Godfathers

So what's the craic around the Emerald Isle these past two weeks? I've tuned out for the most part. Working on possible emigration kinda has my focus at the minute. There was the election of the new Seanad, where continuing pay-laden positions of a political non-event are given out. With no general public input.
Coupled along with the Taoiseach of the days favourite people outside of Dáil Eireann getting their handy shift too, I haven't heard anything of significance since I tuned out. It's almost like Ireland has gone a little quite of late. Maybe it's all the Bank Holidays of late or the Royal Wedding of yesterday, who knows?

Dan Boyle lost his seat, which is a little pity. I'd have liked him to stay. Number 1 we work well together and number 2, he does engage with people, no matter how they choose to engage with him.
You can't say the likes of that about other politicians who dabble in social media to 'be hip.' At best most won't answer any questions, at worst you get banned for asking anything at all. Enda of course could still appoint him if they are secret mates, but should that fail I have it on good advice that his account of time in governance is under way.
He did say he wouldn't be claiming an artist tax-exemption unlike Bertie, but I'm going to lobby him in the future months to take the tax-break and invest it in the Indie Film scene here in Ireland. The Godfather of Indie. Coming from Chicago, who's to say he wasn't born for it, and the past three years were just one bad dream.

I tuned into Vinnie Browne last night for the Friday night light-heart, where four stiffs and David McSavage were being hosted. Had to switch off after half an hour. Just isn't the hell I had tuned in for, which is always when Vincent is at his best. When he's unleashing hell or going after Taoisigh on his 'running taoisigh out of office' Irish Tour.
That's way more fun than watching generic spiel from damp squids and a cascading McSavage who leaves it at that.
I guess that's why he is a successful comedian, he concentrates solely on the comedy. He's not into how we are going to reverse Ireland's downfall into the awaiting arms of vulture bondholders the world over. A proper absurditist in many ways, though many will argue. It is hard though to be taken seriously when you refuse to offer anything by way of solution.

We've the Queen to come in May along with Barack Obama to add to this feeling of good sweeping the land. You know the one being fed to us in the mainstream. Yet, the real news is you can't leave your house these days but you'll be stopped and checked on many things. Speeding. Car Tax for roads that really have to be driven on to be believed, they are that bad. It's so good to see my County in a Champions League spot when it comes to craters in the road. In places it almost feels like the Americans were in on a sortee.
Insurance, Customs and even the Social Welfare are out now at checkpoints that seem to be everywhere now.
Feels to me like if authority concentrated on some real crimes like the ones inflicted on the ordinary people of this country for a change, maybe then the mainstream may be able to sell the Ireland we all want to the World. But no, you're a criminal if you haven't car tax or do a nixer, but bankrupt a country and you can continue on your merry way.
That's why Ireland ain't so great a place to be right now. Double standards that do nothing but grow greater divisions among the populous. Bit of the good old, Divide & Rule.
You'd have to wonder where Ireland really would be as a society if it were not for the great work done by thousands of Volunteers across the land. You'd think any competent government would be driving a society forward so that maybe someday governance will only whispered by drunken men who tell horror stories in side alleys to pass the time.
But no, it is almost like governments the world over are driving society another way. Like they want society to collapse altogether, for whatever end. In my view, in many places, they add nothing to the equation.
If the same efforts were put into keeping a generation from emigrating or lowering the suicide rate we might have something to be proud of instead of having to squeeze our sporting stars for a taste of National pride.

There's rain on the way. Summer will soon be here. Then the speculation on the budget. Then the budget itself.
Then?
Well, that's anyone's guess, isn't it?