Radio Nova — here to stay?

I'm almost ridiculously happy with Radio Nova. I've been listening to it quite a bit since it came on air and I just can't get over the fact that after nearly 20 years after I moved here someone has finally started a Classic Rock station.

Will it last? I have no idea, but I was convinced on Sunday that TodayFM's changed its play-list to try and combat Radio Nova. Until I had that thought, I just assumed that Radio Nova would crash and burn, but that thought has made me think it might just succeed.

Why did I think Radio Nova would crash and burn? I guess because I figured a station that is playing music that seems almost perfectly tailored to 40+-year-old teenager would find that too many of those teens prefer political talk shows now.

Why hating the Green Party is so easy

So, what are you supposed to do if you break one the new Gormley-special light bulbs? I spent a few minutes this morning looking for advice on the Department of the Environment's web site, but there's nothing obvious there. Wouldn't have mattered because I had already dealt with the broken CFL bulb long before I thought I'd have a look.

I'd warned everyone in the house that these bulbs could be dangerous and to be careful not to break one. However, in real life these things happen and when they do you don't have time to think or worry about what is the "right" thing to do. I just went into my daughter's bedroom, picked up the big pieces of glass and the base, threw them in the garbage and vacuumed up the rest. Oh, part of the bulb landed on her duvet so I took the cover off and threw it in the washing machine.

I was aware that there is mercury in these stupid bulbs, but my daughter needed to get ready for school. What are we supposed to do, stop living when we break a light bulb? I opened the windows because I knew that was a good idea, but if it had been raining I'd have had to forgo that bit of safety advice too.

Let me tell you, I was incandescent as I raged about our Minister [NOTE: I edited out some less than parliamentary language] for the Environment. These stupid CFL bulbs are just inappropriate for normal family living. If I had his home phone number I would have called him right there and then to give him a piece of my mind.

I found a 100W bulb in the attic and put it into the fixture in my daughter's room. She'll be good for a year or so with that.

It's bad enough that we're all going blind trying to read by the poor light these CFL bulbs generate, but we're also being poisoned by them. Oh, and one broken bulb more than wipes out the savings the government is touting in its stupid ad campaign.

I'm going to check around to see if the UK has the same stupid ban. If not I'll be heading north to stock up on traditional 100W bulbs.

New Look

I've finally gotten around to getting this blog fixed. I expect to blog more, but you will see many more Twitter length posts.

Oh, and commenting will resume. I have all the old comments saved. If I can figure out to to populate the comments fields with the XML files all the old comments will return.

I have some work to do on the look. I kind of like font and colors, but I need my Eagle in the heading.

UPDATE 1:30PM — Eagle issue resolved.

OECD report on Education not worth 1 column in Irish Times

Sometimes it's almost impossible to contain the frustration. Pointless reports, reported on by clueless journalists and used by shameless promoters/lobbyists to push home a point they want. What am I talking about? Well, the OECD report on education, Education at a Glance, 2010.

Why is it pointless? Because the study stops at 2007! Maybe the OECD hasn't noticed, but there may have been one or two economic changes that might have had an impact on some of the report's favored stats such as GDP, etc. So, this report is a fine as a history text, but offers nothing for the times in which we now live.

The clueless journalist? Charlie Taylor of the Irish Times, who claims that the figures show "that spending on education in Ireland has fallen back significantly since 1995 when the country invested 5.2 per cent of GDP on education." It's a fall in percentages, not actual spending, which has risen tremendously, but, really, who cares? We're bankrupt.

Shameless is how I'd describe all those teacher unions who think using a report based on 3-year-old GDP data is worth anything. Well, it isn't. Given that we've had a fall in GDP that is 3 or 4 times greater than the fall in spending on the Education (those are my rough estimates gleaned from here, here, here and here) will probably push us up and over that 'magical' OECD average.

To Charlie Taylor and teachers unions I pose this question: Was it better to have 4.4% of a big and growing pie or 5.4% of a small and shrinking pie?

If this were a war we'd have objectives and strategies to evaluate

If the problems in our economy were a war the public would want to know: (a) What's at stake?; (b) What will it take for victory?; and (c) What will victory look like? From those answers would follow the tactics we'll be employing to win the war and a forecast as to how those tactics will play out.

I think this is one of the great problems of the current crisis and our political system. We have a government that's pursuing a policy that makes no sense to people because they're too scared to come on television and spell out what happens if we fail to save the banks; what it will cost collectively and individually; and what we'll have when we've won. {And, truthfully, this government is too discredited to undertake this now.}

I know there have been a few instances where the government, Brian Lenihan in particular, has given glimpses of what exactly is at stake and what it will take to fix the economy, but still everything's too vague. A year ago, more probably, Lenihan should have boldly stated that the debts the banks have incurred are enormous and we have to repay those because of a, b and c.

Then he would have explained that to repay those debts will require 10, 20, 30 years, whatever it will be and in the meantime this will mean more taxes, lower wages for government employees, reduced benefits for those on the dole and pensioners, lower cost health and education systems, etc. The government should have point blank said we'll be experiencing a significant reduction in our standard of living.

Never happened and never would because these people are too worried about their own jobs. So, we have hints at the darkness that's before us, but no explicit explanation as to what might happen. We have cuts to benefits for young people matched with an official indifference to the potential loss of thousands of young people to emigration. We have a government that caved at the first sign that older voters were objecting to small cost-saving changes (medical cards for over 70s). We have lots of little instances of people blowing on burning embers - trying to encourage banks to defer foreclosures, etc. - while the main fire (Anglo and even the other banks) is laying waste to our collective future.

The worst part of this is that our opposition is content to pick away at the government's tactics, but they're equally unwilling to make the big pitch. We don't need to hear how they'd tinker differently, we need a new strategy or at least new leadership willing to spell out exactly what is happening and what is going to happen.

The enemy's closing in and our leaders are hiding in their dugout.

Govt/EU funds hard to find for laid off Waterford Crystal workers

This comes as no surprise: the EU's much heralded relief for Waterford in the wake of the crystal factory closing down has not worked out the way the workers thought it would. The workers say that "nonsensical rules and regulations" have meant that the advertised €4m relief fund has not materialized.

Those who are best at playing political games and making their lives and work fit specific government guidelines will get money, but most regular people aren't like that. This red tape allows the costs of such golden promises to be kept way below the headline figures that appear at the time of an economic calamity, such as in Waterford or Limerick when Dell closed.

Anglo's building a Celtic Zombie economy

Until I read Ian Kehoe's report in yesterday's Sunday Business Post I was unaware of the great nationalization project that we're currently undertaking.

Thanks to the actions of everyone's favorite state-owned bank, Anglo-Irish, we are in the process of nationalizing all sorts of businesses. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that a nationalized bank would think nothing of nationalizing other businesses, but somehow I'm shocked that this has been allowed.

Many of Anglo's corporate customers are unable to make their loan repayments so Anglo has been doing debt for equity swaps, which means that they're willing to write off loans in order to become owners in these businesses. They've already taken ownership of Arnotts, a number of hotels, golf clubs, service stations, etc. And, of course, there's the Quinn Group, which is the (sort of) sister black hole to Anglo.

Kehoe says that Anglo is well down the road with other businesses, which means that you & I will soon become full or part owners of the following: Calyx (ICT services), Champion Sports (footballs, Manchester United shirts, etc.) and more hotels and, I think, a chain of pharmacies.

All of this is really disturbing because it means that all these companies' employees are now only a small remove from civil service. Sure, they don't have permanent contracts, but you can bet your life that there are opposition TD's or prospective TD's only waiting to denounce any move to close these state-owned "assets" because of all the jobs at stake and what have you. All the political pressure will be to keep these dead businesses alive via artificial life support.

But, of course, keeping those companies alive artificially only threatens other competing businesses that might well survive the current calamity if the competition is thinned out. So, while we're bailing out Champion Sports maybe we're damaging Elvery's (or whomever).

It's one thing to keep Anglo alive - and I don't agree with that - but we must insist that Anglo stop using our money to breathe life into other dead or dying businesses. Or, as Brian Lucey puts it, "You have a zombie bank propping up zombie companies. This creates a zombie economy."

Zombie economy or (I'm sure it's soon to be known as) the "Celtic Zombie."

NRA shows they know salt's not the only answer to snowy/icy roads

I should have waited to see more details. From what I read in today's Irish Independent, the NRA is actually thinking more about clearing snow and ice than yesterday's Evening Herald report implied.

The Independent says that businesses will be compelled to clear the sidewalks in front of their buildings and local groups will be encouraged to clear roads and footpaths themselves, with assistance regarding supplies etc.

Sounds pretty good.

We need a plan as well as salt for winter freeze

"Lesson learned" is the message from the National Roads Authority and they are buying 80,000 tonnes of salt for the coming winter. They want to be ready for the once every 40 years event.

I don't know. To me if that's the only lesson they learned then they've learned little. Salt is not the be all and end of all of winter road maintenance.

First of all, salt ruins the road surface. If all the authorities here are planning to do is dump tons of salt on snow-covered and/or icy roads we'll be left with little segments of roadway to connect our potholes come spring time. Salt really ruins the roads.

Sometimes you have to actually move the snow/ice off the road. And the sooner you do that after a snowfall the better. If the NRA and county councils had reacted quickly when the snow first fell, organized work crews to shovel the little bit of snow off the roads at key intersections and off hilly sections of the roads that would have gone a long way towards keeping these issues to a minimum in January.

They didn't do that, however, and simply relied on salt or "grit" (still not entirely sure what that is). Salt melts snow and ice, but it won't work through a fall of several inches of snow. All that will happen in that case is that salt will melt the snow to slush, which will refreeze at night as the traffic dies down and the temperature falls.

You have to move snow. You can melt the ice, but you have to move snow. And, notice above I said they should organize work crews. I'm not talking about full time employees of the county council, but why not ask for volunteers to clear the key roads in a neighborhood and employ temporary work crews to clear more important routes?

We don't have dozens of snow plows and we shouldn't. There would be no point in buying and housing such machines for a once every 40 years event. But, our planners authorities could have hundreds of snow shovels stored for such events. Our planners could have local civic groups prepared to organize the crews - voluntary and paid - to use those shovels to clear the roads.

There is much that should be done to prepare for that rare snow emergency here and we don't have to spend a fortune. Call on the people to contribute. Why is everyone so wary of invoking civic pride and voluntarism for rare events.

How can Democrats sell health care if BP not to blame for al Megrahi prison release?

Of course the Democrats are going to try to blame BP for the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi from prison. If BP's not to blame then the only other possible scapegoat is Britain's NHS. After all, under NHS care al Megrahi had only 3 months to live, but as soon as he was able to avail of Libyan health care his life expectancy expanded by 10 years (or more).

Now how does this help the Democrats sell federalized health care to Americans?

Mortgage bail-out recipients should be publicly named

Just listened to a discussion on Newstalk about a possible plan to bail-out people in difficulties with their mortgages. I'm of two minds on this one: I have a lot of sympathy for those who bought their first homes in the period 2006-2008 and who now can't pay, but I'm loathe to help those who lived (& still live) better than my family & I do in our modest home.

I also have sympathy for those who find themselves out of work and can't afford their mortgage, but again I would like any help that we taxpayers are to provide to be at a flat rate: that is mortgage subsidies should be a set amount for all. I don't want to see taxpayers' money used to pay mortgages for those who live in substantial dwellings that even in a depressed would sell for a fair amount.

I can kind of see how something may have to be done to help people, but I can just as easily see how this could end up being nothing more than a government-mandated attempt to force the prudent to pay to sustain the lifestyles of the imprudent.

One other feature of any bail-out that I'd like to see is that all such payments should be public. That is, all of us should know who among our neighbors is getting money to help them pay their mortgage. We'll be able to assess the size of their home, the quality of their car(s) and the frequency of their vacations, etc. Why not?

I know this runs counter to the way things are generally done here, but too little transparency runs the risk of all sorts of abuse. Publicly naming those who are in receipt of government mortgage assistance might ensure that only those who are really in need avail of such aid.

Capello should encourage wives to join the players

Today's Sun (I know) says that England's manager F. Capello allowed the team to have a few beers on Monday night. The paper says he did this to let the team relax.

This goes right to the heart of something that I can't understand when it comes to the World Cup. Why are the so-called "wags" banned from the England camp? The English players - & I don't know if other nations' do the same - play the full season in a pretty intense league, many also play in the Champions League. High level competition.

Yet, after every game the players head home to their wives or girlfriends or head out on the town with their pals. Why should they behave differently just because it's the World Cup? Why would any manager mess with the formula that they've proven is successful?

If I was managing the English team I'd encourage them to bring their families with them, to as close as possible set up home away from home. I don't know, maybe that would bring all sorts of problems too, but it should be up to the players themselves whether their families join them at the World Cup or not.

A happy side effect is that the wives and girlfriends could give the voracious English press something to write about other than the minutiae of what's going on with the players. Might take some of the pressure off them.

And a side note: I don't equate "wives" with "girlfriends", those are two completely different roles and relationships. Yet, the players' wives definitely, and their girlfriends too, are mistreated and equated with something akin to concubines in the manner they're treated by Capello and written about in the media. That's just plain wrong.

What does bad journalism cost the state?

Today the Irish Times tells us that tax relief on health insurance costs the state around €400m per year. They arrive at that figure by simply producing the total of all tax credits due to taxpayers' health insurance policies.

Okay, that's the amount of relief taxpayers avail of, but is that the total cost? Surely if that relief were eliminated a certain percentage of those taxpayers would find the cost of health insurance prohibitive or simply not worth it. That would mean they would become 100% public patients, which would add to the state's costs.

I can accept that it would be nearly impossible to make a reasonable attempt at quantifying that figure, but to not even mention it is the difference between journalism and activism.

The state again makes the case for its removal from education

Another Leaving Cert blunder. The state makes the best case for getting it out of the education process. Local testing, local standards. This overly centralized system provides too few benefits despite the rigidity and pompous declarations about "fairness."

Peace activist's statement on Palestinian "genocide" is wrong

I don't doubt Nobel Prize winner Mairead Corrigan cared deeply about the Palestinian people. Very deeply. She's emotionally invested in their plight.

However, her emotional investment doesn't change the fact that she should - as a Nobel Prize winner - avoid factually suspect, but highly emotive statements on the situation in the Middle East and/or Gaza.

The other day Corrigan said the Palestinian people were experiencing a "slow genocide." Genocide is pretty clear cut - an ethnic or religious group is being exterminated. Now if the Palestinians were indeed being slowly exterminated we would see evidence of that. At a minimum the Palestinian population would be in decline.

However, on the West Bank the population is increasing at a 2.13% rate. That's a fairly healthy growth rate. More than Ireland at 1.10% and America at 0.97%. That's just the West Bank.

In Gaza the population growth rate is 3.29%, which is the 6th highest population growth rate in the world. Israel's own population growth rate is about 1.6%, which is less than the West Bank/Gaza combined rate (roughly 2.6%). That's not genocide.

I won't dispute that life in Gaza is extremely unpleasant and unfair on the vast majority of people living there, but genocide it is not.

I'd love to see that remedied and for peace to break out suddenly in the region, but we're not going to get there if Nobel Peace Prize winners feel free to toss linguistic gasoline on the fire.

When did lesbians take over softball?

It's been nearly 20 years since I lived in America. Lots of things have changed. Still, I find it hard to accept that these days only lesbian women play softball because it wasn't the case in the 1980s.

This all goes back to that Wall Street Journal picture of Elena Kagan. Apparently anyone looking at that picture would have known that Kagan is a lesbian. Why? Because she's playing softball, that's why. I just don't know.

I didn't see the picture before I heard about the controversy, but I would not have associated a woman playing softball with lesbianism. Softball is not a tough game; you do not have to be 'butch' to play. I played quite a bit in the late 80s/early 90s in the mixed-sex company league when I was working for Citibank. I don't think any of the women I played with were lesbians.

When I look at the picture of Kagan all I see is a woman playing in a game at an office picnic or something like that. No uniform shirt or proper footware. Why read anything more than that into the picture?

Of course, the Irish media has picked up on all this nonsense and regurgitated what they're reading in the American press. As far as I can tell not a single Irish journalist has bothered to contact Softball Ireland, despite the fact that there are dozens of teams playing the game here, almost all in mixed-sex leagues. They might have been able to help the Irish Times by explaining that the women who play softball don't fit that or any stereotype.

Maybe there's a grain of truth to this whole 'women who play softball' thing, but all I can imagine is that this will make it that bit tougher to convince women in the office to turn out for the summer softball league.

No shortage of public money in Bray

Aren't we in a severe budget crisis? Aren't government bodies cutting back everywhere? I only ask because I've been wondering for the past few weeks where the money came from to re-landscape the roundabouts in south Bray? They used to be grassy areas, but now they're like half desert and half prairie with a small woodlands area.



Truth is, I don't know which public body paid for these 'upgrades', but it hardly matters. Money's supposedly tight and one of our local authorities - Bray Town Council, Wicklow County Council - thought this a wise investment. I liked the old style roundabouts better. And how long had it been since the last upgrade?

Walking away from mortgages will be Irish emigrants' revenge

{Posted in wrong spot. Click here for this post.}

Leaving cert students should have option to take 2 math exams

The Tainaiste has suggested that universities accept students who fail the Honours Leaving Cert in Mathematics. That doesn't seem quite right to me, although I understand where she's coming from - too many students are bailing out of the honours paper and settling for the pass paper.

A simple and equitable solution would be to do the following: let all students take both the pass and honours paper (with an option to skip either). That's not feasible at the moment because the two exams are held simultaneously, but they could be held on different days.

That way any student who was afraid of losing out on a college place all together for failing honours math could take the pass paper as a fall back. There'd be no extra studying required as anyone who has put the work into an honours level course should have no difficulty passing the pass level paper.

We should follow Minister's logic and scrap TV license

The Minister for Comms says the TV license won't exist in 2020. Well, why don't we follow the Minister's logic on the electric cars - be first in Europe to force pace of change - why don't we scrap license as of 2012. That would have the effect of focusing minds at RTE and open up television production & distribution to all sorts of creative people here.

There's absolutely no reason Irish cultural products can't compete in a free market in our wired world. Irish authors, playwrights, songwriters, actors, etc. all manage well, why not those who create digital media? Oh yeah, we also have some excellent games and other software producers.

Scrap the license and free the market now - we'll be ahead of the curve as other countries are forced to do likewise.