The End of The World is Nigh, or so it seemed yesterday !

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I spent the early part of the day with my Accountants. That time of the year again when we sign off on the Accounts. Kate told me that the Bank will be happy. I replied that I was not in business to make the Bank happy. It seems our politicians sole concern of late would appear to be to ensure we have Healthy Banks with little or no regard to the health or otherwise of the Citizen. Austerity rules while our Banks are designated as our sole concern. So, leaving Ballsbridge with Kate’s words ringing in my head, didn’t exactly put me in the best of form for the rest of the day. Bloody Banks ! And I’m making them Happy ?

I decided I’d use the Toll Bridge to get back to the north side of Dublin but as I approached the Toll Booth, I was faced with a terrible vision. No, not an accident but a sky which reminded me of a scene from a disaster movie. The clouds were black and swooping down over Dublin. It was a vision which I’d imaged would be what we would see at the final chapter when our little world was coming to an abrupt end. Then on approaching the Toll Booth itself, a lovely girl was huddled behind the window which she opened a matter of inches to take my money. She looked terrified. I said something like, ‘what terrible weather’ and she replied something in return before quickly closing her window again in order to survive for a few minutes longer before the inevitable disaster would strike. If I was in Texas now, I’d be running for shelter as no doubt I was heading directly into the path of an oncoming tornado.

My drive across the bridge was no better and I felt my heavy 4×4 practically take off. Frightening, although I was lucky to be viewing this horror from inside a vehicle, not having to be actually out in it and being blown from Billy to Jack and being drenched in the process. Then it struck me. It was obviously Kate’s words about the Banks being Happy. This weather was, I felt, a reflection of the mood of the people. Well, maybe it was just my mood?

Back home, safe and sound, I caught up on some work. Later, my daughter reminded me that Alan Shatter, our esteemed Fine Gael Minister for Justice, would be on The FrontLine with Pat Kenny on RTE. After a few minutes watching, I felt it was very anti-Solicitor, populist and really not getting to grips with the real issues. Minister Shatter is an arrogant individual who is using the IMF imposed changes to suit himself. He is out to humble The Bar and is taking pleasure in so doing. He doesn’t represent solicitors, although one himself, nor indeed the Citizen as he lorded over the rest of the legal profession as a self-proclaimed Mr Family Law for years. Not someone who would be known for a cheapie divorce, mind you !  I was delighted when Dearbhal McDonald – legal affairs correspondent for The Irish Independent called him out for responding to Paul O’Higgins of the Bar Council comments as ‘bullshit’.  Minister Shatter has only his own interests to the fore in his ‘interpretation’ of IMF demands. There we go again IMF, the Bankers demands! Maybe us lawyers should follow Mr Shatter in his visions for us and listen to his views and presumably those of his Law Firm in how we should charge the Citizen for the work we do. It would certainly be enlightening, but I for one am not sure I could follow suite.

Later I decided to watch Vincent Browne’s  Show to wrap up my evening. Maybe this would not be a good idea as at times, Vincent can be very argumentative and not the best viewing if one anticipates a good nights sleep. As it turned out, Vincent was in a very placid mood and the debate on our Economy was indeed enlightening. In particular the contributions by Stephen Donnelly and ‘Banker’ Matthews were excellent. I wonder how Matthews reconciles himself with Fine Gael or is it just a vehicle of convenience for him ?  Then, when Stephen Donnelly was of opinion that all the austerity we were suffering was in vain because it was a policy leading us nowhere, I again cursed the Banks, the parasites living on the backs of us all.

So, to bed. Was it Kate’s words to me; the Weather; Alan Shatter or Tonight with Vincent Browne that had me in Foul Humour? I decided to turn over and say a Prayer… then Cursed the Bankers!

LegalEagleStar,  Tuesday , 18th. October , 2011.