Oct 08 2007
1916
Author: Morgan Llywelyn
ISBN: 0812574923 DDC: 813.54
See also: LibraryThing ;
Ned awoke with a start.
The atmosphere in the darkened cabin was warm and close, smelling of lavender wax and fresh linen.
Feb 19 2007
Yes! We’re all individuals!
And so, of course, we are all entitled to our own points of view. But[1] sometimes don’t you think it’d be easier if we all thought the same way[2] Wouldn’t it make life so much easier? Think about it. No more contentious issues such as “who should we vote for” never mind “whose god is better” because we’d all agree[3] Think how many wars and deaths we’d prevent if we all just got along, or at the very least pretended to get along. For the sake of the children[4] But alas, and indeed alack, this future of agreement, harmony and living happily every after is probably[5] never going to happen.
You only have to look at the passions being raised over the Ireland V England rugby match to realise that peoples don’t agree with peoples.
I know, you[6] are thinking, sure it is only a rugby match, what is there to disagree over? The quick answer is a bloody lot.
First off there is the whole idea of anything but GAA being played at Croker. Where else would you have an amateur sporting organisation coming to the aid of the two main professional sporting bodies and letting them use its venue. But this can pretty much be ignored. This argument was had before the French came and stole our thunder. No, this argument rests squarely with the fact that it is damned English that are coming.
After all we all recall the Martin Johnson incident, don’t we? Where he and his ebil henchmen came and stood in the wrong position. Breaking protocol and forcing our president to walk off the red carpet, and on to the grass![7] Imagine that. Her excellency forced to walk on the green sod itself. Horrific.
We have long memories here in Ireland, so we do. That’ll never be forgotten. You hear Mr[8] Johnson, never!
But of course the real reason for objections is the fact that the anthem God Save The Queen will be played. In the very grounds where the british army shot dead 14 Irish people, including one of the players[9] Don’t forget that Hill 16 was built out of the rubble of the 1916 destruction. It is sacred ground, because the GAA is much more than a sporting organisation. It is a way of life, and a cultural identifier[10] and to have the “enemy’s anthem” played there shows a serious lack of respect.
According to some people.
Me, I tend to disagree. After all isn’t rugby one place where we have a united Ireland? And isn’t it said that sport is war by other means[11] so surely some people should see it as a good thing. Ireland united against the English.
I’m going to be totally honest here. I don’t like the English anthem. And I don’t like the Union Jack. And I cannot give you a rational explanation for that, I just dislike them. Cultural hatred or summat. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t stand for both. Or for the English Queen.[12] because just like our president is a representative of Ireland, so is the Queen a symbol of England. And in this day and age, surely we can be mature enough to respect the English anthem as it is a symbol of the English people of today. Not of 10 years ago. And not of 800 years ago.
A sense of history is important. No denying that. But so too is learning from the past and moving on.
Course, we don’t live in my personal dictatorship[13] so you can have your own opinions and express them too.
Edited to add:
elsewhereblogs are saying:
- how obvious was it that a but was coming? rank the obvious factor out of ten please ↩
- that way being my way, needless as this is to add ↩
- the answers being 1- you should all vote for me and 2- my god is bestest of them all ↩
- Oh won’t somebody think of the children ↩
- you can never rule everything out ↩
- you furrin types anyway ↩
- if this was a podcast you’d be able to hear the squawk of outrage at that ↩
- whether he deserves this title I’m not sure, but I will be polite ↩
- origin of the name of the Hogan Stand ↩
- to get serious for the slightest of slight moments, this is true. Or at least was true ↩
- okay, so that saying is actually war is politics by other means, but whateveh ↩
- Id sit for the princes and rest of the royals though. Not a big fan of royalty ↩
- mores the pity ↩
Related posts
Aug 23 2006
Harsh Times
Write & dir: David Ayer
- Christian Bale - Jim David
- Freddy RodrÃguez - Mike Alvarez
- Tammy Trull - Marta
- Eva Longoria - Sylvia
I’m not all that sure how to describe this film. If you’ve seen Training Day you may have a general idea of the tone; gritty and violent. But this isn’t about corrupt cops, although Bale’s character, Jim does aspire to “serve his country� in that role. Jim is an ex-soldier, a veteran, and the film opens on one of his dreams as he flashes back to a night battle and bloodshed.
His best friend, Mike, is supposed to be looking for a job, with Jim driving him around the city so he can deliver his CVs. Then Jim discovers that the L.A police department regrets to inform him he no longer meets their criteria. Or some other phrase that means he is out. And he is not happy. Cue an anger attack as he sits in the car waiting for the lights to change, and then he almost assaults the driver of the car waiting next to him
Well adjusted, and the type you’d like as your neighbourhood cop… somehow I doubt it.
Because of this disapointment Jim decides he needs to get fucked up. He’s been living pure since he began to apply for police jobs, but he doesn’t need to any longer. And so we get to see a day of drugs and drink and guns. And let’s not forget calling Mike’s “old lady� and pretending to be arranging interviews, pretending that Mike’s spent his time wisely instead of drinking and robbing drug dealers.
All through this Bale plays a thoroughly dislikable character. He is rude, sexist, violent, uncaring, and clearly has issues. But at the same time he is somehow charming. The bad boy with the vulnerable side maybe? One of those characters you know you it’d be horrible to actually know, but on screen you can almost see the positives. An asshole, there is no doubt, but an asshole that could be more.
There is a certain amount of repetition in the middle of the film. Violence and drinking, drug-taking and drinking, then a little more violence. This causes the middle section to lose some focus and coherence, and it starts to drag a little. And at just under two hours the film does seem a little long, however I can see the purpose behind the repetition. It really establishes the bond between Jim and Mike, between Mike and Sylvia, and the differences, the mood swings and rages that are part of Jim.
Watching the audience must know that it can’t end well. But despite the foreboding the nature of the ending is still somewhat of a shock. And it does redeem the middle section. I can’t recommend it unreservedly, but it does deserve to be seen. Possibly just to witness Bale’s acting; he has an ability to truly inhabit a character. In The Machinist he took it to physical limits, here is is excellent as Jim, a character that seems to be two opposing people in the one body. There is the rage filled being, prepared to kill anyone, pop pop and move on, just like in the army. Don’t think about it. And yet he is also a friend who cares about Mike, a man who loves his girlfriend. In another actor either aspect could have been over played, but Bale is utterly convincing.
IMDb | DarkMatters | Movie Reviews for Greedy Capitalist Bastards
Tags: 1916 Rising, 8 Stars, Christian Bale, crime, David Ayer, Eva Longoria, Freddy RodrÃguez, great acting, gritty, Harsh Times, police, ptsd, Tammy Trull, violentRelated posts
May 04 2006
admit that the waters around you have grown
Alien: the director’s cut was on Sky One last night[1] although I couldn’t really tell you what the difference is between that and the theatrical release as I haven’t seen it in a while. And I missed the first half cause I didn’t know it was on.
It is still a good film, still makes you jump, but aren’t those special effects really noticeable. And the cutting between fake robot Ash and real actor Ash were very obvious.
Although, that didn’t really detract from the film[2] Not the way the ropey cgi in Narnia did. Possibly because the effects were very much secondary[3] to the story. Even the alien didn’t look all that great, and in comparison to a lot of films today, the ending wasn’t very climactic was it?
There are posters up all over town with pictures of the leaders of the 1916 Rising, and underneath a sentence reads “murdered by British Imperialists”. Makes me want to print off a picture of Michael Collins with the line murdered by betrayers of the Irish Republic[4]
Course he wasn’t, he was killed in military action. And the leaders of the 1916 Rising weren’t murdered either. They were executed for a failed uprising against the government of the time. Semantics?
Work is busy busy busy. Loads of students around, and quite a few of the lecturers are cleaning out their offices before summer and bringing down donations[5] for the library. I’ve two rather large piles of books to be added to the catalogue. But because it is exam time the students who work in the library are on reduced hours, understandably, and so I don’t have that much time away from the desk.
I’m probably way behind on my paperwork too[6]
Related posts
Apr 16 2006
We on our part must realize that force may not bring unity. That the reverse in fact can be true. Force can create resistance and what we are trying to bring about is unity.
Inniú I went down to take a look at the military parade we had in Dublin to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. I didn’t make it out early enough so didn’t try to find a space on O’Connell St, it was packed. Instead d’fhán mé on Parnell St. So I didn’t hear the reading of the proclamation, or any of the speeches. Which may be a good thing, I’m not sure. But the parade[1] itself was a little strange.
We don’t do miltary parades. We haven’t had one in almost 40 years, cause of Northern Ireland and all that.
But if you’ve ever seen any of the British military-type parades on the telly you’ll know that they are all flag-waving, almost triumphalist, displays of pomp and ceremony. Well, there was no confusing our parade today with that. I’m not saying that ours was any better because it wasn’t. Nor any worse. Just that it was clearly an Irish event[2] It was quite fun. Especially the triúr buachaillà who turned up halfway through and ended up near me. Is dóigh liom they were all brothers, and all under ten. They were delighra to see the guns, tanks and “Bazookas! Look at de bazookas” They were also very impressed with the airplanes and helicopters that flew over.
But they were grinning from ear to ear when a few of the soldiers accompanying tanks shook their hands and others gave them high fives.
So whatever else it may have been, the parade was very much a success from a PR point of view. And it was nice to see ordinary soldiers on parade. The only other time we’d really see them is the marching bands on Patrick’s day, and usually people are more interested in the floats and sweets being thrown from other participants.
RTÉ have a special section on their website devoted to their archives from the Cuimhneachán 1916. That’d be their coverage of the 1966 Golden Jubilee events. The site does seem to be undergoing some work though. I was on it yesterday and some links weren’t working. They’ve been taken down today and its slightly reorganised.
Agus ná rinne dearmad ar LunaNina.
Dúirt sÃ:
- Ambition ::
- Meatloaf ::
- Celebrity ::
- Coach ::
- Slacker ::
- Reflection ::
- Original ::
- Risk ::
- Saved ::
- June ::
So I say:
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Apr 12 2006
And if you can exhume them
This probably won’t be funny to anyone but Irish people, but those lads over at Langerland have surpassed themselves with this wonderful cartoon, The Rising. Fuckin’ morons.
Link stolen from TCAL
Tags: 1916 Rising, Langerland, lol, The RisingRelated posts
Mar 20 2006
Witnesses: Inside the Easter Rising
ISBN: 095453350
DDC: 941.508
Author: Annie Ryan
First line: On Monday 24 April 1916, the day the Easter Rising began, a young Trinity college graduate left the house of a friend who lived near South Circular Road
With the upcoming parade to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Rising, this seemed like a good a time as any to pick up this book. In the 1940’s and 50’s the Irish government collected witness statements from many of those involved in the Rising. These were kept under lock and key, until the last of these witnesses died, and the statements were made public. This book is the first to make use of these extensive documents held in the Bureau of Military History.
