Charlie´s Bar

 

Yes, it has happened, I have learned to use Facebook!

Much to my surprise, I even enjoy it, apart from some folk putting up boring shit, like I walked the dog this morning. Even if they are so dull or their lives are, can’t they use their imagination and come up with some interesting lies like “I just found a note in the loft of my house among some old papers from my great grand aunt which claims she secretly slept with her husband´s five brothers and one sister over her lifetime”! ;)

Anyway, I have decided to use Facebook instead of this Blog page from now on as it’s more interactive and a bit of craic.

Adios to Murphy´s Blog – and if you have any interesting crap to be going on with, see you on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/charliesbarlanzarote

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Look and see what the man on the moon would observe, a complete outsider observing the Planet Earth.

He would see a bunch of insects that call themselves human beings, who divide themselves, by colour, race, religion and politics. There are some who try to steer their minds away from reality by distracting themselves with different causes.  If we can’t find a common denominator to have peace between the species we should know best (fellow human beings), why would we try to solve the problems of animals first? Surely if we could get our own camp in order first as humans, we could then tackle so many other world problems together as one.

First of all, the arrogant people who have privilege in this world (and remember, even you who are on the dole in the western world are one of those) must stop fooling themselves. Forget about capitalism, communism or nationalism – the first thing we must do is to let the products that are produced and the people of this planet move freely. Globally. Let there be equality. Free movement of trade and humans is the most important ingredient to an equal opportunity for all humans. We must first achieve this in good faith, so that, collectively, we can concentrate on issues like global warming, animal rights and many more. We have no business trying to concentrate on these issues when, as human beings, we can’t resolve our own differences first. The cart before the horse.

Look at the powers that be who speak so high and mighty – the Americans, English, Germans and French, and even the Irish. They preach about democracy, but who would believe them when they instill, upon themselves, the right to tell people where they can and can’t move or live, on this planet, due to their race, colour or politics. This is the height of absolute f*cking bullshit. We need a Global Democracy, where everyone and their products are allowed to move freely, before we can start to think about issues that are outside of the human race, like global warming, animal rights etc.

Think of the man on the moon, the complete outsider, looking into the world of us insects. He can see a huge population of humans who can’t put their own house in order, killing each other, disrespecting each other and at the same time hiding from the truth by distracting themselves with very relevant issues – but not relevant compared to what humans are doing to others. If we could get all the humans in the world moving, accepting and tolerating each other´s beliefs in a loving way together with equality, we would solve all the other problems in weeks.

So sit in your armchair in your comfortable western home ranting and raving about globalisation, global warming or animal rights (not that there is anything wrong with these issues), knowing that there are your fellow humans dying of starvation, disease, abuse, wars and all because they are out of sight you don’t care or you don’t have the intelligence to see the big picture. Western world, don’t tell me about your f*cking democracy, until you give permission for the people and their produced goods to move freely, and until you accept their different cultures, religions, sexual orientations etc., and let every human being on this planet have equal rights.

Then and only then will the outsider on the moon and little old humble me start to listen to the next issues and not some false sense of democracy for the 5% of the world´s population. We must treat each other as humans with respect, dignity, equality, learn to work together and to love each other for who we are, before tackling the other important issues.

We have to change our values from materialism to the value of global equality and opportunity for all human beings, and until that happens we have no hope of sorting out the animals or climate change etc.  And nobody will take Obama, Cameron or anyone else seriously when they talk about democracy.  Drop your borders.  Let anyone who likes into your country.  Stop being so insecure and let the people and the goods they produce move freely and then we will take your vision of democracy seriously and learn to love and cherish each other regardless of race, colour or nationality and until you do that – which involves serious courage and foresight – shut the f*ck up with your shallow words, your lack of understanding, lack of tolerance and your insecurity.

From the Man on the Moon

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Feb 022011
 

Today ain’t a great day for Irish politics. I was hoping that Micheál Martin would bring a fresh team in to Dáil Éireann and shake up Irish politics with some new young blood. What he has announced is that not even *one* of his front bench is going to change. A direct translation of this is that the reason Fianna Fáil are at 16% in the polls is down to one man. The captain of any team is only as good as the team he has. If things go well, it’s a team effort and if it goes badly, the same is true.

The big problem now is who would you vote for? I would have been willing to support FF probably if Micheál Martin had brought in a new fresh young team, or if any party did, but it’s like changing the label on the tin, with the exact same contents. What a pity and an opportunity lost!

I am seriously worried about labour being in any government at a time like this, because, while I agree with sharing and caring as good and maybe even better than most, you must first have something to share, and a half left right government is going nowhere in times like this, but would be fine in good times.

The truth is between 1997 and around 2002 Ireland was making steady, very *real* progress, and then the banks and developers´ greed went bananas with nobody controlling them. It’s still true to say that since 1997 we have come a long way with people 70% better off than we were then. The problem is we have a drop in values of about 30% in the last 3 years, but a drop from a dizzy ficticious height, and back to 2002 levels. Don’t forget we were all happy in 2002, and happier than we ever were since the foundation of the state.

The other positive side to this is that it’s not easy to break the spirit of the Irish people, and we were always a creative and original race, regardless of who is in power. It is the Irish people with their creativity and entrepeneurial spirit that will get us out of this blip, not the politicians, and yes, it is only a blip, which time will prove, I’m sure. There are a group of people who bought property at the wrong time that are in the shit, and it’s very sad (home owners, not developers).  This group are by and large in their late 30s,  and they should be helped. The rest of the population are better off than they were 3 years ago. Salaries may have dropped 10%, but property has dropped about 50%, and the cost of living around 25% overall, which means that outside of this small but very important bracket in trouble, everyone else is better off. The person buying a house now is way better off and has much more of a disposable income.

Then you can talk about the unemployed folk because of the reccession. What % of the unemployed are between 20 and 28 years old? Most of them will head off to places like Australia for a while, and most that do will be back, like my own son, I hope. I am delighted they are gone as long as they come back because they come out of university with a degree, with no practical experience and pretty much commercially useless until they get it. The practical experience is the real education, and as long as Australia are willing to suffer this period of their education, let them at it, and say nothing for Christ’s sake!

I read somewhere that the required goverment bailout would have paid off the mortgage of every household in the country. That is incredible, but we should surely help those who bought first time homes during the “crazy period”, and if that doesn’t happen, they should simply throw the keys of the house at the bank, rent a property for a couple of years and don’t believe this rubbish that you will never again get a loan. You *will*, and you will own your own home again within a few short years.  Nobody wants to lose a home, but it is better to have a decent quality of life than to be fighting for bricks and mortar which never made a home anyway, only a house.

It’s also incredible to see that every radio and TV programme is focusing on money or left and right politics, and do you not think we should also be talking about how our culture and way of life has changed negatively in the last few years outside money at all? The headline in the Examiner the other day said that the rate of suicides among the elderly has seriously increased in the last few years. That’s because with the smoking bans and breath testing in the mornings we have killed the pub trade at home, and people’s whole way of life has been changed, which makes them isolated and lonely. I have heard a good few people from the UK saying they wouldn’t go to Ireland anymore because the craic and the music was gone, which was all we had from a tourist´s point of view. I never heard anyone saying they came for the weather!

Enough now. I must go to work!!!

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Jan 182011
 

Video from last week´s performance at Charlie´s Bar….

For some fantastic photos CLICK HERE.

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Merry Xmas

 Posted by at 23:39  2 Responses »
Dec 242010
 

I would just like to take the opportunity to wish all our Charlies customers a Happy Xmas and a peaceful New Year.

The chances of having a peaceful new year are very slim with the Irish after getting 85 Billion in drink vouchers from the EU, God bless them. If we have time to fill a free pint for any of the folk from the contributing contries, we certainly will. Your generosity knows no bounds, and if I get to Peter before you I will drop him a little brown envelope to guarantee your free passage into heaven.  And no, that’s not my wife’s name!!!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS.

Regards,
Barry Murphy

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