Alexia Blogs

Our differences are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Carl Sagan reads from his book ‘The Pale Blue Dot’.

Why did Minister Hanafin go on Morning Ireland this morning to welcome the new grant-aid scheme supported by JP McManus? I’m confused. Appearing on national radio to applaud a scheme being supported by a non-governmental source, just goes to highlight the failure of the Irish government to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Right? Yes, the scheme is a great idea. But was the offer for publicity, something she couldn’t refuse?

Paddy’s Day was celebrated across the world yesterday, so it must be time for lobbyists campaigning for undocumented Irish to shout about how these people are being forgotten by American authorities, right? Yep.

I’m sick of hearing about how young Irish people are being ignored in United States by authorities. I’m sick of hearing how they miss their families. Go home, so. Seriously. If this happened in Ireland, these people would be shipped out if they had no entitlement to stay. Calling people who flout immigration law as ‘undocumented’ is a cop-out. It’s way of softening the issue. A PR exercise. Undocumented means illegal. Illegal. There are knowingly breaking immigration law in the country of arrival. They are illegal aliens and should be shipped out.

Why should it be any different for these ‘undocumented’ in America than for you and I? If someone goes to America and decides to down roots knowing that they have no legal status to stay there past a standard holiday visa, is that contrary to immigration law? Yes. But then there are the cries for compassion. Cries for the US administration to be fair. The ‘undocumented’ have families, communities, relationships. Yes, but they are breaking the law. Tough.

But more than all of this, what I have a problem with is the automatic expectation that Irish people have to obtaining the entitlement for residency just because US visas were common in Ireland of the 1980’s. Ireland was a different place back then. It was the unemployment blackhole of Western Europe. So what, just because of a shared generational gene-pool, we try to claim a preferential slice of the visa pie. It doesn’t sound very equitable, now does it? Is that fair?

Spitzer wasn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last US politician thinking with his trousers, but isn’t the New York Magazine’s cover image simple yet effective?

Days later, it’s still funny.

I’ve been pondering gender politics. Two things kicked off this line of reasoning. First, I’ve been thinking about the upcoming ‘Women In Technology’ panel discussion at Creative Camp and second, this piece by Peggy Orenstein from the New York Times magazine.

At times, gender politicking annoys the hell out of me. A lot of so-called modern feminists are obsessed with attributing blame. It’s so much easier than actually affect change, isn’t it? Modern feminists need to reassess where femininity fits into the picture.

I’ve come up with some talking points.

1. Has the economic imperative to have women in the workplace had more impact in achieving equitable working rights than the feminist movement? Look to the rush to work during WW2 in filling positions vacated by fighting men.
2. Why is modern feminism so obsessed with men? Shouldn’t we be looking at promoting gender neutral policies and not bitching at eons of discrimination, blaming today’s men.
3. What kind of damage would instituting a gender quota system of filling open headcount in both male and female dominated workplaces? This artificial measure undermines women in male-dominated workplaces (and vice versa), right? I wonder what impact it has on the quality of service.

The ACE Team carries out security analysis in Microsoft. They have some nice nuggets on ways of securing apps.

How file copying has been improved upon for Vista SP1.

Mass virtualisation a step closer, IBM to open its first Cloud Computing Centre in China.

Via Pat. Got mobile wireless modem woes? Solve ’em by using wire.

Hertzberg comment piece on Clintons vs. Obama.

Magyar Posse ‘Whirlpool of Terror and Tension’

Jeff was on Sky News yesterday talking to Adam Boulton on how Youtube and the Internet is influencing the US electorate in the run-up to this year’s election. The video quality is great. Shame about the time it takes to load up, though.

The Limerick Blogger has published recommendations that the Limerick Chronicle printed about a vision document on the regeneration of parts of Limerick. It all seems to be about tracking people, knocking houses and rebuilding. It’s going to take more than tagging, bagging and rebuilding to change troubled parts of the city. Are the think-tankers serious?

First, it’s going to take more than a bunch of houses and parks to improve some areas of the cities.?The leaked recommendations are?mostly?about worldly?things like property. Just depending on tracking young people so they don’t fall into the cracks of society is a negative way to help improve the lot of those living in these blackspots. What? So, nurturing community involvement at current levels is seen as sufficient? I’m awaiting the report to dig into this further.

Second, assuming the correct policies and funding are in place, the push to improve areas of the city will most likely take decades. Decades. Regenerating these areas is not like doing a Lego project. People need to grow into their surrounds. Respect their living space?and neighbours. And more importantly, propagate these values onto their?kids.

There is much to do. Looking forward to reading the detail in the forthcoming report.