So after a quiet Carnaval it's (hopefully) back to business as usual. Over Carnaval I managed to watch some TV series and films on cable television and it's shocking the artistic license that people take with sub-titles. Of course sometimes it's difficult to really understand what someone is saying, but there is no exuse when people confuse words because they don't understand the meaning of a common word in a given context. They go for the most obvious meaning. Want an example? I was watching a police movie, and at a certain moment an officer says that the suspect had gone downtown to see a fence. And of course, the agency that did the sub-titles translated it as "Ele foi ao centro da cidade para olhar uma cercadinha." If they had done their homework within the context of the film they would know that a fence is someone who deals in stolen goods.

And here's another "pearl" that my son noted. It was a film starring Gerard Butler, as a criminal. Two police detectives are talking about him and one says to the other: "I put him away." In Portuguese, "Eu prendi ele." And the sub-title said .........."Eu liberei ele." Precisely the opposite. These things almost drive me up the wall, but one has to laugh. I mean, doesn't anyone do a quality check on this kind of work? Enough said. I wonder how much people get paid for this. It can't be very much and probably proves the old adage: if you pay peanuts you get monkeys.

What else? Well back in Ireland, in the Republic to be precise, the whole debate about abortion has come to the surface again. It appears that an Indian lady died while giving birth. Apparently she screamed for the doctors to help her abort, but the situation apparently wasn't covered by the law, the doctors' hands were tied, so to speak, and she died.

Also, it appears that the government has finally got shot of the Anglo-Irish Bank, which was a big albatross around its neck, as Irish treasury was banking around 3 billion Euros in the bank's promissory notes. They say the economy is steadily improving, and of course tourism continues to provide important revenues.

In the North, the IRA dissidents continue to make a nuisance oif themselves, as if the hard-core loyalists with their flag-flying protests wasn't enough. There is an atmosphere of fear right now and it's hurting business, just as the local government is on a big drive to bring investment and jobs. Burnt-out cars are not exactly the ideal visiting/welcome card. Gerry Adams has been talking to the Continuity IRA, trying to get them to buy into the peace process. The country has come along way, and good, ordinary decent people have no wish to go down the dark lane to the bad old days. As usual a small minority on both sides wants to see the whole thing come apart at the seams. The French have a saying: "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose." Many people might agree with them, but I am sure the people of Northern Ireland will not allow this to prevail.

Now for sport. After beating the Welsh in their opening game, the Ireland's rugby team lost a dour battle against the English.

And briefly back to politics. I have it on good authority that the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland will be in Brazil on or around Saint Patrick's Day (March 17, for those of you who don't know). I wonder will I get to shake the hand of Martin McGuinness, the Deputy First Minister and former commander of the Derry battalion of the Provisional IRA. We've come a long way indeed (even the Queen shook his hand last year on her visit to Belfast).

Ok. That's it for today. I'll be back (in the words of the Terminator).