Dara Clear, Author at The ClearOut

What Are We Looking For? Warm Blood and Sensory Connection! – Episode 220

Embattled by consecutive migraines, Dara is reckoning with a system under pressure. He attempts to own the state he’s in while advocating for a deeper connection with what lies beneath all the turbulence. This line of enquiry leads to thoughts on observing a month’s mind for Pepper, the family dog. A phrase used by the Venerable Bede in relation to that tradition inspired a new poem, which is shared.

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The Minding Days

Leaving the Room – Cheating Death, Solving Life, and a Planet Where Nobody Dies! – Episode 219

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In this episode, Dara is thinking about what comes next. Prompted by an article about Irish people signing up for their bodies to be preserved at death in the hope of waking up in the distant future, he finds himself perplexed by the desire to outlive a natural lifespan. While it is tempting to dismiss the participants as deluded fantasists, he recognises that something deeply anxious lurks beneath the aspirant futurism.

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Reaching for the Tourniquet, or How to Stop the Bleeding – Episode 218

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In this episode, Dara admits to being a bit exhausted after moving house for the fifth time since the pandemic. It is not the most fun he has ever had and the ongoing grief ripples over Pepper the dog are adding to the load. However, the glass is (probably) half-full and at least the nickname for the new home has come very quickly and easily.

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Surprised by Beauty, or The Art of Piercing Armour – Episode 217

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In this episode Dara is reflecting on masculinity for a couple of reasons. One is the continuing aftershock of the death of Pepper the dog, the other is because of the continuing presentation of a narrow version of masculinity that seems somewhat inadequate for purpose.

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Puppy Love – A Good Time, Not a Long Time – Episode 216

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In this episode Dara is stepping carefully as he negotiates a painfully recent family tragedy – the sudden death of Pepper, the beloved family dog. Still too soon to fully unpack the depth of his grief, he nonetheless attempts to convey Pepper’s importance and unique brand of loveliness.

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The Selling of Women’s Bits, or Sydney Sweeney’s Sassy Chest! – Episode 215

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In this episode, Dara is looking at women’s bits and how they continue to exert such a hold on so many onlookers, many with cash in hand, some holding other things. If the names Sydney Sweeney and Bonnie Blue are not instantly familiar to you, you have not been keeping abreast of things topical and pertinent this week. Sweeney is a Hollywood hot property who has made no bones about her need to make money to keep the show on the road. Blue is an English porn star who has just been the focus of a Channel 4 documentary following her facilitation of a jaw-dropping sex stunt.

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It’s Emma Thompson, Stupid! (She’s a Dame, Don’t You Know…) – Episode 214

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This episode is as on the nose as a John Lee Hancock film! No ambiguity, no grey areas, it’s a celebration of the career of Emma Thompson. After recently rewatching 1995’s Sense and Sensibility, Dara was reminded of how much he has always admired Thompson and her work. So he decided to dedicate an hour to her (almost) entire filmography.

It’s Emma Thompson, Stupid! (She’s a Dame, Don’t You Know…) – Episode 214 Read More »

The Assumption of Imperfection, or Where Are the Serious Men? – Episode 213

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This week’s episode is all about men and their flawed humanity. Reflecting on his childhood and adolescence, Dara is struck by the fact that he cannot identify a single serious, or substantial man. He wonders if this is a reflection of his unrealistic idealism or whether it is an indication that men embrace a certain model of infantilisation that is tantamount to self-sabotage.

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Out of Sight, Out of Mind – The Cruelty and Arrogance of Power – Episode 212

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In this episode, Dara has historical wrongs on his mind. He went to see In Plain Sight at the weekend, a striking and confronting piece of site-specific documentary theatre that addressed the history and legacy of the Mother and Baby homes in 20th century Ireland. He watched it with his wife and with his sister, who was born in one of the homes featured in the work. To say it was a powerful experience would be a gross understatement.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind – The Cruelty and Arrogance of Power – Episode 212 Read More »

Dara Clear

What Are We Looking For? Warm Blood and Sensory Connection! – Episode 220

The Minding Days

Leaving the Room – Cheating Death, Solving Life, and a Planet Where Nobody Dies! – Episode 219

Reaching for the Tourniquet, or How to Stop the Bleeding – Episode 218

Surprised by Beauty, or The Art of Piercing Armour – Episode 217

Puppy Love – A Good Time, Not a Long Time – Episode 216

The Selling of Women’s Bits, or Sydney Sweeney’s Sassy Chest! – Episode 215

It’s Emma Thompson, Stupid! (She’s a Dame, Don’t You Know…) – Episode 214

The Assumption of Imperfection, or Where Are the Serious Men? – Episode 213

Out of Sight, Out of Mind – The Cruelty and Arrogance of Power – Episode 212

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