Peter in top Paddy shock

Yesterday Paddys Day.  Camera not working so here's last year’s picture. The jacket belonged to York artist the late Mike Maynard, and made me top Paddy.  You're meant to wear something green on Paddys day and I take this responsibility seriously but I'm afraid not many do.  At the Ballyporeen parade I took a sample of 20, of which only two had made a determined effort, four had made a half hearted effort, and the rest no effort.  It pains me to say that Eileen has to go in the half hearted category though I lack photographic evidence to support this condemnatory statement.

Went to 9.30 mass.  A pot of shamrock on the altar which the priest blessed. He sprinkled holy water on it and on the congregation. References to St Patrick bringing Christianity to the Irish and the 3 leaves being a symbol of the Holy Trinity.

Taking the biscuit

Thanks to Noggin for sending me this one about a banker, a Daily Mail reader and a benefit claimant sharing a plate of biscuits. There are 12 of them, the banker takes 11, and whispers to the Daily Mail reader: "Watch out for the benefit claimant, he wants your biscuit.”

26th Mar: TUC cuts demo will be massive

The TUC is organising a national demonstration on 26 March, in response to the government's programme of fast and deep public spending cuts. Message to my UK readers: "make it a big one!"

For TUC information and resources for the day, go to http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/ 

Japan and Libya

A still from a movie we've probably all seen several times in the past 48 hours.  Vast chunks of debris including whole houses surging over farmland. Here's what the New Scientist has to say.

So far as I can tell the tsunami didn’t affect the Philippines and Pacific Islands as severely as at first thought.  I hope my information is correct.  This will be a big disappointment for disaster capitalists who will have been licking their lips waiting to evict poor people from valuable coastal real estate. 

For the Japanese to be threatened tonight with accidental nuclear fallout is particularly poignant since they are the only people ever to have been subjected to this by deliberate intent. 

For the first time, the effects of an earthquake and tsunami in Japan have been felt in North Africa. Thousands will be in terror tonight of what Gaddafi will do to them emboldened by Libya being knocked off the front pages.
 

Ich nichten lichten

Phil has just reminded me of this. On the spot reporter put on the spot by Paxmannish anchorman.  Has to admit on air that he didn’t interview the German finance minister in German, or indeed at all.  Brilliant.  See for yourself.  Newsnight was never the same again.  

I was unsure of the date but am informed it was 1994.  Here's the BBC page about the show.

In Our Time - how old is the universe

BBC logo with a youthful
Melvyn Bragg

Oh joy! In Our Time this week was on the age of the universe.  Melvyn Bragg always at his best on scientific subjects where he acts as the listeners’ friend.  But sometimes when the subject is history or culture he pitches into the discussion himself and this is what we do not want. In January when discussing the industrial revolution he more or less shut one of his guests up, and told her she was talking rubbish. I think he suspected her of Marxism.  I'm starting a campaign to have him retired and replaced by Andrew Marr. 

Next week (Thurs 10th, 9 am): Free will.  Even better‼ 

In Our Time is my no 1 podcast, see my podcast recommendations.

Youth vs age in the Irish Labour Party

I heard a perceptive sociological analysis of the tensions that will be manifesting themselves right now within the Irish Labour Party and especially within the parliamentary party.

The old stagers will be saying to themselves: this is the last chance I'll get to be in government before I retire. It’s now or never.

The young guard, which will include a good number of their first-time TD’s, will be saying to themselves: if Gilmore sups with the devil, we'll be slaughtered at the next general election. I'll be a one-time-only TD.  Lets go into opposition now; then come the next general election we'll have clean hands and can win even more seats at the expense of Fine Gael discredited by hammering the population to bail out the bankers. By that time I'll have enough experience to be in the running to be a minister.