Enbridge’s Post

This excellent piece from John Dodge below ⬇ is congruent with how we understand #Irishness on Irish Stew. Many people have multiple geographic identities; co-host Martin Nutty was born in #Dublin to an #Irish father and #English mother and has lived in #NYC for over 40 years. Is he Irish? - Yes, Is he #British - Yes. Is he #American - Yes All of the above ⬆ are NOT mutually exclusive. Our political world is troubled by a trend towards ugly binaryism. It is most pronounced by those who focus on skin color, an ugly legacy of Western hemispheric slavery, and its turgid spawn - racism. Those who spout such retrograde nonsense rarely have any understanding of history or their own ancestral past, which might be far more diverse than they care to believe. Being Irish is not simply a matter of DNA, nativity, the ability to speak #Gaeilge, or residency on the island. If all those things were required, the Irish world would shrink dramatically. At Irish Stew, we believe in big-tent #Irishness and that a more inclusive understanding of what it means to be Irish would better serve Ireland and its vast diaspora. Modern Irishness is an idea that binds Irish people together who share a deep affection for their home island. It is based on a respectful egalitarian view of the individual without regard for race or creed but is collectively rooted in fidelity to the country's governing law. Those who would impose some spurious bright line test must be reminded that Patrick Pearse's DNA was half English, Tom Clarke was born in southern England, and James Connolly spoke with a pronounced Scottish accent. Nobody thinks of any of these men as anything other than Irish. #GlobalIrishNation #BlackAndIrish https://lnkd.in/eympSCyv

So as the Singapore government, who own the Sports Hub/National Stadium, have now been forced to admit that they paid millions of our taxpayer dollars to billionaire Taylor Swift (TS) to only play Singapore in SEA my question is well, what about the rest of us who don't like boring, bland paint drying dire pop music? When are you going to spend some of OUR taxpayer dollars on bringing non-pop acts into Singapore to achieve the same objectives of tourism? The government is trying to justify spending what could be over USD$15m in ensuring that TS's 6 shows were all in Singapore, (when she would have probably done this anyway), what about catering for ALL Singaporeans and PRs? Why only TS? Singapore LOSES money when people like me have to travel outside of Singapore to watch my favourite metal and rock bands. A good example is Pearl Jam who just went on sale with a global tour that doesn't play anywhere in Asia. I had to buy tickets to see them in Melbourne in November because they won't be playing in Singapore because the SGGOV presumably didn't see them as being very valuable. Pearl Jam have just sold out one night at both Sydney and Melbourne stadiums (not arenas), that's 54,000 a night in Melbourne and 24,000 a night in Sydney and just added second nights which will soon sell out making that 156,000 people plus they're also playing Queensland to another 50,000, that's over 200,000 sold tickets. Pearl Jam last played Singapore in 1995. So given their track record of selling concerts, targeting a more affluent older market of fans who would travel here to see them and the fact that hey haven't played here for 30 years, why hasn't the Singapore government through STB or KASM looked at catering for ALL Singaporeans tastes and still kept to the reasoning of bringing acts that wouldn't otherwise play here for many nights and would bring in tourism dollars? I could add Metallica to this list too. I am spending thousands of dollars flying to Munich, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Warsaw and Madrid and thousands more staying in hotels and on FnB and merchandise in those countries which are economically benefiting. Australia will soon add dates and I will be going to them too. Metallica have sold millions of tickets on their M72 tour as they play to stadiums of up to 90,000, outselling TS in some cities in fact. Metallica fans also drink more than any other metal or rock fans. Only the Rugby World Cup match between Ireland and Scotland beat the amount of beer than Metallica fans drank at the Paris stadium for example. The same happens around the world. So Metallica has a proven record of bringing economic value to a city. So SGGOV show them the $ and bring them here. You did it for TS so why not for Pearl Jam and Metallica too? Or is the use of taxpayer $ only for boring pop acts that SGGOV approves of and not rock and metal ones? What do you think? And of course my favourite PJ song is "Black"! 👊😏🤘 #singapore

When Novak Djokovic, Steph Curry, and LeBron James declared that representing their countries at the Paris Olympics was the pinnacle of their careers, I understood completely. Their words took me back to a moment that transformed my life and career forever. It wasn't at the Olympics, but at the SLS World Cup of Transformation in Mexico City. As I stood there, holding the Philippine flag 🇵🇭, I felt a surge of pride and responsibility that I had never experienced before. In that instant, I realized why those sports legends felt the way they did. The video I'm sharing with this post, set to a lyrical version of "Amazing Grace," captures the essence of that transformative experience. Every time I hear this melody, I'm transported back to that pivotal moment when everything changed: • I went from being an individual to embodying the hopes of millions of Filipinos • My role shifted from a professional to a cultural ambassador • I transformed from a participant into a catalyst for change This wasn't just about holding a piece of cloth. It was about representing the spirit, potential, and dreams of an entire nation. The weight of that flag in my hands became the weight of responsibility on my shoulders - a weight that has shaped my journey ever since. The transformation didn't end when I lowered the flag. It continues to influence how I approach my work, my relationships, and my role in our global community. Like those Olympians, I found that representing my country wasn't just an honor - it was a life-altering experience. To my fellow professionals: Have you had a moment that unexpectedly transformed your career and life perspective? How has it shaped your journey since? Let's share our stories of transformation. After all, in the Philippines, we have a saying: "#SanaALL" - may we all experience such profound moments of change and growth. #PersonalTransformation #GlobalCitizenship #ProfessionalGrowth #RepresentPH #AmazingGrace --- P.S. As you watch the video, let the melody of "Amazing Grace" remind you of your own transformative moments. How have they shaped your amazing journey? https://lnkd.in/g6-_4VHQ

Such great programs, Check out the video to learn more

A very valuable and important perspective on our sports and standards today.

So there is a lot of rhetoric about Dr Rachael Gunn (RayGun) who competed for Australia in breaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Some people are questioning whether she was a worthy choice to represent Australia... For those who haven't seen it, you can catch some of her dancing here: https://lnkd.in/gZ3CKZXg Knowing nothing about breaking...it's easy to look at snippets of the dance, or photos, snort derisively and pass judgement on a sport that I have never attended, rules I do not know, and scoring system that is a mystery to me (and apparently some competitors!). But I stopped myself and started to do some research. Here is what I learnt: 1. There is controversy about the inclusion of breaking in the Olympics. Apparently the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), originally lobbied to have ballroom dancing included in the Olympics before realising it had limited appeal for GenZ, and pivoted to breaking - without telling the breaking community. No wonder there was a lack of maturity in pathways to Olympic qualification. 2. The Australian breaking community did not have a national recognised federation, and so when WDSF ran the Oceania Breaking Championships in Sydney in Oct '23 (a direct route to the Olympics) , there were only 52 competitors (37 B-Boys and 15 B-Girls). 3. An alternate route to the Olympics was via the Olympic Qualifier Series, but 6 Australian competitors did not place, and the three women finished 37th, 38th and 40th in a 40 person field. So when the armchair judges and keyboard warriors question RayGun's worth, and whether she has earned her place, I'd like to remind them that they are likely the same people who were in the cheering crowd when Eric "the Eel" swam in the Sydney 2000 Olympics...his lack of competence at the Olympic level was clearly apparent, when his time was over a minute slower than the world record for a 100m freestyle race. But we, as the host country, celebrated the story of Eric from Equatorial Guinea, as a story of hardships overcome, a story of grit despite the requisite skill or pedigree... My question is, why is it so embarrassing that one of our athletes failed to score? She competed for her country, just like Eric. Have we become so obsessed with winning that we forget that we are a country built on overcoming adversity, sometimes failing but always doing it with a sense of mateship? Perhaps it's racism? I mean it's okay for an athlete from a poor African nation to be congratulated for turning up - but we are better than that? Perhaps it's misogyny? If RayGun was a man, perhaps the public discourse would have been different? Or maybe it's garden variety ageism? Let's stop this dissection of an Aussie athlete, and instead thank her for a courageous performance and graceful weathering of the tirade from those who wouldn't be capable of pulling her routine off.

My latest video breaks down how the people behind Nord Security have led the process to rebuild Britain's biggest basketball brand. Check it out. #nordvpn #sportsbusiness #basketball #tesonet #tomokman

Wellington Fringe Festival 12 March, 5:30: "Your constitution is a ..." An outside the box public workshop about New Zealand's constitution. Laugh and cry your way through the ....... that is your constitution - you know, the one you've never really heard of. Introducing some special guest facilitators: - 'constitutional racism': when racism flows from our constitution, not just from the institutions of our government; and - 'constitutional magic': when workshop participants accidentally learn about our constitution without it being shoved down their throat, or having to try. When Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia in the World Cup, the joke in Saudi Arabia was 'Where is Messi?'. Here in Aotearoa the joke is on you: where is your constitution? Right here at the Supreme Court of New Zealand, Lambton Quay, Wellington. With that guy in the white shirt - he's been looking for the constitution everywhere and he's exhausted. [Attendance strictly limited to those who attend]

IVORY COAST

Rotary 4 Way Test: 1) Is it the truth 2) Is it fair to all concerned 3) Will it build goodwill and better friendships 4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned. Clubs recite the 4 Way Test at every meeting to reinforce our core values.