Patrick James

Picked these three great paintings up on Irish KC. Eolaí gan Fhéile is doing a sale on his truly terrific work, so check him out before all the paintings are gone!

Emerging Writer with good news on upcoming events in the Irish Writer’s Centre.

Check out Grannymar’s for The Best Chocolate Truffles… You know you want to!

On the green scene there is an interesting post over on the greener one blog.

May 6th is World Asthma Day so check out Asthma Mom for a breath of fresh air!

Mary Harney has a lot to answer for – that’s a fact! Recently, I had misfortune to visit my local A&E (accident & emergency) department in Beaumont hospital. I must admit that I didn’t quite realise how bad the standard of healthcare in Ireland really was – at its best point it was fair but for the most part it was poor. I wasn’t well but I’m very glad I wasn’t really sick! Firstly, let me state that the men and women working in the unit are fantastic human beings, working with very little as regards resources. When I made my visit it was quiet and not under the pressures of a hectic Saturday night, but even then it was apparent that they were understaffed and under-resourced. There was possibly only a dozen people needing treatment but yet the waiting time was approximately three hours (minimum)… which is unacceptable. How Mary Harney can justify anyone having to work in those conditions is beyond me – and how she can expect to justify miserable Irish healthcare is criminal – she should be ashamed to show her face in public. She should be stepping down as Minister for Health!

This morning I spent some time just flicking through various channels (mostly music) and one thing really struck me: The number of scenes of men and women, in pop videos, portrayed in what could be described as an openly sexual manner. It set me thinking… Does anyone remember AIDS? Not so long ago there were several campaigns on TV, warning people about AIDS and the dangers of Risky Sexual Behaviour. AIDS has not gone away… just the information! Rogue pregnancies are not the only result of unprotected sex, AIDS and some very nasty STDs are on the increase. Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are affecting more and more men and women. Sadly, for several people, the festive season will have brought with it the unwanted gift. Research findings and some very useful information are available from both The Well Woman Centre and The Well Man Clinic, two organisations that no doubt witness a rise in numbers attending for treatment, after the holidays. The good people in both centres are doing a good job, but it’s now time that the Irish Government took an active role in warning people about the dangers.