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Alt.com
Distractions a n d w h i t e noise
h a v e often said that t h e sole c a u s e o f m a n ' s u n h a p p i n e s s is that h e d o e s n o t k n o w h o w to stay quietly in h i sroom'', t h e great French t h i n k e r Pascal o b s e r v e d i n Pensees, t h a t l o o s e c o l l e c t i o n o f n o t e s c o n c e r n e d w i t h w h a t h i s F r e n c h c o m p a triot A n d r e M a l r a u x called

D e a r Editor,

Judge praised for preserving the right to know
c o u r t s . T o hell w i t h t h e e m b a r r a s s m e n t g r a n n i e s , m a m m i e s b e i n g kept in the dark, e m p l o y e r s w h o will fire them), and they m a y accuse the media o f not having a n y m o r a l right t o p u b l i s h . However, what i s often q u i c k l y forgotten by rela tives is that it is the person w h o commits a crime w h o is responsible for the embar rassment and not Ihe media. Well done to Judge Garavan l o r his stance. Yours, I w i s h to back up ihe c o m m e n t s made this c a u s e s the defendant and his/her fam ily. H e / s h e s h o u l d h a v e thought o f this before they c o m m i t t e d the crime. That is o n e o f the deterrents alter all. The embarrassment of being caught and c o n v i c t e d is what forms a largo p a n o f the p u n i s h m e n t o f any c r i m e , s o the j u d g e w a s right. O f course embarrassed relatives will i n v a r i a b l y find d o z e n s o f e x c u s e s w h y the reports should not he published (sick
Advertiser. In o n e

by Judge John Caravan in a recent court
report in the Gctlnny

c a s e where a solicitor w a s trying t o have the i d e n t i t y o f h i s c l i e n t , c h a r g e d w i t h p o s s e s s i n g child porn, suppressed, the j u d g e rightly said that it w a s the public's right to know. T h e publication o f court details is part o f the judicial process. If il were not. then the m e d i a w o u l d h e b a n n e d f r o m t h e

la condition humaine.

(How

about that, e h ? ) T w o

F r e n c h i n t e l l e c t u a l s i n t h e first p a r a g r a p h . ) Unfortunately the form o f Christianity to w h i c h Pascal w a s drawn and o n behalf o f w h i c h h e b e c a m e an e l o q u e n t a p o l o g i s t w a s J a n s e n i s m , an e x t r e m e l y p e s s i m i s t i c d o c trine w h i c h m a i n t a i n e d that h u m a n n a t u r e w a s t o t a l l y c o r r u p t e d b y t h e Fall (It s u d denly occurs to m e : h o w many y o u n g people today even know what the concept o f the Fall m e a n s , s o w i s h y - w a s h y h a s the t e a c h i n g o f Christian d o c t r i n e b e c o m e ? ) O n l y G o d ' s g r a c e , c o m p l e t e l y u n m e r i t e d b y m a n . c o u l d s a v e h i m f r o m t h e fires o f hell. T h e most m a n c o u l d d o w a s attempt to r e m o v e s o m e o f the obstacles -- w h i c h c o u l d all b e s u m m e d u p u n d e r t h e h e a d i n g o f w o r l d l t r i e s s - t o t h e o p e r a t i o n o f g r a c e . T h e f o l l o w e r s o f J a n s e n i u s . a b i s h o p o f t h e late 1 6 t h a n d e a r l y 1 7 t h c e n t u r i e s , t e n d e d to stress h o w f e w w e r e likely to b e saved, the ' f e w ' being mainly, if not e x c l u s i v e l y , followers o f Jansenius. W h a t i s hard t o u n d e r s t a n d i s h o w P a s c a l , w h o e m e r g e s from h i s writing a s a bril liant m a t h e m a t i c i a n a n d o n e o f t h e m a s t e r s o f F r e n c h p r o s e , c o u l d s u b m i t h i s i n t e l l e c t to such a narrow a n d e x c l u s i v e set o f beliefs. H o w e v e r , as m y o l d uncle used t o say, there's n o accounting for folk. H o w e v e r , the reason I have mentioned Pascal w a s not o n account o f his unfortu nate b e l i e f s but b e c a u s e o f t h e really quite u n c a n n y w a y this 17th c e n t u r y anticipated the m o d e r n preoccupation with b o r e d o m and distraction. For e x a m p l e , o n e o f the anxiety." A n d a g a i n h e w r i t e s o f " y o u n g p e o p l e w h o s e l i v e s a r e all n o i s e [ a n d ] d i v e r s i o n " , a d d i n g , "but t a k e a w a y t h e i r d i v e r s i o n a n d y o u w i l l s e e t h e m b o r e d t o e x t i n c t i o n . " In p a s s a g e s that a n t i c i p a t e S a m u e l B e c k e t t o r F r a n z K a f k a , t w o m o d e r n m a s t e r s o f t h e p e r v a s i v e s e n s e o f a b s u r d i t y a n d m e a n i n g l e s s n e s s that h a s c o m e t o c h a r a c t e r i s e the m o d e r n w o r l d . Pascal notes: " b e i n g unable t o cure death, w r e t c h e d n e s s , a n d i g n o r a n c e , m e n h a v e d e c i d e d , in o r d e r t o b e h a p p y , n o t t o t h i n k a b o u t s u c h t h i n g s . " A n d he d e c l a r e s : ' T h a t is w h y g a m i n g a n d f e m i n i n e society, w a r a n d high office are s o p o p u l a r . It i s n o t that t h e y r e a l l y b r i n g h a p p i n e s s , n o t that a n y o n e i m a g i n e s that true b l i s s c o m e s f r o m p o s s e s s i n g t h e m o n e y t o b e w o n at g a m i n g o r t h e hare that i s h u n t e d . . . W h a t p e o p l e w a n t i s . . . t h e a g i t a t i o n that t a k e s o u r m i n d s o f f [ t h e m o r e s e r i o u s c o n c e r n s o f l i f e ] a n d d i v e r t s u s . . . A l l o u r l i f e p a s s e s in t h i s w a y : w e s e e k rest b y s t r u g g l i n g a g a i n s t c e r t a i n o b s t a c l e s , a n d o n c e t h e y a r e o v e r c o m e , rest p r o v e s i n t o l e r a b l e b e c a u s e o f t h e b o r e d o m it p r o d u c e s . W e m u s t g e t a w a y f r o m it a n d c r a v e e x c i t e ment." It m i g h t s e e m r a t h e r a b i g j u m p f r o m P a s c a l . 1 7 t h c e n t u r y r e l i g i o u s t h i n k e r , t o S a u l B e l l o w , a late 2 0 t h c e n t u r y N o b e l P r i / e - w i n n i n g a u t h o r o f s u c h brilliant " t a k e s " o n the c o n t e m p o r a r y w o r l d a s thinker

Rachel Kelly, Ballinfoile.

Is k i s s i n g b a n n e d W h i c h M i n i s t e r in G a l w a y c l u b s ? s h o u l d r e s i g n
Dear Editor

Dear Editor,
1 am completely raged about which out an incident in a night

policy

like

this?

In all

cities, gay. lesbian, and bisexual people make u p a large portion o f the c l u b bing scene. Even more s o it s h o u l d b e t o l e r a t e d i n G a l w a y this very arts-ori

I witnessed

well-known Galway c l u b last w e e k .

Directly

b e h i n d w h e r e I w a s sitting, a couple kiss were sharing a a bouncer

ented city a n d apparently one of Europe's fastest

when

approached t h e m a n d told them to stop. I w a s within earshot a n d heard him. H e didn't offer a n y explana tion a s t o w h y h e d i d this. I k n o w o n e half o f the c o u p l e a n d w e n t t o talk t o t h e bouncer o n their The couple were behalf. a gay

g r o w i n g . It i s s o n i c e t o s e c such affection displayed

penses

states: "Man's condition -- Inconstancy, b o r e d o m ,

regardless o f sexual prefer ence, skin colour, etc. A n d it r e a l l y frustrates m e to disregard

s e e such blatant

for p e o p l e ' s f e e l i n g s . A s a modern d a y society, w e up to

A s the health service lurch e s from o n e crisis to another and as our hapless Minister M i e h e a l Martin k e e p s assert ing there has never been more i n v e s t m e n t in t h e H e a l t h S e r v i c e s , where d o e s the truth lie a n d w h a t i s t h e s o l u t i o n ? Despite continually hearing o f t h e v a s t i n v e s t m e n t in t h e Health S e r v i c e s o v e r the last number o f years. Ireland still invests o n e o f the lowesl pro portions o f national i n c o m e in h e a l t h . It i s i n c r e d i b l e t o b e l i e v e that w e n o w have only the s a m e number o f available b e d s a s w e h a d in t h e e a r l y 1990's. In spite o f this w e are see i n g f u r t h e r c u t b a c k s in b e d capacity. At present t w o full wards are c l o s e d in University C o l l e g e Hospital because o f lack o f funds a n d staff. Furthermore. I am reliably informed that if there are 2 0 beds o c c u p i e d as a result o f A and E a d m i s s i o n s then A L L e l e c t i v e a d m i s s i o n s for the

f o l l o w i n g d a y are c a n c e l l e d . S u c h c a n c e l l a t i o n s at s u c h short notice are now a regular occurrence at U C H G . O v e r Ihe last n u m b e r o f y e a r s a n d in p a r t i c u l a r just prior to last election massive extra numbers were employed in t h e H e a l t h S e r v i c e . H o w e v e r , all t h e a d d i t i o n a l resources appear to have been allocated to administration and w e have n o w reached the absurd situation that lor every o n e person i n v o l v e d in treat ing patients there are two a d m i n i s t r a t i v e support staff. S o w e clearly need more i n v e s t m e n t a n d structural reforms. S o w i l l the r e s i g n a t i o n o f the h a p l e s s M i n i s t e r Martin s o l v e the crisis in the Health S e r v i c e ? . Clearly it won't In my opinion the target o f peo ple's anger should be the real governing party the P.D's. sup ported by the Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy. W h e n it c o m e s t o c u t b a c k s and attacks o n the vunerahle s e c t i o n s in o u r s o c i e t y then M i n i s t e r M c C r e e v y h a s an outlandish track record. So long as Government policy i s c o n t r o l l e d by M c C r e e v y a n d H a r n e y the cutbacks will always be aimed at t h e o l d . t h e sick, the dis abled and all those sections of s o c i e t y w h o d o not have a strong v o i c e when the national c a k e is b e i n g d i v i d e d . The issue clearly is not the lack of resources b u t h o w the r e s o u r c e s are spent. Making Michael Martin the "patsy" for t h e f a i l e d p r o m i s e s o f this G o v e r n m e n t w i l l d o nothing t o r e s o l v e t h e c r i s i s . There n e e d s t o b e root a n d branch reform in the Health Service, t o include dismantling o f the t w o - t i e r s y s t e m w h i c h dis criminates between public and private p a t i e n t s , but first we n e e d root and branch reform at the heart o f government. It's lime to retire Charlie l o stud!

have been brought

couple

and the bouncer

b e l i e v e that all p e o p l e a r e equal. There should not b e any exceptions made.

t o l d m e that p e r s o n a l l y h e had n o trouble with the

k i s s i n g h i m s e l f b u t t h a t it w a s c l u b p o l i c y t h a t it b e prohibited, 1 w a s stunned. In t h i s d a y a n d a g e h o w can a night-club have a

Yours, L Murphy, Knocknacarra

Humboldt's Gift. Herzog.

and

Mr Sammlei's Planet.

But

t h e r e i s a c o n n e c t i o n a n d it h a s t o d o w i t h t h e w h o l e b u s i n e s s o f d i s t r a c t i o n . In a talk B e l l o w g a v e at O x f o r d c a l l e d T h e D i s t r a c t e d P u b l i c , h e d e s c r i b e s t h e nature o f o u r m o d e r n p l a g u e o f distraction " T h e attention o f the p u b l i c . " h e s a y s " i s s o m e t h i n g like a continent penetrated, invaded, overrun b y a variety o f forces - politi cal, c o m m e r c i a l , t e c h n o l o g i c a l , journalistic, agitational. Vast e n t e r p r i s e s d e s c r i b e d a s t h e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s industry i n f o r m , m i s i n f o r m o r d i s i n f o r m t h e p u b l i c a b o u t p o l i c i e s , w a r s a n d r e v o l u t i o n s , about religious o r racial c o n f l i c t s , a n d a l s o about e d u c a t i o n , l a w , m e d i c i n e , b o o k s , t h e a t r e , m u s i c , c o o k e r y . . . t h e truth i s t h a t w e a r e in a n unbreakable stale o f c o n f u s i o n , or distraction." B e l l o w n o t e s that "a p r o f e s s o r in C a l i f o r n i a h a s e s t i m a t e d that o n a n a v e r a g e w e e k day, the

Science can be fun
Dear
Editor, It l a s t s a p l a c e in s c i e n c e e d u c a t i o n f r o m at h o m e and abroad visit s c h o o l s and venues throughout Its school G a l w a y city and county. mission -- to show that w e n e e d the expertise o f another s e c t i o n o f the e d u c a tional c o m m u n i t y , yourselves! namely W e are s e e k i n g It a t t r a c t s 2 0 . 0 0 0 p a r t i c i pants e v e r y year. week. Galway. It t a k e s T h e Sunday event the v i e w s and ideas o f the stu dents o f G a l w a y . from kinder garten l o third level, their par ents, uncles and aunts, If grannies and granddads. a l o n e attracts up to 1 5 . 0 0 0 p e o p l e , m a k i n g it the biggest o n e - d a y e v e n t o f i t s kind in Europe. Nearly all a c t i v i t i e s This year What is are t o t a l l y f r e e , ( t h e o t h e r s cost t w o euros). it? Still n o idea? It takes place in N o v e m b e r . It i n v o l v e s Hashes, b a n g s , batteries, h u g s , competitions and chemists, stargazers a n d students, e n g i neers and e c o l o g i s l s . C h a n c e s arc y o u r c h i l d r e n w i l l h a v e g u e s s e d by n o w . e v e n if y o u haven't! The sixth Galway take place from Science and T e c h n o l o g y Festival will November 17-23 a s the leading lights in will b e the its sixth. c h i l d r e n o f a l l a g e s that s c i e n c e is e x c i t i n g and fun. a n d to enthuse t h e m to think about s c i e n c e a s a career. T h e F e s t i v a l C o m m i t t e e is m a d e u p o f p e o p l e from pri mary, s e c o n d a r y a n d third level institutions, people i n v o l v e d in t h e scientific and t e c h n o l o g i c a l industries in the area, and slate agencies involved in nurturing t h e

New York Times

c o n t a i n s m o r e information than a n y c o n t e m p o r a r y o f

anyone has any small c o m ments, or huge Hashes o f bril liance make about how wecan Galway the sixth

S h a k e s p e a r e w o u l d h a v e a c q u i r e d in a l i f e t i m e " , a n d h e a s k s . " W h a t g o o d i s s u c h a plethora o f information?" Pascal w o u l d certainly agree with B e l l o w ' s "listing o f the charges" against the modern world: emptiness o f life, the unity o f mankind o n the lowest level, the increasing p o i n t l e s s n e s s o f personal e x i s t e n c e , the victory o f urbanisation a n d tech n o l o g y -- in s h o r t , t h e p r e v a l e n c e o f n i h i l i s m t h e a b s e n c e o f the n o b l e a n d t h e g r e a t . " F o r b o t h P a s c a l a n d B e l l o w it i s t h e s e d u c t i v e attraction o f w h a t d i s t r a c t s u s that prevents u s from proper self-reflection a n d a less immersed understanding o f the poi s o n o f trivia, sheer i d i o c y o f t h e ' p a s t i m e s ' a n d daily d o s e s o f t i m e - w a s t i n g d i v e r sions. T h e c r i t i c W a l t e r B e n j a m i n l a m e n t e d t h e d e c l i n e o f t h e s t o r y t e l l e r , s t a t i n g that o n e of the primary reasons w a s the "thinness" and " s a m e n e s s " o f c o temporary experi e n c e - p o e t s , p l a y w r i g h t s , m u s i c i a n s , artists, p h i l o s o p h e r s require attention if t h e insights they h a v e unearthed are t o b e c o m m u n i c a t e d t o a n d appreciated b y a public less a n d less inclined, a s the 'net' d a z z l e s u s a n d h y p n o t i s e s u s , t o d o without its panoply o f unending sources o f distraction. Pascal a n d B e l l o w certainly h e l p u s t o identify the p r o b l e m s . H o w they are t o b e t a c k l e d , after all i s s a i d a n d d o n e , i s u p t o t h e r e s o u r c e s o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l , w h o i s , u n f o r t u n a t e l y , all t o o o f t e n n o w a d a y s that b l i s s f u l l y d o p e d f i g u r e s i l t i n g in t h e s h a d o w s staring at a t e l e v i s i o n s c r e e n .

Science

and Technology

Festival the b i g g e s t and best, w e ' d love t o hear them. S o don't hide your light under a bushel, g e t in touch.

growth o f G a l w a y into a g l o b al centre o f e x c e l l e n c e in sci ence and technology. These p e o p l e g i v e their t i m e , their m o n e y a n d their e x p e r t i s e t o ensure that G a l w a y ' s children are g i v e n Ihe c h a n c e t o e x p e rience the world o f science from an early a g e . H o w e v e r , w e are aware

Yours, Richie Byrne Festival Secretary Galway Education Centre Cluain Mhuire Galway 091-745602 richiegec @ eircom.net

Yours, Daniel J. Callanan, Galway Sinn Fein 19 Upper Abbey gate Street, Galway.

I In (ialway

Ltr t te Etr e s o h d: e i o
Kdvertiscr wishes to a d i s e that

it i s n o t r e s p o n s i b l e t o r

t h e c o n t e n t which a p p e a r s in t h e l e t t e r s p a g e s a n d a c c e p t s n o liahilit) arising from publication of material on these pages.

41-42 Eyre S q u a r e , Galway. Tel: 091 - 5 3 0 9 0 0 . Fax ( G e n e r a l ) 091 567079 Fax: (Advertising) 091 - 567150 Fax: (Newsdesk) 091 - 565627 Internet Address: http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie