Trevor Sargent had little to cheer when the latest opinion poll was published last Friday. With a 43% public satisfaction rating, he came joint second-last with Gerry Adams in the popularity charts for the six leaders of the main parties.

But viewed with green-hued glasses, Trevor came top of the pops. Subtracting the dissatisfaction ratings from the satisfaction ones, as the Americans do, the Green party issued a press release putting Sargent ahead of the competition with 22%.

The problem with that, however, is it rewards candidates with a high “no opinion” rating. And more people have “no opinion” on Trevor (36%) than any other leader. Not something Sue would boast about.

Meanwhile, brace yourselves for Bertie De Buke Launcher. For our taoiseach is to spend every night from now to Christmas — or so it seems — launching books. Among those for whom he’ll be doing the honours is The Irish Home Buyer’s Guide to Snagging by John Boyle. Sue reckons Bertie could give de Boyler a few tips about snagging all right. Like, “rent a house for two years before you buy it”, and “only buy from someone that doesn’t eat dinner at receptions”.

Are you now or have you ever been a Stalinist?

According to RTE’s website, the presenter Joe O’Shea is named after the Irish tenor Josef Locke. Oh really? According to O’Shea’s brother Ken in The Quay: Memories of Sullivans Quay CBS, 1828-2006, the “Joe” might have a different origin.

O’Shea Jr wrote: “Brother Joe (entered) Sully’s a year before me. A good student, but a shocking individualist. He started off in St Mary’s by insisting on spelling his name J-O-S-E-F. ‘Like Stalin, Sr Celsus,’ as he helpfully explained to the nun.”

Was it a coincidence, Delevan then wondered, that Sir Anthony O’Reilly, the former chairman of Eircom, the company blamed for Ireland’s broadband problems, is also the owner of a large newspaper group? As conspiracy theories go, it’s straight from the grassy knoll. O’Reilly may have cashed in his Eircom shares, but he still has a stake in the Tribune. With an attitude like that, Delevan could soon find himself with more time to tend to his blog.

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