Archive for October 22nd, 2006

Put your wallet away. I’ll get this…

Grandad October 22nd, 2006

I don’t believe it. I really don’t believe it.

This country is in a mess. At least it is as far as the health service, education and welfare go. We have hospitals that remain closed because they can’t afford to run ‘em. We have people lying in trollies in emergency departments. We have people dying because their nearest hospital doesn’t have the facilities. We have an almost non-existant support for people with special needs. We have the elderly being abused in homes. We have schools falling down around the kids’ ears. And all because we don’t have the money to spend.

Then I pick up the paper today, and what do I see?

“Dublin to spend €1bn in North”

And a lot of that is going to healthcare and provision of facilities in a Derry hospital.

Now, I’m all for good relations with the North. I have the greatest respect for the people there. I like holidaying there. I would ultimately like to see a [peaceful] complete integration. I’m a supporter of the latest initiatives. But the fact remains; they are still technically a foreign country. They still are a monarchy, use Sterling and have their own laws. And we are paying for their health and the upgrading of their roads?

Or is the government just trying to look good, and they are hoping the cheque will be refused because it’s in Euro?

What is going on here? I must be misunderstanding something. Will someone please explain?

Is the whole world going mad or is it just me?

Because you’re not worth it

Grandad October 22nd, 2006

Why do advertisers assume we all love America? There seems to be a theory that if they use American accents or American associations that we will all be so impressed that we will rush out to buy their products.

The cosmetic ads are the worst. But quite a few others are getting on the bandwaggon too. There is an ad for fruit juice that shows people in New York doing New Yorky things and slurping the juice. What is the message? If I drink this juice I will become a New Yorker? Wow!

Another trick is to use “American style”. So we have American style this and American style that. What is American style? Is the pizza going to suddenly jump up and shout “hey there buddy.. ya wanna beer?” and then run out the door to watch a baseball game?

I don’t hate America. I’ve never been there but it looks like a beautiful country. In fact it probably has some of the finest scenery in the world. It’s the people that live there that get on my nerves. Their attitude [and that of our advertisers] is that if it’s American, it has to be good. Why?

Thank God for the mute button on the remote control.