In Praise of Hill Walking

(One of these days I’ll get back to blogging about Pensions & Investments)

It probably started with a pointed comment from my daughter about being a “couch potato”. And possibly living in an area surrounded by three ranges of mountains. I had the boots. Bought a few years prior with the intention of ‘doing something’ with them, but never had.   

15 Months Later

I haven’t stopped walking since. I’m no sooner finished one walk than I’m planning the next. I’m fit; fitter than I’ve ever been. Why? What’s it all about?

The bug just bit me. The early walks were low level and I just kept cranking them up, to improve. I joined a club (I’m now in three) to get familiar with the open mountain by being led by more experienced walkers. Plus, if you’re hill walking by yourself you can’t really gauge if you’re any good at it, other than put yourself on the clock. I’m competitive, so that’s not much good.  

You hear stories on the hills about so-and-so being a strong walker and about long distance walks with certain height-gains. If you wanted to improve as a walker you had to set your sights on these ‘Challenges’, the hill walkers personal achievement championships. So, I did a few of them and did okay. I even made up a few of my own.

Along the way, I’ve met some of the most wonderful people. People that don’t suffer from adhesive mattress syndrome, have no issue with atrocious weather conditions, don’t mind getting stuck in when their help is needed and willing to impart acquired knowledge to help you along the way.

When you want to talk, you can talk. When you want to have some ‘me’ time, no one bothers you. It’s an unwritten rule, there are many. It’s different being out on the hills: for me it has a calming influence in a stress free environment. So many beautiful places on my doorstep that I’d never have seen but for the fortune of putting on a pair of boots. The place names, the local history, the wildlife and vegetation; all discovered and learnt about by accident.

It’s not all serene though. The craic, banter, slagging that goes on is mighty. There are those that would say that telling someone, who is struggling on a walk, that “We’re about halfway” when they ask “Is there far more to go?” might be mental torture, especially when 90% of the walk is done. But, it’s part of the ‘rise’ and you have to have a sense of humour at this game. Another favourite of a fellow walker is feigning snoring while directly behind someone that is struggling on the climbs. We laugh, and the misfortunate that’s at the receiving end does too; in time.

       

I struggled to find my pace for a long time. I suppose we do this in life’s pace also. Going off too fast and then feeling the pressure on the climbs. The food was important, the amount of water was important, the boots, the gear, the poles, what was in the rucksack (and what wasn’t); it all mattered in the quest for improvement. But it didn’t matter, in a way, because you’d get it right next time. There’s no All Ireland or Olympics to aim for. You walk and learn.    

I’ve learned how to read a map and use a compass. I have an app on my phone that can tell me where I am, if I go astray. If you’re fit enough you’ll stay calm. This gives me the confidence to walk alone on the three local ranges, because if the mood hits I have to go out.  

The walks have now progressed to be of a more strenuous nature. As another walker said at the weekend “We’re in training. But for what?” We don’t know, but we enjoy it so much there doesn’t have to be a target in sight.

This stuff just makes us happy!!

    

DIY Challenge Walks

There are no shortage of Challenge Walks in the Country. There’s something for everyone in the walking calendar, depending on your level of fitness and ability.

As a relative newcomer to the hill walking game it’s hard to decide on which ones to do, especially when your mountain skills knowledge is pretty basic. You tend to rely on others to walk with or, in some cases, a good clear day.    

As I live in the ‘middle’ of the Galtee, Knockmealdown and Comeragh ranges I’m more familiar with these mountains, as club walks tend to focus on these three. I’m cool with that as there’s plenty of walking on all of them, you can make the route as easy or hard as you like.

What I’m trying to do is create challenge walks out of the ranges that are close to me, leaving aside the ones that are already on the Challenge calendar. You can then gauge whether the ‘hard’ ones are within your fitness/ability and how long they should take you.   

In a previous post I wrote about doing the 4 local peaks (Fauscoum, Slievenamon, Galtymore & Knockmealdown) in the one day. On the 27th of April it was the turn of the ‘Glencush Horseshoe’ (in reverse), with a twist.

The distance for this walk is 14 kms and the height gain is 1,100m. The route starts at Clydagh Bridge and takes in Knocknanuss, Slievecushnabinnia, Galtymore, Galtybeg and back to Clydagh over Cush. The challenge for me was to do the route twice.

It felt a bit odd walking those mountains twice in the one day but there was no rain, the wind wasn’t too bad and the mist had lifted the second time round so the views were better. How bad?

If any reader has DIY challenge route suggestion or has done any themselves in and around these three mountain ranges, please post below.

Pico del Inglés - Taganana, Vilaflor - Guarjara, and Teide

Another three days of excellent walking in Tenerife, last week. This time I had the pleasure of the company of two strong walkers from Peaks Mountaineering Club in Clonmel.

Tuesday

La Quebrada - Pico del Inglés - Taborno - Afur - Taganana (via Casa Forestal)

Distance - 21.5kms
Climbing  - 2,242m
Duration - 6 hours 49 minutes
Moving time - 5 hours 37 minutes.

We got a local bus from Santa Cruz towards Valle Seco and the turning point for the bus, at the end of the route, is where there is a sign for the walk start at La Quebrada.

A beautiful walk on well marked footpaths. It was overcast and a bit windy but there was plenty of cover from the vegetation. As a fellow walker described it "It's like walking in the Botanical Gardens for five and a half hours."

Aqueduct bridge near La Quebrada 

Afur

Taganana

Wednesday

Vilaflor - Degollada de Guarjara - Summit of Guarjara - Degollada de Ucanca - Valle de Ucanca - Vilaflor

Distance - 23.4kms
Climbing - 1,833m
Duration - 7 hours 55 minutes
Moving time - 6 hours 10 minutes.

The best day we had weather-wise. A good number of walks start/finish in Vilaflor at 1,465m and the paths and scenery are excellent. The summit of Guarjara stands at 2,715m and has breathtaking views of Teide National Park and surrounding peaks. The descent from Guarjara to Degollada de Ucanca was tricky enough but other than that a good safe hike.

En route to Guarjara

Arenas Negras

Teide, Montana Blanca, Pico Viejo (from Degollada de Guarjara)

Friday

Montaña Blanca car park - Pico del Teide - Los Charcos - Torre Blanco - Parador. [Used Senderos 7, 10, 12, 9, 23 (short scramble from Sendero 3 over Roques de García to pick up Sendero 23 again)]

Distance - 19.8kms
Climbing - 1,704m
Duration - 9 hours 14 minutes
Moving time - 6 hours 32 minutes.

By far the most difficult walk/climb I have encountered to date. Our average speed was a kilometre per hour slower than normal. The sole reason for this was the snow/ice when we got above 3,200m. Crampons would have helped.

The Teleferico Station was deserted and there was no need to show our permits and passports. I found the final 163m scramble to the summit difficult as I was virtually crawling. We met two other climbers on their descent and they were the last walkers we met until we got to the Sendero 23 side of Torre Blanco that evening.

It was equally as difficult on the descent. I'd say that this is a handy enough walk/climb without the snow and ice. We'll just have to do it again another time.

Even though it was difficult, it was the most enjoyable days walking to date. We all took a tumble and got bangs and bruises. We also learnt a painful lesson on snow blindness. You walk and learn.

Terrain near Refugio Altavista

Teide Summit

Pico Viejo Crater

(Rough) Sendero Guide

PS: If you want to do a long walk on Teide the bus service isn't great, the last bus leaves at 16:00. They don't accept the Bono Via card on this route. Also, there are no taxis based in Parador so one would have to bone up from Vilaflor to bring you back down south.

Fauscoum, Slievenamon, Galtymore & Knockmealdown

I've been hill walking now for just over six months and recently had a notion that I'd like to try and climb these four peaks in the one day ie touch the Trig stones or Cairns on each. I wasn't sure about how long it would take and only mentioned it to my daughter. Her response was "You're crazy!!".

I set off to do climb Fauscoum from Kilclooney Wood at 07:30 yesterday morning and was back at the car at 09:25. Headed over to Slievenamon and was walking at 10:00 and was back down at 11:15.

I was on the Black Road at 12:15, after having a bite to eat, and made it back down to the car from Galtymore at 14:35. Left the car at The Vee at 15:00 to head up Sugarloaf via the Grubb monument for Knockmealdown and was back down at 17:40.

I don't have a GPS so I'm not sure what distance or height gain was involved. Judging by the way I felt at the finish and a very rough guess from the map, I'd say it must have been about 2,200m ascent. The weather was great on the first three climbs but cold, windy and foggy on the Knockmealdowns.

Update 13th March 2013 - A club member informs me that the height gain on this challenge is 2,339m (approx)  and distance is 28.5km.

Walks in West and North of Tenerife

I’ve been over and back to Tenerife for the last 10 years and I’ve never ventured far from the usual haunts. Last month I walked up through the ‘middle’ of the island and I went back last week to do some walking in the North and West of the island.    

It blew me away. The walks were well marked, the weather was great, the public transport was very good and the scenery was fantastic.

Tuesday

Garachico to San José de Los Llanos to Erjos - This was an early start for me as I had to get 3 buses to reach Garachico. You’re climbing for 3/4 hours and there was a bit of frost on the ground near La Montañeta. I missed a marker near Arenas Negras and was a bit lost for 10 minutes but I traced my way back to the previous marker. The book walk was to San José de Los Llanos but I decided to walk to extra 4kms to Erjos as the Icod/Adeje bus passes through it.

21kms
Start 08:08 Finish 13:26
1,400m Ascending
400m Descending

Garachico

Arenas Negras

                                                     
Wednesday

Santiago del Teide to Erjos (via Montana del Estrecho) to Masca - Got the same bus from Adeje to Santiago as previous day and the first part of the walk is in a horseshoe out near Chinyero. Much of the walk from Erjos towards Las Portelas is on a forest track but when it opens up, boy!! is it worth it. Final destination was Masca, which *is* as beautiful as they say.  

30kms
Start 08:37 Finish 14:35
975m Ascending
1,165m Descending 

Erjos

On Route to Masca

Thursday

Punta del Hidalgo (via El Batán) to Cruz del Carmen (via Chinamada) to Punta del Hidalgo - In the walk book I had, both of these walks started in Cruz del Carmen (highest point). Finding the start was tricky from the bus, and I was fortunate to see the marker. I found the 12km up via El Batán tough going in the heat but was glad I did both walks in a loop. It’s always worth it when you get to the ‘top’.
 
22Kms
Start 09:11 Finish 15:20
1,250m Ascending
1,250m Descending

El Batán

From Cruz del Carmen

Saturday

Iguesta de San Andrés to Chamorga to Faro de Anaga to Almáciga - This was the most eventful walk. I met lots of other walkers, probably because it was a Saturday and the natives were out in force. Also met three lads carrying bags of cement and other building/repair materials in relay along the coastal walk, not far from El Draguillo. I didn’t see any ‘warning’ sign at Faro de Anaga that the coastal path was officially closed but it seemed a tad overgrown and there was good bit of rock debris. Beautiful walk though.

25Kms
Start 09:15 Finish 15:15
1,165m Ascending
1,225m Descending   

Faro de Anaga

Roque de las Bodegas

NB : The times will depend on your own pace but I was walking at a very brisk pace.

GR 131 - Arona to La Esperanza

Last week I travelled to Tenerife with the intention of doing 3 stages of the GR131 and another walk in the West of the island. The plan was to do Arona - Vilaflor and Vilaflor - El Portillo on the GR131 and Santiago del Teide - Buenavista del Norte (via Masca).

It didn’t work out that way. I decided to start in Vilaflor on Tuesday and head for El Portillo. This route would take in 2 stages of the GR131 by bypassing the 3.7km walk to/from Parador after dropping down from Degollada de Guajara.

I was sitting on the steps outside the visitors centre in El Portillo at 12:05. The bus wasn’t due until 15:15 so I decided to continue on to La Caldera.

As I had taken a big chunk out of the middle section of the GR131 on Tuesday I decided at that stage that I would just finish it on the remaining two days for walking. So, on Thursday, I again started in Vilaflor and walked ‘down’ to Arona and on Saturday I travelled to La Caldera to walk ‘up’ to La Esperanza.

The entire route is very well marked but I did stray from the track on 3 occasions. On two occasions I was about 50m/100m away from a marker and on one occasion I got totally distracted and ended up on the TF24 (about 14km from La Esperanza) and had to drop back down to the path. I did have Paddy Dillon’s book with me and found it very useful for additional information/markers.

I absolutely loved this walk. On one occasion (between Parador and El Portillo) I had to put on my gloves but, other than that the weather was great.

Bus starts from Los Cristianos (base) were 5:50 X 2 (to Vilaflor) and 6:10 (to La Caldera). Three different buses were required to get from La Caldera to Los Cristianos (& vice versa) and from La Esperanza to Los Cristianos. Travel times on buses, for longer journeys, were 2 to 2.5 hours.

Tuesday - 40km in 8 hours 15 minutes

Thursday - 20km in 3 hours 45 minutes

Saturday - 30km in 6 hours

Pace - Very Brisk ;-)

Blogger Interview - @seanie_fitz

What is the best business/investment decision you ever made?

Selling a heap of my Anglo shares in 2006 and investing in an oil rig in Africa

What kind of car do you drive?

Have 3 – sporty 2 seater Merc (that was a mid life crisis thing), gas guzzling 3.5lt Range Rover (perfect for nipping down to the club for a quick 18) and of course my club car in Greystones G.C.

What is the worst financial advice that you ever received?

Being begged by the board to take the position of Chairman at Anglo, only for that I’d have had a clean pair of heels away from the place

Do you own property abroad?

Of course I do, who of us in this country doesn’t

How does the economic slowdown effect you?

Well where can we start on that one, I could talk all day on that very subject. Lets just say the I’m lucky to be married to a woman who is a millionaire in her own right (none of it of my doing)

Do you contribute to a pension plan?

Not anymore, am now a pensioner

What's your favourite film of all time?

Wall Street

Have you ever won money?

Silly question that – mainly a winner in my casino in Macau! Never won anything at the Galway races funnily enough, being in that tent always cost me a few bob

Do you own your own home?

Sadly not, my half has passed into state ownership, but the good taxpayers of Ireland allow me to stay there free of charge.

Do you invest directly in the stock market, through funds or both?
Unfortunately I’m now precluded from making any financial decisions without the sayso of a pen pusher in the High Court

What financial product/s do you consider to be bad value for money?

Anything that’s not protected from the State getting its hands on it under bankruptcy law

Do you trust your bank?

When I ran my own bank I trusted it 110%, but that’s dropped to about 100% now.


You can follow the musings of this ready dupe and charlatan of a demagogue on Twitter @seanie_fitz

A World Cup of Economics

Guest Blog Post by Ronan Lyons

We all know the 2010 World Cup is on and at this stage we're down to the last sixteen. But what would a World Cup of economics look like? How would the sixteen countries that are left fare, if they were competing on economic factors, not football ones? Below is the Last 16 with a twist... each match is decided by a country's economic defence, midfield and attack.

Defence is getting the basics right, the platform for the rest of the performance. In economic terms, that's inflation. A quick review of economic history will show that in a world with fiat currencies, getting inflation down to a steady 2% or thereabouts is the equivalent of having a world-class defence. Too far above that and you're essentially giving things away for free. Too much below that and you start stifle yourself.

Midfield is the engine and a good economy, like a good football team, needs balance: enough both going forward and getting back. In economics, that means looking at a country's current account balance. This is essentially a measure of how much a country is in balance and living within its means. A large current account deficit is a big warning sign that an economy is unbalanced.

Attack is all about going forward. Economically, going forward means looking at a country's growth prospects. The higher GDP growth, the greater a sense of opportunity and adventure an economy has. To measure the strength of a country's attack, IMF estimates of GDP growth over the period 2008-2015 have been used. For the inflation rate and the current account balance, the same source and time period are used. And with that out of the way, let the games begin...

1. Uruguay vs. South Korea
In defence, this is no contest really. The Uruguayans still suffer from relatively high inflation (averaging 6% over coming years), while the Koreans at 3.2% are much closer to the "dream rate" of 2%. In midfield, While the Uruguayans are quite close to having a balanced account, the South Koreans have a very desirable current account balance, the average balance for 2008-2015 being just over 2%.

It's only up front where the Uruguayans start to shine. From 2000 to 2007, the Koreans grew three times as fast, but out to 2015 the Uruguayan economy is expected to grow by 4.6% on average, compared to a still very respectable 3.5% average growth in Korea.

Result: A strong attack is not enough for Uruguay. 3-1 to Korea.

2. USA vs. Ghana
The Americans have a strong advantage in defence, with Ghana still grappling with double-digit inflation while the US is expected to have the dream rate 2% on average. Neither midfield is up to much, to be honest. Both countries have large current account deficits - an average of 3.6% in the US and 8.8% in Ghana, so the edge goes to the US.

Up front, however, Ghana have by far the best attack in the competition. Average growth in Ghana is expected to top 7% over 2008-2015, compared to less than 2% in the US.

Result: Weak at the back, delightful up front, Ghana go out in style. USA win 3-2.

3. Argentina vs. Mexico
At the back, perhaps it's Mexico's membership of NAFTA but it looks to be in a different league. Inflation rates in Mexico of 4% are far better than the 9% or more predicted for Argentina.

In the middle of the park, Argentina have the edge, though, with a surplus of 2% compared to a small deficit in Mexico. Up front, things are tighter but again Argentina has the slight edge. It is expected to grow by an average of 3.3%, compared to 2.8% for Mexico.

Result: A very tight game, with Argentina's midfield and attack eventually unlocking Mexico's defence. 2-1 after extra time to Argentina.

4. Germany vs. England
Two teams that give practically nothing away at the back. England, with inflation at just 2.2%, are top drawer, but Germany, averaging 1.4%, take it to a different level. With defence like that, it's probably not a surprise that neither sets the world alight with their attack. England have the slight edge, with growth prospects of 1.3%, a little bit above Germany's 0.8%.

Therefore, this is a match that's decided by the midfield battle - and, in the middle of the park, it's not really much of a contest. England have a small deficit, 1.5%, which just can't match Germany's huge surplus of 5%.

Result: Not particular exciting. 0-0, with Germany winning on penalties.

5. Netherlands vs. Slovakia
Netherlands are almost a carbon copy of Germany, with a very tight defence (inflation of just 1.4%), world-beating midfield (surplus of 5.2%) and a relatively dull attack (growth of just 1%).

All this makes it tough for a Slovakian side with a solid defence (2.4%) and great attack (growth of 3.4%) but a soft middle (deficit of 2.8%). Nonetheless, the rate at which Slovakia is improving, plus the paucity of the Dutch going forward, means a shock may just be on the cards.

Result: One for the underdog - 1-1 after 90 minutes, and in extra time the Slovaks sneak a winner.

6. Brazil vs. Chile
Easily the most entertaining for the neutral. Here are two sides with cavalier defences (average inflation of 4.8% and 3.4%) and very potent attacks (both are expecting growth to average 3.9%), meaning lots of goals. This is probably helped in the middle of park by relatively weak midfields, with both countries facing a current account deficit (2.8% for Brazil, 1.6% for Chile).

In each of the three areas, though, Chile has the slight advantage, while add up to prove decisive.

Result: Great fun to watch, and Chile just about have the edge. 4-3 after extra time.

7. Paraguay vs. Japan
Two very different teams again. At the back, Japan are so tight as to be stifling themselves, let alone the opposition (0% inflation). As a result, they don't have much up front (growth of 0.6%), even if they're solid enough in the middle (surplus of 2.4%).

Facing them are Paraguay, a typically Latin American side with weak defence (inflation of 4.1%) but a very strong attack (3.9%) and a midfield that's not too shabby (a 1% deficit).

Result: Against a team happy to pass to themselves at the back for 90 minutes, Paraguay have to take their chances - but once they take their lead, Japan can't recover. 1-0.

8. Portugal vs. Spain
The Iberian clash features two very similar economies. Both with defences that are getting better - inflation of 1.3% and 1.5% respectively - and attacks that are getting worse (growth set to slow to 0.4% and 0.6%). Both also with hopeless midfields, thanks to large current account deficits.

Nonetheless, that said, Spain has the edge in all three departments.

Result: Probably the dullest of the fixtures. 1-0 to Spain.

Which leaves the quarter-final line-up looking like:
Slovakia vs. Chile, the winners of whom play the winners of...
S. Korea vs. USA

Germany vs. Argentina, the winners of whom play the winners of...
Paraguay vs. Spain

Guest Blog Post by Ronan Lyons

'Personal' Financial Review of 2009

Highs

* Brendan Investments - Pan-European Property Plc. Fund - Small investment in December 2007 - Very happy with it's progress, relative to its peers, and the management are doing a very good job. It is a fund that I would expect to do very well.
* Switched an under-performing pension fund from one provider to another as part of a re-balancing of asset allocation. Increase in value of 35% since February 2009 through a combination of investments in Earth Resources, European Equity, Asia Pacific Equity and Gold Funds.
* Took a 50% stake in 3 small commercial property units in 2006, near Helsinki Airport, and all units continue to be occupied, so I am happy about that.
* Had no exposure to Irish Banks Shares.

Lows

* A fairly hefty reduction in my income level, but this was expected due to the changes in my business model and recessionary factors.
* Nominal value of 50% share in apartment in Tenerife (purchased in 2000) is obviously down but I have no intention of putting it on the market anytime soon, as family and friends make good use of it.
* Had to dip into savings but was fortunate enough to put something by for the 'rainy days/years'. "Without savings, there is no future."
* The amount of judgements against Banks etc., highlighted in the Financial Services Ombudsman's Reports, for misselling financial products.
* The 'fall off a cliff' service levels from some Life & Pension providers.

Outlook 2010

* Clients will continue to regularly invest in a well diversified portfolios of low-cost unit linked funds, both managed and index-tracking. Personally, will not be making any investments in property but I would not deter clients from investing in some sort of diversified 'liquid' global property funds.
* Continue to offer value to my customers by relying on a fraction of income that other need to operate profitably.
* Funds I like - GARS and Global REIT from Standard Life. Diversified Asset, Earth Resources and Cautiously Managed from Zurich. But, you should buy these from a Discount Broker, so as to reduce costs.

www.investandsave.ie

www.bond.ie

www.prsa.ie

Changes In Tenerife

For the past seven years I have been travelling to Los Cristianos, on a regular basis, for family holidays and weekly breaks. In that time, much had changed on the Island; but the climate is still the number one attraction as far as I am concerned.

The airline service to Tenerife has improved dramatically and you no longer have to rely on purchasing a 'seat-only' from one of the tour operators. Ryanair have a regular service from Dublin and Shannon and Aer Lingus fly from Dublin; and from Cork for 5/6 months of the Island's 'peak season'. I would consider a 4 hour return flight, at a cost of €125, to be pretty good value for money. Of course, this is probably at the lower end of the cost scale and at times it can rise to about double that, depending on timing.

I was there last week and the Island is very quiet. Even allowing for the fact that the Summer months would not be considered the busiest time of the year, there was a genuine lack of buzz around the place. As the kids in the UK have not got their school holidays yet, this may have contributed to the scarcity of people. On average there are usually about 25 beds out around the pool area where I stay; 12/14 was the most that were there this time.

Some other negatives would be : UK retirees that had their pensions paid to them while living in Tenerife are finding that the money is not stretching as far as it used to due to the current exchange rate (some have even returned to the UK). The young people that worked in the clubs and bars are returning to the UK as many have been let go and I believe that they are entitled to little or nothing in the form of social welfare in Tenerife. Taxi fares have increased, what I used to pay €2.75 for two years ago has now gone up to €3.75. There are lots more of Se Alquila and Se Vende (for rent/ sale) signs up around the place for shops and apartments; and it is very difficult to sell a property at the moment. My local Chinese restaurant manager told me that he was doing very little take-away business.

On the positive side : It's still Duty Free, even though it is in the EU. Medication and Prescription Drugs are a fraction of the cost that we have to pay here. Finnish has been added to some of the menus in the restaurants that I frequent (more holiday makers from Finland, I presume). The Local Police are now patrolling the promenade on their 'electric' motor cycles. There is little or no new development of accommodation complexes in Los Cristianos.

So, if you like the climate there; can arrange your flight for around €125; don't mind that there are less people around; are fond of walking; want to buy a reasonably priced apartment; are a smoker and/or a spirit drinker or are on some form of medication, it's not a bad stomping ground at the current moment in time.

'Two Ideas of Government'

There was alot of talk about 'Democracy' in the Dáil Éireann yesterday. It reminded me of part of a speech made by US Presidential Candidate William Jennings Bryan on the 9th of July 1896 :

"Mr. Carlisle {Secretary of the Treasury} said in 1878 that this was a struggle between the idle holders of idle capital and the struggling masses who produce the wealth and pay the taxes of the country; and my friends, it is simply a question that we shall decide upon which side shall the Democratic Party fight. Upon the side of the idle holders of idle capital, or upon the side of the struggling masses? That is the question that the party must answer first; and then it must be answered by each individual hereafter. The sympathies of the Democratic Party, as described by the platform, are on the side of the struggling masses, who have ever been the foundation of the Democratic Party.

There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up and through every class that rests upon it."

Which 'idea' are you weighted in favour of?

Twitter - Two Months On

I would consider myself to be on the lower end of the Twitter knowledge curve having created an account just two months ago. The following are some of the observations that I have made to date.

...for personal use

* Twitter is a great 'leveler'; like Texas Hold'em. You sit down with strangers and you can't predict an outcome.
* Twitter helps you mix with communicators that are better than you. This helps to lift you up a notch or two.
* It brings out the willingness in people to be helpful.
* If you are an information junkie, you're made.
* If you have addictive tendencies; you might be in trouble using Twitter.
* Fear of what to update focuses the mind, but may inhibit the content.
* Strong personalities shine through.
* Selecting people to follow, at random, is not a good idea.

...for business use

* Twitter for business should be like subliminal self-promotion. The 'in-your-face' repetitive promotion is a no-no.
* The greater the number of people that know you exist; and what business you are in, can't be a bad thing.
* The Development of a Twitter business 'relationship' has to be gradual.
* The personality behind the business usually comes to the fore.
* Twitter provides you with an opportunity to be 'busy being busy' as opposed to 'busy being productive'.


If you are also a novice to Twitter, I would be interested in your own thoughts on it. Or, if you disagree with any of the above, leave a comment.

School Songs Nostalgia

I was thinking back, over the weekend, to my days spent in the Boys National School in Ballyporeen and in particular to the songs that we used to learn in 5th and 6th Class.

Bearing in mind that this was about 34 years ago, I was curious as to whether they were common to all primary schools at that time or whether they were more influenced by the teacher that we had?

The most memorable one was a song about 'Ballyporeen' and this was written by a relative of mine, Fr. Ned Sheehy, who was sent to the US as part of his work. Obviously, this one was specific to the area.

There is a spot that I adore
It lies not far from Galteemore,
It nestles in a valley grand
A beauty spot in Ireland.

They talk about their deep blue skies
Of scenes of beauty and sunrise,
In other lands but have you seen
The country round old Ballyporeen.....

Others would have included the following:

God Save Ireland

High upon the gallows tree swung the noble-hearted three.
By the vengeful tyrant stricken in their bloom;
But they met him face to face, with the courage of their race,
And they went with souls undaunted to their doom.....

Hail, Glorious St. Patrick

Hail, glorious Saint Patrick, dear saint of our Isle,
On us thy poor children bestow a sweet smile;
And now thou art high in the mansions above,
On Erin's green valleys look down in thy love.....

The Rising of The Moon

O then, tell me Sean O'Farrell, tell me why you hurry so?
"Hush a bhuachaill, hush and listen", and his cheeks were all aglow,
"I bear orders from the captain:- get you ready quick and soon
For the pikes must be together at the rising of the moon"...

I must admit that I am struggling with the following one and the words may not be right or spelt correctly. I can't find any reference to this particular 'song'.

An Leipreachán

Ar mo thaisteal dom aon oíche amháin
Ag gabháil liom síos tre gleann
Cé ciafinn úim ach leipreachán
Is é faoi scáth na gcrann....

Does anyone know if the songs were left to the discretion of the teacher?

Elevator Pitch

I have been trying to come up with a suitable 'elevator pitch' for www.prsa.ie.

This website offers low-cost pension products to those that are have a good understanding of their pension needs and are comfortable choosing products and investment funds.

An 'elevator pitch' is a general overview of of a service, that you could 'pitch' to someone else, during the course of a short 'elevator' ride.

This is what I have come up with so far.

Imagine, for a moment, that you just about to retire. You've saved hard for most of your working life so that you can relax from now on. You are dreaming of white sandy beaches and endless days of sunshine.

All of a sudden, your dream is smashed by the realisation that it is your pension advisor that is lying on the beach, in the place where you should be. How do you feel?

You can prevent this nightmare. By taking a more proactive role in your retirement planning, you can reduce charges and enhance your retirement fund. For details, visit www.prsa.ie.

.

I would be grateful for any comments on how you think I could improve this.

Changes to third paragraph.

First Attempt : You can prevent this.

How? By taking a more proactive role in how you save for your retirement. Spend Time and Save Money.

That is what www.prsa.ie is all about.


Second Attempt : www.prsa.ie can help you prevent this nightmare, by taking a more proactive role in your retirement planning; thus reducing charges and enhancing your pension fund.

The 'Hunger' for Money!

I was reminded recently of an episode that took place in my life when I was about 11 years of age. I'm a bit fuzzy on the exact details but I put a 10p coin in my mouth and I accidentally swallowed it.

I can't remember the dimensions of the coin but it was no mean feat to swallow one of these, without choking. For some strange reason I decided no to tell anyone. After a few hours had passed my mother became a tad suspicious as she could obviously see that there was something bothering me. Later in the evening I eventually cracked and told my parents what had happened.

I was brought to the local GP and he advised that I should go to the hospital and get an X-ray done. This we did, and they decided that they should keep me in for a few days. They wanted to see if I would 'pass' the coin through the digestive system but they were also concerned about the possibility of the coin getting stuck somewhere along the way.

After a week in hospital there was no sign of the coin. The nurses had a good laugh at my expense, as they used to come in every day and ask if there was "Any change?". Another X-ray was done and they confirmed that the coin was stuck. They then decided to operate as they were fearful of the internal damage that the acid in the stomach would do to the coin if it was left in there any longer.

The surgeon duly operated to recover the coin. I did wonder, later, why he had to make the hole so big, as the scar is about five inches in length. It is not something that would enter your mind at that age but the coin could have been no more than an inch in diameter.

Following another week recovering in the hospital I was allowed to go home. Before I left the hospital the surgeon came in with the coin, black from the acid, and asked if I wanted it. I said "Yes" and his reply was "I think I should keep it because I found it". The last thing I needed was to start laughing with a belly full of stitches.

Quotes I Read

Since January 2006 I have been putting quotes that I have read in the organiser part of my mobile phone. Here are a selected few. Have a read through them and see if there are any that have any meaning for you.


"When you are arguing with a fool, make sure he/she isn't doing the same thing."

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." - W.Churchill

"In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life : It Goes On".

"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind."

"The best way to develop self esteem (in kids) is to teach them how to think."


"The only way we can measure the significance of our own lives is by the value we put on others."

"People use the word Guru only because the word charlatan is too long." - P.Drucker

"The devil rides the back of those who are certain."

"The strongest predicator of life expectancy in a man - greater than diet, lifestyle or income - is whether he likes his job."

"A premium customer is willing to spend money in order to save time, while a discount customer is willing to spend time in order to save money."

"You can't force things to happen. You just have to figure out what's going to happen and be standing there when it does."

"Women avoid anger or confrontation like men avoid an emotion."

"You can only be as happy as your saddest child."

I cannot recall the authors of each one, but most of them are somewhere in the books - 'Manhood' by Steve Biddulph, 'The Female Brain' by Louannn Brizendine and 'The Long Tail' by Chris Anderson

"What's a pension?"

During a recent 'tucking in' routine, my daughter who was in senior infants, enquired about the exact nature of what I did 'at work'. "I know you help people by telling them what to do with their money, but how do you do that?

The reason the question was raised was because some of her friends were talking about what their Dads did at work. She had the basics of the answer but she was unsure as to how she could explain it to her friends.

Her sister had already gone to sleep, as she was bushed. Another busy day walking around in her Moms high heel shoes, carrying those over-sized handbags, pushing 'Baby Born' around in an undersized buggy while talking on a plastic mobile phone.

The 'thinker' was just lying there on the bunk retracing the events of the day and trying to reconcile things in her mind. So we had our little chat about the type of stuff that I do during the day and I happened to mention the word 'pension'.

"What's a pension?", she asked. "It's something that you pay money into, when you are working, so that when you stop working you can take money out of it to help you pay the bills." "Oh! So when my teacher left work to have her baby, she can get the money from her pension?" "Not quiet!"

Needless to say, the conversation went on for longer than anticipated. It ended when she had all the information reconciled in her head. She could now go to sleep, safe in the knowledge that if she needed to draw on this information at a later date, she could do so.

I love these little chats with her.

Blogger Interview - Gerard Sheehy

I am having a little difficulty in deciding what to write under the 'Social & Personal' label. What I mean is, what can I write under this heading that would be on any interest to someone else that does not know me from Adam?.

Some of the print media carry interviews, with people we have heard of, about their business and finances. I guess that these interviews must be popular with readers, as otherwise they would have been consigned to the scrapheap a long time ago.

What I will attempt to do here is interview someone, you have not heard of, with questions that come to mind at random. If you want to aske me another question that does not require an 'advisory' answer, please feel free to do so.



What was the best business decision you made? Its a toss up between deciding to work for myself and exiting the General Insurance business.

Have you ever lost money investing? Lost a lot (to me) of money investing directly in shares. Just didn't do the research. An expensive lesson but learnt my lesson.

Do you own property abroad? Yes. I purchased an apartment 'off-plan' in Tenerife in 1999 with a friend of mine and our friends and families use it constantly. I also have a 50% share in some small commercial units near Helsinki airport ( I should add, that the bank will 'own' these for a good number of years to come).

What 'Business Model' do you aspire to? It has to be the 'Low-Cost' one. Keep the overheads down so that you can pass the savings back to the consumer.

What did you do with your SSIA money? Reinvested it in unit-linked funds and continued to add to it monthly since.

What car do you drive? A VW Golf.

Do you own your own home? No! The bank, my wife and I co-own it.

How does the economic slowdown effect you? Much the same as everyone else. A limited supply of money with an increasing demand on it. The market for investment products has slowed down along with the steady requests for mortgage related life insurance. The pension and PRSA business is holding its own.

Do you have a Pension, Life Insurance, Income Protection, and Health Insurance? Yes, I have all of them.

What's your favourite movie? It depends on the mood. My Cousin Vinny / The Shawshank Redemption / Rabbit Proof Fence / Not One Less

Have you ever won money? One of my 'vices' is having a few bets on the horses. On occasion I have been on the winning side but on the laws of average I will loose 25% of what I wager. This might seem like a mad exercise for someone in my business but there is a whole social dynamic involved in the experience and the sums wagered are minute. I did win €75 a few weeks ago on a prize bond I forgot I had.

"Mei guan xi" (It's Okay")

The night before last my youngest daughter asked if she could watch the DVD of 'Aladdin'. I hesitated at first and then proceeded to the cabinet where the DVDs are stored. Whilst there, I came across one that I had ordered from the US some time ago, but never got to view it as the player was incompatible. I had forgotten that it was there and it never dawned on me since to try it on the PC.

So, I began to play it and I told my daughter that I would put on 'Alladin' when I had finished having a quick look at this forgotten one. The musical introduction attracted her attention and she wanted to take a look also. I was dubious about this as I was unsure about the content and whether it was suitable for her young eyes and ears. I told her to come back in in five minutes and maybe we would watch it together, if it was okay.

Two minutes later she is back (she is too young to tell the time) and recognises the people on the screen as being from China, a place that she has heard alot about. There were some references to abortion, abandonment and killing/infanticide at the beginning and I knew that if they came up again she would not ask the meanings. If she did, she knows that some stuff is not for kids and would accept the “I will tell you when you are a little older” answer. Her sister, who is 27 months older, would push it a bit further.

The National Geographic documentary follows a group of Americans as they embark on a journey to China to meet the newest members of their families. One of the couples are bringing their daughter with them, and the camera gives them alot of attention. For us, this is very significant.

We watch it in relative silence until we come to what's referred to as 'Gotcha Day!'. The building that they are entering is very familiar to me, not the room that they are in, but some other room nearby. This is the building where these folks will meet the newest additions to their families.

The meetings are very emotional as foster mothers place their cares in the arms of the new Moms and Dads. My daughter can feel that I am holding back the tears and decides that a dialogue is in order, “It's okay” she said and rubbed my face, she's 5 in a couple of months. “Did my sister hug me like that when she met me in China?”, she sees the reaction of the little girl that is back in China for the first time since she was adopted (her sisters story is identical). “Yes she did, and you were crying like those babies too.” “Are those the 'Nannys' holding the babies?” “Yes.”

These are some more of the little pieces of her life jig-saw. She knows where we all first met and who was there. She knows that she was very scared but still loves to hear the finer details of the meeting and about what her new Mom, Dad and sister did and said. We never got to say thanks to her 'Nanny' who looked after her for the first 11 months of her life. All we know at this stage is that she has a Claddagh ring and a picture of where her foster child was going to live.

I am sure that when the girls are older we will travel back and try to fill in some more pieces that are missing from their past. We are unsure as to how difficult this may be, especially in relation to the biological Moms and Dads. I can only guess that it may be both moving and painful to retrace those early months.

Not flesh of my flesh,
nor bone of my bone,
but still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single
minute, you didn't grow
under my heart - but in it.
*Fleur Heylinger

Feedback

I would like to thank Marie Boran for her constructive comments that were printed today, in the Independent and on SiliconRepublic.com (link provided in ‘press coverage’ below)

As with any new venture, which this blog is, it is invaluable to get feedback from all potential readers so that you gain a better understanding of whether you are hitting the mark or not.

The main aim is to help consumers with gaining a better understanding of pension and investment products so that they choose correctly when the time is right, a type of self-empowerment so to speak.

So, as I had already dispensed with the tie (which I always regarded as being for someone else’s comfort) I will now un-tuck the shirt and see what happens.

I’m not so sure I am ready to wear the sandals ‘to work’ yet, though.