TAKE OF THE WEEK

Russia: We Drank Champagne in Vain

The American Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, a few days ago following the recent imposition of new UN sanctions on Russia. Nevertheless, instead of closing the door on its relations with Russia, Tillerson promised to deal pragmatically with Moscow – whatever that may mean. Perhaps similar to…

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

A brilliant production at the Harold Pinter theatre in London starring Andrew Scott. Beg, borrow or steal a ticket! “Andrew Scott’s Hamlet is at pains to remind us that at the theatre we spy on ourselves”, was the verdict by the Guardian’s Kate Kellaway. *********** Hamlet is arguably Shakespeare’s greatest play and one that’s been…

Advice from Ralph Waldo Emerson and it’s a revelation

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo…

Warning Before Shopping

The next time you go shopping remember these wise words and save yourself some money in the process. “The consumer society is a giant tranquilliser for raw nerves.” Professor Theodore Zeldin, Oxford University I’ve chosen the photograph above from my growing (groaning more like judging from the weight) collection not necessarily for religious reasons but because it’s…

Today is Bloomsday – A Celebration of James Joyce’s Ulysses

Dublin today on 16th June celebrates one of its finest sons, James Joyce, the author of Ulysses (first published in Paris in 1922) and for those of you who have read this great tome, you may recall that’s the day on which the story is set. Leopold Bloom is the protagonist hence the title “Bloomsday”….

Adam Smith – Still very relevant today

The ideal economy is one that is both profitable and civilised Today marks the birthday of Adam Smith (16 June 1723) who was one of the greatest thinkers in the history of economics. He promoted the idea of a free-market economy suggesting it as the route to the healthiest and most stable society. In…

Terrorism

“The goal of terrorists is to instil a level of fear in the public disproportionate to the actual threat.” Chris Murphy, American Senator, Connecticut The British philosopher, A.C. Grayling recently said that the aim of terrorism is to frighten civilian populations into forcing their governments to concede. “It takes only a few determined…

Today is W B Yeats’s Birthday

These are some of my favourite lines from the poetry of WB Yeats who was born in Sandymount in Dublin on 13th June 1865 and is buried at the foot of Ben Bulben mountains in Sligo, Ireland. Whether you are Irish or not, raise a glass of Bailey’s Irish Mist tonight in gratitude of…

Warning – A Favourite Poem by Jenny Joseph

Warning by Jenny Joseph “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me, And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter. I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m…

John F Kennedy’s 100th Birthday

Today would have been John F Kennedy’s 100th birthday. As a child born and brought up in Ireland, the photograph of John F Kennedy adorned our ‘parlour’ wall right next to the Sacred Heart lamp which supported a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary. If I recall correctly, our wall decoration was no different from…

Feeling low? Some pertinent advice from 1820 and it’s all still relevant today

Photo from my London garden April 2017 Almost two hundred years ago in February 1820, the British writer Sydney Smith wrote to his friend Lady Georgiana Morpeth offering what he called ‘Advice Concerning Low Spirits’ at a time when she was deeply distressed. A great deal of the advice he offers his friend…

Gratitude – We are going to die and that makes us the lucky ones

This stark view of life and death is striking in its beauty and imagery as well poetic in language and should remind us how grateful we must be that we have existed at all. I’ve never been a fan of Richard Dawkins, an uncompromising atheist and tireless advocate of science yet he still has a…