A case for manic depressive disorder
Few of us give thought to the names we grant our diseases. William Styron complained that the word “depression” didn’t aptly describe the all-encompassing void that was his illness. Rarely do we relate our cancer to the crab-like appearance after which the swollen tumours are named. Our greatest error is not recognising the power […]
How dare they take our Pav grass
“Though nothing can bring back the hour/ Of splendour in the grass,/ of glory in the flower, We will grieve not, rather find/ Strength in what remains behind” I’m a man of simple pleasures. Sunshine, somewhere to lie down, a team of men in white playing cricket within 100 metres of me and being […]
Northern Ireland should reject the Irish Language Act
Four months after the Assembly election in March, Northern Ireland still has no devolved government. A long-running dispute behind the political deadlock concerns the introduction of an Irish Language Act. While Irish has official status as a national language of the Republic, it is recognised only as a minority language in the North. Many […]
Pools, lakes and sandy beaches: summer at home in the States
It’s been a little over two weeks since I landed in Boston, for the first time since December, and it’s good to be home. We had pretty awful weather recently, and when you work at a pool that is less than ideal. Thankfully, things are now sunny and warm; perfect for sundresses and breakfasts outdoors. […]
Corbyn offers a new path to success for the Left
The narrative of last week’s British election result – one of Corbyn and Labour confounding expectations to a degree no one expected – has already been well documented. But it is worth restating briefly the scale of the achievement: Labour faced what was estimated as a 20% deficit in the polls, prompting fears of a […]
Trinity’s rise in the rankings a good start, but funding and internal reform still needed
During the year I overheard someone from the SU talking about a special rankings commission he was involved with. The problem, he said, was how many academics had absolutely no interest in rankings: they considered it an insult that someone could assign a number to their work. He complained of Fellows who, with impunity, completely […]
Politicians are making war with the media
In 2009 the Obama administration excluded Fox News from a round of interviews with an executive payroll manager due to its unfavourable reporting. They declared that they were a wing of the Republican Party, rather than a news organisation. Jake Tapper of ABC challenged them, and asked this at a morning press briefing: It’s […]
Trying to understand a UK general election awash with confusion
Whatever individual, company or special taskforce has been charged with formulating party messaging in this general election, all of their work be traced back to one original source. That is Original Source, the shower gel manufacturers, the company with a branding team so assured of their product’s worth that every bottle celebrates its own exuberant […]
Varadkar would be an exclusionary Taoiseach
If Leo Varadkar becomes Taoiseach, it might seem to mark a positive step in Irish politics. A young, openly gay man with a name far from the traditional titles encountered in the Irish political arena will be in the top political position in Ireland. In reality, little will change in Ireland’s conservative, centrist political mindset […]
Do Millennials really buy too much avocado toast?
By Suzanne Flynn on August 14, 2017 · Leave a Comment
What is a Millennial? When Tim Gurner, an Australian millionaire and real estate developer, criticized Generation Y, the so-called “Millennials”, for buying $19 avocado on toast instead of saving for a house, it’s safe to say the outrage was well aired across social media, the pen and paper of the millennial generation. Avocado toast, […]
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