December, 2005

I see the BNP are playing the racist card on the Donegal Road.

Apparently the area has delapidated since the Second World War, and local politicians have let the area down by allowing the Donegal Road to become flooded with immigrants. As a matter of fact, the release I’ve linked to uses the viewpoint of a WWII veteran as a gauge for the rest of the neighbourhood.

To the delight of the leafleters, the veteran said he would only vote for a party that could deliver the goods on the issue, rather than those who have proved their tough talk was just that?talk.

Now, I’m sure the DUP are quaking in their boots at the prospect of losing more ground in South Belfast, but let’s face facts - nobody wants to live in the Donegal Road. The area is run down to hell, one vesting order from oblivion if you ask me.

I spent a little bit of time managing property down there in the late 90’s (before the alleged invasion) and even then the place was in bad shape. Property values were way below those in the nearby Lisburn Road, landlords from outside the area were snapping up investment property all over the place, local thugs were even then behind intimidating leaflet campaigns designed to oust any non-native Donegal Road residents. The unfortunate ones who refused to budge were given gifts of petrol bombs as an incentive to leave.

Houses in Rockview Street were just empty dole-drops, the housing conditions in most of the rented houses was just abysmal. These postwar terraces were a disgrace both to the landlords who got lumbered with them and the tenants who had no option but to live in them.

The community in the Donegal Road has gone. Yes, there are a few stalwarts who will remain and hanker for the old days, but they’re long past. Decades of being a violent interface area have destroyed the neighbourhood, and it’s beyond repair.

Perhaps it suits the local National Front boys to pin all their woes on a bunch of immigrants, but crime existed on the Donegal Road long before “the invasion”. It’s those immigrants I pity, living in squalor in what can be a terribly hostile area when you’re not a native.

Monday, December 26th, 2005 // Northern Ireland: Politics

We love our voting in Northern Ireland, don’t we?

I’ve been toying with the idea of doing polls on The Levee Breaks for a while now, and I think the time is right to get a bit of feedback on the issues of the day! If you look to the sidebar, you’ll see I’ve added a poll and a handful of options.

First up is my burning question over Stormontgate. I’ve avoided writing about it out of sheer bloody confusion, but I’m wondering what all of you think. Cast your eyes to the right hand side and let me know what you think about the Denis Donaldson spy story.

Monday, December 26th, 2005 // Northern Ireland: Politics

I’ve been reading Jimmy Porter’s Desolation Row for a while now, ever since he got a mention on the venerable Slugger. ‘Course, back then he was known as the Blind Commissioner…

Desolation Row is a great site. For the most part, Jimmy’s views are very close to my own although he sometimes uses the ‘n’ word to describe himself. Nationalist, that is. It’s an often funny take on current events in NI.

Holks On The Fill takes a similar approach to Desolation Row, covers more than just politics. Can’t explain it - take a look at the site, run by Pastor of Muppets (a Free Presbyterian, possibly?)

Last but not least, I recently entered the frightening world of Twenty Major! Not for the faint-hearted, let me tell you. If I had to choose one post to recommend to you, it would be his New York Diary. The auld fella’s nuts. And, I suspect, incontinent.

Tuesday, December 20th, 2005 // General

Firstly, congratulations to Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles on being the first gay couple to get married in Northern Ireland in a civil ceremony. I hope you have a long and loving life together.

There’s been much sanctimony over the introduction of civil partnerships for gays in Northern Ireland today. The Free Presbyterians were out in force, vociferously jeering at couples who had come to Belfast City Hall to make a committment to each other. Intolerant, ignorant bullies.

Why not be happy for these people? Why should gays and lesbians be treated any differently than hetrosexuals? I don’t understand. Surely the fact that two people, any two people, want to marry in this day and age is to be encouraged. I just can’t see what the difference is.

Bashing Your Bible At The Problem

I know there are some out there, clasping their Bibles and chanting “abomination” at the tops of their voices. Toss that book away. It’s about as much use as a moral compass today as a user guide for a Commodore 64 is on my PC.

Leviticus? Don’t give me Leviticus! If you need proof of how out of touch the Bible is, read “Why Can’t I Own A Canadian?“:

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

Don’t get me wrong, there are valuable lessons in the Bible. I just disagree with those who select their interpretation of the Bible and enforce their reading upon the rest of us. Chill out. There isn’t some great homo plot to assimilate and bugger us all. There are greater attrocities in the world today than a couple of people who just want to live quietly together like the rest of us.

Update: I came across an American article that takes a sardonic look at why gay marriages shouldn’t work.

Monday, December 19th, 2005 // News & Media

I’ve been feeling a little bit under the weather lately, folks. Been forced to use up my holiday leave before the end of the year, so I took a lot of time off work this last couple of weeks.

The problem is, this messes up my routine completely. I instantly got sick, and haven’t been feeling on top of things ever since. Being sick with kids is terrible - no exaggeration. Before the kids, I could take the day off and relax, watch a DVD and recover. These days the family steamroller doesn’t stop for sickness, which is depressing because it seems to last forever.

Both the missus and I are at such a low ebb at the moment, and nothing seems to perk us up. We’re permanently tired, it seems and at the moment quite irritable with the children. You know you’re making a mess of it when the kids start getting irritable back at you. Ray, in particular, has been letting us know how frustrated she is with us. It’s hard to admit, but she’s learning that from us.

You’re Not Alone

I found some solidarity this afternoon at The Reign Of Ellen. In particular, she’s tapped into some of the feelings of inadequacy we as parents get from time to time. The fallout from this is apathy (Ellen says laziness), negativity, insecurity and irritability.

I am lazy. Actually I don’t think that’s totally true. I feel like I am busy from morning til night, piddling around on projects and such. That’s not lazy. I’m never sitting around eating bon-bons. However, when it comes to the non-fun stuff (ironing, cooking, cleaning), I lose all my energy. I walk in to the kitchen to make dinner, and my mind goes fuzzy. It just seems like too much effort to think about it. So I don’t. We go get nasty fast food.

This is the Levee household circa December 2005. If I sit down for a moment I will fall asleep. Narcolepsy rules when I’m stressed….

I don’t want to paint a negative picture for people, but this is the sometime reality of parenting. It’s burnout, pure and simple. Some people handle it better than others. It takes me a while to recognise when I’m floundering and actually do something about it. Left to fester, however, this kind of fatigue can develop into really bad parenting habits, and that ain’t good!

Lifting The Spirits

Sometimes the children provide a moment of clarity. I’ll get a spontaneous hug, or maybe a sudden “Love you, Daddy” and the priorities come into sharp focus. Family comes first.

Sometimes you have to sit back and recognise that you’re burning the candle at both ends and you need to slow things down. Get some sleep. Get organised. Eat better - that junk food cycle is a real killer!

Monday, December 19th, 2005 // Family Life

Nope, it’s not because I’m pleased to see you…..

The hot sensation in my groin was not the first stirrings of a rooter, not was it the aftermath of an STD (thankfully).

I had an actual chemical reaction in my pants today, thanks to two AA batteries and a pocketful of change.

I was up at the parents house in Ballycastle today for my niece’s christening. Afterward, there was a bite to eat back at the house, and I was standing in the kitchen next to the kettle where my sister was making tea.

Suddenly felt warm down my leg and I felt it to see if the sister hadn’t spilled hot water on me. Nope. Bone dry. Paid it no attention.

A few seconds later, I could feel the heat getting worse and put my hand in my pocket to see what it was. F**k! The batteries and the coins were scalding hot. I can only assume that they had made some kind of circuit in my pocket and the current was causing them to heat up. I gingerly picked all the metal out of my pocket and left it on the counter to cool. Might try and recreate the effect another time.

Right now, I’m wondering if being exposed to this current will trigger a genetic mutation in my groin? Will I gain special powers? I always wondered what Spider-Man shot whenever he…errr..shot….

Monday, December 19th, 2005 // Observations

Bongiovi! Almost a week since I posted here and no-one’s missed me yet? Did anyone call Missing Persons? Ah well….

The Levee crew (as we don’t call ourselves) went for a wee jaunt to Rome last Sunday for a few days. We couldn’t find a decent pizza joint locally, so we decided to shop a bit further afield!

Great trip. We took an EasyJet to some out of town airport and used public transport to get to the place where we were staying. Great opportunity to see the real, present-day Rome, and I can recommend that Metro system! There was an old woman, standing alongside the rest of us. She obviously had a bit of a chip on her shoulder as she muttered Italian expletives under her breath. Anyway, at one point, she decided to move elsewhere and stumbled over Baby D’s pram. She erupted into rapid-fire nonsense, then a lady nearby started arguing with her (presumably in our defense). This altercation drew the attention of the rest of the train, who watched with smirks on their faces until the woman eventually left the train.

No Speaka Da Lingua

Whoops. It seems that when we were packing we forgot to bring any knowledge of the Italian language. Big bloody mistake. Imagine two groups of people steadfastly refusing to communicate with each other in the same language (and I’m not talking about Sinn Fein/DUP here).

We’re assuming that most Italians speak a bit of English. Most Italians assume that we’ve secreting a phrasebook somewhere.

So, much of the journey was spent pointing at menus and gesturing wildly at foreigners locals in order to get our points across. If you’re considering a trip, bring a phrasebook.

The Center Of Christendom

It was a truly breathtaking to wander in the shade of the columns that encircle St Peter’s Square and gaze toward the majestic Basilica. Such a large place that the Piazza almost seemed empty despite the thick queues that were thronging to get inside to pray and just experience the atmosphere of the place.

I have to admit, I was completely unprepared. I must’ve seen this place on TV during the election of Pope Benedict, but the magnificence of St Peter’s Basilica blew me away. Remember that I am experiencing this place as an atheist (formerly a Catholic). The significance of the place is not lost on me, but I also carry a wariness of organised religion too.

So, looking upon the basilica I found myself adoring the artwork and the amazing intricate detail that has obviously been invested in the place, the devotion and faith that must have existed to create St Peter’s in the first instance. But I couldn’t escape the feeling that I was visiting the HQ for some kind of evil multi-national organisation. Like I say, I’m wary of anything that encourages blind faith, and we’ve all read The Da Vinci Code, haven’t we? Were the tenets of Catholicism devised by men with hidden agendas? Are they divorced from the teachings of Jesus? Do we know the real story, or just what was deemed acceptable for us?

Anyway, don’t let the religious rant distract you. St Peter’s was amazing, perhaps one of the highlights of Rome for me. Religious art, even to an athiest, can be inspiring. If religion can move people to create beautiful works of art and to carry out acts of kindness and good, then it’s not all bad, is it?

Poste Vaticani

Before we left St Peter’s completely, I had one act of evil to carry out: I was going to send my mother a postcard from Pope Benedict. In fact, the idea was so good that Mrs Levee decided her mother deserved one too! The postcard went something like this:

Dear Granny Levee, Pope Ratzenburger here…I’ve heard about your recent troubles and just wanted to let you know that you’re in my prayers….anyway I hope things get better for you soon. Love, Pope Ratzy!

Of course, we’re standing in the Vatican Post Office filling these in, sniggering like schoolkids and I blurt out “Ha ha! Pope Ratzy!” I look to my right and standing beside me, busily writing on an envelope is a priest. Feel like a prick! But we sent the postcards anyway!

Bizarrely, the mother-in-law got hers, but so far my parents haven’t got theirs (divine intervention?). What’ll make the ruse all the better is that my mother didn’t even know we were away, so she’ll not twig. Hope she gets it soon!

Tuesday, December 13th, 2005 // Family Life

I see everyone’s missed me loads. Didn’t even notice I’d disappeared for over a week, did you?

Well, just in case you care, I’m alive and well and working away, just a bit out of my normal rhythm for blogging. Hopefully sort that out tomorrow at some point. Good evening!

Tuesday, December 13th, 2005 // General

Just a short one to start off with today.

In a nutshell, Republicans refuse to acknowledge the PSNI because they are a state controlled organisation, have no jurisdiction, etc etc. And with this, we have witnessed the rise of the Republican-friendly alternative, the Community Restorative Justice Scheme, known as CRJ to it’s friends.

What would happen if:

1. A United Ireland suddenly occurred - would the Community Restorative Justice schemes be immediately wound up and the Gardai recognised as the universal policing body?

Or

2. What if the secondment of Gardai personnel in Northern Ireland was extended in a special scheme to give Republicans an acceptable point of contact for reporting crime, then subsequent investigations handled jointly by the Gardai/PSNI? Surely that would represent a checks and balances system that gave Republicans a point of contact they ‘recognise’, complete with the resources available to the PSNI?

I’m just wondering folks, because this whole shebang confuses the hell out of me. And although I’ll admit to a certain naivety concerning the finer details of political history and the convoluted stances that our parties and people seem to take, I’m a big believer in stripping things back to their most basic.

Rather than critique my suggestions, let’s try something a little more constructive. If you don’t think my solution will work, say why not and then give me your solution.

Friday, December 2nd, 2005 // Northern Ireland: Politics