unwittingly misinformed journalists at a press conference that the board was uninvolved in the controversial agreements, the details of which remain under the seal of legal confidentiality clauses.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">It was not the Minister alone who had been misled but every citizen of the State, who are the owners of RTÉ through the Minister’s sole shareholding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The right thing to do was to correct the public record. Doing so would make it obvious that Martin had been misinformed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Politicians have been rushing to media microphones advocating the people’s entitlement to know how much the pay-off packages cost. The committee – to its credit – had discovered the previous week that Rory Coveney, the brains behind the Toy Show the Musical flop, received a farewell handshake which is reckoned to be about €200,000, despite his departure from Montrose last summer having been presented as a resignation. By Tuesday night, though, some committee members seemed to have decided that the less juicy matters of procedures and accountability were best left to a discreet silence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">“You were very forthcoming with the answer when Miriam O’Callaghan put it to you about the role of the board. In other words, it didn’t have to be dragged out of you,” remarked Christopher O’Sullivan, a normally impressive first-time TD. “Do you regret being so open and honest about it live on air?” Then he added, as if general absolution is a given for political subterfuge. “But, sure, look, all politicians are accused of being experts at evading questions.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">“What was the hurry about going on Prime Time? You didn’t need to be there,” said Thomas Gould, after Martin stated she had made a commitment two days earlier to appear on the programme.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">“You could have backed out of Prime Time ... This is politics,” said Senator Shane Cassells.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">“A little bit of misinformation” was how Senator Timmy Dooley characterised Ní Raghallaigh’s persistent denials that she or RTÉ’s board had been involved in agreeing secret walking-away money.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The barminess of the situation would have fitted right into a Callan’s Kicks sketch. Here were politicians baying for full disclosure from RTÉ and decrying its “drip-feed” of information amid a welter of scandals distinguished by secrecy and cover-up while, at the same time, chastising the Minister for her public candour.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">If RTÉ had been truthful about Ryan Tubridy’s payments in the first place and if the organisation had operated with openness and frankness, the series of unfortunate events that has unfolded in the past eight months would not have happened.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">“I believe a Minister must be truthful,” Martin countered with a riposte as shocking to the body politic as an electric volt. Maybe “it’s a problem”, she posited, that politicians are accustomed to evading questions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The doublespeak did not stop with the selective dispensability of transparency. That the departed chairwoman had not given her Minister accurate and relevant information about three different matters on “numerous” occasions, according to Martin’s version of events, seemed not to bother the questioners, with the exception of Senator Micheál Carrigy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.15pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Dogged professionalism<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">One of the constant refrains emanating from Leinster House since June has been concern that RTÉ’s cosy inner circle and its corporate recklessness rebound on the majority of its employees. Oireachtas members have praised staff for their dogged professionalism in the unrelenting storm of scandals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">But on Tuesday night these sympathetic politicians were berating the Minister out the other side of their mouths for not abruptly cancelling her scheduled television appearance. Had she done so, after learning on her way to the studio that the press was about to report that Ní Raghallaigh had misinformed her, she would have left the Prime Time team in the lurch, frantically trying to fill its main slot as the programme was about to go on air.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">We are living through a dangerous time of propaganda, of accurate information being arbitrarily dismissed as misinformation to suit biased narratives, and of lies being peddled as truths. The damage this disregard for honesty can inflict is visible in the flames that have been licking buildings around the country that were targeted, in various instances, because some anti-immigrant agitators falsely claimed they were earmarked to house asylum seekers. There is a tinderbox in our midst that grows bigger and more explosive the more facts are relegated. In this climate, Martin’s Leinster House colleagues should be lauding her for her openness, not using it as a stick with which to beat her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">She summed up the hypocrisy succinctly when she asked the committee: “What was the alternative? For me to conceal the facts?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span inherit="" mso-fareast-language:en-ie="" serif=""><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The answering silence rumbled as ominously as an approaching superstorm.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-58235899529887197652024-03-01T09:45:00.003+00:002024-03-01T09:45:48.189+00:00Berlin transport workers and climate activists unite<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Today in Berlin environmentalists and transport workers unite in an interesting strike. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">A touch of workers of the world unite.</span></p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/01/two-worlds-colliding-berlin-transport-workers-and-climate-activists-unite-over-rights" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/01/two-worlds-colliding-berlin-transport-workers-and-climate-activists-unite-over-rights</a>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-18838713183268067102024-02-29T00:30:00.008+00:002024-02-29T00:30:00.133+00:00Yulia Navalnaya promises to continue her husband’s work<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Powerful words from Yulia Navalnaya after the death of her husband Alexei Navalny:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"> "I will carry on Alexei Navalny's fight. I will continue to fight for our country. And I urge you to stand by my side. To share not only bitterness and endless pain but also rage, anger and hatred towards those who dared to kill our future.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: 0px 0px repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">"I am addressing you with the words of Alexei, in which I believe very much: 'It is not a shame to do little, it is a shame to do nothing, it is a shame to allow yourself to be intimidated.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: 0px 0px repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">"We must use every opportunity to fight against war, corruption, and injustice, to struggle for fair elections and freedom of speech, and to fight to get our country back.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: 0px 0px repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">"Keep on fighting, and do not give up. I am not afraid - and you should not be scared of anything either.”</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; hyphens: auto; margin: 0.5rem 0px 30px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The funeral of Alexey Navalny will be held in Moscow on Friday.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; hyphens: auto; margin: 0.5rem 0px 30px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya announced the funeral date yesterday. She said she was unsure if it would pass off peacefully and that plans for a civil memorial service had been blocked.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: 0px 0px repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"></span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-1712730342264678242024-02-28T00:30:00.003+00:002024-02-28T00:30:00.155+00:00Bishop clarifies nature of blessing given to same-sex couple<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Confusing is one word that comes to mind. Aspects of this must remind the reader of fadó fadó when ‘dodgy’ Catholic weddings took place in the sacristy early in the morning.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">There’s always that underlying thinking, once no scandal is given it’s ok. ‘The faithful must not be scandalised.'</span></p><p><a href="https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2024/02/bishop-clarifies-nature-of-blessing-given-to-celebrity-same-sex-couple/" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;">https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2024/02/bishop-clarifies-nature-of-blessing-given-to-celebrity-same-sex-couple/</a></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-43601031302671378222024-02-27T06:30:00.007+00:002024-02-27T08:32:18.132+00:00 All your bets are off in posh bookmakers’ shops<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">This week’s Mediahuis Irish regionals newspapers’ column.</span></p><div><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-track="-10" data-atex-uat="{PointSize:NDI=}" style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond;"><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Michael Commane</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Have you ever been inside a bookmaker’s shop? I have on a number of occasions of late and I have been surprised with what I have seen. </p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Before my current visits to the shop my last time would have been fadó fadó. Back then they were dingy places, people smoking, maybe sawdust on the floor and an all-round offending smell. For the non-gambler like me at the time they were not a nice place to be.</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">No, I have not taken to gambling. I’ve been visiting this particular betting shop while I wait for my bus. </p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The bus stop is across the road from the shop. I’m wondering how long it will be before they realise I’m not a betting man and throw me out.</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">It’s a great place to wait, especially if it is raining. There are lovely soft seats and always a day’s newspaper at hand and indeed, some bookie shops offer free coffee.</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The shop I visit has panels of screens showing racing and football games all over the world .You can gamble on anything. I saw one ad offering money back if your team is at any stage two goals up.</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I have never been in the shop on my own, there is always someone there and I have never seen a woman betting in the shop. </p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">On one occasion I was there I counted 10 men fully focused on the job at hand. Silence reigned, as did a great sense of seriousness. There was a newspaper on a table beside a man. He was not reading it but I was scared to ask him if I could have it. And once a bet was won or lost, it was on to the next bet.</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Over the last few weeks I have heard on radio and television a number of people speak, about their gambling addiction. </p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The gambling problem in Ireland is said to be far worse than feared. Addicts are spending over €1,000 a month on gambling and one in 30 adults have a problem with gambling.</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We spend €5.5 billion on gambling in Ireland every year, and half of that sum is spent by people who experience ‘multiple negative effects’ from betting. </p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Approximately 12 per cent of Irish adults bet weekly with a bookmaker.</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">More than 40 per cent of us regularly play the National Lottery. I seldom do it but when I do I’m inclined to do it again the following week. The same goes with the Lotto scratch cards. If I buy one and win €4, I’m inclined to gamble again. I often wonder how close I am to becoming an addict. But so far Alleluia, it hasn’t happened. When Francis was elected pope I put a fiver on Cardinal Mauro Piacenza. Maybe fortunately, for more reasons than one, I lost my bet.</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">And then there’s the phone. I’ve seen people on trains gambling on their mobiles. And it’s so easy to set up an account and off you go. I wonder do phone gamblers realise that a mere five per cent of phone gamblers come out winning. Gambling is a mug’s game and can be a human disaster.</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">A number to call if you want to rid yourself of the addiction is 1800 936 725. Good luck and don’t be afraid to seek help. Good luck.</p></span></div>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-84704296496517629042024-02-26T00:30:00.003+00:002024-02-26T00:30:00.249+00:00Always the temptation to go for the highfalutin project<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond;">The new Dublin MetroLink is back in the news. Or should it be called the old Dublin MetroLink?</span><span style="font-family: "Cormorant Garamond";"> It’s been in the news now for a number of decades.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The latest estimated cost o the project is €9.5bn, though Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that an extreme cat scenario would see costs rise to €23 billion.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">What’s going to cost an additional €13.5bn? Surely that has to be a matter of 'throwing figures around’?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">In the meantime why does the State ask Irish Rail to build a spur from the DART/Belfast rail line to Dublin Airport? At a much reduced cost and done in a fraction of the time passengers from all over Ireland would have a rail link to Dublin Airport.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Similarly in Kerry, Irish Rail should have build a spur from Farranfore to Kerry Airport and over the years develop a high speed track from Mallow to Tralee.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Why go for such highfalutin projects when far more simple solutions are staring us in the face.</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-79039791100773428342024-02-25T00:30:00.021+00:002024-02-25T00:30:00.337+00:00Ads are all about being catchy, cool and seductive<p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The world of advertising is an expensive business. Ads cost a lot of money. Much thought and expertise goes into the making of ads.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Do you read or watch ads? What ads catch your attention? WIth television ads do you jump for the remote control once it’s ad time?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Ads of their nature attempt to be cool, clever is their middle name. Ads can be fascinating, slick too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Supervalu has an ad that runs: 'Real People Real Food', or is it 'Real Food Real People'. Whether or which is it not nonsense? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Are not all people real and what food is not real?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">An ad’s purpose is to draw attention, to catch the eye and that’s exactly what this Supervalu ad did, at least for one person passing it on the upper deck of the number 14 bus yesterday.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">And have you noticed how the pronunciation of the word has changed in recent years? Fadó fadó the stress was on the ‘advert', today it’s moved to the ‘tisement’.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">In the past the sophisticates laughed at those who stressed the ‘tisement’.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">A funny old world indeed.</span></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9146798156042880101.post-5290154877409164232024-02-24T05:00:00.003+00:002024-02-24T13:48:45.099+00:00God is not the exclusive property of any one group<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The 'Thinking Anew' column in T<i>he Irish Times</i> today.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Michael Commane</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(15, 15, 15); color: #0f0f0f;">One of the best teachers I ever had would often, if not always, say at some stage in his lecture, with an element of exasperation in his voice that he knew nothing.</span></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 16px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"> That same man is highly intelligent. The story goes that a woman walked into a church one day when he was celebrating Mass. She looked up towards the altar, recognised him and out loud said: “The brains of Cabra.” </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Philip Gleeson infused in his students a great curiosity for the subject he was teaching. After all, he was only following in the footsteps of St Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 1274), who in his old age said that all his works were like straw. Aquinas is considered one of the great theologians of the church. Indeed he was made a Doctor of the Church in 1567.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">When reading tomorrow’s Gospel (Mark 9: 2 - 10) I am reminded of my lecturer. Jesus was opening new doors to his disciples but they in their innocence or ignorance, sometimes missed the point.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">When Jesus takes on a new persona, it confuses Peter, James and John and in their confusion they suggest making three tents, one for him, one for Moses and one for Elijah. Indeed, Peter admits that he is so frightened he really does not know what to say.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I find great solace in tomorrow’s Gospel as I do in the entrance hymn: “It is your face O Lord, that I seek; hide not your face from me.” (Psalm 109). That was written the best part of 3,000 years ago. The author is beseeching the Lord to make himself known. He wants answers, just as did the apostles on the mountain with Jesus.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Maybe it is something in my DNA, my own background, the life I lead but I am dumbfounded when I hear people ‘explain’ or talk with absolute certainty about the existence of God. Have they forgotten that Jesus often mystified his apostles? Does such certainty not run contrary to the story in today’s Gospel? Surely it must? </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The greatness and mystery of God cannot be conveyed by our words. They cannot be more than tiny pointers to the transcendence of that supreme being we dare call God?</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">In the first reading from Genesis we read: “God put Abraham to the test.” And again we see how Abraham got it wrong. Wouldn’t it be awful folly to think we have God in the palm of our hands, and we know the full story. That’s what the sin of idolatry is. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">I’m inclined to think everything we say and think about God has to be a type of fumbling about in our heads.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Nobody owns God and God is not the exclusive ‘property’ of any one group. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is God and that does put flesh and blood on our understanding in faith of God. The kindness, goodness, empathy of Jesus Christ give us a tiny hint into the reality of God. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">The Jesus of the Gospel is a person who goes out of his way to be merciful and good and especially to the marginalised and less privileged. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">We are in the early days of Lent, just one full week of it behind us. There is still time to set out a plan or road map for the next few weeks, setting aside some time for thinking about and in conversation with God, asking to be enlightened so that we can live better lives. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Every time we genuinely reach out to the weak and marginalised, we are increasing/improving our faith in God. In copying Jesus’s care for the less fortunate, surely, we are setting out on a personal pathway towards God?</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Isn’t it interesting that Jesus wanted no fanfare, indeed, he warned his disciples that day on the mountain to tell no-one what they had seen?</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Sometimes I ask myself what Jesus would make of social media. The best answer I have come up with is this: do good with it where you can. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cormorant Garamond; font-size: x-large;">Isn’t interesting how we are saturated with an all-knowing social media. A hint of humility might well prove a game changer in the current climate.</span></p><p style="font-family: Times; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><br /></p>Michael Commanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06566080738649812206noreply@blogger.com0