Monthly Archives: July 2012

They need their fathers, see?

The umbilical cord has been severed, but little more. Still tied to their mothers’ apron strings, more and more of our young men carry knives to announce their manhood. With their fathers cast into silence, they are starved of the wisdoms and mythologies that might sustain a healthy male existence. In our obsession with minoritarianism, we have overlooked some of the most vital constituents of a healthy community.

Adrift in the numbness that engulfs them, many of our young men now walk with an outward appearance of normality but inwardly lurch uncontrollably – from, for example, a learned piety to intense rage – all the time seeking something to provide some illusion of feeling while simultaneously keeping the numbness at bay. Sometimes the cultural conditions cause their defences to break down and another calamity ensues.

 

We Need To Understand The Rage In Our Midst (John Waters, Irish Times)

Minoritarianism?


Back in pre-CGI 1979, the Alien xenomorph (in the few scenes where its entire figure appeared in shot) was played by 6’10” Nigerian actor Bolaji Badejo.

Here he is, during production in a corridor of the Nostromo, practising creepy xeno-moves (agreed during a meeting with HR Giger) wearing a mocked-up alien head.

The actual articulating special effects helmet, as Badejo explained to Cinefantastique magazine in 1979, was the only downside of playing the part:

[The special-effects helmet] was all manual, remote controlled […] There’s still a space in it for my head. I had it on just to make sure nothing goes wrong with the posture of the head or how tall it is in comparison to the other sequences. They must have had about 2000 tubes of K-Y Jelly […] just to get the effect of that slime coming out of his mouth. A lot of it was spread around on the face. I could barely see what was going on around me, except when I was in a stationary position, while they were filming. Then there were a few holes I could look through.

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Fingal Councillor Anne Devitt (middle) is a member – alongside Health Minister James Reilly (top) – of the nursing home consortium named this week in Stubbs Gazette for defaulting on a €1.9 million debt.

The Irish Independent reports today that the Health Minister was part of another consortium, along with two other GPs, bidding to build a clinic at Airside Retail Park, Swords.

The report may have rang some bells for Cllr Devitt.

In January 1997, Fingal County Council voted for the rezoning of land in Swords, including Crowscastle – where the Airside Retail Park is located – despite more than 2000 objections from local residents.

From the Irish Times archive (behind paywall):

“An attempt by Labour Cllr [Sean] Ryan to have the rezoning decisions deferred pending further studies on sewage treatment, traffic management and a DART or light rail serving Swords, was ruled out of order by the Cathaoirleach Cllr Anne Devitt (FG). Cllr Devitt, who sponsored most of the rezonings in partnership with Cllr Cyril Gallagher (FF), maintained such a brisk pace in going through the motions that Cllr Michael O’Donovan (Labour) asked her to “give us a chance to think between votes”.

In May, 2000 an internal Fine Gael report, named three FG councillors, including Anne Deviitt, that had received payments from property developers or builders – which a FG  committee couldn’t reach a definitive conclusion about.

In October 2000 – Anne Devitt issued legal proceedings against then Fine Gael leader John Bruton disputing the findings of this report.

One month later, In November 2000 – Anne Devitt and Dr James Reilly – along with 11 others – entered into agreement over Greenhill nursing home in Carrick-on-Suir..

In March 2006 – Mahon/Flood Tribunal heard of a IR£20,000 payment to Anne Devitt (which was later labelled ‘entirely inappropriate” by Judge Mahon).

From The Irish Independent (March 2006):

“Joe Moran, who owns house building firm Manor Park Homes, said he gave the money to Fingal Co Councillor Anne Devitt for providing professional advice and legal services….
Cllr Devitt, the then leader of the Fine Gael group on the council, was paid the sum in 2002 by Rayband Ltd – the company that owns the 18.5 acre site in Lissenhall near Swords [close to the Airside site]. The Mahon tribunal was told Cllr Devitt was also a member of the then Eastern Health Board (EHB) which owned land adjoining Mr Moran’s landlocked site.
Mr Moran said his company got agreement to go through the EHB lands provided they built certain facilities – a new ambulance centre and day patient care unit. Cllr Devitt was quite helpful in that negotiation and was committed to improving health board facilities, he added.

Mr Moran’s site is now proposed as the location for the new national children’s hospital.

Ain’t life grand?

(Photocall Ireland)

Meanwhile…