12.19.04
Posted in Irish Politics at 11:05 pm by
Here’s that link to the News of the World article. What are these people like?? My mother’s theory (in response to the proliferation of multiply sourced children in the working classes) is that everyone is watching too much Eastenders (where the current storyline involves a stepbrother and sister at it while stepbrother’s girlfriend is soon to announce her pregnancy). But one would have thought the political and meeja types didn’t watch soaps. At least they pretend they don’t. Clearly they do and the (im)moral standards set therein are proving influential. Perhaps the church had the right idea when they suppressed everyone’s sexuality. At least there was a reasonable chance of figuring out the parentage of children. My agriculture type uncle did suggest some years ago that children would have to be labelled (permanently) at birth otherwise incest was bound to take place in the future unbeknownst to the parties.
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12.18.04
Posted in Irish Politics at 10:25 am by
The man manages to overcome the handicap of his blindness and being tragically torn from his parents at just 4 years of age. The State in those days shipped him off to a blind school. He reaches great heights politically and academically and then blows it by making a series of poor judgements which one would have thought would have been covered in “Politics for Dummies, Chapter 1. Stupid things to avoid doing when you are a Minister”
1. Messes around with another man’s wife.
2. Sires at least one if not two children with said slattern
3.Contributes to a biography in which he openly slags off his colleagues thus ensuring their luke warm support in a vulnerable time.
4. Speeds up the nanny visa (the least of his crimes in my view: after all , what’s the point in being a Minister if you can’t fast track a bloody visa).
It’s difficult to have sympathy with him if he’s going to behave so foolishly. As for her, what a cow. As for her husband. How much humiliation is he prepared to accept?
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12.14.04
Posted in Feminism, Sunday Times Columns at 9:22 pm by
In a previous post I complained bitterly about and to, O2 for keeping me on a pre-paid calling package that was completely inappropriate to my calling patterns and volume. I’ve agreed with them to postpone a complaint to the Regulator until my next bill comes to see if the 50% savings I made since switching to a lower package are maintained.
However, the episode prompted me to examine my fixed line bill. My bill had been coming in around €280-290 per two months. €90 + VAT of that is the flat charge for my broadband connection. €40 + VAT was for the standard line rental and the rest was call charges + VAT. Their sales people rang me in June and suggested I take advantage of a new calling package which would raise the line rental to €50 per two months but with various discounts should reduce my bill overall. At the same time I decided to cut back on calls and try and get the bill down. To my disappointment the bill never came down.
The examination that I conducted today however constituted most interesting reading. For example, in June I made nearly 100 calls to 087 numbers and was charged €28. In my most recent bill I only made 70 calls to 087 numbers and was charged €36 euro. A 30% decrease in my calling volume had resulted in a 30% INCREASE in calling charges!! Calls to national numbers and 086 numbers displayed a similar result. Outraged I spent 15 minutes trying to figure out their ridiculous customer care system – calling out my phone number and account number and answering yes or no to a machine until I got to talk to a human. My complaint was logged and I expected to be calling back in a few days to urge action and conduct a row. To be absolutely fair, about 10minutes after logging of said complaint, Mandy rang and immediately offered a refund acknowledging that I had been put on a completely inappropriate package for the simple reason that I make my calls during the day rather than in the evenings or at the weekends. Oh that O2 were similarly inclined. The moral of the story is: check your bill!! It would appear that Eircom are more sensitive to overcharging complaints than O2. We’ll see what Danuta thinks when I escalate my complaint of their sinful practices.
ps Danuta is CEO of O2 Ireland. I tried to link to her page on the o2 website but she doesn’t have one all to herself. However I couldn’t help noticing that one of their press officers calls herself Aoifah. I hate people who spell their names in an overcomplicated Irish style. Ifah is the Jewish spelling and Aoife is the Irish spelling. Aoifah is just some affected bastardisation and doesn’t exist. Silly cow.
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12.11.04
Posted in Domestic/Relationships, Sunday Times Columns at 3:51 pm by
Driven to taking a scissors to the upper thigh of the wretched mothercare tights (whilst wearing them) (a most unattractive action unfortunately witnessed by M.)I abandoned them altogether and took the same scissors to the waistband of the father’s pyjamas. I should stress that these are no ordinary pyjamas but beautiful Schiesser black cotton bottoms. Whatever richness of fabric is used, they are incredibly soft and when sleeping soundly discourage sweating and when adapted as day wear are extremely comfortable. I ‘teamed’ them (as a stylist would announce) with my Gap soft Jersey dress (black but with white flowers) sent from the US by the brother (as Gap don’t do international shipping) and suddenly I had an eastern flavour to my garb. Delighted with myself I wore this ensemble for 3 days until a curry sauce spillage forced them into the laundry.
However, I followed up on Rockflake’s suggestion. I think I had perused the bumpbasics site before but as desperation mounts I’ve ordered their maternity tights (because let’s face it, the pyjamas might not go down well in some company), the knickers (which look very similar to the mothercare ones, but we’ll do a trial) and as the big day approaches I also went for the 7 pack disposable knickers (for post-natal use). They are made from polypropelene. How comforting. Still, it’s an Irish site so the total cost is about €20. Will test drive and report.
On a matter far more tedious but I suppose important, I found myself for the second time this year in agreement with Herr McDowell. To hell with the IRA. Why can’t they say no more criminal activity. Of course a relation (on my side) in the North, did say at the time of the Good Friday agreement that the DUP and Sinn Fein would keep arguing until they were sure that the UUP and SDLP were out of the equation. Once that was assured they’d sit down and divide power between themselves. So I have no doubt they’ll sort it presently. In the meantime, I turn off the radio when Adams/Paisley come on. They are both shits.
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12.07.04
Posted in Sunday Times Columns at 10:22 pm by
Three or four years ago the complaint was that the only maternity clothes in existence were dungarees and black trousers. Eventually someone copped on that women still like nice clothes even when they are pregnant and now there are several fancy shops selling funky clothes for the expectant mommies. But somehow things are really not that much better.
The funky clothes, primarily the trousers are ‘under the belly’. But your belly really goes the whole way to the crotch. So ‘under the belly’ really means pressing uncomfortably on your bump or slipping off you. And you need a really long top so your poor swollen belly isn’t exposed every time you sit down. So its back to Mothercare for the boring over-the-bump clothes. But Mothercare are creeps. The rule of sizing in the maternity world is that you buy your pre-pregnancy size and the tailoring should take care of the rest. I got caught out on my last pregnancy when I bought a size 10 swimsuit which was fully stretched at 6 months. I had to go the wretched Formes shop which makes roomy swimsuits in traditional swimsuit colours like black, brown and burgundy. The burgundy seemed the least offensive. So having spent ?30 in Mothercare and additional ?80 in Formes I got an expensive swimsuit.
But you’d think with knickers they’d get it right. I cautiously purchased the size 10 knickers. I had to cut the bloody waistband last week it was so tight. Then I bought the 14-16. We are talking about pretty big knickers here. I’d say I’ll stick them another week. And if you want to avoid the horrible trousers and wear dresses it’s necessary to wear tights. It’s winter so hold-ups can get a bit breezy. Does Mothercare carry a stock of standard black opaque tights? The same type that form the basis of any lady’s underwear drawer in winter? The same type that M&S stock thousands of as they are such a necessity? I got the last pair. Left over from last year.
7 weeks to go and I can wear a nightdress and my lovely Italian turquoise trousers and smock top. Even my dad’s pyjamas are causing discomfort. Woe is me.
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12.04.04
Posted in Feminism, Sunday Times Columns at 5:22 pm by
The plumber got stroppy and I had to venture out to a bathroom supply store in a murky industrial park to buy ‘fissure brackets’. I cut the latest token out of the Irish Times for the win a Mazda6 competition. I think most Irish Times readers would be too snobby to bother cutting out tokens and my chances could be very good. The IT itself is so snobby that they didn’t cover “I’m A Celebrity” in their TV review this week. How can they ignore this broadcasting phenomenon. I was raging when Pat Kenny didn’t call me when they gave away the 50k on the Late Late Show but the man who won seemed very nice.
And Rockflake continues to comment. I’ve a funny feeling I must know this person. How frustrating that identities are so easily concealed on the blog. On the subject of competition I offer in response to his Aer Lingus post that since competition was introduced into the electricity market (albeit for large business customers only) that electricity charges have increased (all with the approval of the regulator). In mobile telephony the arrival of Digifone/O2 into the market resulted in a nice cosy duopoly and Ireland continues to pay expensive mobile charges (…because we talk a lot…yeah right). (Meteor are too small to make an impact). And the next time Michael O’Leary is banging on about the evilness of Aer Rianta and Aer Lingus someone should remind him that Ryanair would have gone bust years ago except that when faced with bankruptcy, Aer Rianta gave them massive discounts on their landing charges, wrote of their debt AND gave them duty free goods at a huge discount so they could get some cash together to keep the company afloat. And I’d rather not have to hang around Stanstead, Heathrow or any other English airport to get a connecting flight to the continent. Aer Lingus fly directly into all the handy European airports and I want to keep it that way thanks very much. And Ryanair aren’t even that bloody cheap. Pay in sterling, all the administrative charges, the wheelchair charge etc and before you know it you could have flown Aer Lingus and be treated like a human being. So we’ll keep it just as it is. Like I say, if there’s something in it for a private investor then there must be something in it for us. Rockflake. Hmmm.
Now I have to go write speeches for the Fine Gael convention on Monday night. They have to nominate someone to run in the by-election. I am of course the best candidate but as my child will be 6 weeks old when the election takes place rules me out. Anyway, do I really want to spend the rest of my life going to residents meetings and funerals on winter evenings? When they Dail sits from 9-5 and people want legislators instead of social workers I’ll throw my hat in the ring.
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12.03.04
Posted in Sunday Times Columns at 10:44 pm by
Have been severely incapacitated by latest pregnancy symptoms so apologies for absence. My previous pregnancy was characterised by an astonishing level of puking and a bizarre and intensely distressing case of hives. This one had been gloriously confined to fatigue until the past fortnight when the hormone relaxin began its work a little early. The result was that the ligaments holding my pelvic bones together softened – as they should DURING labour, not at 30 weeks – and my sacroilliac bones (the big flat ones in your bum) began to separate. This led to extreme pain, inflammation of the various sciatic muscles and nerves, a severe limp and eventually an inability to walk. Having wasted €40 on a stupid private physiotherapist who admitted she was powerless to help me (so why accept the appointment or the bloody money???), another €45 to a GP who also admitted she hadn’t a clue what to do with me (but took her bloody money also), €60 to a shen therapist, who at least improved my mental health, and €50 to an osteopath who may have tweaked something, I finally got an appointment with the hospital based physio who gave me a large velcro belt to tie around my childbearing hips to hold them together, a set of crutches, some low dosage valium to help me sleep, a series of tummy exercises and posture hints and instructions to rest. I then fled to Mommy in the country and sat in a chair by the fire for 3 days while existing child was minded and poor M. fretted about his family’s absence. I am much improved and hopeful that my condition is now in a manageable state. Poor me.
Anyway in the meantime I am hooked on “I’m A Celebrity, Get me out of here” the best reality TV show in history. Natalie was a whiny moany cow and we are well shot of her. Janet and Paul are the king and queen and the irish contestant Fran is holding is own. For non-Irish/UK readers, all is explained here.
I also managed to catch some of the “Swan” hosted by our own Amanda Byram and needless to say think it is the most disgusting, evil and immoral television EVER. Take some trailer trash and make plastic freaks while the smug surgeons look on and applaud themselves. YUCK.
I got hoover bags!!!!! In Roches Stores. However, we will be moving house in the new year and I think a new vaccum cleaner may be in order and I will investigate Rockflake’s suggestion of the Dyson. Where does the dust go?? Research begins now. Another constructive suggestion I received was instead of simply disposing of the bags when they are full, why not just empty them and refit the bag. Doh! When there were old cloth bags this was general practice. Just shows how much the disposable mentality is ingrained in my head when this had NEVER occured to me.
Finally I used my incapacitation to ring up the customer services departments of various companies to complain. I began with O2. These creeps had me on a pre-paid package. I repeatedly asked them was I on the most appropriate package for my calling volume. They refused to give me a straight answer and eventually in frustration I made them switch me to the lowest package possible. My next bill was reduced my HALF. I am now seeking a refund for the 18 months of overcharging. Needless to say, they are having none of it. I have threatened them with the meeja and the regulator.
Finally, finally, Leon gave me a book of TC Boyle short stories to read. Like Richard Ford and Philip Roth this guy writes quite creative stuff but all in that “alienated man I really have no emotions style”. Don De Lillo too. What’s wrong with these guys? Leaves one very cold. However, as I enter the final 8 weeks of my pregnancy in which taking long walks is no longer a possibility I require new reading material. Suggestions welcome. I want non-violent fiction. For instance I hated Vernon God Little and loved Middlesex. Loved No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Also love thrillers and yes I admit I enjoyed the Da Vinci code. Thought Toni Morrison boring. Gore Vidal exciting. Henry James tedious. Jane Austen glows. Any ideas?
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