The Arrival of the Bee Box is an extended metaphor that offers many interesting, provocative interpretations. The box can be seen as the poet’s work, her attempt to put order to chaos; the bees are her thoughts or, more specifically, her tormented mind. The box’s purpose is to contain its contents; without the latter the former is redundant – hence the tragic paradox of Plath’s life. What’s more disturbing is that the speaker has only herself to blame:     “I ordered this, this clean wood box”. Why, one should ask, would anyone will this? There’s clearly a compulsion at work: “I have to live with it overnignt/ And I can’t keep away from it.” The difficulty a reader may have is to understand why Plath invites this torment or perhaps we could ask why she is unable to resist it. What’s certainly evident in the poem is the terrifying notion that our mind is our enemy, that we carry around with us, inside in us, the very thing that threatens to destroy us. Her attempts to understand the contents of the box – her mind – are necessarily influenced by the box itself. It is bizarre and disturbing: “Square as a chair and almost too heavy to lift.” The task of understanding is itself unsettling; after all, “The box is locked, it is dangerous.” Again we see the paradox: trying to understand can mean further harm being caused. Maybe it’s better to leave the bees alone, even though letting them out might allow for some relief? The curiousity is part of the problem; the poet is impressed and intrigued by that which disturbs her; the imagery she conjures is infectious: “It is like a Roman mob/ Small taken one by one, but my god,...

Excessive sugar Excessive sugar can cause obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease. Kids will tend to eat what they’re given especially in school which tends to be lots of sugar. Sedentary lifestyles are a problem too. We watch too much TV (because we’ve eaten too much sugar) and don’t get enough exercise (because excessive sugar has sapped our energy!) Brutal history of sugar and the Cult of Sugar Sugar cane was first farmed about 10,000 years ago in New Guinea. It was thought to be a kind of elixir, a cure for every ill. Some New Guinea myths depicted the sugar cane as the mother of the human race. Sugar refinement became a highly skilled art practiced by masters and taught to apprentices. When Arab armies invaded Persia they adopted the art and it spread: “Sugar followed the Koran.” Sugar was worshipped. The work involved was brutal and captured enemy slaves were put to work in the fields and mills. It is possible that we Europeans first discovered sugar during the Crusades. In the beginning only rich Europeans ate it; it was considered a delicacy much like caviar today. The explorations and discoveries we learn about in school today were motivated by producing sugar cane and finding colonies to grow it with a readily available slave population. Henry the Navigator and Columbus brought cane to newly discovered lands. The age of Big Sugar had dawned. Slave revolts in Hispaniola were linked to the sugar trade; Portugal used Brazilian slave labour to produce sugar –  and profits. Greater availability decreased prices and the poor started to consume sugar as well as the rich. Ever since, sugar-rich products have been cheap and so attractive. Agricultural exploitation led to environmental degradation in places like Barbados; some...

Pompeii was an ancient Roman-era town near the city of Naples. Naples has been a city cursed with the Mafia. The Mafia originated on the island of Sicily. The main city on Sicily is Palermo, whose football team’s home shirt is pink. Another football team to play in pink (albeit their away kit) are Wexford Youths. They were founded by Mick Wallace, a TD and developer. Wallace is known for his casual dress sense and his pretty dire haircut. Another politician with a bad haircut is Angela Merkel. Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany. A previous holder of this job was Gustav Stresemann (who incidentally had a better haircut than Merkel.) He was chancellor in 1923, but was the Foreign Minister until his death in 1929. 1929 was also the year of the Wall Street Crash. This economic crash brought down almost all the economies in the world. However, the economy of the Soviet Union survived this pretty well, due to its anti-capitalist stance. The Soviet Union collapsed between the years 1989 and 1991, and Russia was trying to find its feet as a new democratic country. The book Archangel was written about this period by Robert Harris, who also wrote a book about an ancient town called...

So, David Moyes has been sacked by the Glazers – a disappointing season, which sees Manchester United incapable of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in about twenty years. Radio interviews with United fans have been aired, expressing hope for a “proven” manager, and that United “deserve the best.” It is important for us to remember Alex Ferguson’s early years at the club. His first match was a loss to Oxford United. It took him years to secure any piece of silverware. Yet there was a level of tolerance, which was rewarded with Ferguson’s first league triumph in 1993, having capitalised on Norwich’s late-season collapse to pinch the title from them. Whilst it’s true that there wasn’t the same level of expectation placed on Ferguson, it should be remembered here that the Scotsman had a pretty successful stay in Aberdeen, evening winning the European Cup Winner’s Cup in dramatic fashion against Real Madrid. Ferguson’s twenty-seven years was never going to be easy to follow, but Moyes should’ve been given more time. It is all too eerily reminiscent of Brian Clough’s brief tenure in charge of Leeds...

For one week of work experience I went to Tyndall. Tyndall is one of Europe’s leading research centers in information and communications technology. I was given a glimpse of the adult way of life and more importantly how they put food on the table. I was in awe at what I saw over this week.             I walked in the door of Tyndall and immediately I knew I was going to enjoy the week. I was greeted by 19 other students who were doing the CEIA High Tech Elec program. What really amazed me was the building. The foyer wall was glass and you could see into the largest fabrication on site. Here were some of the brightest minds living in Cork are, and I was able to see them dressed in their protective gear, going about their daily lives. On the first day we were showed around the building and were informed of what work happens in Tyndall. We sat through a number of talks that were about micro needles and batteries. Micro needles fascinated me. They can be used as just a patch like a plaster. Underneath the patch there are a lot of micro needles that go into your skin, but they don’t go deep enough for you to feel them. Yet they are deep enough to allow medicine flow into the blood stream. With the huge advances being made in electronics the battery life in our devices has become shorter. Lithium ion batteries are no longer powerful enough. Lithium air batteries seem to be the way forward. The micro needle was invented in Tyndall.             Our next day had much the same format. A talk on electronics and 3D printing interested me the most that day. Tyndall have made a...

Life, it’s good and bad. Someone, have a good life Someone, have a bad life  Someone is dreaming of good life  When somebody is already having a good life… We see and learn many things during life Someone always likes to dream When someone lives up to their dreams  We laugh we cry and we get angry When someone finds their life hard  Someone else finds it good and cool This is our life It could be bad or good, sad or happy Whatever happens live, laugh and love your life.   Peter...

The whistle sounded we’d made it; this year’s Heineken Cup final would be featuring Munster! It all started way back sometime in mid-July when we first met up for pre-season training. After being introduced to our new head coach Ger Greene. We were put through our paces to be fit and ready for our first competitive match of the year. The training was finished it was now time to put into action all that Ger had taught us in the very little time he had to coach us. The first five games flew past and we were on a good winning streak, but my season was yet to kick into full-swing. Up until then I had played a combined 15 minutes for matches all coming after the end result had already been decided. Ger had noticed my lack of game time and handed me my first start as a senior Munster player in the following game. It was a massive game for the province as we were playing old rivals Leinster. I played out-half so naturally I got lots of touches and I had a steady start, finding touch, making all the right decisions and even kicking a 3 point penalty. Then, the worst thing that could possibly happen, a dropped ball. My first mistake in my first start. The next ball I received I got smashed by opposing fullback Rob Kearney. As time went on the mistake count rose and after just 2o minutes of my first game I had played the worst game that I could remember. I was substituted just before half time but oddly Ger kept his faith in me and had me once again on the bench for the next couple of league games, where once again he would...

Martha, baby, you’re so beautiful. A muffin on the countertop. A cigarette lighter, pink, well-used. I remember your red Bike and the swing rope With the stick. You built it All on your own. The smell of sweat, the nice kind, like work. I never destroyed it. I think of the construction outside and those men who have wives And those who don’t. And now I feel your absence, Though you say You’re here in the kitchen The cash register’s broken And you’re using an old biscuit tin that says “Royal.” And that tattoo That circumnavigates your pretty ankle....