I actually caught some of the election coverage last night. I found a live stream from RTÉ News on YouTube. It was interesting to watch. The way they tally the votes by counting the second and third preferences (and so on) meant it was a bit like watching the scoring come in from Eurovision. I also finally now know how the names of the parties are pronounced.
The counting is still going on now - they break for the night then re-start in the morning. If it isn't all over by later today (surely it can't take that much longer) then I may catch some more coverage later tonight.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Doing My Irish Homework
I've quickly settled into posting daily again. It really is quite an easy habit having done it for so long last year.
The Irish election count is still going on. Sinn Féin have had a very nice day though so far. With the first preferences counted (Ireland use a PR system with single transferable vote) Sinn Féin have 24.5%, Fianna Fáil 22.2.% and Fine Gael 20.9%.
Sinn Féin have only stood 42 candidates. Far fewer than the other two major parties. At present the seat predictions are that Sinn Féin will have 37 seats, Fine Gael just 36, and Fianna Fáil 45.
I'm typing this as if I know what's actually going on lol, but I'm just lifting it straight from the mainstream media really. I was hoping that there would be more extensive coverage on the UK TV news networks, but it's just getting mentioned in passing as part of the general flow of news. It's all Coronavirus and terrible weather - Storm Ciara. Pronounced Key-reh as I have to keep reminding myself. Oh, and it's the Oscars as well!! Perhaps the most terrifying news of all.
So I haven't learnt as much from the Irish election coverage as I was hoping.
Simply repeating the results on here seems a little silly, but it actually has the benefit of forcing me to pay attention and make note of this stuff. Had I not been blogging I would've certainly paid less attention. So it helps with the learning curve. Kind of like doing your homework. Writing it down makes you take ownership of the information. Even though it may bore your teacher who's read it all before (or you right now - sorry!).
I'm trying to pay more attention as I suspect that both Ireland and Scotland will become the new battlegrounds now that Brexit has been settled in regard Westminster politics (assuming it has been settled in that regard of course). So I need to sharpen up a little bit.
It's easy to get good information where you live. You just have to keep your eyes open and pay attention. Getting good information from further afield takes more effort though. So I'm going to have to find ways of getting more varied information. Watching Irish TV coverage might be useful, and finding some normal Irish people to follow on Twitter could be handy.
In fact, I probably should've followed the RTÉ News Twitter account which I quoted from yesterday. Might go and do that now.
The Irish election count is still going on. Sinn Féin have had a very nice day though so far. With the first preferences counted (Ireland use a PR system with single transferable vote) Sinn Féin have 24.5%, Fianna Fáil 22.2.% and Fine Gael 20.9%.
Sinn Féin have only stood 42 candidates. Far fewer than the other two major parties. At present the seat predictions are that Sinn Féin will have 37 seats, Fine Gael just 36, and Fianna Fáil 45.
I'm typing this as if I know what's actually going on lol, but I'm just lifting it straight from the mainstream media really. I was hoping that there would be more extensive coverage on the UK TV news networks, but it's just getting mentioned in passing as part of the general flow of news. It's all Coronavirus and terrible weather - Storm Ciara. Pronounced Key-reh as I have to keep reminding myself. Oh, and it's the Oscars as well!! Perhaps the most terrifying news of all.
So I haven't learnt as much from the Irish election coverage as I was hoping.
Simply repeating the results on here seems a little silly, but it actually has the benefit of forcing me to pay attention and make note of this stuff. Had I not been blogging I would've certainly paid less attention. So it helps with the learning curve. Kind of like doing your homework. Writing it down makes you take ownership of the information. Even though it may bore your teacher who's read it all before (or you right now - sorry!).
I'm trying to pay more attention as I suspect that both Ireland and Scotland will become the new battlegrounds now that Brexit has been settled in regard Westminster politics (assuming it has been settled in that regard of course). So I need to sharpen up a little bit.
It's easy to get good information where you live. You just have to keep your eyes open and pay attention. Getting good information from further afield takes more effort though. So I'm going to have to find ways of getting more varied information. Watching Irish TV coverage might be useful, and finding some normal Irish people to follow on Twitter could be handy.
In fact, I probably should've followed the RTÉ News Twitter account which I quoted from yesterday. Might go and do that now.
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Irish Exit Polls.
Apparently the votes don't start getting counted in the Irish election until 9 am tomorrow. Very disappointing. I was hoping for an exciting all-nighter. There are supposed to be exit polls at 10 pm tonight (in just 10 minutes time). So I'll pay attention to those, as much as I hate to trust them, and then maybe give a little commentary here.
.........................
Okay, so this is the exit poll o_O
.........................
Okay, so this is the exit poll o_O
Just looka those top three percentages. That's quite a tie break. Like I said, I hate to trust these things lol
I'll leave it there for today. I think the numbers say enough.
Friday, February 7, 2020
Excitement. Irish Election.
Irish election tomorrow. It's given me a chance to give myself a little crash course in Irish politics. It's quite amazing how ignorant I am really. Given it's literally our closest neighbour.
Apparently Sinn Féin are leading in the polls.
As per above I have no real idea what this means, but judging by the ashen faced looks on the people reporting this in the media I'm guessing it's once more a manifestation of that dreaded 'populism'.
Sinn Féin are nationalist, but left wing (I think). So it'll be interesting to see what happens and how it's all reported. Leo Varadkar has had gushing media coverage over the last few years thanks to his role in the Brexit process. So if his party do have a bad day it'll no doubt lead to some questions.
For anyone as ignorant as I am his party is Fine Gael. The other major party being Fianna Fáil.
I might actually learn how to pronounce some of these names as I follow it all along tomorrow :)
Apparently Sinn Féin are leading in the polls.
As per above I have no real idea what this means, but judging by the ashen faced looks on the people reporting this in the media I'm guessing it's once more a manifestation of that dreaded 'populism'.
Sinn Féin are nationalist, but left wing (I think). So it'll be interesting to see what happens and how it's all reported. Leo Varadkar has had gushing media coverage over the last few years thanks to his role in the Brexit process. So if his party do have a bad day it'll no doubt lead to some questions.
For anyone as ignorant as I am his party is Fine Gael. The other major party being Fianna Fáil.
I might actually learn how to pronounce some of these names as I follow it all along tomorrow :)
Clothes Maketh The Moan
Posting again. On fire here. I did a bit more of my fiction earlier too. About four paragraphs of what will become Chapter 5. Not much, but it's something. I actually feel like taking my time with that is quite a good idea. It allows me to get the pacing right and also flesh out the imagined world it exists within. I'll try not to mention it too much on here, but may link to the chapters as they get finished.
I'm posting now to talk about clothing. Yes, clothing. On Question Time (which I've just sat and watched) there was a debate concerning the dress MP Tracy Brabin wore in parliament. A little off the shoulder number. Literally. A fashion choice that has drew some criticism. With the accusation being that it's not quite suitable for the situation.
Personally I think it's fine. I really believe people should just wear whatever they feel comfortable in. However, the debate has tended to be a gendered one. The argument going that a man wouldn't get judged in that way. Which led me to tweet whilst watching. Stating that men have it worse.
Generally women can wear whatever they want at work (within reason). Whereas men always have to wear the same thing. A suit, shirt and tie. Going for interviews or out to other big occasions women have a fair deal of wardrobe freedom, but for men there is literally just the one option. To be fair women tend to be more objectified sexually than men. So there are arguments on both sides. Still though, when it comes to the constraints of clothing choice men are much more hemmed in (ahem) than women in my opinion.
Just look at the criticism Dominic Cummings has received for his rather informal dress sense. Or the stick Jeremy Corbyn received for simply not wearing a tie.
Of course, in truth we're all massive hypocrites, and when it comes down to it people tend to just criticise the dress sense of people they disagree with politically. It's often just a convenient stick to beat someone with. We're all guilty to some degree, so it can be hard to separate out our own biases and give a genuinely fair appraisal.
I think I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder too as I just don't look that great in suits. They just never seem to look right on me. Yet, I've been forced to dress that way at various points in my life. With no doubt more to come.
I remember at school hating the uniform precisely for this reason. My legs are disproportionately too long for my body, so the fact that we had to have our shirts "tucked in" at all times particularly irked me. I just looked clownish. I remember other kids sometimes asking me "why do you have your trousers that high??" 😄 and having to reply with annoyance "that's just how my legs are!". I had a kind of Simon Cowell type thing going on. Thank God before he had become famous. As soon as the school bell went I immediately untucked the shirt. It was always the first thing I did.
Obviously having long legs and looking a bit lanky isn't the worst problem in the world to have, but still. It would have been nice if I could've just wore what I wanted to wear - or at least been allowed to un-tuck the shirt and look a bit scruffy (or cooler as I saw it).
Personally I now long for the day when people can just turn up to parliament in jeans and a t-shirt. In fact, I must admit seeing Dominic Cummings walk into No. 10 dressed like he's in a grunge band does feel quite revolutionary to me. It actually gives me hope. I think if I'd have seen that at the age of 16 I'd have felt quite inspired. Likewise with his job advertisement asking for weirdos and original thinkers. I'd have probably stuck at my A-Levels in Physics, Chemistry and Maths and not dropped out to become a (failed) musician, then in turn an equally failed blogger :)
I'm posting now to talk about clothing. Yes, clothing. On Question Time (which I've just sat and watched) there was a debate concerning the dress MP Tracy Brabin wore in parliament. A little off the shoulder number. Literally. A fashion choice that has drew some criticism. With the accusation being that it's not quite suitable for the situation.
(Britain: we've left the EU now, we'll wear
what we want)
Personally I think it's fine. I really believe people should just wear whatever they feel comfortable in. However, the debate has tended to be a gendered one. The argument going that a man wouldn't get judged in that way. Which led me to tweet whilst watching. Stating that men have it worse.
Generally women can wear whatever they want at work (within reason). Whereas men always have to wear the same thing. A suit, shirt and tie. Going for interviews or out to other big occasions women have a fair deal of wardrobe freedom, but for men there is literally just the one option. To be fair women tend to be more objectified sexually than men. So there are arguments on both sides. Still though, when it comes to the constraints of clothing choice men are much more hemmed in (ahem) than women in my opinion.
Just look at the criticism Dominic Cummings has received for his rather informal dress sense. Or the stick Jeremy Corbyn received for simply not wearing a tie.
Of course, in truth we're all massive hypocrites, and when it comes down to it people tend to just criticise the dress sense of people they disagree with politically. It's often just a convenient stick to beat someone with. We're all guilty to some degree, so it can be hard to separate out our own biases and give a genuinely fair appraisal.
I think I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder too as I just don't look that great in suits. They just never seem to look right on me. Yet, I've been forced to dress that way at various points in my life. With no doubt more to come.
I remember at school hating the uniform precisely for this reason. My legs are disproportionately too long for my body, so the fact that we had to have our shirts "tucked in" at all times particularly irked me. I just looked clownish. I remember other kids sometimes asking me "why do you have your trousers that high??" 😄 and having to reply with annoyance "that's just how my legs are!". I had a kind of Simon Cowell type thing going on. Thank God before he had become famous. As soon as the school bell went I immediately untucked the shirt. It was always the first thing I did.
Obviously having long legs and looking a bit lanky isn't the worst problem in the world to have, but still. It would have been nice if I could've just wore what I wanted to wear - or at least been allowed to un-tuck the shirt and look a bit scruffy (or cooler as I saw it).
Personally I now long for the day when people can just turn up to parliament in jeans and a t-shirt. In fact, I must admit seeing Dominic Cummings walk into No. 10 dressed like he's in a grunge band does feel quite revolutionary to me. It actually gives me hope. I think if I'd have seen that at the age of 16 I'd have felt quite inspired. Likewise with his job advertisement asking for weirdos and original thinkers. I'd have probably stuck at my A-Levels in Physics, Chemistry and Maths and not dropped out to become a (failed) musician, then in turn an equally failed blogger :)
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Scotland From The Outside
Okay, so having posted yesterday I'm going to post today too. Let's try to start posting daily again. Get this thing rolling (so much for me focusing on my work of fiction).
I'm just going to briefly mention the SNP. Today they've been hit by a scandal where the finance minister has had to resign ..because he's been sending messages to a "16 year old boy". Not great for them.
I'm only really posting as this seems to be the latest in a long line of problems for them over the last few weeks. It was just a few days ago that I was watching a commentator on YouTube note how the SNP are now getting criticism from within the Scottish nationalist movement. With the main criticism seeming to be that the SNP have hitched their wagon to EU membership.
Last year I kept predicting (badly) that the SNP would start losing a bit of favour in Scotland. Perhaps that is now coming to pass, just twelve months or so later than I expected. I don't like second guessing Scotland too much. After all, being in England, albeit the north of England, I am quite far removed from it all.
I watched the whole "Leave A Light On For Scotland" thing unfold as we left the EU last week. Don't get me wrong, I do have sympathy for people on the other side of the Brexit argument. However, lighting candles in the street - something you normally only do to mourn people that have died - seemed very melodramatic and over the top. My nan was Scottish, so I'm 25% Scottish at heart, and I felt a bit of cringe on the country's behalf. I was always raised to see Scottish independence as something fiery, but what's the point if it's just going to be all tears and self-pity.
I would imagine many actual proper Scottish people feel the same. Though again, I can only really speculate from the outside.
I'm just going to briefly mention the SNP. Today they've been hit by a scandal where the finance minister has had to resign ..because he's been sending messages to a "16 year old boy". Not great for them.
I'm only really posting as this seems to be the latest in a long line of problems for them over the last few weeks. It was just a few days ago that I was watching a commentator on YouTube note how the SNP are now getting criticism from within the Scottish nationalist movement. With the main criticism seeming to be that the SNP have hitched their wagon to EU membership.
Last year I kept predicting (badly) that the SNP would start losing a bit of favour in Scotland. Perhaps that is now coming to pass, just twelve months or so later than I expected. I don't like second guessing Scotland too much. After all, being in England, albeit the north of England, I am quite far removed from it all.
I watched the whole "Leave A Light On For Scotland" thing unfold as we left the EU last week. Don't get me wrong, I do have sympathy for people on the other side of the Brexit argument. However, lighting candles in the street - something you normally only do to mourn people that have died - seemed very melodramatic and over the top. My nan was Scottish, so I'm 25% Scottish at heart, and I felt a bit of cringe on the country's behalf. I was always raised to see Scottish independence as something fiery, but what's the point if it's just going to be all tears and self-pity.
I would imagine many actual proper Scottish people feel the same. Though again, I can only really speculate from the outside.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Already February.
I've been reading back a few of the posts on here over the last few days. It's made me think that perhaps I should begin posting more frequently again. It's nice, and also quite handy having a little back-catalogue to refer to when trying to put the whole world and its issues into context.
Following on from my last post I've finally received my passport too. It actually arrived today. So I have at least achieved something so far in 2020 :)
With it being my first passport I had to go for an interview in Durham to confirm my identity. The prospect was a little daunting, but it turned out to be quite a simple process, and the people working there were very friendly and easy to speak to. So it wasn't quite the interrogation I was fearing. It also gave me a chance to have a little wander round Durham and take a few pictures. Beautiful place. Only soured by the fact that I spent the first half an hour or so busting for a pee and wandering around half-lost looking for a toilet.
For anyone else with a George Costanza-type need to know where all the public bathrooms are, there was a quite handy little one up near the Cathedral. I walked up there three times. The first when I originally, with relief, found it. Then again, before the interview (just in case I needed it - the joys of living with a nervous disposition). Then finally before the long bus ride back to Middlesbrough.
..not the classiest review of a day trip to Durham you'll ever read, but hopefully the pictures below at least raise the tone a little.
Following on from my last post I've finally received my passport too. It actually arrived today. So I have at least achieved something so far in 2020 :)
With it being my first passport I had to go for an interview in Durham to confirm my identity. The prospect was a little daunting, but it turned out to be quite a simple process, and the people working there were very friendly and easy to speak to. So it wasn't quite the interrogation I was fearing. It also gave me a chance to have a little wander round Durham and take a few pictures. Beautiful place. Only soured by the fact that I spent the first half an hour or so busting for a pee and wandering around half-lost looking for a toilet.
For anyone else with a George Costanza-type need to know where all the public bathrooms are, there was a quite handy little one up near the Cathedral. I walked up there three times. The first when I originally, with relief, found it. Then again, before the interview (just in case I needed it - the joys of living with a nervous disposition). Then finally before the long bus ride back to Middlesbrough.
..not the classiest review of a day trip to Durham you'll ever read, but hopefully the pictures below at least raise the tone a little.
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