Hello, world. I’m MacDara Conroy, and this is my blog.

Date: July 2005

Fifteen thousand

Since the beginning of July, between this site and my new blog, I’ve written approximately 15,000 words. Fifteen thousand! And that’s even accounting for quotations.

I think that’s the single most productive month I’ve had since I started the weblog nearly four years ago. And what’s more, it doesn’t make my 10,000-word thesis seem like such hard work.
Speaking of which, the dissertation’s coming along nicely. I had a productive meeting with my thesis supervisor yesterday afternoon which was very reassuring, to say the least.

Like my classmate Markham, I have occasional bouts of crazy stress over the slog of it all, the researching and the writing and the theorising and the thinking and the [insert Frinkism here]. But it’s good to know that everything I’ve been working on for the past few months still makes sense today.

Oh, and the title? Try this for size: Blogosphere of influence: Are weblogs enriching journalism in the new media age?* Catchy, isn’t it?

* This title is provisional, mind you. It’s already changed a couple of times, and might well change again when the deadline looms closer.

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Sigla's Feargal reads The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

I don't agree with him -- I thought it got much better after the first 100 pages, and I didn't feel cheated at the end -- but that doesn't mean he's wrong. Murakami's books are strange ones. They either click or they don't. #link

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Flipbook [c/o MetaFilter]

Be warned, it's very addictive. There's some excellent examples of what can be done, too. #link

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A Farewell to Arms?

Today was another day to mark on the messy, scrawled-over timeline that is the history of Ireland. In a statement released to the media this morning, the Irish Republican Army has “formally ordered an end to the armed campaign” in Northern Ireland, vowing to decommission their arms and channel their efforts into the democratic political process.
Like most, I’m taking it all with a pinch of salt. Forgive me for being cynical, but it’s probably not a coincidence that this is coming not long after the terrorist attacks on London. (After all, compared to fanatical fundamentalist Muslims the ‘Ra are positively in good graces.) However today’s events are undoubtedly a welcome development, even in spite of the telling clauses in the Provos’ statement, such as:
> Notwithstanding these difficulties our decisions have been taken to advance our republican and democratic objectives, including our goal of a united Ireland. We believe there is now an alternative way to achieve this and to end British rule in our country.
And not forgetting:
> We reiterate our view that the armed struggle was entirely legitimate.
They wouldn’t be the IRA if they didn’t sneak those in, would they?
Similar sentiments were professed by Gerry Adams at a Sinn Féin press conference this afternoon here in Dublin, to mark the start of the decommissioning process. Elsewhere, political leaders across the spectrum have been quick to issue their own statements, while the public are also having their say.
For more details, Slugger O’Toole is the best place to go for the latest information, keeping track of media reaction both here and in the UK, and presenting views from both sides of the polico-cultural divide.
Will this really be the end? It’s hardly an end to the conflict (that’ll take years, if it ever happens) but it might just be and end to the cycle of violence — if Ian Paisley and the Unionists can get over themselves, and the Republicans can keep their promises.
Now, if only the Loyalist paramilitaries would decommission their weapons…

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Fascism is on the march!

Yes, apparently the Gestapo have already taken over our streets with their scary leather coats and such. And by the way, isn't it cute how people are convinced we Irish don't have a constitution? #link

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