Political cartoon by Cameron “Cam” Cardow of The Ottowa Citizen in Canada and published on 01 December 2010.
If you are down on your luck, you are in a long period of difficulty finding work and earning money. Unfortunately due to the current economic situation, a lot of people are down on their luck.
Visit the The Guardian : http://www.guardian.co.uk/
A bailout is an economic term that we’ve been hearing a lot these last few years. This is the money given or lent to a person or organization with financial problems in order to save them. Ireland is the latest EU country after Greece to get a bailout package. However, according to the headline, the bailout is ending in turmoil.
If something is in turmoil, it is in a state of extreme confusion, chaos or agitation. They fear that this economic turmoil is going to spread to other European countries such as Portugal or Spain. In other words, the crisis will proliferate across the EU.
The crisis is provoking political turmoil as well in Ireland. The Taoiseach, the head of the Irish government, is at bay as the ruling coalition disintegrates. If something or someone is at bay, this means that they are cornered or trapped. The Irish leader is under tremendous pressure to step down and to call for new elections.
Slide your cursor over the words in bold to learn their definition.
I am personally not a fan of Halloween though it is much celebrated in the United States. One of the big traditions for this night is a pumpkin carving known as the Jack O’ Lantern.
People are becoming more and more creative when they carve their pumpkin. When you carve a pumpkin, you cut off the top and scoop out the flesh. On the side of the pumpkin, a monstrous or humorous face is carved. Usually the pumpkin sits next to the front door of the house. A candle is lit to illuminate the carving and placed inside. The cut off top replaced as a lid.
The tradition was brought over to the United States with the Irish immigrants. In Ireland and Britain, it was commonplace to carve lanterns out of vegetables such as turnips, potatoes, beets, etc.. These lanterns were carved and placed on the door step on All Hallows’ Eve to ward off evil spirits.
The origins are based in Irish folktales and there are several different versions. Here’s a version I found on the net:
“The Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O' Lantern to America. But, the original Jack O' Lantern was not a pumpkin.The Jack O' Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses and let the Devil down.
Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel, and had led a miserable and worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. From that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O' Lantern". (The Pumpkin Nook)
Here’s a second version:
“Another version of the myth says that Jack was getting chased by some villagers from whom he had stolen, when he met the Devil, who claimed it was time for him to die. However, the thief stalled his death by tempting the Devil with a chance to bedevil the church-going villagers chasing him. Jack told the Devil to turn into a coin with which he would pay for the stolen goods (the Devil could take on any shape he wanted); later, when the coin/Devil disappeared, the Christian villagers would fight over who had stolen it. The Devil agreed to this plan. He turned himself into a silver coin and jumped into Jack's wallet, only to find himself next to a cross Jack had also picked up in the village. Jack had closed the wallet tight, and the cross stripped the Devil of his powers; and so he was trapped.
Jack only lets the Devil go when he agrees never to take his soul. After a while the thief died, as all living things do. Of course, his life had been too sinful for Jack to go to heaven; however, the Devil had promised not to take his soul, and so he was barred from hell as well. Jack now had nowhere to go. He asked how he would see where to go, as he had no light, and the Devil mockingly tossed him an ember that would never burn out from the flames of hell. Jack carved out one of his turnips (which was his favorite food), put the ember inside it, and began endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He became known as ‘Jack of the Lantern’, or Jack-o'-Lantern.” (Wikipedia)
Here are a few more creative Jack O’ Lanterns:
More of these pumpkin carvings can be seen at : http://www.coolpicturegallery.us/2010/10/cool-halloween-pumpkin-jack-o-lanterns.html
NOTE! I apologize, link to image and PDF became inactive over time.
If you’d like a more readable version of this front page (pdf format), go HERE! For the newspaper’s homepage go to : http://www.independent.ie/
- The Bank of Ireland made a blunder! It was a careless and embarrassing mistake. They blundered by double debiting some of the charges made by their card users. Oops! Unfortunately, this gaffe or error forced some of their clients into the red which means their bank accounts went into a situation where they did not have enough money to cover the charges. Thankfully, the bank caught their slip (mistake) and is refunding the money to 120,000 customers. http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/top-bank-pays-back-120000-hit--by-card-blunder-1881243.html
- In another banking story, the Green Party is asking that some directors of bank boards be sacked! They want these directors to be fired (forcibly removed) in order to reassure the public that the banking culture has changed. The sacking would effect about 18 directors as well as other personnel. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/greens-seek--removal--of-bankers--as-part-of-nama-deal-1881244.html
- In Ireland at the end of the Junior Cycle (13 to 15 year olds), students take the Junior Certificate examination, also known as the Junior Cert. The Irish Education Ministry is planning a shake-up of the exam. They want to revamp the exam; in other words, they want to improve it to better promote real understanding and skills. The shake-up would also involve reducing the number of subjects tested which is currently between 10 and 14! http://www.independent.ie/education/latest-news/junior-cert-revamp-will-focus-more-on-skills-than-exams-1881187.html
- And in yet another Irish banking story, a probe is being conducted by investigators and detectives into a loans and deposits controversy at the Anglo Irish Bank. A probe is simply an investigation to find out the truth. In order to probe deeper, witnesses need to be interviewed but that will take time and slow down the enquiry. In order to speed up the investigation, they are beefing up the investigative team by adding 20 officers. http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/gardai-poised-to-quiz-key-anglo-figures-in-bank-probe-1881292.html
The front page of the Irish Independent (Dublin, Ireland) taken from http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/
France 24 | Ireland to go back to the polls on Oct. 2 | France 24
Irish voters will be asked for a second time to cast their ballot in a referendum to ratify their country's acceptance - or otherwise - of the the Lisbon Treaty, which was widely rejected in a first vote in June of last year.
Wednesday 08 July 2009
AFP - Ireland will hold a second referendum on the European Union's key Lisbon reform treaty on October 2, Prime Minister Brian Cowen told parliament on Wednesday.
Cowen said he had received assurances from his European colleagues on issues that concerned Irish voters, who threw the EU into chaos when they rejected the treaty in a referendum in June last year.
"I believe these concerns have been addressed now in the shape of the legal guarantees which have been agreed by the 27 heads of state," he said.
"On that basis, I recommended to the government that we return to the people to seek their approval for Ireland to ratify the treaty.
"That referendum will take place on October 2nd."
The guarantees affirm that Ireland's military neutrality and taxation system, as well as its stance on social issues like abortion, will not be affected by the treaty.
Foreign Minister Micheal Martin told journalists that adopting the treaty was in the best interests of Ireland, as he published a guide explaining the document to voters.
"The government believes that this treaty is good for Ireland and good for Europe," he said. "Our task now is to bring our case before the people."
The Lisbon Treaty is designed to streamline decision-making in an EU which has expanded to encompass the former communist countries of eastern Europe.
Support for the treaty has been growing as Ireland's economic crisis has deepened, with the most recent polls showing 54 percent would now vote "yes".
Only Ireland was constitutionally bound to put the treaty to a public vote. Almost all the EU member states have endorsed the treaty through votes in their national parliaments.
This month we’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and everything that is Irish! To learn more about Irish culture, traditions and customs, visit www.YourIrish.com by clicking on the banner below!
Today’s post comes from http://www.irelandseye.com/animation/explorer/leprechaun.html
The name leprechaun may have derived from the Irish leath bhrogan (shoemaker), although its origins may lie in luacharma'n (Irish for pygmy). These apparently aged, diminutive men are frequently to be found in an intoxicated state, caused by home-brew poteen. However they never become so drunk that the hand which holds the hammer becomes unsteady and their shoemaker's work affected.
Leprechauns have also become self-appointed guardians of ancient treasure (left by the Danes when they marauded through Ireland), burying it in crocks or pots. This may be one reason why leprechauns tend to avoid contact with humans whom they regard as foolish, flighty (and greedy?) creatures. If caught by a mor
tal, he will promise great wealth if allowed to go free. He carries two leather pouches. In one there is a silver shilling, a magical coin that returns to the purse each time it is paid out. In the other he carries a gold coin which he uses to try and bribe his way out of difficult situations. This coin usually turns to leaves or ashes once the leprechaun has parted with it.However, you must never take your eye off him, for he can vanish in an instant.
The leprechaun 'family' appears split into two distinct groups - leprechaun and cluricaun. Cluricauns may steal or borrow almost anything, creating mayhem in houses during the hours of darkness, raiding wine cellars and larders. They will also harness sheep, goats, dogs and even domestic fowl and ride them throughout the country at night. Although the leprechaun has been described as Ireland's national fairy, this name was originally only used in the north Leinster area. Variants include lurachmain, lurican, lurgadhan.
| intoxicated | - | ivre |
| home-brew (adj. & noun) | - | boisson faite à la maison |
| a hammer | - | un marteau |
| unsteady | - | tremblant |
| self-appointed | - | autonommé |
| a crock | - | un pot (en terre) |
| foolish | - | bête |
| flighty | - | frivole |
| greedy | - | avide |
| a pouch | - | un petit sac, |
| a purse | - | une bourse, un porte-monnaie |
| to bribe | - | soudoyer |
| ash | - | une cendre |
| to vanish | - | disparate |
| mayhem | - | le désordre |
| to raid | - | faire un raid sur |
| a larder | - | un garde-manger |
| to harness | - | harnacher |
Public sector workers in particular fiercely oppose new legislation that will see pension contributions from their pay packets increased.
Many workers claim they are being made to pay for the failure of the banks, while the banking sector itself is being bailed out.
The government of Taoiseach Brian Cowen admits the measures may be painful but says they are necessary in the current economic climate.
Cowen is under pressure to reduce what is now Europe’s biggest budget deficit at 9.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product. The EU’s limit is set at three per cent.
Link to the article from EuroNews with a video can be found HERE
| mismanagement | - | to manage badly or carelessly EX. The county has accumulated a massive debt load through gross fiscal mismanagement. |
| a demonstration | - | a public show of feeling or opinion, as by a mass meeting or parade EX. Despite these setbacks, Genoa was the largest anti-capitalist demonstration in a long line. |
| to be held (passive voice) to hold a meeting (active voice) | - | to be had or conducted ; to be carried on (a meeting, conversation, etc..) EX. A NATO meeting will be held in Strasbourg during the first week of April. |
| the handling | - | the way in which something is handled or taken care of EX. This situation requires delicate handling. |
| fiercely (adverb) | - | in an extreme intense or resolute way EX. Republicans in the Congress fiercely opposed the economic bailout plan. |
| pay packet | - | the amount of money someone earns EX. The board of pharmaceutical giant SmithKline Beecham has defended the £93m pay packet of its chief executive Jan Leschly. |
| to claim | - | to state as a fact or as one's belief (something that may be called into question); assert EX. He claims that he is too ill to come to work today. |
| to bail out | - | to rescue someone in an emergency, especially of financial crisis of some kind EX. The Congress has approved Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus package to bail out the failing economy. |
| painful (adj.) | - | tedious or extremely difficult EX. The hours passed with painful slowness. |
| gross domestic product (abbreviation GDP) | - | a measure of the economic production of a particular territory in financial capital terms over a specific time period / Produit intérieur brut - PIB |
As an added exercise, look up the words in a dictionary for other possible meanings, variations and synonyms.
Find other articles related to this story HERE
