Fever Pitch

It feels great to be Irish today for some strange reason. While I accept little is likely to change in the short term, the fact that the Irish people swept Fianna Fail under the carpet on Friday kind of felt like revenge for all the things that have been swept under the carpet in Ireland over the years while they've been at the helm. But it's not a weekend to be going into all that.

It also tells me Irish people know the difference between what is right and what is wrong, and it is from that people who have lost hope may find a little comfort in the time ahead. The incoming government will be the mostly closely watched in the history of the state, a kind of role reversal in the Big Brother stakes, and with it a chance to change the way politics is practiced on our island. Significant change has been proved possible by utilising the Internet across the globe, so why not here also? Once the Internet remains free from oppression this planet might still have a chance.

I think after the past few days, politicians now know how anything, but what is right for all of Ireland's people moving forward will be dealt with. It will not be tolerated any longer. The months ahead will be an interesting time because those coming in now have a full-time job on their hands just trying to keep the whole thing together. The job will be worth the going rate if they manage to reverse the slide. Time will tell.

Arsenal lost the Carling Cup Final at Wembley in the afternoon. The trophy famine goes on. It's part of being an Arsenal fan. There's a lot of pain in between moments of great joy. People who do not follow soccer or indeed Arsenal will not understand, but being a fan since I was six, I have seen much turmoil sprinkled among the glory. In terms of what most fans suffer, it hasn't been a bad ride, but it's been six years now since we went unbeaten and won our last trophy. It's almost a famine now.
The writer Nick Hornsby summed up the ups and downs of the Arsenal football fan in his book Fever Pitch. Unless you are a true fan it may not be a read worth undertaking, but a viewing of the film version is worth the 90 minutes. No person could have summed it up any better and I certainly am never going to try.

It's funny how the world spins sometimes. The lead actor in Fever Pitch, Colin Firth is up for a Best Actor gong at the Oscars tonight for his role in The King's Speech. If I had money I'd put it on him. But then again, I'd have put my life on Arsenal in the afternoon... if I had one!
Feel bad moments on feel good days. Crazy little world, isn't it?