Thursday 8 May 2014

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!