I love going to the cinema by myself. I’ll admit that it’s partially because it makes me feel like Don Draper from Mad Men, his solo excursions to the downtown theatre an essential part of his creative process/work avoidance strategy. To be totally honest, I don’t want to have to socialise while I’m trying to escape into two or three hours of immersive joy. Mostly though, … [Read more...] about The enduring beauty of the cinema experience
Mending broken healthcare system no simple fix – and it won’t come soon
A veteran of the HSE for almost his entire working life, my father has always boiled all issues with our health service down to one problem. “It’s not that there’s not enough money being spent, it’s how badly that money is managed.” Whatever the cause, there’s no overstating how major an issue people being left to wait on trolleys in our hospitals is. Interim Chief … [Read more...] about Mending broken healthcare system no simple fix – and it won’t come soon
Spineless FAs show protest in sport is not what it was
Lusail Stadium, Qatar, by Visit Qatar on Unsplash/Painting by Steve Johnson on Pexels. Protest is meaningless without risk. Without sacrifice. Without standing up for what you believe in spite of whatever consequences might come your way. Iran’s national team showed England exactly what that means ahead of their opening World Cup game in Qatar. By refusing to sing … [Read more...] about Spineless FAs show protest in sport is not what it was
The Crown Season 5 review: nothing new under the sun
An Emmy Award winning Netflix phenomenon, on a roll since it launched in 2016, may finally be nearing its sell-by date. The Crown has a recency problem. Not because Season 5 has moved the show’s timeline too close to the present, making the viewing all too uncomfortable as the curtain is pulled back on the lives of people who are still alive and in the public eye. There’s … [Read more...] about The Crown Season 5 review: nothing new under the sun
American democracy breaths a mid-term sigh of relief
Image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Dr Martin Luther King Jr famously said. Suffice it to say that a threat to one democracy is a threat to all democracy, as well. This is why an increasing global popular interest in American politics is to be applauded rather than dismissed. Our growing obsession with CNN, John King … [Read more...] about American democracy breaths a mid-term sigh of relief