Causeway U3A Current Affairs - 20/03/2014

Causeway U3A Current Affairs - 20/03/2014

 

Can you believe it's March already? It's almost not dark, the daffs are nearly out and here we are back in the Cromore. Our Jerry is off on his travels to Myanmar, lucky sod! but hey, the show must go on, and there's always our very own Johnny Mont to take over the role of maestro this month. And doesn't he do well? We've got our questions, a cuppa's on the way, a wee jam roll ............. and hey presto, we're off!

 

Who needs a comfy chair anyway? Ok, so maybe we are usurped from our rightful place on the sofas upstairs by a few academics in search of  the answer to the universe (they're on the wrong floor if you ask me!) but that doesn't mean we can't have a perfectly vibrant roundtable discussion even if it is at a rectangular table in the restaurant downstairs. So let us begin ................

 

Jobs are us!

With the loss of the DVA office in Coleraine, is this a sign that Westminster is determined to centralise departments as a money-saving method, regardless of cost and damage to local communities. Should our MLAs now be looking at creating job opportunities in the private sector as we will no longer be able to depend on civil service pay packets?

 

NHS in crisis? What? Never!

Is the health service in crisis? Have we too many chiefs at the expense of medical staff? Why is no-one prepared to accept responsibility for the chaos in emergency departments? Is it right that staff should be charged for parking or is this another easy money-making scheme?

 

Put.....in out!

Given the unrest in Ukraine, are the Western powers right to become involved in support of the Ukranian government, or are they doing it for their own self interests? Borders in that region have changed many times without any complaint. Is it a question of trying to 'get Putin out' before a new Cold War starts.

 

St. Paddy Fest!

As tourism is often cited as one of Northern Ireland's biggest employers and money-spinners, are we missing out because of our divided society? St Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide, with over 100 iconic landmarks globally turning 'green' for the day. St Patrick is synonymous with Ulster, with sheep on Slemish, buried in Downpatrick and founding the bishopric in Armagh.

 

With 17 th March being celebrated everywhere I wonder how many know the dates of St George's Day, St Andrew's Day and St. David's Day!

 

 

"I can't forget but I don't remember why" (Leonard Cohen)

With all the furore over the OTR secret deal, is it time to call a halt to the past and what happened? Our parties cannot find a way to agree, even with outside help, so it is a hard choice. Most young people aged 20 and under know nothing about what went on during 'The Troubles'. Should our energy not be spent in making efforts to build a future for them rather than continually live in the past, whether it is 30 years, 100 years or 300 years?

 

"No parking here" (Jimmy Littlejohn)

With Minister Mark H. Durban pushing for planning laws to help promote and sustain town centres, would it not be a big help if car parking was free?

 

TOPIC: Free for all parking!

Free for all parking!

 

 

It's not the 40p parking charge that puts me off going into Coleraine. Most times I am perfectly prepared to pay the £20 fuel cost and £5 parking fee (bus pass in 15 months hopefully!) and go to Belfast because it's there I will find what I am looking for: a town centre that has received proper investment and now has a wide range of facilities including excellent venues, modern shopping, museums, art galleries, open public areas, a great range of events, a charming market and a guaranteed buzz. In Coleraine we are increasingly reduced to Poundland, charity shops and a few fairly ordinary cafes. If it weren't for Boots and very occasionally Moore's I'd never go near the place! Give us what we want and we will happily pay the 40p parking charge!

TOPIC: OTR Trouble

OTR Trouble

 

Call a halt to the past? Simply forget all the pain, all that hurt? I'm just not at all sure that the families whose loved ones were killed or maimed or traumatised are ready to do that just yet. Maybe some of them are. Maybe all of them are. But perhaps we should have asked them first before offering virtual immunity to the perpetrators. I can't think of anything more insulting to the victims than their own government taking part in underhand deals without any consultation. Adding insult to injury. And didn't Sinn Fein keep very quiet about all of this? Perhaps we will finally be able to 'call a halt to the past' when we are confident that there is a true ethos of transparency in this little country of ours. And yes! We do need to build a future for our children. But not one which is built on deceit, bully boy tactics and gross lack of respect. We have too much of that already, thank you very much.     

TOPIC: St Paddy Fest

St Paddy Fest

 

Why are we the only people in the world who can't enjoy St Paddy's Day? Everyone's doing it, doing it, doing it ............... except us. The turn the river green in Chicago, the beer goes green in Oz. Washington, Boston and New York all hold week long parties to celebrate our patron saint. And what do we do? Well we do have the duck dive. But then everyone with a titter of wit quickly scarpers off indoors to leave the streets manned by loutish drunks, out for a row. In this country we have yet to learn how to celebrate peacefully. In North London one pub owner bans all Irishmen from the St Paddy's day celebrations. After years of suffering drunk Irish patriots who finish their night of celebrations expounding on the suffering of their land he came to the conclusion that St Paddy's Day was best kept to the Non Irish.

 

And yet if you think about it, imagine the benefits if we could actually find a way to celebrate St Paddy's Day in an orderly, enjoyable manner! If we could encourage our whole, inclusive community to invest some time and effort into producing a collaborative celebration........... Well. That would truly be something to celebrate! And the rewards would be there for the taking. If people felt secure, if we were able to create something to be proud of ....................then we would be very happy to welcome tourists in to enjoy the day with us. But the day we can appropriately celebrate St Paddy's Day is the day we can properly celebrate the Peace Process.

TOPIC: Putin out

Putin  out

It seems that The Ukraine is even more complicated than our very own Norn Ireland! In fact it's Norn Ireland with the Cold War thrown in! 'Well, here's another fine mess you've gotten us into!' I have a feeling that this one is in such a tangle that it may take a woman's delicate touch to get them out of it.

 

Perhaps Angela?

TOPIC: 999!!!!! Health Service in Crisis!!!

999!!!!! Health Service in Crisis!!!

 

Dring!! Dring!!

 

'Hello. Emergency services. How can I help?'

 

'Hello. I need help. There's chaos in the emergency departments and I don`t know what to do.'

 

'Can I have your name please?'

 

 

'It's Edwin Poots, P.O.O.T.S.'

'Ok. Mr Poots. When exactly did this start?'

 

'Just as soon as I took over the Ministry. First it was the elderly and now it's spread to the emergency departments.'

 'And what have been your actions so far?'

 

'Well at first I kind of ignored it all of course and then that Nolan one ........'

 

'Yes. That does complicate things a little. Still. Not to worry. We will send someone out to you ASAP. Where will we find you Mr Poots?'

 

'I'm in the queue in the emergency department. Bad with my nerves, you know. I've been waiting all day............ It's bedlam here!'  

TOPIC: Jobs are us!

Jobs are us!

 

It was always on the cards, wasn't it? We knew it was coming, didn't we? They'd told us years ago. We just kept crossing our fingers and hoping it would all go away. Maybe some of the employees will get a wee package out of it all, won't do too badly. Short-sighted thinking, as ever! No recognition of the need to step forward to actively secure jobs for our youth, for our future. I'm pretty sure there was no huge lobby to modernise the systems here. No big Stormont backed, Arlene Foster led investment campaign to ensure that Coleraine is the number one service provider for UK. And the last ditch protest was pitiful. Not much of a rumpus really. A few dozen workers with banners standing outside the Townhall. What on earth do we pay Irene that big fat wage for?  Isn't she supposed to be seeking out employment opportunities? Shouldn't she be leading the fight against such closures? Shouldn't she be pre-empting difficulties and throwing money into ensuring we retrain employees and properly resource the services we had already been supplying to make them fit for purpose? As they obviously did in Swansea.  They could have centralised services here, in Northern Ireland. We could have 'grown' our systems to meet the demand for modernisation. We certainly deserve better than seeing our Minister for Employment wait 'til it's nearly all over, 'til the offices are about to be closed and then come out and dance a merry tune.  Doesn't she want votes at the next election? It seems to me we hand out our votes too easily in this country. Don't you think?

 

300 jobs gone!!! I think we can safely say that there won't be too many young people round here lining up to vote for Arlene's party at the next elections!

INTRO TO CURRENT AFFAIRS - 13 February 2014

Causeway U3A Current Affairs –13Feb14

It's cold, it's wet, it's February and yes, it's our old hunting ground, the Cromore Halt. And hey! it's a big turn out today for the Jerry Show. Here we are, all cozied up on our comfy sofas, dunking our Hobnobs, ready to solve the world's problems. Today's introductions tell a story of successful careers, travel, social engagement and continued ambition. Quite a scary lot, really! And of course our Jerry has come up trumps again with his choice of topics. From Sinn Fein councillors to Marius the giraffe ............ this will be fun!

TOPIC: Will we ever get over the Education panel debate?

Will we ever get over the Education panel debate?

I’m beginning to suspect that this question isn’t even about the Education Panel at all! If it had ever been about the Education Panel we would have had it done and dusted long ago. This is actually a question about us. Who are we? What are we? Why are we? Much more interesting!

The Question:

Did we let our educational panel off too lightly?   Is Mervyn’s ‘it is very complicated but we all say similar words and it will take a long time’, a politician’s excuse? Helen’s this is what I want for my child is nice but how many types of education can we afford? PJ’s implication that teacher’s values and passion is only available in faith based schools? Prof Smith’s you cannot afford all of this was ignored.

TOPIC: Feed him to the lions! Marius the Giraffe

Feed him to the lions! Marius the Giraffe

How could they? How could they slaughter that lovely wee giraffe in a ghoulish sideshow in front of all those teensy weensy children like that? How could they feed him to the lions for all to see? The outrage! The horror! The furore! ……… but actually, hey…….wait a minute, when you think of it …….. Isn’t it the role of a zoo to educate? Isn’t it much more hypocritical to ferry redundant animals off to abattoirs and kill them behind closed doors?  And I’m pretty sure giraffe is exactly what those lions should be eating. Much better for them than any of the stuff they get most days. I beginning to think I’m with Copenhagen on this one after all.

The Question:

The culling of Marius the giraffe in Copenhagen zoo to prevent inbreeding, has caused a huge backlash particularly in Britain and Ireland. Are we in these islands over emotional and sympathetic towards animals? Why should this be the case, particularly in Ireland when many of us are close to farming, where farmers have to cull animals on a frequent basis?

TOPIC: Who do you blame for the floods?

Who do you blame for the floods?

Water, water everywhere ............ although not in Windsor or Eton of course! The opening of the Jubilee River in 2002 redirected the threat of flooding away from such regal towns over towards Wraysbury which is now swimming in several feet of water. Funny that!

The Question: Are the floods in the South of England and Ireland a consequence of global warming? Politicians worldwide have accepted the likely raising of global temperature by 2 degrees and this for example is being taken into consideration in sea defence planning. If global warming activists are correct this temperature raise could go higher with the consequences leading to sea water levels rising significantly and major shifts in our weather. Is concern for the public’s loss of interest in climate change and the costs of alternatives to CO2 emitting energy production and transportation weakening politicians commitment to meeting European and International targets. What are we doing about the CO2 emissions of our lifestyles?   

TOPIC: Cronyism in the Bank The AngloIrish Bank Trial

Cronyism in the Bank The AngloIrish Bank Trial

He says ……….. she says ………….backslapping…………….underhand ……………. overhand ………….don’t tell the regulators but ……… Is this the Irish Mafia we are hearing about? Have we all been transported across the seas to Southern Italy in our sleep? Whatever happened to the age old virtues of honour, professionalism, responsibility and loyal service? When did our bankers start thinking it was perfectly fine to be corrupt?

The Question:

 

The trial of senior members of the AngloIrish bank has commenced. Already claims are being raised that the Regulators knew all about the wheeze of loaning bank money to Mr Quinn to buy shares in Anglo to boost the share price, etc.. Perhaps members of the Dail were also aware as Mr Fitzpatrick was close to Bertie Ahern. An example of Cronyism? As in last meetings point about the Abbey Theatre claim ‘cruelty’ against the Irish Times, can we avoid cronyism in small communities?

TOPIC: The right to practise your beliefs

THE RIGHT TO PRACTICE YOUR BELIEFS

First off, the Catherine Seeley story. It's the stuff of films really, isn't it? Young, ambitious teacher with a strong, (if misguided) belief system bullied out of her job by a pack of guys with a contrary, strong, (and even more misguided) belief system. But will it all end with good conquering over evil (so to speak) or is it just another case of Groundhog Day Norn Ireland style?

 The Question

Catherine Seeley a nationalist teacher, was driven out of the Boys Model school in a unionist area by on-line threats. She did get herself elected as a Sinn Fein Councillor but in our so called shared society what excuse is this for the Protestant Coalition group to object to her employment at the school. Is sectarianism getting worse in our community? Will no one stand up to these bully-boys? Yet again where are our political leaders? Who is raising this in the Assembly? Should this effect our voting at the next election and if so how?

Causeway U3A Current Affairs topics – 23Jan14

Another year, another Causeway U3A Current Affairs Group Meeting. We’ve put the indulgences of Christmas and the New Year behind us and with renewed resolution it’s back to business. There’s a world out there that needs to be saved after all, isn’t there? And it’s all down to us. We may seem an unlikely lot. Some might imagine we are a motley crew of free bus passers but we know that this room is Thursday afternoon home to a wealth of experience, knowledge, wisdom and maturity. And while we sit there in our comfy chairs, dunking our ginger nuts in our piping hot tea, with the rain belting it down on the large bay window of the Cromore Halt, we are well aware of our mission.  The government hasn’t done it. The politicians and the councillors can’t do it. It’s up to us now. And so we gather: former academics, businessmen and women, teachers, medics, bankers, philosophers, farmers alike. To a man (and woman of course), we are ready for the task ahead.

So what has our Jerry got in store for us this month?

The Paisley Affair

Well Paisley’s the name of the game this week isn’t he? All these years later and he’s still making headlines. But as Jerry suggests are all prominent men and empires in reality impermanent and are their legacies fated to decay? Looks like it, doesn’t it? So much the better! And what did the Big Man himself ever do for us? And who on earth thought it was a good idea to make him a Lord?

The question: Paisley - another Ozymandias? Following the last two weeks television programmes, we have been presented with a man who bitterly seems to believe he has been rejected by the church and the political party he founded. What is Paisley’s actual contribution to Northern Ireland?

 

 

 

 

Whatyamacallhim Hass

Anyone remember Hass? And his side mate Megan whatsit? He came, he saw ………….. and then he scurried off home again. Bit of a flurry. We all got a tad overexcited. A lot of toing and froing on the Hill. Our Naomi and all her positivism, God love her. Even Martin being a wee bit optimistic. But Mike and his mates wouldn’t play the game. And then it was over. Same old, same old. But who would blame Hass? Poor sod. He never had a chance, did he? We had a fleeting chance to put things right. We could have. We should have. But hey, as they sort of say, ‘We’re not USA. We’re Norn Ireland’.

The question: Hass talks what do we think? On the three talk subject areas of; ‘the past’, ‘flags’ and ‘parades’. What is your suggestion on? The Past: should terrorists/the states forces be given immunity if they provide information about victim’s loved ones death? Flags: assuming this is driven largely by identity, how do you view your identity? Parades: Would you propose reducing these in number and if how would you distribute them?

 

 

Unemployed youth

And then there’s the million dollar question of the unemployed youth. How do we pick ourselves out of this big hole we have all fallen into? Does anybody care about this forgotten generation? Is it our education system? Is it our employers? Is it young people themselves? Easy to make them the scapegoats, isn’t it? ‘Pack of wasters……They should just get out there, get on their bikes……All they do is lie around all day, in their rooms……… listening to the rain ………………. dunking ginger nuts in their tea ……………….’ Umm …….

The question: Young unemployed, across Europe almost a quarter of young people were jobless in 2013. However only 40% of employers in Europe are confident of being able to recruit enough graduates for the year. Is our education policy correct? Should we always educate first and then get a job? Should employers take on more education and training to meet their requirement?

 

Oh là là! Hollande!

And then there’s the little question of Hollande and his multiple First Ladies. ‘Bof! Pas de problème’ as far as the French are concerned. It seems Paul Whiteman and the Palais Royale Orchestra were right ….. ‘Everybody’s doing it, doing it, doing it……..’ Where’s the outrage? Or is that something which is solely confined to us more puritanical, more Northern Europeans? Bring on the free Presbyterians! ………Or perhaps we too should just be ‘appy to see our leaders ‘ave a leetle fun on ze side’?

The question: President Hollande managed to brushed off questions about his third publically known girlfriend, it was ‘a private matter’ he stated. How can French politicians get away with such liaisons whilst such relationships brought down politicians in Britain and even Mrs Robinson here? Are the French press and people too deferential to politicians? Is their attitude to ‘I’amour’ as an important part of French culture and history valid in today’s world? Or perhaps  we in these islands are too puritanical?

 

The Rosetta spacecraft

Rosetta! Rosetta! Wakey! Wakey! Time to get busy! The world is awaiting all your discoveries. Religion is so last decade. Science is the new way forward. Time to get to work! Tell us all you know. Where do we come from? What is our destiny? Will we always live here? Not to hurry you but some people here are getting a wee bit impatient, you know!

The question: Rosetta, the European spacecraft, launched 10 years ago and put ‘too sleep’ for the last period of its journey, has successfully been ‘woken up’ as it approaches its target, an asteroid. There it will attempt to land an instrument to take a rock sample and analyse it. What, if any, is the value of this experiment to society?

 

 

The Educational panel

Come back educational panel! Give us another go at you! Darn it!

The question: Did we let our educational panel off too lightly?   Mervyn’s ‘it is very complicated but we all say similar words’, a politician’s excuse. Helen’s this is what I want for my child is nice but how many types of education can we afford? PJ’s implication that teacher’s values and passion is only available in faith based schools? Prof Smith’s you cannot afford all of this was ignored.