I remember as a child hearing the phrases, “Idleness is the devil’s playground” or the “The devil makes work for idle hands”. It suggested that being busy was more virtuous and therefore, great activity was something to aspire to. I get the general point that doing absolutely nothing at all is unhealthy, but I think...
Nichola’s Week
Minding your own business
Minding your own business
There’s nothing like a good debate with yourself; particularly if it is a new opinion or a life value that is in question. Some might see such arguments as a sign of madness and if so then I’m guilty. The most recent incident started in the car the other day when I began to form an opinion as I listened to an ad on...
The art of the understatement
The art of the understatement
“I am just going outside and may be some time” – that’s a quote attributed to the Antarctic explorer Captain Lawrence Oates before he emerged into a blizzard to face certain death. It’s a good example of the near perfect use of the understatement, a mechanism of language often employed by writers and satirists to...
Could it happen here?
Could it happen here?
Riots on our screens are nothing new. Civil unrest is part of daily news and sadly we are used to hearing about uprisings in far flung places where the inhabitants have had enough of despotic regimes and oppressive conditions. Watching it on the streets of London and in daylight hours however, creates an entirely...
Psycho tendencies
Psycho tendencies
I saw The Guard starring Brendan Gleeson at the cinema last week and like thousands of others thoroughly enjoyed it. While the promotional trailers may paint it as a full on comedy it is at times quite dark with a little Hollywood movie action thrown in for spice. Without giving anything away, at one point in the...
V is for Volunteer
V is for Volunteer
There’s really little to add to the body of voices that have already congratulated and thanked the organisers of the Tall Ships Festival. It has been said in as many ways as possible. Not only was the festival a super financial boost to the area, it was also a boost to the collective confidence and morale of the...
Put Irish people and SNAs first!
Put Irish people and SNAs first!
There’s no beating around the bush on this one, just a simple call to action when it comes to the proposed cuts on Special Needs Assistants in schools. We need to muster a real sense of outrage on this one and just say “No” very loudly and emphatically. We can only hope that the government back pedals fast. The...
Kite Design Studios
Kite Design Studios
It’s hard to believe the Tall Ships are upon us once more. When it was first announced, July 2011 seemed to be such a long way off. Maybe time has speeded up after all. Conspiracy theories aside, no doubt most people will be making a trip into the City to catch a glimpse of the spectacle on the quayside. While you...
Order, it’s a good thing
Order, it’s a good thing
The first article I penned for the Munster Express was based on the idea of broken windows theory. This is a criminological theory that was introduced in the States in the mid 1980s by social scientists James Q. Wilson and George L Kelling. It simply states that monitoring and maintaining urban environments in a well...
Find Your Inner Child
Find Your Inner Child
While we are all aware of the adult responsibility to teach children about the world and life in general we sometimes forget the natural wisdom that children possess. Standards, morals, beliefs and behaviours are all taught to children as they grow up and they mainly learn by what they see and experience rather than...
Looking good!
Looking good!
Late last year I voiced some strong opinions on the ugly derelict buildings in and around the city. Obviously I wasn’t alone in my criticism as anyone with eyes could see the problems. My main gripe was with the largely absent property owners. Recently, however, I noticed the changes and not just one or two. Shop...
I’m really glad the Queen came to visit.
I’m really glad the Queen came to visit.
In the run up to the royal visit I have to admit total disinterest. Of course I hoped the Queen would be afforded the respect any visitor deserves and also that nothing would happen to her on Irish soil, but other than that I wasn’t bothered. Then she arrived, full of smiles, she bowed her head, she seemed genuinely...