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First, the health warning: one swallow doesn’t make a summer and it would be wrong to over-interpret a single opinion poll. Nevertheless the figures in today’s Sunday Times Behaviour and Attitudes survey will make alarming reading for Fianna Fail and Labour.
In a change of form, TDs tended not to send to send Christmas cards to media personnel last year. One of the perks Oireachtas members enjoy is the ability to avail of an “in-house” printing service allowing them to produce individualised cards they can send to constituents and others.
In the darkest days of the Northern troubles, there was one constant source of light relief. I refer to the wit and humour of Belfast comedian Frank Carson who has just died at the age of 85 years.
It was very shocking and sad to learn about the death of Marie Colvin, Sunday Times foreign correspondent, who was killed with a French colleague in Syria http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0222/breaking13.html
He wasn’t JFK, Obama or the Queen of England, but maybe the visit of Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping might be more significant in the long run, who knows? http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/gallery/2012/02/20/visit-of-chinese-vice-president-xi-jinping/
Check out this fascinating account of a very sad story about a tragic incident at a US university and the role that new technology played in the unfolding series of events. A long read but worth the effort http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/02/06/120206fa_fact_parker?currentPage=all
