Tuesday, October 14, 2008

No Cash


The new conference center from across the Liffy

Early morning dole Queue for unemployment benefit outside a post office

Well the recession is here like the chill in the Autumn air.
The builders on the conference center got a nasty shock last Friday when the boss called them to order and told them that there was no money to pay them and to come back on Monday.300 workers sent home I am told. The glaziers are the only ones working on the site as I write, look at the small yellow dots on the glass front.
A lot of building projects are in serious trouble. Apartments and new homes stand finished with no buyers coming forward.
The banks would not lend money to buyers anyhow.

A lot of doom and gloom about, even the 8% increase is being touted as a bad thing.
Well the cost of adjusting the meter e75 then the cost of sealing it up again something like e95 is a BIT steep, considering its only a few minutes work.
We will have to work a long time to get it back when you consider the falling incomes and the perception that the future is looking worse.

I had 4 Polish girls laughing and joking in the car on Saturday night, the reason for the great joy?
They were breaking up and going back to Poland.
Back to their studies where they will become responsible citizens in the new Europe.
Bringing happy thoughts of Ireland home with them.

As you will know,if you read this tripe that I churn out week after week.I believe that they are qualified well above the positions they hold here in Ireland.
Yes they loved Ireland and they felt no racial abuse apart from not being able to secure good jobs in the beginning, now a new page is turning in their lives.
So they return home wiser and happy.
I wish them a good future. People like them are the very best kind of people. They left home and ventured over here, they were the brave ones taking a chance, not sitting on their backsides moaning.
A bit like the Irish who fled to the USA, Australia and God knows where to avoid our financial blight in the 50s 60s and 70s..When they came back they brought skills and money which spawned the "Celtic Tiger" May the Celtic tiger rest in peace.

Every week I find a reason to thank God for my good health and my lot such as it is.

The train was late and I picked up a couple with a teenage girl going to the Blackrock Clinic, I thought the patient was the young girl as I could see that she was looking at the sky and feeling around the seats as we drove there.
As they were getting out I hoped that she would get a good result,"no its me " said her mother.The girl it turned out was deaf and dumb and was almost blind, though when I waved goodbye to her she took my hand and shook it.

I thank God for my wife and 3 strong healthy sons.
I don't think I could swap places with them for too long.

I hope your mum gets better soon.

A tourist robber ( from Tallagh)came to Killester to hold up our local Super Value store. Stories abound as to what happened next. One is that a local lad on hearing the commotion and seeing the robbery going on went down to the kitchen section and got a knife.
When the robber came out he let him have it and killed him.
So much for crime tourism, we can rob our own shops without any help thank you very much.

The weekend is gone and we are almost through the week again. The weeks are becoming a blur, the other night I saw cherry pickers driving around with Christmas decorations and I see the street decorations on Talbot St Trinity St and just about everywhere are up. the trees are getting their lights attached on O'Connell St and on the Quays.
Octoberfest is on in Georges dock, tempis feugit as they say.

I am going to have my seats covered next week I will put up a photo and see what you all think.
Just thought I would stick in this bit of skillful driving.
What do you think?

2 comments:

  1. The economic feeling is the same over here in America mate.Truly we have to be thankful for all the good things we have and toughen up for some hard times. great post.

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  2. Thanks for the comment your majesty.
    My generation has had to do without before, we had saving not plastic.
    I am sure once the oil comes down things will start to kick off again.
    The rising tide will lift all boats, just leave a bit of slack on your rope.

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