A Riot in South Belfast???

PSNI officers clashed with revellers during rioting in south Belfast today. Photograph: PA


Yesterday there was a riot in South Belfast. When I saw the news I was completely shocked because South Belfast is generally a quiet and peaceful area. Not only that, but I was astounded that the riot was incited by Queens University students living in the Holylands. I guess with St. Paddy's Day it reached the brink with drunk party revellers everywhere.

The Holylands is an area located near the University. Much of its residents comprise of rowdy students and frustrated local homeowners. Over the years, the students' rambunctious behavior has gotten out of hand to the chagrin of many private homeowners in the area.

Homeowners are fed up and want them out including this blogger who has been chronicling the deterioration of the community since 2006. His blog was so controversial that he was arrested and at one point was beaten to a pulp. So much for free speech!

Scary thought that these co-eds (academia's cream of the crop supposedly) will be Northern Ireland's future! Looks like Queens will have a mess to clean up at their expense. They should all be kicked out of university with that kind of behavior!

Barak Speaks Norn Iron

Yay! It's St. Patrick's Day! Craig warned me that St. Paddy's Day isn't a big deal here as it is in the States. I was quite surprised as I was really looking forward it. You'd think that it would be a grand shindig since well, it's IRELAND! This year proved him wrong with the biggest ever St. Patrick's Day parade in the City Centre. Vibrant costumes abound, elaborate floats, and festive music from around the world. It was a multicultural event which was a nice touch. Craig and I just chilled out at home scarfing down "authentic" Thai food. He glugged his Guinness as I sipped my green tea. I know I'm weak. But it's tea that is GREEN, it should count for something!

In other news, Martin McGuiness and Peter Robinson celebrated St. Patrick's Day across the pond with Barak Obama. Aside from touting his Irish ancenstry (his mother's side is from County Offaly), Obama gave an uplifting and supportive speech reassuring Northern Ireland that "the US will stand by those who work towards peace." Other discussions included prospects for investment and the relocation of US businesses to Northern Ireland. And in light of the occasion, the White House Fountains were dyed green! A first in White House history thanks to First Lady Michelle Obama!

President Barack Obama receives a bowl of shamrocks from Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen at the White House Photo: AP


From BBC News:

US President Barack Obama has said the people of Northern Ireland responded "heroically" to recent murders.

The dissident republican murders of two soldiers and a policeman sparked widespread public outrage.

President Obama said after watching former adversaries uniting in the face of what happened, he had never been so confident that peace would prevail.

He was speaking at a St Patrick's Day ceremony in the White House after meeting Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

"I want everyone listening to know this - the United States will always stand with those who work towards peace," he said.


Barack Obama met Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness
The murders earlier this month by dissident republicans of a police officer and two soldiers in the space of three days has placed renewed international focus on Northern Ireland.

President Obama said the "real question" was how the people of Northern Ireland would respond following the killings.

"Now we know the answer - they responded heroically. They and their leaders on both sides have condemned this violence and refrained from the old partisan impulses," he said.

"They've shown they judge progress by what you build and not what you tear down. And they know that the future is too important to cede to those who are mired in the past."

Reassured

President Obama also met Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers PeterRobinson and Martin McGuinness in the office of his national security adviser.

Mr Robinson said he believed both he and the deputy first minister had reassured Americans about the prospects for investment following the recent dissident republican murders.

He said that several US businesses were looking to relocate to Northern Ireland.

Mr McGuinness said "the dissidents' strategy would never unite Ireland in a million years".

The DUP and Sinn Fein MPs who lead Northern Ireland's devolved government had twice delayed their departure for the US because of the killings.

St Patrick's Day visits to the US by politicians from Belfast and Dublin have become a tradition, and the White House marked the occasion by putting green dye in the fountains.

The idea came from First Lady Michelle Obama, who was inspired by her hometown of Chicago's custom of dyeing the river green for the day.

After his meeting with Mr Cowen, President Obama said he hoped to visit Offaly, the Irish county from which his ancestor Falmouth Kearney emigrated to America.

He joked to Mr Cowen: "We may be cousins. We haven't sorted that through yet."

British Manners Americans Can Learn From

A group of upper middle class Brits talk about Americans and what's wrong with America

I simply had to stop viewing after exactly one minute out of this 2:58 video clip.

This is what I gleaned from a SINGLE viewing, albeit stopping (but not rewinding) to write these quick notes about not what they were saying but what they were doing:


1. Many, if not all, had their elbows on the table, even for extended periods of time;

2. A full, very rude arm reach across not just a neighbor's plate, but almost essentially in her face to snatch up a piece of bread;

3. Openly, absently picking teeth with fingers;

4. MAJOR over use of pearls by the one woman when the woman seated across from her is wearing a cheap, sleeveless sweater; apparently proper attire instructions were either not given or not understood;

5. Open wiping of nose with index finger while speaking;

6. Full, gaping yawn without covering up mouth with hand, or preferably a napkin, or ideally, learning how to stifle a yawn at a party (it's really not that hard to learn how to do);

7. Major oratory interruptions by attendees - ubiquitous in this instance;

8. Openly picking teeth with finger (different attendee).

9. Chewing with mouth open and talking with mouth full.


My god, these acts are offensive of just simple, basic table manners, nothing special, nothing high-brow, nothing expensive. Simple, decent table manners. And these people are lecturing Americans such as myself (even though I never voted for Bush) on our shortcomings? I mean who is the barbaric and uncivilized one here?

No wonder they lost The Colonies. A very childish and curlish people. At least this set. Seriously, I had to stop at the one-minute mark, it was all just so absurd.

Now that we have Barak Obama and you have Gordon Brown, what are you going to talk about at the dinner table? At least we elected our leader into office. :P


Please note: I am aware that these people do not encompass the entire British population. Even "idiot" Yanks like me realize that truly intelligent people don't generalize.

And oh yes, before I forget...

Póg mo thóin