Dempsey to answer Aer Lingus questions at 4.15

Noel Dempsey, clearly has had coaching from Michael Martin on how to push blame onto nameless civil servants, in an attempt to explain how on his second day in the transport portfolio he was not informed of the news of the Aer Lingus decision to stop flights to London from Shannon. Hopefully someone will raise that minor detail of 'ministerial responsibility' at an extended question time in the Dail at 4.15 today (Thursday). Read more here.

16.45 - RTE report on calls for Dempseys resignation.

2004 Citizenship Referendum

Speaking at a conference on race and immigration hosted by the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Mary Robinson spoke aptly about concerns she holds over the 2004 Citizenship Referendum. Feeling it was rushed into without due consideration, she also expressed concerns about our overall attitude to the issue of immigration, highlighting the issue of schooling and the EU Commissions reporting on our failure to tackle issues of racial intolerance. The impetus behind this referendum was narrow minded. I felt it had a very questionable motive of tapping into unsettling biases in the Irish population that need to be addressed.

This referendum as far as I am concerned fed on and encouraged these biases. The motive for the referendum stemmed from inconclusive evidence and the idea that our maternity hospitals were overloaded with pregnant asylum seekers. We didn’t know then and we don’t know the level of immigration into Ireland, and however much the number inflates, and impacts on the make up of Irish society that our first reaction is to seek to deny human rights to these individuals is a poor testament to the decision making of policy makers and the public opinion they feel they want to satisfy.

My understanding is that a significant number of children born in this country, no longer entitled to be termed citizens, could be denied the rights accorded to citizens by the Constitution. How is this not discrimination? Where have the legislative provisions been made to protect the vulnerable people living on the island? Our Constitution was disrespected, used as nothing more than a crowd pleasing tool, an add on to a troubled second go at Nice, set to please those who vote, not those who struggle.

Funding local government.

Michael Taft has been doing a series on how to raise taxes. One of the points he makes is that the tax take for local government is too low. To me the problem is local government.

Local government should be great it should be local people fixing issues on the ground with local know how, but it is not . For the simple reason that Ireland is Ireland. No on has any qualms about approaching a local cllr to ride rough shot over the local development. Can’t get your house built here, no prob have a word with the local rep. Now it might offer a model of politicians working for their constituenents which maybe a good thing, but it does go against any attempts for detailed planning. Also looking at the tribunels a lot of the issues come from the local councillors. In a small country where everyone is willing to do a mate a good turn. Local government just gets fecked.

But if we are going to have it, do we tax at a local level. I live in the UK and as such have to pay council tax. Council tax is paid based on the perceived value of your home, which is dictated by where you live. Thing is people’s income is not broken down by where they live, With the boom in construction many places many people now live in homes of great value which they could not buy if they had to buy them on their present incomes. So by treating area’s as uniform earnings area’s you are penalising many people for not selling up.

Tax should be progressive, the more you earn the more you should pay. This is one of the reasons I dislike VAT and carbon tax. They hit the poor the hardest in an ideal world all tax would be raised based on earnings. But we do not live in a ideal world. If we dropped VAT totally then how many retailers would reduce their prices to un VAT levels?

But if we do care about progressive tax, then we need not to introduce a council tax. Most forms of council tax be they local VAT rates or flat fees evolve regressive taxation Not something we should be pursuing. And if the solution is a local income tax. Why not just take it from income tax anyway.

EU Commission Legal Challenge to Tara Action

Today sees the beginning of a legal challenge to be taken by the Commission, which unfortunately will not halt construction at Tara, but seeks to highlight the poor legislative protections and haphazard approach we take to planning construction near archaeological sites. As well as the issues of Tara the challenge will look more broadly at Irish failures to ensure interactions such as those between pollution-control measures and the landscape will be adequately assessed and taken into account when making planning decisions. Read here a letter to the Indo, from a person likely to be disappointed at the benign nature of the challenge. Ultimately it is just one of 37 infringement challenges Ireland faces over environmental breaches. We are an embarassment.

Examine Campaign Contributions

I don't know how they got their hands on this information, or whether it is simply a smart tool which compiles information which is readily available in the States, but the Huffington Post have a search function which allows you view the contributions made by individuals to respective parties and individuals in the lead up to the Presidential primaries. You can search under 'name' terms or 'zipcode' which allows us snoop into how much celebrities contribute and Americans can see who in their neighbourhood is a party supporter. Search here.

Campaign For proper Soup

How often have you gone to a restaurant for lunch and looked forward to a nice hearty bowl of soup, a bowl of vegetable or Chicken, Mushroom or Leak and potato just to be disappointed when the menu board reads Carrot and Cumin, Chilli and Sweet corn, Stilton and pepper. "Soups" which are just not proper soup. We here want to return soups to the masses.

We need Proper Soup. Join the Facebook group here if you think restaurants should server more real soups.

Halloween Movies

Feast your eyes over the programme for the Halloween weekend at the Irish Film Institute. Those guys can do no wrong in my books - four days straight of horror movies, new releases and classics.

Private Security role to to grow

Blackwater, the company under investigation for shootings of civilians in Iraq are lobbying to expand their role in other volatile area of conflict around the world. There is something deeply unsettling about private security forces. They just smack of black ops and a lack of accountability. Read more here.

Alabama 3 gig

A great night was had Thursday night at the Tripod, with Alabama 3 providing a great show, with equally good, if short-lived support from The Republic of Loose. The night belonged to distinctive voices, with the lead singers of both bands lending immeasurably to the unique sounds of their bands with their range. We went knowing little of Alabama 3 and my standard response to ‘who are they?’ was ‘the guys who sing the Sopranos’ song’. Other than this, and I was in the company of people who know their music, we were largely unaware of even their overall style of music, let alone any other tracks.

Well it was positive responses all round, a trio of lead singers - one with the deep trench of a voice we associate with the Sopranos’ ‘Woke up this Morning’, a nymph of a woman who could drown out the a gospel choir and a guy who seemed to deliver a rap chant type performance reminding me of Vincent Price, performed every song with adrenaline rising enthusiasm. The most dominant influence on their music is country and blues. At times there were riffs and indeed whole songs that could have tipped the balance in favour of Cotton Eye Joe hokey poke, at others there were songs laden with blues. At one point there even seemed to be line dancing going on but all the time the rocky edges to the music and energy earned them a respected niche of their own.

There were some angry themes running through their music, but not for a moment did the energy of their music lull and the Tripod, a nicely intimate yet accommodating venue, carried the sound well, every bit of me vibrating for a track ‘Soldier’ which was the tune of the night. And in a summer where I’ve seen some big names these guys outright did the best encore. So too, the Republic of Loose, delivered a great show but playing for only half an hour I was left feeling short changed. Especially as I had not even realised they were the support until late in the day, nevertheless it was an unexpected surprise as a great fan of their music. The unnecessarily long break between the acts only dissipated the good vibes of the Kilkenny bands performances. Don't let there be any doubt it was a great night all around. I posted Dave Matthews Band clips earlier in the year but the reality is that Youtube can't do justice to such great live music, instead I've linked the official websites below.

Cheers to the bouncer who sold my spare ticket for me. Links: Official Albama 4 website Official Republic of Loose website

Top 6 Friday: Biopics that should be.

6.Bill Hicks simply the greatest.

5.George Orwell. One of the greatest writers of all time.Geoffrey Rush could do him justice

4.Margaret Thatcher. Changed the course of British politics the Iron lady. Could see Helen Mirrian playing this role.

3. The rolling Stones. Need I say any more. Who to play them. I think Clive Owen could play Jagger he has the swagger. Colin Farrell has the hell rasing reputation could pull it off. Kieran Culken could play Brian Jones. I really like igby goes down.

2. Martin Luther King Jr. I am surprised that a movie has never to been made to my knowledge about this man. Certainly one of the most if not most important American of the 20th century. But who to play him? Personally it would have be an unknown. Otherwise it is someone else movie.

1. Meat loaf the movie. The part of Meat Loaf can only be played by one man. Jack Black.Watch the video and you will see.

Cat Stevens

For some reason Cat Stevens music has been popping up a lot lately in my movie watching. Most recently his song, Don't Be Shy, a song calling on its listeners to make changes, aptly closed out Michael Moore's 'Sicko'. His song Tea for the Tillerman, which I first heard in a magic scene from 'The Science of Sleep' but is certainly most associated with 'Extras'. I was pleasantly surprised then to discover it as one of the songs he provided on the soundtrack for 'Harold and Maude' which I reviewed a while back. Then I was plagued for a number of trips to the movies by the trailer for 'Year of the Dog' which appropriately showed clips to the sound of I Love my Dog. I've chosen 3 Youtube clips of Steven's music. Firstly Tea for Tillerman is a gem. I Love My Dog looses out to The First Cut is the Deepest becuase I prefer it, and I couldn't find Don't be Shy so instead we have Peace Train performed on 'Later with Jools Holland', the most recent clip so of course here he goes by Yusuf Islam.

Movie Review: 'Sicko'

What is intended to shock in 'Sicko' really does shock. You sit watching a mother with a swing set in the background, tell the story of how her daughter fell sick with a high fever. She was raced to hospital in an ambulance only to be kept waiting while her treatment was sanctioned by her insurance company. She was informed she had to go to another hospital as selected by the insurance company and could only travel by car. On eventually reaching the hospital her daughter went into cardiac arrest and died. I had been waiting throughout the woman’s story for her daughter, no more than 1 one year old at the time, to appear alive on screen after what had been an ordeal. But no, this woman is telling the story of standing in an Accident and Emergency room, while doctors stand by refusing to treat her sick child because she is not covered to be treated in that hospital.

‘Sicko’ is a strange mix of commentary. It captures injustice at all levels and draws in corporate greed, references 9/11, questions Americans anathema to socialism, with Moore’s trademark ability to make a point using archive film footage and soundbites. We meet people who cannot afford health care, people who have health care but have been bankrupted by the medical costs not covered by their policies. We meet former employees who look for loop holes to avoid payment, doctors who openly admit they have looked for ways to avoid providing treatment. The documentary travels to Europe, Canada, Gunatanemo Bay and Cuba looking at the free health care in those respective places, as volunteers from 9/11 who have suffered lasting injuries, look on as the US authorities claim they were not employees of the city so are not entitled to benefits.

You cannot but be cautious in how much of the information you embrace. Some of it seems over simplified, there are over idealised versions of the French and UK health systems, and always the sense that an alleged 500 hours of footage have been cut very selectively, using the most convincing people, while some scenes in Cuba in particular seem staged. Always, though the horrific stories and the sorry state people have been left in are testament to a hugely problematic system. The problem with Moore’s wide canvas is that at times he veers too much off course, whether it be clinging to saccharine sentiments as opposed to hitting us with more facts or aiming unnecessarily for sensation when he already has a shocking story to tell. I found myself at times confused by the agenda of the film, showing clips from various Bush administration personnel testifying to the happy state of the ill in Gunatanemo to unceremoniously brandishing both Hilary Clinton and Bush as easily bribed at the expense of the public. Maybe there is no politically aligned agenda and Moore’s mission is simply to demonstrate the flaws in the system, irrespective of who is in power. This is in of itself a noble cause, though ultimately the impact of the film is slightly diluted by generalisations thrown in for little but sarcastic or dramatic effect.

Construction Industry Record Downturn in Employment

Finfacts cover the continued downturn in construction employment figures, with September marking the lowest levels of recruitment since 2003. Read more here.

No More Female Leads - Warner Brothers

Nikki Finke, a sort of Maureen O'Dowd of the entertainment world in the US, is reporting that the President of Production at Warner Brothers is refusing to consider any new productions with female leads, in light of romantic comedies and the recent 'The Brave One' and 'Invasion' lead by Jodie Foster and Nicole Kidman respectively, performing poorly. If true and she claims the story has basis then it is truly a sad testament to the blind sighted decision making we associate with the big studios. Like any film, those with a female leads need to be done well to be a success. There is already a too poor output of women led productions, with roles in independent film more often than not providing Oscar nominations. Blaming women is as purposeful as blaming sea salt for cholesterol. How about making less films with Anna Faris and having heroines do more than get tied up or have real life weight loss be their most notable achievements. Read more here.

Read the Classics Online

I've come across 'Read Print', a wide ranging collection of books, poetry and short stories as written by every great writer imaginable. The great bonus is they can each be accessed and read online for free. Definitely one worth adding to your favourites: www.readprint.com

Cheap publicity stunt or Intricate sub-meaning.?

Every once in a while a piece of news comes along that requires at least 2 readings followed by independent investigation and verification before I will actually believe it. Today I read that the movie Chapter 27, being released in December and telling the story of Mark David Chapman in the days running up to John Lennon’s killing, has a relatively unknown actor called Mark (Lindsay) Chapman playing the part of Beatle.

In other news, contrary to reports that Liam Neeson was being lined up to play Abraham Lincoln in Spielbergs upcoming biopic, the unknown actor John W. Booth has instead been confirmed in the title role.

Top 6 Friday: Mild 'Lost' Spoilers to Tide Us over until January

With Autumn seeing the return of so many shows there is still a gaping hole in my viewing schedule with new episodes of 'Lost' not beginning until the new year. Don't read on if you want to know nothing at all, though as well as the secrets of the show being very well safe guarded I have only selected spoilers which will whet your appetites.

6. The twist at the end of last years final episode was of course that we had been viewing a flash forward as opposed to flash back, subtely revealing that Jack and Kate had left the island. Producers have revealed that the coming episodes will have both flash backs and flash forwards, leaving us guessing as to the structure of the show as well as the character the episodes will centre on.

5. Michael and his son Walt, who appeared to have been given their freedom from the island by 'the Others' at the end of series two will return. His son of course 'appeared' to John Locke in the final episode of the last series and producers have stated they have a solution to the fact that the actor playing Walt will have grown substantially, even though the character has only been away from the island for a number of weeks.

4. The first episode will focus on multiple characters as opposed to just one.

3. Libby, a short-lived character, thanks to a gun wielding Michael, who never the less played a part in the past lives of both Hurley and Desmond, will reappear in multiple flashbacks.

2. The show's producers have already figured out what they will do with the mysterious character of Jacob, who to date has literally has been an invisible man. Picking his words carefully, executive producer Carlton Cuse said, "Yes, we do know how Jacob will be depicted. Notice the careful wording of my answer. And no, Jacob did not appear before he was met by Locke." Cuse also declined to say whether an actor had been chosen to portray the character.

1. In the spirit of some of the episodes find here a nicely obscure teaser video presented at Comic Con, a specially made clip, with a familiar face making a confession.

Che

It is Che's 40th aniversity a few day ago and the Socialist partie's website have a glowing tribute to him. I wrote a less glowing tribute.Will Bush get cool t-shirts? a while back.

Sequel Rumours

Empire is reporting on rumours of a sequel to a movie close to my heart and also the Dossing Times Movie of the Year for 2005 - Serenity, the Joss Whedon directed, Nathan Fillion lead sci-fi western. Please let them not be playing with us. There aren't enough intelligent, witty movies being made these days and Joss Whedon is sadly missing from the billing on projects at the moment. Read the story here.

Feist - 1 2 3 4

Presuming that you are all also wondering, as I am, what that catchy tune from the new iPod add is I am providing a public service and posting it below. Sinead Gleason and the receptionist at my job were both at Feist's recent gig in the Tripod. Our receptionist enjoyed the gig and Sinead concurs in her review of the gig here.