Up In The Air

It was with some excitement that I went to see 'Up In The Air' today. The reviews for this had been overwhelmingly positive and gushing in parts. The first thing to say is that this is a solid movie, well written with some clever and at times funny dialogue. The overall feel of the movie is that of a simple tale, a tale of the here and now. George Clooney in a dream casting plays the role of Ryan Bingham, a high flying frequent flyer whose job it is to inform a plethora of American employees that...

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PMQ's

I had occasion to tune in the PMQ's at Westminster today. How refreshing it was to see a full parliament having a healthy debate infused with some light hearted banter and heated exchanges. It's a cornerstone of an effective parliament that debate is engaged by all parties whilst effectively engaging those to whom they represent.This contrasts greatly to the staid and diluted offering we see in the Dail. The first contrast and most striking is the attendance in the Dail on most days. A sparsely...

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Dole Stigma

The loss of ones job is a particularly difficult period, raising many questions and giving up few answers. In a year of unprecedented job losses I thought I had almost seen it out, yet late November yielded redundancy and the inevitable change it brings.The first task was to sign on the dole and feed from the limp, lifeless department of social welfare. It's a dent to ones pride to have to lean on the state for a handout but then again I have been paying contributions for seven years straight so...

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