Present Tense »

• What does it mean to be Irish?

  March 12, 2008 @ 8:18 am | by Shane Hegarty

  

  Given the week that’s in it, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be Irish. Here are some of the things I identified.

  Being Irish means…

  1) Knowing, within two minutes of meeting someone, where they are from, where they are going, who they went to school with and at least one person you have in common.

  2) Never resigning. Ever. No matter how much you screwed up.

  3) Thinking we have the best crisps in the world.

  4) And the best biscuits.
  
  5) Never, ever talking about what you earn.

  6) Always, but always, buying your round. Even if there are 43 people in it and you’re tens of thousands of euro in debt. And your doctor has told you that one more drink will kill you. (more…)

• Women: get empowerment at knock-down prices!

  March 5, 2008 @ 8:55 am | by Shane Hegarty

  A leaflet arrives in the house:

  Women Empowering Women!

  Book now to secure your place on this empowering event created by women for women. Why? Because you are worth it!

  Women Empowering Women is a unique & inspiring event, packed full of everything women want, from make-up and fashion, to relaxation techniques, and much, much more.

  Those extras presumably include a Sex and the City marathon followed by a pyjama party. This reminds me of that Onion piece which proclaims “Women now empowered by everything a woman does”. Let’s try some role reversal here: (more…)

• Question of the day

  February 28, 2008 @ 1:59 pm | by Shane Hegarty

  Is it some ironic joke that they are holding Work Life Balance Day on Friday 29th February: a day on which you’ll essentially work for free?

• Pregnant women on trains

  January 7, 2008 @ 11:23 am | by Shane Hegarty

  A big shout out to the people on the packed Drogheda-Dublin train this morning, who kept their heads down when the obviously-pregnant woman stood in the aisle. Well done to the man who sacrificed his seat when I pointed out that she could do with one, even if he looked pretty unhappy as he did it.

  By the way, I’ve noticed before that women are as bad, if not worse, than men for not handing up seats. Young men will often get up, but I’ve seen women – and some I know who have had children themselves – spot pregnant women and then look the other way.