Why Don’t The Irish Speak Irish?

The Danes have Danish, the French speak French, the Slovakians talk in Slovak yet the Irish don’t speak Irish, but rather English. Almost all nations and people have their own language yet the Irish are one of the few nations who have a language that very few of its people can speak. Ireland is one of the only countries in Europe whose primary language is that of a foreign country. In fact, more people in Ireland speak Polish on a daily basis than Irish (and French is close behind). When I’m abroad I’m often asked if there even is an Irish language or if anyone still speaks it. Someone who only spoke Irish would have a very difficult time getting … Continue reading “Why Don’t The Irish Speak Irish?”

August 20, 2015PoliticsDecline, Education, Gaeilge, History, Ireland, Irish, Irish History, Irish Language, Language Leave a comment

How To Debunk Most Conspiracy Theories

If there’s one thing that the internet loves (apart from porn, arguing and cats), it’s a good conspiracy. Wander away from the main path and you’ll quickly find yourself in a world where secret agencies are assassinating Presidents, who are Muslim, which is taking over Europe thanks to the EU, which is controlled by the Freemasons, who faked 9/11 so that the Illuminati (who were born in Kenya) could move into Area 51, which is covering up the New Alien World Order (at the bequest of the CIA) in order that the United Nations can take your guns away because they’ve uncovered a secret that will destroy big business. Also the Jews are in there somewhere. They always are. As … Continue reading “How To Debunk Most Conspiracy Theories”

July 5, 2015Politics9/11, Aliens, Birther, Conspiracy Theory, Debunked, Holocaust Denial, Politics, Twin Towers, World Trade Centre Leave a comment

An Atheist Reads The Bible: Talking Out Its Ass

In my last post I skipped over one of the most bizarre stories in the Bible (though I’m saying this so often it’s starting to lose meaning). Considering the last post dealt with genocide, I didn’t want to confuse the theme and I ran out of space. But I felt this story is too good to ignore (the title alone is worth it) so I figure I might as well write a post about it. So the story begins in chapter 22 of the Book of Numbers when Balak, the King of the Moabites, noticed that the Israelites were exterminating everyone they came across. Not wanting to be wiped off the face of the Earth, Balak does the only thing … Continue reading “An Atheist Reads The Bible: Talking Out Its Ass”

June 24, 2015ReligionAn Atheist Reads The Bible, Atheism, Balaam, Balak, Bible, Book of Numbers, Donkey, God, Israelites Leave a comment

How To Steal An Election – A Guide To Gerrymandering

Winning elections is hard work and some people would rather skip the inconvenient issue of getting a majority of votes and would instead rig the system in their favour. One way of doing this is known as gerrymandering and was widespread in Northern Ireland for decades (and one was one of the causes of the Troubles) and is common in America to this day (where it is surprisingly accepted as a political fact of life). Gerrymandering essentially is rigging the system so that you win the most seats (and therefore power) even if your opponent wins more votes. A good example is Derry (or Londonderry depending on your political views) during the Stormont era in Northern Ireland (1922-72). Derry is … Continue reading “How To Steal An Election – A Guide To Gerrymandering”

June 2, 2015Politics2012, America, Democrat, Election 2012, Gerrymander, Northern Ireland, Obama, Politics, Republican, Result, Stormont Leave a comment

What Is The Best Electoral System?

In the aftermath of the UK general election, a lot of focus has shifted to the electoral system and questions have been raised over how fair and democratic it is. In particular, is it democratic for the Conservative party to win a majority of seats with only a third of the votes? Is it democratic for the 7.5 million people who voted for the Liberal Democrats, UKIP and Greens to have only 10 seats? Surely the fact that 25% of voters got only 1% of the seats is a sign of a serious problem with the electoral system? How can we make the electoral system better? There are three main electoral systems. The first and most straight forward is the … Continue reading “What Is The Best Electoral System?”

May 11, 2015PoliticsConservative, Democracy, election, Electoral System, Fair Votes Now, Green, Ireland, Labour, Politics, Proportional Representation, SNP, UK, UKIP Leave a comment

The Progress And Prospects Of Esperanto (1907)

I’ve always had a love of history so the area of Esperanto history is something I find fascinating. It’s interesting to read articles from a hundred years ago about, what at the time, was a new invention. The late 19th and early 20th century was a time full of new inventions and advances as the world was changing beyond recognition. All areas of life were undergoing rapid change and many wondered if language too would be subject to the modernisation that so many other fields experienced. It is incredible to look back at the early hopes and uncertainties people had towards Esperanto. Who knew what would happen with the language? Would it genuinely become a major world language or was … Continue reading “The Progress And Prospects Of Esperanto (1907)”

March 24, 2015Esperanto1906, 1907, Article, Conlang, Constructed Language, Esperanto, Esperanto History, History, Language, Louis de Beaufront, The North American Review, Zamenhof Leave a comment