The New Consumer

Advertisements are annoying, no matter what! One might argue that some advertisements are really creative, almost "a piece of art" (sic), but this is not about the content, nor how creative the advertisement might be, not even about the product being advertised... It's about privacy. It's about timing. Not to mention social cost -  fake ads; children as targets; persuasion to make you think you are what you are not and etc.

I remember the old days of telemarketing when we used to receive random calls about different products, promotions, and "unmissable opportunities", usually at dinner time! I remember my father once, after saying 2 or 3 times that he was not interested, saying "Look Joe, why don't you give me your number and I'll call you back when you're having dinner!", and hung up the phone.

Enough of that! Enough of spam mails in the letterbox! Enough of junk e-mails, unsolicited pop-ups in your web navigation, and, most annoying of all, unsolicited ads inserted in YouTube videos (not only in the beginning of a video, but in the middle as well!) and before starting radio streaming.

Unsolicited ads are like unwanted advice: Nobody wants them!!!

Advertising might be causing the opposite effect they very much aim... Instead of creating empathy to satisfied consumers, they are generating repulsion and rejection to a legion of frustrated consumers, which have no much options if they want a way out of this ocean of rubbish and visual/noisy/mental pollution. What can we, consumers, do?

BAN!
REJECT!
EMBARGO!

Do not buy anything that invasively throws an ad into your eyes or ears! The consumer have the power! Down with the ads!

Yes we could...

Unplugging...

Would you dare to press the pause button on this chaotic and crazy life we are all so caught up in? Turn-off your phone, the computer, give up electricity and everything else from the "outside world" that we have grown so dependent on and start all over again? On totally different terms?

Very few of us, I'd say.

The interesting times we are all living in lately offer us a great opportunity for reflection. We might not turn our backs to internet and everything else by moving to a wood cabin somewhere in the countryside, and live on candlelight and wood burning stove -  to our cynical minds it might seem impossible to live a life without money - but if we consider the impact we are having on the planet, it would be a big motivation itself!

Unplugged from modernity, making fire by rubbing sticks together, collecting water from the  spring, foraging in the woods, tending the garden and fishing for pike and trout. A reflective, lyrical account, which is refreshingly free of doctrinaire haranguing or guilt-tripping.

But reality is that we are not pulling the plug. Instead, we were forced to a situation which we all want to see ending, and as we have no assurance of anything, we should at least exam the lives we all take for granted...

If the people were the priority...

A Fianna Fáil spokesman for Education was on the radio today, speaking about the lack of vacancy on Secondary School for autist children - and children in general. He was very emphatic about how he has been addressing the issue with the government, but a quick research in the WWWW (World Wide Wild Web) shows the same subject has being questioned years and years (and governments) before him!

It is the same bullshit, again and again - politicians don’t give a rat’s ass to people and their problems. They are only there to perpetuate their privileges: this government I attack, the next I excuse. And the people keep voting to them!

The Pope, the Church, and the People...

... Which People?

The Pope came to Ireland. Nobody dare to say he's not a messenger of peace and compassion, whether they are religious or not - I am not!

Not being religious mean you are not in accordance with A religion, or ANY religion... that set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, that superhuman agency, practising devotional and ritual observances, containing their own moral code for the conduct of human affairs...

For this set of beliefs, we better take from the nature... cosmology (it doesn't mean you don't believe in God)! The moral code can be found in philosophy. The conduct of human affairs was broadly spoken by Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. No fear involved! Pure reasoning!

But when it comes to re.li.gion... that's belief! And we are talking about a particular variety of such belief, especially when organized into a system of doctrine and practice, usually based on the teachings of a spiritual leader. It's might be all about fear!

I was discussing the abuse of children by priests, the other day, and the church's position on the subject. A friend of mine dared to question the gravity of the issue! Full of arguments regarding universal love, compassion for the kind of life the priests live... I heard, patiently. When he finished, I brought the universal love to the victims... and then I asked whether the church was above the law.

And there was no answer...

The most inclusive country in the world...

Someone in the radio said that Israel was one of the most inclusive countries in the world! We might ask: How come!

Just looking to the occupied territories, one cannot say it's an inclusive society by any stretch of the imagination! That land is an occupied part of the world, where people were (and still are!) literally thrown of their land, dispossessed from their land, and the land is taken by other people (the Israelis) who think they are entitled to it, just because some 5,000 years old text of their bible tells them so!

How crazy does that sound?

Get out from my nest, will ya?

Source: pixabay

Why should an elder couple, or a widow, give up their family house, other than by their own wish? Nothing more reasonable, I'd say... but no! Absurdly enough, AIB is planning to target the so called "empty nesters" to downsize and so free up badly needed family homes!

Empty nesters are couples/widowers living by themselves in 2 or more bed houses with no children - either because they don't have children, they left, or even died.

Pursuing this route would make more sense if the problem was space, but it's not. We have plenty of space in the country. What we don't have is a government!!!

...

Oh, ok... I accept I should kept going further the last full stop there and specifically say that we don't have a government who cares about the home crisis... but just because this post is about home crisis. That we don't have a government, we don't!

There are 5 historically prevalent forms of government: aristocracy, timocracy, oligarchy, democracy and tyranny. We are - as far as I know - ruled by democracy. And democracy is referred to be the "rule of the majority"!

Either we are NOT a democracy, as clearly the government does not rule FOR the majority, or we are misunderstanding which majority we are talking about: is it the majority of PEOPLE or is it the majority of MONEY?

Who's to answer???

Of tracks, robots and shores...

What’s robotics’ benefits to humankind?

It was on the radio that Denmark is actively working on a project to integrate more robots into the public sector, as a money-saving measure. To illustrate the way they’re thinking, the project claims that while unskilled worker in health sector costs something around €30, a robot costs 80c! Impressive, isn’t it? More impressive would be to know whether there is anyone thinking about the social cost of the project!

It must be all about money only - did someone say greed is good? How could we produce something which we will need to redress later, if not moved by one’s own selfish benefit over other human beings? Is that humankind?

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Back on track!

The recession is over, and the economy is growing... Let's get the country back on track!

You probably heard these words a lot lately. That's the Irish government trying to convince you that getting back on track is a good thing, thus must be pursued at any cost! Well... here, humbly standing before my laptop, I will disagree! Merely because the track we were - and still are - doesn't look good at all!

Grow the economy - grow to where? Make the banks “health again” (what does it mean?) so they can lend you more money, and then you can get more debts, and be a slave of consumerism and production of goods!

Is that life?

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Shore, Offshore, Re-ashore

"money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons
entitled to constitutional rights" - https://movetoamend.org/

We all know Capital can move freely across the globe, hunting for more profitable shores. There’s nothing new on that. But people cannot. People cannot even pay less taxes in Europe! People cannot order goods across the borders within EU, they have to "move" with the good - carrying it. If ordered by post, extra taxes will be charged.

Why the same is not applied to companies? Off-shoring saves dramatically, but this saving is not socially re-passed! Big companies save billions using semi-slavery workers in desperately sub-developed countries and pocket it all!

Is 1000% profit acceptable before the world we live? What about 500% profit? Capital over humankind, profit before people, while we should rule people before profit. Will the big-bag-money companies soften their stone hearts? You better not expect that! Neither should you expect anything from the government. Still, the big-bag-money companies depend on you! They depend on your consumption, in your belief that the recession is over, that the country is getting back on its tracks, and that those tracks are good! So you will keep consuming, indiscriminately, therefore production can be maintained and the big-bags can be filled with even more money.

The way we live is excessive. We should clearly look into our lives and decide by ourselves what is necessary, without privation. The choice of how citizenry spend their money really matters, and can make the difference.

Consume. But consume wisely!

Functional Blindness?

The term "functionally blind" is usually related to a person with some vision, but who functions as someone who is blind. In some situations, it is very difficult to determine whether someone is functionally blind or not. In the case of doubt, it is better to err on the side of caution and apply the functionally blind label.

When we say “functional”, it is implied that it is something affecting the function, but not the structure. In the case of our (Irish) politicians, we better drop the functional all together!

Sinn Féin has been signalling a disposition to join the government in a possible coalition with another party in the next elections. A big step in the broad political scene, which was even reiterated by Gerry Adam’s announcement that he is stepping off from Sinn Féin’s presidency.

It seems that the general media don’t see this flexibility as a positive diversity in our political microcosmos, and insist on comments about Mr. Adam’s past and his time in the IRA. Besides making statements as “the Irish people do not want a Communist government”, which should really be left for the Irish people to decide through democratic vote, the two (of a kind) main parties - Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael - seem to refuse a coalition with Sinn Féin, saying they have fundamentally different economic views!

It continues to baffle me that our leadership so stubbornly refuses to see what is displayed so clearly right in front of its nose! The so called economic view that FF-FG have, a unconditional bent to the rules of Washington Consensus, is not working for people!

Heavily taxing income rather than profit, waving the wealthier, looking to the other side in regarding to big companies tax evasion, free movement of capital but not people - none of this sounds nor look fair, and it’s more than time for a change!

And that change is frightening the current status quo!

Populism? Moi?

It must be an assumption to think that people do not link the ends... Well, we do. When Mr. Colm McCarthy says "unpopular truths about the water issue", should he really mean unpopular truths about government mistakes? After all, we all remember - and feel still - the horrible mistakes this government has made. And not only this one, but the previous as well, and the previous, again!

Journalists like this Colm McCarthy don't give up telling half truths - or half lies? - covering their own corporated view. In the real world, we all know what this is all about: a levy to pay of the banking debt. The PRIVATE banking debts promptly paid by our (useless) government with OUR PUBLIC money! Money which should be directed, for instance, to efficiently provide the WATER SYSTEM!

Of course 9 weeks to form a government is too much. But this is what the population voted! The press trying to establish the mantra that there are "far more important issues" than Irish Water is a fallacy, a gross strategy to get some controversy in the spotlights, as we all understand that first, Fianna Fail committed itself to a plan - the so called manifesto - which people voted based on. Secondly, Irish water is not about the value - as he says, "... costs people €3 per week", or that it's "a flat €160 per annum" (considering the €100 'water conservation' grant). This is about the people being sick of politicians working in the interest of the capital instead of the interest of the people! Yeah, sounded quite leftist, didn't it? As much as paying bankers with public money should sound rightist, but the status quo somehow manage to dissimulate the meaning.

So, yes, we do understand Irish water is not the worst problem, but it's picked as the notorious issue regarding people's voicing.

Bear with that!

Numbers, numbers...

Minister for Finance, TD (Teachta Dála) Michael Noonan, said on TV that he'd support the YES campaign to change the minimum age of a candidate to President of Ireland from 35 to 21 years.

After mentioning he'd not expect to see much 21 years old people as candidates, he said he thinks is peculiar that a 35 years old person can be a candidate, but a 34 years old can't.

Well, minister, you, better then anyone should know such peculiarities are everywhere! For instance, a sixteen years old person can drive, but a 15 can't. A 18 years old person can drink alcohol, a 17 years old can't. A 65 years old person is elegible for full pension, a 64 years old is not. And so on. Then you, minister, might say: "oh, all this numbers are so confusing..."

We understand.

A Lazy Review

Everybody should know that wine tasting notes are subjective. There are some technicalities there, but the part that really matters is personal: you like the wine or you don't, doesn't matter how balanced or powerful might be.

Book reviews are the same. People might expect some technical comments about style, genre, etc, but people want to know in advance what to expect from a book in the critic review. And critics, as wine tasters, have their own opinions, and depends from who you read a review, you might not buy a book you'd love, or either be disapointed by one you just bought - and read!

Unpretentiously walking the city centre yesterday, just to watch how the world was going, I stopped in front of a bookshop. In the window, Carnival, by Rawi Hage. In the critic's note, the phrase:

"Imagine Camus rewriting Taxi Driver".

I walked away...

there we go...

Paddy, what have you done?

Tomorrow is Paddy day, the booziest day in Ireland, when people get deadly drunk in the streets, in pubs, at home... everywhere! Name the place and there will be people drinking to death!

Some people say they drink to death on Paddy's day to forget St. Patrick was born in Britain. Others say it's because the Pota Phadraig or Patrick's Pot, as it was St. Patrick himself who said that "everyone should have a drop of the "hard stuff" on his feast day." Then, not to contradict St. Patrick and make him even more satisfied, people drink not a drop, but a whole lot!

Don't look back...

So, the government of the "Little Green Island" just announced that the inner city centre will be mainly for those on foot (also called pedestrians), cyclists and public transportation - no private vehicles anymore!

At first it sounds very "green" - and surely is if it was not nonsense! Not allowing cars into inner city centre of Dublin would demand a much - far, far, far much - better public transportation infrastructure than we have today! Areas like the north-west of Dublin are totally abandoned at their own fate, either in terms of buses or trains.

Dublin Bus is very well-known by the disservices they offer from long time, where buses have a no-show policy which Dublin Bus seems to not care at all! Drivers who skip stops at their wish, leaving people at the mercy of the weather! The Nitelink service which, in some routes, runs every 30 minutes Friday and Saturday, from 00:00 to 04:00 and costs ONLY €5!!! No services Monday to Thursday, so you have to get your bus by 11:30PM!

Trains towards the city HAVE to go through a unique hub - Connolly Station. They get there easy and quick... then they have to "wait their turn" (!) to serve the platform - yes, I know... it's hilarious!!! The timetable? For the west link, for instance, in the middle of the day you have to wait one hour to get into a train, not to mention they finish serving at 11PM and the first train on Sundays and bank holidays is 10AM! Buses as well!!!

"Oh, but it might be good for bikers", one may say. Not so fast, buddy! There are not enough corridors for bikes, and they are not that safe at all! Drivers don't really respect bikers, you'll quick learn that!

The government should care about the infrastructure first, and then come with these preposterous ideas...

Children's day!

Today's is children's day in the office. Almost everybody brings their children and they play around with each other, they freely run among the desks, happy, shouting, singing...

I love children! Everybody can tell just looking at me interacting with then, but having them running around your desk, shouting and screaming and playing their toys is not an ideal work environment!

Mainly when they play with your toys! :)

Just another lazy, drunken journalist!

Sometimes you need a good argument to bend someone's opinion, but sometimes you just need a stereotype... that's exactly what made me think I shouldn't watch Depp's new movie, The Rum Diary.

People is talking about. People usually talk about things. Cool things... even they are not really cool. Sometimes, looking cool is cool enough. That's the case with The Rum Diary. People are saying they want to watch, they have to watch, and even that someone else has watched and it's great!

Really?!? I doubt! Not because I watched, but just because it didn't sound right! I don't known if was only the advertisement, or a combination of the advertisement and the trailer, but "great" is an adjective which doesn't goes well with the whole thing... and I was right!

Apart from my own stereotype - and I don't know from where in hell I got it - I just needed a review to endorse what my impressions were, and that's it... I have a good reason to NOT waste 120 minutes in a "cliché" movie! FOMO-free!!! As was said in The Sunday Times, "... at times, the film is The Hangover for people who think they are edgy outsiders."

Dunnes Stores. The difference is we are irish!

Dunnes Stores. The difference is we're Irish! What's that supposed to mean? An "irish quality label"? Dunnes Stores claim they are irish, but they act as germans - nothing against the german people... it's supermarkets we are talking about!

Last weekend doing my regular shop - I'm not particularly loyal to any supermarket. Usually I buy certain things here, other things there... and last Saturday, while buying some stuff in Dunnes, an image of Lidl came to my mind... all the fruits and vegetables were still in their delivery boxes! A very known practice for Lidl and Audi, the so called low-budget markets. In this way they save some money as they don't need anyone organizing their shelves...

So... what's the difference again?

Shop! Shop! Shop!

Yes, now it's official: the government has declared it's time to buy! The one's who can afford to buy have the responsibility to save the economy in their shoulders!

Michael Noonan, the Fine Gael politician who has been the Minister for Finance since March 2011, is encouraging Irish people to "go shopping"! Well, you might be asking "but buy what?", in which return the minister might turn to you saying "don't ask silly questions, boy! Just buy, buy and buy!"

We all can guess where such technical advises might bring us, can't we?

Is é Eamonn Ó Mhuireann do fíor?

Someone's questioned
the veracity of Eamonn Ó Mhuireann...
Who the hell are they to doubt
about Eamonn Ó Mhuireann?

Eamonn Ó Mhuireann, son of
the Great King of the North
From the lands where no one stands
more than a moment in heresy...

Who the hell art thou, Whale of Stones?
Art thou stoned enough to stores'f holder
or carry thou too much stones on thy shoulder?
Níl uisce-beatha ar bith fágtha sa bhuidéal ar do shon...

Eamonn Ó Mhuireann,
yeah, that's me!

Hum... me pergunto se seria do fíor or ag fíor, sendo ag não o presente contínuo, é óbvio, mas sim a substantização verbal de fíor...

The new children's playground

Even most parents believed that kids under 18 should not be able to keep their accounts private and among them, about one-third monitor their children's usage of social media, some parents still tend to allow their 10 to 12 years old children to have a Facebook or MySpace account and keep it private, says a recent study.

The www is a wild, wild world, as Yusuf Islam (or Steven Demetre Georgiou, aka Cat Stevens) used to say! All kind of people out there, from good to psycho, and really bad people as well, so better you look after your children... or someone else will be doing that for you...