Inishindie

Wisdom of the world - Week 165

2011-10-02T22:38:00.000+01:00

Mustard Seeds
A grieving mother approached Buddha, carrying the body of her dead child in her arms. She begged him, "I know you can bring him back to life." Buddha replied, "Death is inevitable; I cannot restore his life." The woman was devastated, and was not prepared to accept this answer. Seeing her pain, Buddha said, "I can bring your child back to life, but only if you bring me mustard seeds from a person who has never had a death in his family."
Hearing these words, a hope was awakened within the grieving mother's heart. Immediately she rushed out to beg. She knocked at the first door and asked for some mustard seeds. The middle-aged lady answering the door was very kind and asked her to wait a moment. The woman asked, "There has not been a death in your family, has there?" The lady started crying and said, "Six months ago my husband died in his sleep." The mother was disappointed and she moved on.
The second person she approached was a young man, who said that his grandfather had passed away only a few days earlier. The third was an old woman whose grown up son and daughter-in-law had been killed in an accident. One after the other, the woman found that someone or the other had died in every family.
By the time the woman returned to Buddha, she was full of compassion for her village and realised the truth that death touches us all.

Wisdom of the world - Week 164

2011-09-24T19:03:00.000+01:00

Two Jars
The preacher placed two identical jars on the table next to the pulpit.
"These jars came from the same factory, were made of the same materials, and can hold the same amount. But they are different," he explained.
Then he upset one of the jars and it oozed out honey. He turned over the other jar, and vinegar spilled out.
"When a jar is upset, whatever is in it comes out. Until the jars were upset, they looked alike. The difference was within, and could not be seen. When they were upset, their contents were revealed."

Wisdom of the world - Week 163

2011-09-10T22:56:00.000+01:00

Changing Attitude

“Over the course of one year, give a coin to each person who offends or upsets you,” instructed the abbot of a young man who wanted people to follow a spiritual path.
For the next twelve months, a boy gave a coin to each person who offended of upset him, as he was instructed. At the end of the year, he returned to the abbot to find out what the next steps were.
“Go into town and buy food for me,” the abbot responded.
Once the boy left, the abbot changed his clothes, and disguised himself as a beggar and went to the gate. When the boy approached, he began to insult him.
“Good!” said the boy, “for a whole year I had to pay the people who upset or offended me, and now I can be attacked for free, without spending anything!”
Hearing this, the abbot removed his disguise. “He who does not take insults seriously, is on the path to wisdom.”

Wisdom of the world - Week 162

2011-09-04T21:49:00.000+01:00

Does The Master Not Suffer With Bad Disciples

A disciple asked Firoz:
"The mere presence of a master causes all sorts of curious people to gather round, to discover something beneficial. Can't this be a hindrance and negative? Can't this divert the master from his path, or cause him to suffer because he could not teach that which he wished?"
Firoz, the Sufi master, replied:
"The sight of an avocado tree laden with fruit whets the appetite of all those who pass by. If someone wishes to satisfy his hunger beyond his needs, he will eat more avocados than necessary, and will be sick. However, this causes no indigestion to the man who owns the avocado tree.
It is the same with our Search. The path must be open to all; but it is for God to set the limits of each individual."

Paulo Coelho

Wisdom of the world - Week 161

2011-08-28T11:09:00.000+01:00

Wisdom of the world - Week 160

2011-08-21T22:26:00.000+01:00

Why Are You Crying

A man knocked at his friend’s door to ask him a favour:
“I want you to lend me four thousand dinars because I have a debt to pay. Can you do that for me?”
The friend asked his wife to gather together everything they had of value, but even so it was not enough. They had to go out and borrow money from the neighbours until they managed to get the full amount.
When the man left, the woman noticed that her husband was crying.
“Why are you sad? Now that we’ve got ourselves in debt with our neighbours, are you afraid we won’t be able to repay them?”
“Nothing of the sort! I’m crying because he is someone I like so much, but even so I had no idea he was in need. I only remembered him when he had to knock on my door to ask me for a loan.”
Paulo Coelho

Wisdom of the world - Week 159

2011-08-15T10:05:00.000+01:00

The Prince and the Dark Horse

There was once a young prince who, having reached the age of maturity, left home to live on a grand estate given to him by his father. He was told that if he ever needed help he was to put a light in the uppermost tower window, and his father would send a special horse and carriage to carry him to safety.
However, his father also warned him that an evil wizard, an enemy of the kingdom, lived not too far from his new home. The prince was told to be wary when setting his signal, for this wizard would also see this light and might himself send his own horse and carriage to carry the prince off to who knows what kind of danger.
Of course, this frightened the young ruler-to-be. After all, how would he be able to tell the difference? His father assured him there was a foolproof measure. Each time, before entering the rescue carriage, he was to closely examine the horse pulling it. A light-coloured horse would always take him to safety, but a dark horse would always take him to danger.
As one might imagine, many of the ordeals that come with the ruling life befell the prince, each one causing him to put a light in the window. And for many months, because he was in such a rush to escape his castle when he felt in danger, he failed to heed his father's warning; time and time again he neglected to examine the horse that came to get him. As a result he often found himself on one painful wild ride after another where, too late, he realised his inattentiveness was causing him as much distress as the condition he was trying to escape.
Eventually, he found the presence of mind before he would get into the carriage that had come for him to see if the horse pulling it had been sent by the evil wizard or by his father.

Guy Finley

Extreme Rose Pruning!!!

2011-08-13T21:07:00.000+01:00

Wisdom of the world - Week 158

2011-08-06T12:58:00.000+01:00

Loving the People

My son Paul got a job with a large chain of music shops. He had never worked in a retail organisation before. The pay was based on a small salary plus commission. They put him through an extensive sales training. It was the usual stuff on how to approach a customer, present the product and mostly of course, close the deal and make the sale! It was almost like a car dealer's pitch, "Do you want the red car or the white?"
He wasn't doing well. To make matters worse, they had an embarrassing gimmick. A photographer was based in the car park and took a picture of every customer who left without carrying anything. These photos were posted on what they called "The Be Back" board in the employees canteen. Many of the "I'll be back" customers were his.
Paul dropped by for coffee one morning. He said, "Mam, you used to be in sales. What am I doing wrong? What's the key?" I answered him, "The key is that you have to love those people you are selling to. Never count the commission in your mind. Do what is best for them if they are just buying some strings or an expensive guitar."
I went on "I believe that 99% of communication is mental. People sense if you are coming to them with a loving attitude or as a desperate salesman looking to close them."
He said he'd try it.
His sales started coming in. Then they really escalated. He became the top salesman in the shop. And his salary reflected it. (the management started to watch him carefully to make sure he wasn’t giving stock away) In six months, he was one of the top ten salesman in the entire chain out of 40 around the country. This company gives an extravagant party once a year to honour their top ten salespeople. Limos, deluxe hotel, elegant dinner - the works. Paul was of course included.
After the dinner, the president of the company approached him.
He said, "Paul, how did you do this? You came up out of nowhere."
Paul answered, "I don't want to tell you. You won't believe me."
"Of course I'll believe you. Tell me."
Paul gulped. "I started loving the people who come in."
The big boss replied, "Okay Paul, now tell me how you REALLY did it."

Wisdom of the world - Week 157

2011-07-31T14:14:00.000+01:00

The Chess Game

A young man said to the abbot from the monastery: "I’d actually like to be a monk, but I haven’t learned anything in life. All my father taught me was to play chess, which does not lead to enlightenment. Apart from that, I learned that all games are a sin."
"They may be a sin but they can also be a diversion, and who knows, this monastery needs a little of both," was the reply. The abbot asked for a chess board, sent for a monk and told him to play the young man. But before the game began, he added:
"Although we need diversion, we cannot allow everyone to play chess the whole time. So, we only have the best players here; if our monk loses, he will leave the monastery and his place will be yours."
The abbot was serious. The young man knew he was playing for his life, and broke into a cold sweat; the chess board became the centre of the world.
The monk began badly. The young man attacked, but then saw the saintly look on the monk’s face; at that moment, he began playing badly on purpose. After all, he would rather lose; a monk is far more useful to the world.
Suddenly, the abbot threw the chess board to the floor.
"You have learned far more than was taught you," he said. "You concentrated yourself enough to win, were capable of fighting for that which you desire. Then, you had compassion, and were willing to make a sacrifice in the name of a noble cause.
Welcome to the monastery, because you know how to balance discipline with compassion."

Paulo Coelho

Wisdom of the world - Week 156

2011-07-23T11:20:00.000+01:00

Two drops of oil

A merchant sent his son to learn the Secret of Happiness from the wisest of men. The young man wandered through the desert for forty days until he reached a beautiful castle at the top of a mountain. There lived the sage that the young man was looking for.
However, instead of finding a holy man, our hero entered a room and saw a great deal of activity; merchants coming and going, people chatting in the corners, a small orchestra playing sweet melodies, and there was a table laden with the most delectable dishes of that part of the world. The wise man talked to everybody, and the young man had to wait for two hours until it was time for his audience.
With considerable patience, he listened attentively to the reason for the boy’s visit, but told him that at that moment he did not have the time to explain to him the Secret of Happiness. He suggested that the young man take a stroll around his palace and come back in two hours' time.
"However, I want to ask you a favour, “he added, handing the boy a teaspoon, in which he poured two drops of oil. "While you walk, carry this spoon and don't let the oil spill."
The young man began to climb up and down the palace staircases, always keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. At the end of two hours he returned to the presence of the wise man.
"So," asked the sage, "did you see the Persian tapestries hanging in my dining room? Did you see the garden that the Master of Gardeners took ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?"
Embarrassed, the young man confessed that he had seen nothing. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.
"So, go back and see the wonders of my world," said the wise man. "You can't trust a man if you don't know his house."
Now more at ease, the young man took the spoon and strolled again through the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art that hung from the ceiling and walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around the palace, the delicacy of the flowers, the taste with which each work of art was placed in its niche. Returning to the sage, he reported in detail all that he had seen.
"But where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?" asked the sage.
Looking down at the spoon, the young man realized that he had spilled the oil.
"Well, that is the only advice I have to give you," said the sage of sages. "The Secret of Happiness lies in looking at all the wonders of the world and never forgetting the two drops of oil in the spoon."

Wisdom of the world - Week 155

2011-07-16T11:21:00.000+01:00

Should He Bite Me
One time a large stone fell upon Snake and covered her so that she could not rise. A man came upon her and lifted the stone, but when he had done so, she wanted to bite him. The man said, "Stop! Let us first go to someone wise." They went to Hyena, and the m Man asked him, "Is it right that Snake should want to bite me, even though I helped her so much?"
Hyena (who was looking for his own share of the man's body) said, "If you were bitten, what would it matter?" So Snake thought that settled it, but the man said again, "Wait a little, and let us go to other wise people, that I may hear whether this is right." They went and met Jackal, and the man put the same question to him.
Jackal replied, "I don't believe that Snake could ever be so covered by a stone that she could not rise. Unless I saw it with my two eyes, I wouldn't believe it. Take me to the place where you say it happened so I can see for myself whether it can possibly be true."
They went together to that place, and Jackal said, "Snake, lie down, and let yourself be covered." Snake did so, and the man covered her with the stone; and although she tried with all her strength Snake couldn't get up. Then the man wanted to let Snake go again, but Jackal stopped him saying, "Don't life the stone. She wanted to bite you, therefore, let her get up and lift it herself."
Then they both went away and left Snake there, just as before.

Roger D. Abrahams

Wisdom of the world - Week 154

2011-07-16T11:18:00.000+01:00

The handwriting on the wall

A weary mother returned from the store
Lugging groceries through the kitchen door.
Awaiting her arrival was her eight-year-old son
Anxious to relate what his younger brother had done.

"While I was out playing and Dad was on a call
T.J. took his crayons and wrote on the wall!
It's on the new paper you just hung in the den
I told him you'd be mad at having to do it again."

She let out a moan and furrowed her brow
"Where is your little brother right now?"
She emptied her arms and with a purposeful stride
She marched to his closet where he had gone to hide.

She called his full name as she entered his room
He trembled with fear -- he knew that meant doom!
For the next ten minutes, she ranted and raved
About the expensive wallpaper and how she had saved.

Lamenting all the work it would take to repair
She condemned his actions and total lack of care.
The more she scolded, the madder she got
Then stomped from his room, totally distraught.

She headed for the den to confirm her fears
When she saw the wall, her eyes flooded with tears.
The message she read pierced her soul with a dart
It said, "I Love Mommy," surrounded by a heart.

Well, the wallpaper remained, just as she found it
With an empty picture frame hung to surround it.
A reminder to her, and indeed to all
Take time to read the handwriting on the wall.

Wisdom of the world - Week 153

2011-07-05T00:24:00.000+01:00

Paying Double For Camels

A camel dealer reached a village to sell fine animals at a very good price. Everyone bought one, except Mr. Hoosep.
Some time later, the village received a visit from another dealer, with excellent camels, but they were much more expensive. This time, Hoosep bought some animals.
“You did not buy the camels when they were almost for free, and now you pay almost double,” criticized his friends.
“Those cheap ones were very expensive for me, because at that time I had very little money,” answered Hoosep, “these animals might seem more expensive, but for me they are cheap, because I have more than enough to buy them.”

Wisdom of the world - Week 152

2011-06-26T12:25:00.000+01:00

Puppies For Sale

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the 4 pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a little boy.
"Hey farmer," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies."
"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, "These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."
The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer.
"I've got thirty-nine cent. Is that enough to take a look?"
"It is," said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. "Here, Dolly!" he called.
Out from the kennel and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the kennel.
Slowly another little ball appeared this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up...
"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt.
The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."
With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, " I don't run very well myself, and he will need someone who understands."
With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.
"How much?" asked the little boy... "No charge," answered the farmer, "There's no charge for love."

Keeping Blackspot on roses at bay

2011-06-11T17:08:00.000+01:00

It looked like autumn last week as the dead leaves damaged by the winds floated down to the ground. Don’t let this fool you into thinking that things are slowing down in the garden. Quite the opposite. Everything’s shooting up. There’s a new problem coming to light, blackspot on roses. I have asked the help of James Kilkelly from Gardenplansireland to give us some help at combating this perennial problem... organically.

Halt the rise of black spot, organically.

Its back! Black spot has once again raised its ugly mottled head to infect the roses of Ireland (including mine), causing leaf loss, and die back of the plants stems. Black spot (Diplocarpon rosae) is a fungal disease encouraged by much the same conditions that encourage potato blight, which are warm, moist locations with stagnant air. Most Irish roses especially those grown in areas of high rainfall are destined at some stage of their growing life to play host to blackspot.

Maybe you are lucky enough to have never had a run in with blackspot, and therefore you require an introduction to help you identify this plant ill. Blackspot is aptly named, initially appearing as purple or black circular spots with yellow-fringed halos. Over a short period of time these halos spread and join up causing the leaves they appear on to yellow and shed prematurely.

Although blackspot will rarely kill a rose outright, it will however leave you with a sickly, twiggy rose, which flowers poorly due to a lack of its life-giving leaves. Now, there are many combined chemical products available in your garden centre for the control of blackspot, for example Rose-clear, Benlate or Multirose, to name a few. But you may actually have all the raw materials already within your kitchen to create your own homemade, organic and most importantly safe black spot spray.

Method 1, Milk.
Walk across your kitchen as far your fridge. Mix equal parts milk and water, then apply this each week with an atomiser or a sprayer to the upper and lower section of the roses leaves. This milky solution causes an invisible and friendly fungus to form, which will help prevent the formation of the dreaded black spot.

Method 2, Baking soda.
Mix one tablespoon of baking soda or baking powder into one litre of water and add a drop or two of washing up liquid for stickiness. Again, apply this each week with an atomiser or a sprayer to the upper and lower sides of the roses leaves. The baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate) causes the rose leaf surface to become exceedingly alkaline which again prevents the blackspot from thriving. Both method 1 and 2 are effective only if used at the first sign of symptoms.

Method 3, The rake and clippers.
It is important to rake up the withered rose leaves and petals that litter your beds and borders, as these can act as a breeding ground for the blackspot fungus. Also, pick or snip off any live leaves that exhibit black spots, as well as looking unsightly they aid the spread of the disease. All infected rose leaves and clippings should be burnt not composted.

Method 4, The shovel.
When all is said and done, probably the best method of organic black spot control is to plant roses resistant to the disease. And there are quite a few.
Black spot resistant roses include...
Amber Queen (golden yellow),
Iceberg (white),
Trumpeter (red),
Electron (Deep pink),
Helmut Schmidt (Golden yellow),
Just Joey (Creamy peach),
Keepsake (Dark pink),
Las Vegas (Dark peach with yellow highlights),
Peter Frankenfeld (Dark pink),
Polarstern (White),
Precious Platinum (Medium red),
Silver Jubilee (Salmon pink),
Voodoo (Orange),
Love (Crimson red with white backs),
New Year (Orange),
Tournament of Roses (Rose pink),
Bonica (Rose Pink),
Escapade (Mauve-pink),
Europeana (Dark red),
Impatient (Orange-red),
Liverpool Echo (Orange),
Matangi (Red),
Orangeade (Orange-red),
Play Girl (Bright pink),
Playboy (Reddish orange),
Redgold (Golden yellow edged in dark pink),
Regensberg (Pink and white),
Sarabande (Orange-red),
Sexy Rexy (Rose-pink),
Showbiz (Scarlet red),
Viva (Red).

Top Tip
Gareth Austin from Newtowncunningham has a good tip for us too.
“I have another practice on keeping roses disease free, and it comes from the old method of preventing blight on potatoes.
Use Sulphate of Potash in Spring and early summer as a feed for the roses. The growth which develops is less soft and more disease resistant. Also as the foliage is harder they are less prone to pest attack. This method can also be used on your spuds. Mulch in Autumn with Turf or wood ash as a soil improver.”

Photo: Wild roses (dog rose) don’t seem to suffer from blackspot although the leaves did go brown after the cold winds recently.

Wisdom of the world - Week 151

2011-06-11T17:06:00.000+01:00

A Taste of Wisdom

An aging Hindu master grew tired of his apprentice complaining and so, one morning, sent him for some salt.
When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.
"How does it taste?" the master asked.
"Bitter," spit the apprentice.
The master chuckled and then asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it in the lake.
The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the old man said, "Now drink from the lake."
As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the master asked, "How does it taste?"
"Fresh," remarked the apprentice.
"Do you taste the salt?" asked the master.
"No," said the young man.
At this the master sat beside this serious young man, who so reminded him of himself, and took his hands, offering:
"The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains exactly the same. However, the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake."

Wisdom of the world - Week 150

2011-06-04T11:57:00.001+01:00

Keep Driving

One day a young lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, What should I do?"
He said "keep driving".
Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was getting worse.
"What should I do." The young lady asked?
"Keep driving," her father replied.
On up a few feet, she noticed that eighteen wheelers were also pulling over. She told her dad, "I must pull over, I can barely see ahead. It is terrible, and everyone is pulling over!"
Her father told her, "Don't give up, just keep driving!"
Now the storm was terrible, but she never stopped driving, and soon she could see a little more clearly. After a couple of miles she was again on dry land, and the sun came out.
Her father said, "Now you can pull over and get out."
She said "But why now?"
He said "When you get out, look back at all the people that gave up and are still in the storm, because you never gave up your storm is now over."

Malladi Venkata Krishna Murthy

Corner 2001 Book Danish Contemporary Art Book

2011-06-01T16:18:00.001+01:00

Seven day ebay auction

Magic Lantern Slides c1890 - 1930 ish

2011-05-25T14:51:00.004+01:00

Link:Seven day auction on ebay

Wisdom of the world - Week 149

2011-05-24T22:01:00.000+01:00

Follow the Rhythm

When I was an adolescent I envied the great ‘ballerinos’ among the children on the street. At parties I used to pretend that I wasenjoying chatting away to every-one. In fact I was terrified of looking ridiculous, and because of that I would not risk a single step.
Until one day a girl called Marcia called out to me in front of everybody: "Come on!"
I said I did not like to dance, but she insisted.
Everyone in the group was looking, and because I was in love (love is capable of so many things!), I could refuse no further.
I did not know how to follow the steps, but Marcia did not stop; she went on dancing as if I were a Rudolf Nureyev.
"Forget the others and pay attention to the bass," she whispered in my ear. "Try to follow its rhythm."
At that moment I understood that we do not always have to learn the most important things; they are already part of our nature.
When we become adults, and when we grow old, we need to go on dancing. The rhythm changes, but music is part of life, and dancing is the consequence of letting this rhythm come inside us.
I still dance whenever I can. With dancing, the spiritual world and the real world manage to co-exist without any conflicts.
As somebody once said, the classic ballerinas are always on tiptoe because they are at the same time touching the earth and reaching the sky.
Paulo Coelho

Wisdom of the world - Week 148

2011-05-15T12:27:00.000+01:00

Wisdom of the world - Week 147

2011-04-30T17:28:00.000+01:00

A Positive Disposition
A little girl walked daily to and from school. Though the weather that morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her daily trip to school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning.
The mother of the little girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school, and she herself feared that the electrical storm might harm her child.
Following the roar of thunder, lightning, through the sky and full of concern, the mother quickly got in her car and drove along the route to her child's school.
As she did so, she saw her little girl walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up and smile. Another and another were to follow quickly, each with the little girl stopping, looking up and smiling.
Finally, the mother called over to her child and asked, "What are you doing?"
The child answered, smiling, "God just keeps taking pictures of me."

Food Sovereignty

2011-04-24T12:17:00.002+01:00

Title: Food Sovereignty: Growing Alternatives to the Global Food Crisis

Speaker: Richard Intriago (Head of Small Farmers Association of the Coast of Ecuador and elected representative of (La Conferencia Plurinacional e Intercultural de Soberanía Alimentaria) Intercultural and Plurinational Conference on Food Soverignity in Ecuador

Location: Carndonagh Library, Co.Donegal
Date: Tuesday 12th April 2011
Synopsis of Talk: Jonathan O'Gorman

Richard began by explaining the key differences between “Food Security” and “Food Sovereignity”.
Two commonly used definitions of food security come from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):
● Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social[23] and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.[24]
● Food security for a household means access by all members at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food security includes at a minimum (1) the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and (2) an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways (that is, without resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing, or other coping strategies). (USDA)[25]
These definitions raise some key points of debate. For example, who determines what is safe and what is nutritionally adequate? Who determines what is socially acceptable? In particular, the definition of Food Security makes no assertions as to the means of production, distribution and consumption of food. Neither does it rule out the use of potentially harmful chemicals in food production, nor the production, distribution and consumption of genetically-modified food as a means of implementing global Food Security strategy.
Food Sovereignity is different in that it refers to the “claimed right of peoples to define their own food, agriculture, livestock and fisheries systems, in contrast to having food largely subject to international market forces”.
Richard then went on to speak about his experience in Ecuador as a farmer and as a political activist in the organisation of farmers and community groups throughout Ecuador.
He spoke at length about organic farming techniques, the production of compost, the use of natural fertilizer, the distribution of food at local level through community markets.
As a political activist Richard is one of eight elected representatives of La Conferencia Plurinacional e Intercultural de Soberanía Alimentaria. This organisation is comprised of over 60 groups comprising of local farmer and consumer organisations, indigeneous tribes, universities and various other social and cultural organisations throughout Ecuador. Together these dispersed groups formed one organisation with 8 elected representatives to formulate national policy on Food Sovereignity and related issues. Through amendments to the Constitution of Ecuador this group has thus far succeded in introducing Food Sovereignity as a basic right for all Ecuadorians. This Group also has the right to present policy documents and legislation in relation to Food Sovereignity to the Ecuadorian National Assembly (equiv. Dáil). Ecuador is therefore the first country in the world to include Food Soverignity as a basic right for its citizens in its Constitution. In particular, the definition of Food Soverignity in the Constitution of Ecuador specifically sets out the right of citizens to produce, distribute and consume food that is free from chemicals, inorganic fertilizers and mechanised production techniques. It also declares the right of citizens to determine what food is culturally appropriate to them rather than this being determined by an exterior power such as a government or faceless market speculators.

The talk was well attended in the circumstances given the short notice to the public of its taking place. In attendance were Donegal County Council Sinn Fein representative Jack Murray, Teagasc representative Seamus Campbell as well as interested members of the public, local Organic Growers Groups, and a post-graduate student researching Food Security. Following the talk, a lively discussion took place in relation to the perceived threat of GM Food entering the Irish agricultural market. Richard gave great insight into the role of GM Food production in Latin America and the role of multinational GM Food producing companies in altering beyond recognition the land, customs and cultures of Central and South Latin America. In particular he spoke about how genetically altering the food we consume can have serious effects on health such as severe allergic intolerence often causing death or severe disfiguremant. He spoke about how GM crops spread, cross-fertilize and destroy native species thus forcing local growers to become totally dependent on commercial GM seed. Seamus Campbell, of Teagasc, also contributed a great deal in relation to agricutural practices in Ireland, the role of the EU in terms of regulatiion and subsidies and the role of global markets in determining the commodity price of food and the difficulty for many small farmers in Ireland to turn a profit from food production in an otherwise high-cost economy. Unfortunately there were no local members of the IFA present.

To summarize, Food Soverignity can be seen in context, as a movement of people and ideology that places the nutitional needs of citizens along with basic rights of land ownership and sustainable organic farming practices at the centre of policy and decision-making.

In this context, Food Security can be seen as taking a diametrically opposite viewpoint where the rights of citizens in relation to food production, distribution and consumption is determined by unseen and unaccoutable global market forces with no defined regard for local, sustainable farming practices and culture.

Special thanks is extended to Carndonagh Library for hosting this event.

References: Wikipedia Thanks to Jog Ideas

Wisdom of the world - Week 146

2011-04-23T07:50:00.000+01:00

Image : Sally Stitch

The Tailors Needle

A tailor was at work. He took a piece of cloth and with a pair of shining, costly, scissors, he cut the cloth into various bits. Then he put the pair of scissors at his feet. Then he took a small needle and thread and started to sew the bits of cloth, into a fine shirt. When the spell of sewing was over, he stuck the needle on to his turban.
The tailor's son who was watching it asked him:
"Father, the scissors are costly and look so beautiful. But you throw them down at your feet. This needle is worth almost nothing; you can get a dozen for an anna. Yet, you place it carefully on your head itself. Is there any reason for this illogical behaviour?"
"Yes, my son. The scissors have their function, no doubt; but they only cut the cloth into bits. The needle, on the contrary, unites the bits and enhances the value of the cloth. Therefore, the needle to me is more precious and valuable. The value of a thing depends on its utility, son, not on its cost-price or appearance."

Wisdom of the World - Week 145

2011-04-17T13:39:00.000+01:00

Laughing until you laugh no more

A wise man once sat in the audience and cracked a joke.
Everone in the audience laughed uproariously. After a moment he cracked the same joke again and a little less people laughed this time.
He cracked the same joke again and again, when there was no laughter in the crowd, he smiled and said:
"When you can't laugh on the same joke again and again, then why do you keep crying over the same thing over and over again?”

Wisdom of the world - Week 144

2011-04-10T10:30:00.000+01:00

Ron's delicious stir fry...

The youth of today....

"Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers." - Socrates c250BC

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint" (Hesiod, 8th century BC).

"The world is passing through troubling times. The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for the girls, they are forward, immodest and unladylike in speech, behaviour and dress." Peter the Hermit in A.D. 1274

Wisdom of the world - Week 143

2011-04-02T14:20:00.001+01:00

Pay No Heed
A novice went to Abbot Macarius seeking advice about the best way to please the Lord.
"Go to the cemetery and insult the dead," said Macarius.
The brother did as he was told. The following day, he returned to Macarius.
"Did they respond?" asked the abbot.
The novice said, "No, they didn't."
"Then go to them and praise them."
The novice obeyed. That same afternoon, he returned to the abbot, who again wished to know whether the dead had responded.
"No," said the novice.
"In order to please the Lord, behave as they do," said Macarius. "Pay no heed to the insults of men, nor to their praise; in this way, you shall forge your own path."
Paulo Coelho

Free Gardening Course in Inishowen

2011-04-01T08:39:00.001+01:00

Free hands-on vegetable growing course – run by volunteers

Grow your own healthy veggies in an organic, easy and successful way.
Learn how to plan, sow, feed, protect and grow.
Prepare your beds with mutual help from the group.

Open info evening Monday 11th April 7.30pm......

Wisdom of the world - Week 142

2011-03-28T09:43:00.000+01:00

Digging A Way Out

There's a man who has been by himself in a prison cell with a dirt floor, crude stone walls, and there's two windows one of which looks out towards the ocean. All of the sudden, he hears a scratching noise, and he looks down at the ground that is furthest away from the window facing the ocean. He sees the ground moving, and he starts to think he's losing his mind. But soon the ground breaks, and up pops a head with long hair and a beard... it's a prisoner.
And the prisoner says "Sssh. Listen. A group of us have been tunneling for about six years, and we've finally reached your cell. We have ways to cover up my entrance into this, but now it's all on your shoulders, man. All you have to do," he said while pointing out the window towards the ocean, "you just start digging here and go down about six feet and about 75 feet in that direction and there is freedom, and we're outta here!"
"Oh, I love that! That's great; I want to be free!"
"Okay, I'll check back with you in a few weeks."
Two weeks later, the pops back in to check on his friend's progress, and his friend nods back with great affirmation. "Yeah, I've done it."
So the man who was providing the instructions pops down the hole, and two seconds later pops right back up and says, "What have you done?!?!?"
"Huh?"
"I told you to dig in the direction towards the OCEAN! This tunnel that you dug goes back under the wall and into the prison yard."
"Well, the digging was easier in the other direction..."

Wisdom of the world - Week 141

2011-03-20T14:25:00.000Z

Remember the Small Things

Some of my sisters work in Australia. On a reservation, among the Aborigines, there was an elderly man. I can assure you that you have never seen a situation as difficult as that poor old man's. He was completely ignored by everyone. His home was disordered and dirty.

I told him, "Please, let me clean your house, wash your clothes, and make your bed." He answered, "I'm okay like this. Let it be."

I said again, "You will be still better if you allow me to do it."

He finally agreed. So I was able to clean his house and wash his clothes. I discovered a beautiful lamp, covered with dust. Only God knows how many years had passed since he last lit it.

I said to him, "Don't you light your lamp? Don't you ever use it?"

He answered, "No. No one comes to see me. I have no need to light it. Who would I light it for?"

I asked, "Would you light it every night if the sisters came?"

He replied, "Of course."

From that day on the sisters committed themselves to visiting him every evening. We cleaned the lamp, and the sisters would light it every evening.

Two years passed. I had completely forgotten that man. He sent this message: "Tell my friend that the light she lit in my life continues to shine still."

I thought it was a very small thing. We often neglect small things.

Mother Teresa

Wisdom of the world - Week 140

2011-03-12T15:19:00.000Z

Swing Set

Mr. Jones wanted to build his son a swing set. He slaved away each evening and grew tired and irritable causing concern for his wife.
"You're working so hard," she said. "Wasn't our neighbour, Mr. Williams, a carpenter when he was young? Couldn't you ask him for help?"
"But Mr. Williams has done enough work in his life. I wouldn't want to bother him."
So Mr. Jones kept working, until finally the swing set was finished, and he set it up in the back garden. A few days later, Mr. Jones went outside and found Mr. Williams gazing at the swing set.
"Hi, Mr. Williams. How do you like the new swing set?"
"Oh, it's wonderful. I built something like that for my son many years ago." His eyes looked sad, and Mr. Jones remembered that Mr. Williams' son had moved far away for a job.
"I wish you had told me you were building it," Mr. Williams said. "Your son is a good boy. I would have loved to help you do something nice for him."
They chatted for another minute, and Mr. Jones went inside, realizing for the first time that Mr. Williams was lonely.

London to Brighton....

2011-02-24T23:45:00.000Z

Wisdom of the world - Week 139

2011-02-12T16:20:00.000Z

Perfect

Mulla Nasrudin was sitting in a tea shop when a friend came excitedly to speak with him. “I’m about to get married. Mulla,” his friend stated, “and I’m very excited. Mulla , have you ever thought of marriage yourself?” Nasrudin replied, “I did think of getting married. In my youth in fact I very much wanted to do so. I waited to find for myself the perfect wife. I travelled looking for her, first to Damascus. There I met a beautiful woman who was gracious, kind and deeply spiritual, but she had no worldly knowledge. I travelled further and went to Isphahan. There I met a woman who was both spiritually and worldly, beautiful in many ways, but we did not communicate well. Finally I went to Cairo and there after much searching I found her. She was spiritually deep, graceful, and beautiful in every respect, at home and in the world and at home in the realms beyond it. I felt I had found the perfect wife.” His friend questioned further, “Then you did not marry her Mulla?” “Alas,” said Nasrudin as he shook his head, “She was, unfortunately, waiting for the perfect husband.”

Gardening Courses at Milkwood Farm, Co. Leitrim

2011-02-09T11:02:00.000Z

Gardening Courses at Milkwood Farm,

Co. Leitrim

2011

Milkwood Farm is the home and garden of Klaus, Joanna and their four children with Benwiskin on one side and acres of wild bogland all around. With draining the land and composting the soil a garden can be given birth.

Details

Saturday 19th March: Beginner’s hands-on Gardening Course
A practical workshop on how to start your vegetable garden. This workshop will involve digging, sowing, planting, making beds, composting. It is aimed at the complete novices to vegetable gardening.

Saturday 30th April: Your Self-Sufficient Garden
Learn how to grow nearly all the food your family eats. Learn how to set up, prepare and plant your own organic vegetable garden. Practical demonstrations will be carried out so all participants get hands on ideas for their own gardens.

Saturday 14th May: Growing in Polytunnels/Greenhouses
A polytunnel or glasshouse extends the season for many crops, providing something to harvest all year round. It can also be used for tender vegetable crops, cut herbs and unusual tropical plants. This course will cover ground preparation, crop rotation, propagation, soil fertility management, pest and disease prevention and control.

Saturday 18th June: Grow Your Own Vegetables and Fruit
This course will take you through the season from garden to larder. Learn of the wide variety which you can grow on your doorstep. This will cover crop rotations, sowing plans and learn how it is possible to grow any vegetable and fruit that takes your fancy.

Saturday 17th September: Growing in Polytunnels/Greenhouses
Course details see Saturday 14th May.

All courses will be held at Milkwood Farm, Tawley, Co. Leitrim by Klaus Laitenberger former Head Gardener at the Organic Centre and Lissadell House.

All courses run from 10.30am – 4.00pm

Price €80 which includes coffee and scones on arrival and a home cooked organic lunch washed down with a glass of wine.

For more information and booking phone Joanna or Klaus at 071-9131855 or 087 7612251

SEE THE WEBSITE or e-mail us on: milkwood.farm@hotmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Complete Vegetable Gardening Course
8 full days - €600

This course is aimed at anybody who wants to learn how to grow healthy organic vegetables, salads, herbs and fruit for the home garden. It is suitable for the complete beginner as well as for the more advanced gardeners. During each day there will be a practical element where participants will learn what to do in their garden each month. There will also be theoretical and practical sessions on topics such as planning, rotation, soil fertility, composting, green manuring, organic pest, disease and weed control, growing in tunnels and greenhouses, fruit and herb growing

Day 1: 12th March

Day 2: 2nd April

Day 3: 7th May

Day 4: 11th June

Day 5: 2nd July

Day 6: 6th August

Day 7: 3rd September

Day 8: 1st October

Courses at other locations for gardening groups can also be organised. Please CONTACT US for more details. See the WEBSITE

Wisdom of the world - Week 138

2011-02-05T12:13:00.003Z

What ills you?

There was a man who came to the Lord Shantih beseeching him to cure his ills. “And what ills do you have?” Lord Shantih asked. “My stomach pains me when I eat too much,” the man said. “My throat is parched when I grow thirsty, and my back aches when I spend the day working in the fields.” “These are the complaints of life,” Lord Shantih told him. “Only death can cure you.” The man cursed Lord Shantih and left in an angry mood, grumbling to his companions. “That man,” Lord Shantih said, “will find his tomb a trifle too cold for his taste.”

Noeline Haylett's visit to Ghana 2010

2011-01-29T13:14:00.000Z

For more information about Noeline's work check out her website

Wisdom of the world - Week 137

2011-01-29T13:08:00.001Z

Caught in the Act

When Bankei held his seclusion weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with a request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter. This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body.
When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. “You are wise brothers,” he told them. “You know what is right and wrong. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave.”
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished.

RTÉ Super Garden 2011

2011-01-26T13:33:00.004Z

Pic: Last years entrants

NEW SERIES OF
'SUPER GARDEN'

COULD YOU BE A SUPER GARDENER?

Are you passionate about gardening? Is it your ambition to be a garden designer? Do you dream of winning a Gold Medal at Chelsea?

'Super Garden' is seeking 5 amateur garden designers to compete for the title of 'Super Gardener' in the new RTÉ series, to be broadcast in May 2011.

A passion for gardening is a must, as is creative flair, and the ability to design a garden to a budget and deadline.
So if you feel you have what it takes, this is what you need to do!

Email us and tell us briefly why you love garden design, and what your dream design would be. Where possible, please enclose basic plans or drawings.

Only amateur garden designers are eligible to enter this competition.

Filming will take place during the months of March and April 2011, so applicants must be available for filming during this time.

Terms and conditions apply.

Here are the before and after pics of last years winner: They didn't build it sideways, I can't get the image to behave...

Contacts :

The Super Garden Team
(01) 864 1444
Watch online:

Wisdom of the world - Week 136

2011-01-23T12:34:00.000Z

Silence

“Would you teach me silence?” I asked.
“Ah!”
He seemed to be pleased.”Is it the Great Silence that you want?”
“Yes, the Great Silence.”
“Well, where do you think it is to be found?” he asked. “Deep within me, I suppose. If only I could go deep within, I’m sure I’d escape the noise at last. But it’s hard. Will you help me?” I knew he would. I could feel his concern, and his spirit was so silent.
“Well I’ve been there,” he answered “ I spent years going in. I did taste the silence there. But one day Jesus came, maybe it was my imagination- and said to me simply, “Come follow me.” I went out and I’ve never gone back.”
I was stunned. “But the silence...”
“I’ve found the Great Silence, and I’ve come to see that the noise was inside.”
Father Theophane

Wisdom of the world - Week 135

2011-01-15T11:07:00.000Z

Catch the monkey
In India, hunters had a proven way of catching monkeys. A half coconut would be hollowed out and a hole made that was only large enough to let a monkey’s hand pass through. The coconut was then pinned to the ground and tempting food placed beneath. A monkey would approach, intent on getting hold of the food beneath the coconut, but alas as soon as it grasped the food in its fist it found itself unable to pull its hand and the food free of the coconut. Imprisoned it would stay, caught by its own unwillingness to open its fist.

Wisdom of the world - Week 134

2011-01-07T21:37:00.000Z

The Prophet

A prophet once came to a city to convert its inhabitants. At first the people listened to his sermons, but they gradually drifted away till there was not a single soul to hear the prophet when he spoke.
One day a traveller said to him, “Why do you go on preaching?”
Said the prophet In the beginning I hoped to change these people. If I still shout it is only to prevent them from changing me.”

Wisdom of the world - Week 133

2011-01-03T17:38:00.000Z

Being heard

The whole family went out for a meal one evening. Menus were passed to all including Molly, the eight year old daughter. The conversation was an “adult” one so Molly sat ignored. When the waiter took orders, he came to Molly last.
“And what do you want?” he asked.
“A hot dog and a glass of lemonade,” she said.
“No”, said her grandmother,” “she’ll have the roast chicken dinner, carrots and mashed potatoes.”
“And milk to drink,” chimed in her father.
“Would you like ketchup or mustard on your hot dog?” asked the waiter as he walked away, taking the parents aback.
“Ketchup,” Molly called out. She turned to her family and added, “You know what? He thinks I’m real!”

Wisdom of the world - Week 132

2010-12-26T17:38:00.000Z

Porcupines And The Coldest Winter Ever

It was the coldest winter ever, and many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realising the situation, decided to group together. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions even though they shared their heat with each other.
After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other to stop being wounded.
As they did this, they began to die... alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. This way they learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by the close relationship with their companion, but the most important part of it, was the heat that came from the others that enabled them to survive the coldest winter ever.

Wisdom of the world - Week 131

2010-12-18T11:15:00.000Z

To the point

A century ago, a young student at Oxford University in England was taking an important exam in religious studies. The examination question for this day was to write about the religious and spiritual meaning in the miracle of Christ turning water into wine. For two hours he sat in the crowded classroom while the other students filled their pages with long essays, to show their understanding. The exam time was almost over and this one student had not written a single word. The proctor came over to him and insisted that he commit something to paper before turning it in. The young Lord Byron simply picked up his hand and penned the following line. “The water met his master, and blushed.”

Wisdom of the world - Week 130

2010-12-11T10:13:00.001Z

The rabbi

One day a rabbi, in a frenzy of religious passion, rushed in before the ark, fell to his knees, and started beating his breast, crying “I’m nobody! I’m nobody!”
The cantor of the synagogue, impressed by his example of spiritual humility, joined the rabbi on his knees “I’m nobody! I’m nobody!”
The “shamus” (custodian), watching from the corner, couldn’t restrain himself either. He joined the other two on his knees calling out, “I’m nobody! I’m nobody!”
At which point the rabbi, nudging the cantor with his elbow, pointed to the custodian and said, “Look who thinks he’s nobody!”

Wisdom of the world - Week 129

2010-12-11T09:54:00.001Z

Prayer and Devotion

This is the story a wise man tells of a conversation with his father in his youth: When I was a child I was a pious boy, fervent in prayer and devotion. One night I was keeping vigil with my father, the Holy Koran was on my lap.
Everyone else in the room began to slumber and soon was sound asleep, so I said to my father, “None of these sleepers opens his eyes or raises his head to say his prayers. You would think that they were all dead.
My father replied, “My beloved son, I would rather you too were asleep like them than slandering.”
Sufi

GIY Inishowen Launch

2010-12-07T19:08:00.000Z

Event Date/Time: 14.12.2010 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Host: Donal Doherty
Location: Harrys Restaurant Bridgend

Interested in growing your own food, but don't know how to get started or need a little bit extra help? A great solution is coming to Inishowen with GIY (Grow it Yourself) Ireland, a new not-for-profit initiative that is literally sweeping the nation.

Michael Kelly is the man behind the network that now has 80 groups around Ireland and helps almost 6,000 people grow their own food. The aim is to provide people locally with the practical skills they need to grow successfully.

GIY Inishowen will launch at Harry's Restaurant, Bridgend starting this Tuesday 14th December at 7pm. Regular meetings will take place to talk, learn from each other and exchange tips, produce and war stories. Regular expertise will be in the form of some of Harry's local experienced growers, Whiteoaks Organic Community Centre & An Grianan Organics.

"This is a perfect opportunity for people to get involved on a community basis & learn more about making the most of the space around the house & growing your own vegetables. It's great to see so many more polytunnels & enthusiasts around Inishowen, but there are so many more that would like to get started or share experiences & learn more. It is totally free to attend and it will be as practical and light hearted as possible. There will always be free tea/coffee & nibbles served at each meeting.

The timing is perfect as Harry's are just developing our own greenhouse & growing plans for 2011, so people are welcome to join while we learn too! It's great that Michael is travelling up for the launch, his expertise is second to none" says Donal Doherty, Manager, Harry's.

"I'm delighted to be coming to Inishowen and see the network of GIY expand into Donegal for the first time" says Michael Kelly, Founder GIY. "This is a great opportunity for people to become involved with talks, access seeds & seedlings, attend garden visits & meet more experienced growers in a relaxed environment. That produce from local growers are already used by Harry's makes a perfect fit and Harry's is very accessible from all over Donegal & Derry for anyone interested in coming along. I look forward to meeting everyone on Tuesday and sharing plenty of growing tips."

Privitising Coillte?

2010-12-02T14:53:00.002Z

This is fascinating and I would like to forward it to some friends in the forestry sector. But who has put it together? I think that it should have an author/originator/contact at the bottom of the piece. I know that it has been forwarded by IOG – whose name should also appear on email too. Generally I don’t forward anonymous authored material.

Regards

Stan McWilliams

Report by fisnua

Bertie Ahern in corporate takeover of Ireland’s Woodlands
Reclaim our natural Resources
Time for a new Land League

This is a short briefing to the ongoing privatisation of Coillte. It needs to be considered along with the takeover of our other resources, including but not limited to oil and gas, water, minerals, fish, seeds and various utilities. I have done as much research into it as I am able for the next few days. I hope others will be able to take up the baton and go deeper with a view to developing strategies to counter this.

Please pass this on in your networks.

The situation
According to information received from the Woodland League, from a trawl of Politics.ie as well as from private conversations over the last few weeks, a company by the name of International Forestry Fund 2010, in a joint venture with Helvetia Wealth AG of Switzerland and IFS asset managers Ltd have put in a bid to purchase Coillte the Irish forestry body that currently holds a land area in this country approaching 1.5million acres.

For further research and sources
http://www.woodlandleague.org/ - restoring the relationship between people and their native woodlands.

Big respect to them for all the work they have done on this topic

http://www.coillte.ie

http://www.forestry-fund.com/ - A British Virgin Islands registered company established in March 2009 as a joint venture between IFS asset managers Ltd of Ireland and Helvetia Wealth AG of Switzerland. () In Jan 2010 one Bertie Ahern was appointed chair of IFF

Dublin address; 43 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2

IFS assets; http://www.ifsam.ie

Helvetia Wealth AG; http://www.helvetia-wealth.com

http://www.politics.ie/current-affairs/119772-bertie-become-chairman-international-forestry-fund-13.htm

I have not seen direct proof of this bid but anyone who knows anything of the giveaway of our oil and gas resources during Bertie’s tenure will not need this spelled out to them.

It should be noted that when Bertie was minister of Finance in 1993 with 99 shares in Coillte he oversaw the establishment of Irish Forest Unit Trusts, a pension scheme set up jointly with Allied Irish Banks and Irish Life. Minimum investment in this fund was e100’000 and it was set up using £33million worth of state land. A community in South Galway were recently shocked to discover their local woodland of Chevy Chase being clear felled as part of this enterprise.

Attention should also be paid to the recommendations of the McCarthy Report last year that Coillte should be privatised.

“Consistent with the reduction in available Exchequer resources, the Group puts forward a range of
reductions in administrative costs and increased flexibility and recommends that D/AF&F should
conduct a review with a view to reducing administrative costs. In particular, we see significant
scope for the outsourcing of payment processing activities.
In addition, the Group has suggested exploring the following avenues which could provide once off
receipts for the Exchequer:
• dispose of non-essential land/property holdings owned by the State Agencies;
• sell surplus Teagasc assets; and
• review the operations of Coillte with a view to realising optimal return through
rationalisation, asset disposal and, possibly, privatisation.”

Coillte has form when it comes to disposing of this country’s forest assets.

Implications

If Coillte falls into private hands we will have even less control over a large chunk (an area approximately equivalent to 2 county Meaths) of this country’s land mass than we do already. The lofty sounding vision statement of IFF notwithstanding we may see the planting of GM trees, we may lose access to this land for walking, camping, firewood collection, fishing, water supply and other purposes.

This has huge implications for our access to water. If we lose access to that land we also lose access to a large part of our water catchment, purification and supply system which leaves us in a very vulnerable position.

The arrival of the IMF to these shores means that the stripping of this country’s assets and resources is being accelerated. We need these resources to continue living here. We also have a duty of care towards them and towards future generations that will have need of them.

Responses

People need to know about this. Please forward this info. Leaflets?

The scale of the problem demands a collective response.

The effective husbanding of resources is best left in the hands of those who use them and live locally.

This becomes a survival issue if factors like climate change and fossil fuel depletion come into play.

In the event of transport and supply interruptions we will be dependent on these local resources so we have a huge vested interest in ensuring our continued access to them.

If they are in the possession of vast corporations who are making us pay for what we have a right to, we have a problem. This threat needs to be removed.

Communities and individuals need to begin assessing the resources in their areas, examine their levels of dependence on them and be vigilant for any threats to them. This could be a key step in reversing the process of dispossession that history has wrought on us.

Time for a new Land League

Update from the Tribune

Wisdom of the world - Week 128

2010-11-20T18:42:00.000Z

The Monastery

There was a monastery which had seen better days. There were only a few elderly monks left and the place just about ticked over. The head of the monastery went to talk to a wise hermit who lived in a nearby forest for some advice. The hermit told him that he couldn’t advise him but asked him was he aware that one of the monks was Jesus, come to live amongst them. When the father returned the brothers were waiting to hear if he had any luck. The father shook his head sadly but told them about the strange thing the hermit had said. The brothers thought that was a bit strange but over the coming weeks and months the idea stuck in their minds as the pondered who it might be. They found themselves treating each other and themselves with more and more respect. Within a year visitors noticed the wonderful atmosphere of love and harmony that suffused the monastery. More and more people were drawn to visit and younger men asked to join the brothers.

Wisdom of the world - Week 127

2010-11-20T18:25:00.003Z

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 126

2010-11-07T21:46:00.000Z

Change Yourself

There was once an old man who was looking back on his life. He sat in a tea shop with his friends, telling them his story. ‘When I was a young man, I was arrogant and thought I knew it all. I felt I could do anything, and wanted to change everyone. I would pray to God to give me the strength to change the world. When I reached middle age, I awoke one morning and realised that my life was half over. I had done nothing, and I hadn’t changed anyone. So, I prayed to God to give me the strength to change those who were close to me since they needed it so much. But now I am old and my prayer is very simple: ‘God, please give me the strength to change at least myself.’ ”
Don’t try to change the world or other people before you are able to change yourself. If you try to change others without changing your own attitudes, it will not have any effect. Change yourself; the world around you will change.
Amma

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 125

2010-10-31T15:38:00.001Z

The Lamb

A herd of goats were eyeing up the green pastures that grew on a high steep mountain. All of them were tempted by that grass but did not trust that they could manage climbing up that steep hill…
Amidst the crowd was a little lamb. This little one started climbing the hill on its own.. Perplexed at this, every goat in the crowd, except the mother of the lamb started bullying the little one… shouting out discouraging comments and making fun of the lamb. The mother watching silently just prayed that her little one be safe. Eventually the little lamb managed to climb the hill and eat the grass. At this, all the goats were astonished. They asked the mother of the lamb- “What was so special about your little one that it was able to achieve something that none was even ready to try?”…
At this the mother replied – “My little one is deaf”
The moral of the story is we should learn to focus on our goal in life and turn a deaf ear to all unwanted and discouraging talk that we have to face during our journey. Our biggest weakness could become our greatest strength if we could realise it and learn to look at only the positive aspects in life. In the end it is only perseverance and grace that will take us to the goal.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 124

2010-10-23T15:10:00.001+01:00

Schools Out

A mother repeatedly called upstairs for her son to get up, get dressed and get ready for school. It was a familiar routine, especially at exam time.
"I feel sick," said the voice from the bedroom.
"You are not sick. Get up and get ready," called the mother, walking up the stairs and hovering outside the bedroom door.
"I hate school and I'm not going," said the voice from the bedroom, "I'm always getting things wrong, making mistakes and getting told off. Nobody likes me, and I've got no friends. And we have too many tests and they are too confusing. It's all just pointless, and I'm not going to school ever again."
"I'm sorry, but you are going to school," said the mother through the door, continuing encouragingly, "Really, mistakes are how we learn and develop. And please try not to take criticism so personally. And I can't believe that nobody likes you - you have lots of friends at school. And yes, all those tests can be confusing, but we are all tested in many ways throughout our lives, so all of this experience at school is useful for life in general. Besides, you have to go, you are the headteacher."

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 123

2010-10-16T23:46:00.000+01:00

Giving up Wine

I was walking down the street when I was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked me for a couple of euro for dinner.
I took out my wallet, got out ten euro and asked, 'If I give you this money, will you buy wine with it instead of dinner?''No, I had to stop drinking years ago', the homeless woman told me.
'Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?' I asked.
'No, I don't waste time shopping,' the homeless woman said. 'I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.'
'Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?' I asked.
'Are you NUTS!' replied the homeless woman. I haven't had my hair done in 20 years!'
'Well, I said, 'I'm not going to give you the money. Instead, I'm going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight.'
The homeless woman was shocked. 'Won't your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting.'
I said, 'That's okay. It's important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and wine.'

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 122

2010-10-09T00:46:00.001+01:00

Doilies

Thanks to Penny for the pic...

There was once a man and woman who had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about. For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside.
She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted doilies and a stack of money totalling €25,000. He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "My grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doily." The little old man was so moved, he had to fight back tears. Only two precious doilies were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness. "Honey," he said, "that explains the doilies, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?" "Oh," she said, "That’s the money I made from selling the doilies."

the wee heritage shop buncrana

2010-09-27T13:20:00.000+01:00

The wee heritage shop free information day

Have you ever thought about tracing your family history or wanted to know where key archaeological sites are located in Inishowen? If you have then ‘the wee heritage shop’ conveniently situated next door to the post office on the High Street in Buncrana is just the place for you to start an exciting journey of discovery.
Information day this weekend (2nd 0ctober)

This Saturday, (2nd October) two genealogists from the Heritage Society will be getting things moving in the new shop by providing advice on starting to research family trees. “They are on hand to let you know what census records are available, where to start and how to continue your research if you have become stuck,” Adam Porter from the Local Heritage Group tells us. “Experts in the wee shop will be providing advice free of charge on a regular basis at the weekends; it’s an organic process so if anyone has ideas on how to improve the service we would love to hear them. A small donation towards the running cost is all we ask for.”

More information

Adam tells us a bit more about this new non profit making information centre and shop. “Inishowen has a rich cultural heritage,” he begins. “Members of the West Inishowen History and Heritage Society felt there was a need for information on Inishowen landmarks and family history and thought that the shop would be a great resource for both local families and tourists. Everything just seemed to fit into place and happen really quickly.” As well as the two qualified genealogists in the group, there is wealth of local knowledge from other group members who are only too pleased the share their knowledge. Everyone involved in staffing the shop are volunteers and giving their time and knowledge at no cost. “This is a community project, run by the community and covers the Inishowen area from Manor to Malin” Adam explains.
Other organisations around the peninsula are involved in the project. “We are working closely with the tourist offices in Inishowen. The team there are extremely helpful and if anyone visits them looking for more detailed information about families and local places of interest they will refer them to us.”

Local crafts
The wee heritage shop also has an emphasis on highlighting local craftspeople around the peninsula. The shop is also providing an outlet for local craftspeople to sell their products. There is a range of old photo’s, landscape paintings, postcard images of local places of interest, homemade cards as well as glass products and jewellery. Adam would like to see more people come forward with their local crafts. “This is a community project and we would love other artists to come on board.” Adam says. “There are so many top quality artists living locally and the shop will be able to showcase their products to a wide audience. “
Adam concludes by telling us what their motivation is for the shop. “Our goal is to promote our Inishowen heritage locally and internationally. Inishowen has the most fantastic heritage on the island of Ireland; this includes our history, our historical sites, our art, our crafts, our music, our literature and most of all our
people!

Check out the shop’s popular Facebook site ‘the wee heritage shop’

If you would like to be involved in this interesting project and volunteer to help run the shop and give help and advice to visitors or if you have an interest in local history, genealogy or arts and crafts then Adam would love to hear from you.

The shop will be open 7days a week
Contact Adam on 0863940704 for more information

Moville Handmade Workshops

2010-09-27T13:04:00.000+01:00

Hand Made weekend of workshops is an Inishowen Summer Gathering Initiative. Last weekend people gathered in the beautiful outdoor setting at Gulladuff House beside Moville Hostel to learn a variety of
hand skills such as blacksmithing and green woodwork like charcoal making and rustic furniture making. Guest teacher, Joe Gowran from the Coppice Association, Muintir na Coille Co-op, said "Every
community in Ireland will need people with these skills as we face a future of more self reliance and less certainty." Brendan Farren, event organiser and basket making teacher added, "We are delighted
with the standard of the teaching and the enthusiasm and commitment of the students" The next Hand Made workshop is planned for March next year.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 121

2010-09-25T11:15:00.001+01:00

Thanks to Penny for the pic......

Moral Endings

A teacher told her young class to ask their parents for a family story with a moral at the end of it, and to return the next day to tell their stories.
In the classroom the next day, Joe gave his example first, "My dad is a farmer and we have chickens. One day we were taking lots of eggs to market in a basket on the front seat of the truck when we hit a big bump in the road; the basket fell off the seat and all the eggs broke. The moral of the story is not to put all your eggs in one basket.."
"Very good," said the teacher.
Next, Mary said, "We are farmers too. We had twenty eggs waiting to hatch, but when they did we only got ten chicks. The moral of this story is not to count your chickens before they're hatched.."
"Very good," said the teacher again, very pleased with the response so far.
Next it was Barney's turn to tell his story: "My dad told me this story about my Aunt Karen.... Aunt Karen was a flight engineer in the war and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory and all she had was a bottle of whisky, a machine gun and a machete."
"Go on," said the teacher, intrigued.
"Aunt Karen drank the whisky on the way down to prepare herself; then she landed right in the middle of a hundred enemy soldiers. She killed seventy of them with the machine gun until she ran out of bullets. Then she killed twenty more with the machete till the blade broke. And then she killed the last ten with her bare hands."
"Good heavens," said the horrified teacher, "What did your father say was the moral of that frightening story?"
"Stay away from Aunt Karen when she's been drinking..."

Hand Made Workshops in Moville

2010-09-20T13:04:00.000+01:00

Basket-making teacher, Brendan Farren

sharing his skills earlier in the summer at Paddy McCartney's Open

Garden event.

Basket-making teacher, Brendan Farren

helping Liam Moyne to make a creel. This weekend Brendan is being

joined in Moville Hostel, by a team of top craftsmen each offering us

opportunities for 'hands on' experience. Info call 9381000

A new and innovative training opportunity is happening this weekend in
Moville called "Hand Made - Work with your Hands". If woodland crafts
and blacksmithing interests you, then you
might consider attending this 'first of it's type' in Inishowen. Top
craftsmen are coming to join local basketmaker Brendan Farren to offer
(beginners and experienced) workshops in black-smithing, charcoal
making, green woodland crafts like besom broom making and hand made
pole-lathe wood turning. The classes take place under canvas cover,
in the woodlands of Gulladuff House (Moville Hostel). If you attend
you bring home a finished
piece or two.

"We are now offering a 'one day option' at half the
advertised cost" explains Brendan Farren, workshop organiser. He
continues, "Do phone if you have any questions.
Also booking is necessary, in particular to help us
prepare the lunches." This is an Inishowen Summer
Gathering Initiative supported by IDP. "The visiting craftsmen were a
big attraction at the Inishowen Summer Gatherings over the years. I am happy to
welcome them back and am delighted that they are sharing their skills
with us here in Inishowen" said Brendan. Call 074 9381000.

Full details:
HAND MADE
Work with your Hands
on a weekend of workshops
Learn from professional craftsmen the arts of basketmaking,
blacksmithing, and traditional woodland skills like greenwood work,
charcoal making, besom making and much more.
Take home your finished piece
in wood or metal.

These workshops will take place on the weekend of
25th & 26th September, 2010
They will be held in a covered outdoor woodland setting at
Gulladuff House (Moville Hostel),
Moville, Inishowen, Co. Donegal
The costs for each weekend workshop will be:-
€100 for the weekend (€60 concession)
All workshops will be from 10am-5pm both days, with lunch included in
the price, and tea/ coffee available all day. Hostel beds available.
Dress for outdoors, with steel-toed boots and gloves.
Places are limited, especially for Blacksmithing, so early booking is
advisable. Beginners welcome. For further information & bookings:-
Brendan Farren Tel: (00353) +74 93 81000 or
brendan@biggreenart.com
This is a new initiative of the Inishowen Summer Gathering, supported by IDP

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 120

2010-09-18T10:56:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Penny for use of the image

The Two Merchants

One day, two flower merchants set up shop next to one another. They opened for business on the same day, had the same beautiful flowers at similar price. Both took great care raising their plants and both were kind and courteous to their customers. In fact, their shops appeared to be equal in every way.

At first, the merchants even received equal traffic through their shops, but–as time went on–the first merchant’s shop became more popular among the people. The second merchant noticed this and became concerned. One particularly slow day, he decided to look into the matter. As he stepped out his door to visit his neighbour, he passed one of his regular customers leaving the first merchant’s shop carrying their weekly purchase of flowers. In disbelief, the second merchant hurried next door.

The shop was teeming with customers. The second merchant noticed his competitor wasn’t taking the money himself, as he always did. No, he was out among the aisles, talking with his customers. He would chat at great length with the customers and even would occasionally talk to the flowers themselves! The second merchant prided himself on being a serious store owner and could not understand this leisurely approach to running a shop.

He could stand it no longer. He approached his rival and politely asked to interrupt the conversation. The first merchant smiled, handed his customers to one of his clerks, and turned his attention to his exasperated neighbour.

The second merchant asked, “Brother, I am your humble student. Our stores are nearly the same in all ways, yet your results are doubling while mine are halving. I do not understand.”

“Brother,” the first merchant said, “We are the same in most ways, this is true. The difference lies in what we see with our hearts. You see your shop as a shop, your plants as plants, and your customers as customers. I see my store as a beloved home and my cherished friends are my customers, clerks and plants, all present to be adored. In that we are very different.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 119

2010-09-12T11:20:00.000+01:00

What if there isn't "anymore"?

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore".
No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute."
Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say "I love you."
So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick.
This is true for marriage.....And old cars... And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.
Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.
Life is important, like people we know who are special.. And so, we keep them close!
Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?
Live today because tomorrow is not promised.

Wisdom of the World - week 118

2010-09-04T10:54:00.001+01:00

A grandfather and granddaughter travelled and made their living performing balancing acts. They asked a wise man what was the best way to safeguard and care for each other. The grandfather suggested that each should care for the other, that he should care for his granddaughter in the balancing and she should take care of him. That way they would protect each other. The granddaughter asked the wise man if this was not backward. “Would it not be better for each of us to care for ourselves, and in that way we best safeguard each other, and our acrobatics will prosper?” After listening to the little girl, the wise man replied, “Though she is young, she is wise. If you as a grandfather guard yourself with care and pay attention to what you do, you will also guard the safety of your grandchild; and if you as a child guard yourself with awareness, with care, with respect, then you both guard both yourself and those around you.

Wisdom of the World - week 117

2010-08-29T11:16:00.000+01:00

Normal Day

Let me be aware of the treasure you are.
Let me learn from you,
Love you, savour you, bless you,
Before you depart.

Let me not pass you by
In a quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.
Let me hold you while I may,
For it will not always be so.

One day I shall dig my fingers
Into the earth,
Or bury my face in the pillow,
Or stretch myself taut.
Or raise my hands to the sky,
And want more than all the world:
Your return.

Mary Jean Irion

Harvest feast

2010-08-23T16:26:00.001+01:00

Wisdom of the World - Week 116

2010-08-20T12:49:00.000+01:00

Be Yourself

The world would like to change you,
There are pressures all around,
You must decide just who you are,
Then firmly stand your ground.

You have an image of yourself,
An ideal sense of you;
And to this vision you must always
Struggle to be true.

You know what you are good at,
And you know where your talents lie;
But it you’re ruled by others,
Your uniqueness could pass by.

Remember, there’s much to learn;
But all new things aren’t good.
Wisdom lies in what you’ve learned
And what you have withstood.

Armagh Planatarium

2010-08-14T14:27:00.000+01:00

Wisdom of the World - Week 115

2010-08-14T14:19:00.000+01:00

Thank You

To those of you who laughed at me, thank you.

Without you I wouldn’t have cried.

To those of you who just couldn’t love me, thank you.

Without you I wouldn’t have known real love.

To those of you who hurt my feelings, thank you.

Without you I wouldn’t have felt them.

To those of you that left me lonely, thank you.

Without you I wouldn’t have discovered myself.

But it is those of you that thought I couldn’t do it;

It is you I thank the most,

Because without you I wouldn’t have tried.

Share Centre Enniskillen

2010-08-10T21:22:00.001+01:00

A few Classics from Biff 1980's style

2010-07-31T00:43:00.000+01:00

Wisdom of the World - week 114

2010-07-26T13:41:00.000+01:00

Pause for a smile

Lost on a rainy night, a nun stumbles across a monastery and requests shelter. Fortunately she is just in time for dinner and was treated to the best fish and chips she’s ever had.

After dinner she goes into the kitchen to thank the chefs. She is met by two brothers. ‘Hello, I’m Brother Michael and this is Brother Charles’.
‘I’m very pleased to meet you,’ said the nun. ‘I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful dinner. The fish and chips were the best I’ve ever tasted. Out of curiosity, who cooked what?’

Brother Charles replied, ‘Well I’m the fish friar’.
She turned to the other Brother and says, ‘Then you must be - ?’
‘Yes, I’m the chip monk’.

Aoíbhinn Inis-eoin. Photographic Exhibition

2010-07-11T11:22:00.000+01:00

Just one great photo of Dunree Fort taken by Adam Porter

Date:
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Time:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:
The Plaza Main St Buncrana

For the duration of The Buncrana Music & Arts Festival a host of local photographers will exhibit there work of picturesque landscape & more from in and around Inishowen.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 113

2010-07-03T12:45:00.000+01:00

Dandelions

Mulla Nasrudin decided to start a flower garden. He prepared the soil and planted the seeds of many beautiful flowers. But when they came up, his garden was filled not just with his chosen flowers but was also overrun by dandelions. He sought out advice from gardeners all over and tried every method known to get rid of them but to no avail.

Finally he walked all the way to the capital to speak to the royal gardener at the Sheik’s palace. The wise old man had counselled many gardeners before and suggested a variety of remedies to expel the dandelions but Mulla had tried them all.

They sat together in silence for some time and finally the gardener looked at Nasrudin and said, “Well, then I suggest you learn to love them.”

Traditional Sufi

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 112

2010-06-26T16:31:00.000+01:00

Who shall judge?

A man whose axe was missing suspected his neighbour’s son. The boy walked like a thief, looked like a thief and spoke like a thief.

Then the man found his axe while he was digging in the valley.

The next time he saw his neighbour’s son, the boy walked, looked and spoke like any other child.

Traditional German

Competition

2010-06-21T23:57:00.000+01:00

Two Acupressure Mats worth €35*to be won

Gardening.ie have joined up with Shakti.ie and have two Acupressure Mats to win.

What are Acupressure Mats?

Acupressure Mats have thousands of tiny spikes on a soft cotton base that release endorphins in your body when you lie on them. They are a great way to relax and ease the muscles (especially after a hard day in the garden)

Are they just for Gardening?

The mats can be beneficial when you feel low in energy, experience high stress levels, suffer from insomnia, have muscular tension, lumbago, sciatica, migraine, digestive problems, and depression. Research also claims benefits for people with: Back and neck pain, sciatica, insomnia, digestive problems, poor circulation, fatigue and excess weight.

To be in with a chance of winning register or sign up to Gardening.ie now…

The is a new Business Section on the site so you can find suppliers. And let’s not forget the forum and FREE Classified section.

*includes postage

Closing date: August 15th 2010

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 111

2010-06-20T00:50:00.000+01:00

I will not die an unlived life

I will not die an unlived life.

I will not live in fear

Of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days,

To allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible;

to loosen my heart

until it becomes a wing,

a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance,

To live so that which came to me as seed

Goes to the next as blossom,

And that which came to me as blossom,

Goes on as fruit.

Dawna Markova

Inishtrahull Island visit

2010-06-18T15:31:00.001+01:00

The Inishowen Organic Group boat trip to Inishtrahull Island

See images from an earlier visit

Grants

2010-06-13T19:12:00.000+01:00

INISHOWEN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP

The Inishowen Development Partnership is inviting applications from Inishowen-based groups under its Local Community Development Programme as follows:

SMALL GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS

Applications are welcome from community groups who are engaging in projects to promote social inclusion. Funding may be sought for project work, training and development.

INFORMATION EVENINGS

Monday, June 21st at IDP Offices, Buncrana 7.30pm
Wednesday, June 23rd at IDP Offices, Carndonagh 7.30pm

More information will be available at the information evenings. If your group wishes to apply for grant aid please contact John Jackson john@inishowen.ie or Denise McCool denise@inishowen.ie at the number below. Application forms can also be downloaded at www.inishowen.ie

CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF COMPLETED APPLICATIONS
4.00pm Wednesday, June 30th 2010

Completed applications should be returned to John/Denise at Inishowen Development Partnership, St Mary’s Road, Buncrana, Inishowen, Co. Donegal
TEL: 074-9362218

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 110

2010-06-12T10:21:00.000+01:00

Hold My Hand

Once a little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don’t fall into the river."

The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand."

"What’s the difference?" asked the puzzled father.

"There’s a big difference," replied the little girl.

"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

Free Waste Disposal in Carndonagh

2010-06-10T10:13:00.000+01:00

Charlie from Recycling in Donegal sent us this:

There will be Free Collection of Household Hazardous Waste on Saturday 12th June from 9am - 12pm in the Carndonagh Public Service Centre Car Park and from 2pm - 5pm in the Letterkenny Public Service Centre Car Park for such as old paints, waste medicines, pesticides, old cleaning agents, weed killer etc. See attached advertising. Donegal County Council organises this collection twice per year.

Must have gadget of the week

2010-06-09T15:53:00.011+01:00

Dyson Bladeless Fan

Like one? Click on the image above for more information

The Dyson Air Multiplier™ fan works very differently to conventional fans. It uses Air Multiplier™ technology to draw in air and amplify it 15 times, producing an uninterrupted stream of smooth air. With no blades or grill, it’s safe, easy to clean and doesn’t cause unpleasant buffeting.

How does it work?