What you have to ask is, what is ever in doubt that we would have another referendum? Of course not. It was clear that as soon as the result was announced that another referendum would be held. The only thing that surprises me is how some people thought there was any doubt about it.
Month: December 2008
Puds update
Mr Puds has been enjoying the recent poor weather by lazing around the house doing not very much (a bit like me). This is one of his favoured sleeping positions. It actually looks like he’s trying to avoid the flash (celebrity blog cat that he is) but he tends to cover his eyes just to get that extra comfort factor:
Having disturbed his sleep, he looked not too happy (food stains on his nose included)
This is another preferred pose, paws to the fore:
And here is the cat himself, looking wistfully into the distance:
Graduating
Today I officially finished my time as an undergraduate at University College Cork. I was conferred with a Joint Honours Degree in Politics and History.
Starting university in 2005 coincided naturally with a decline in my output both in print and here on the blog. Perhaps now I will find my mojo again! 🙂
I would like to thank the loyal readers (you know who you are) who have stuck with me over the last three years. I have a huge amount of catching up to do, and perhaps a good place for me to start is to look at writing more about the stuff I bookmark on delicious every day. If you are curious about the stuff I come across, do have a nose.
That Bush connection
Josh Keating over on FP gives us the top 10 stories you might have missed in 2008. I particularly like this one:
So why was $176 million of the aid money earmarked for loans to businesses—including $30 million to a real estate developer for a luxury hotel: the 127,000-square-meter Park Hyatt in downtown Tbilisi, an area that was not at all damaged in the war? The 183-room, five-star hotel will include 70 luxury condominiums, a fine-dining restaurant, conference facilities, and a health spa with juice bar.
No answer is given, but I think you could make a stab at it.
There are actually lots of new plush hotels being built in Tbilisi at the moment, and the Park Hyatt is just another. I was told all about them when I was in Georgia in September. I have sent an email to a friend in Georgia asking for some details but as best I can remember the firm building the Park Hyatt is backed by one of those nice oligarchs. That oligarch has particular connections to George Bush’s brother Neil.
Not that I’m implying anything untoward, mind you. I won’t say anything else unless I have some information confirmed.
Morning papers
Irish Examiner
Ryanair vows to recognise unions at Aer Lingus
Ryanair has said it won’t sell the Heathrow slots
Beamish brewery to close with loss of 120 jobs
Beamish to close, move to Heineken
Fás spent €750k on luxury flights in five years
Not just Florida
Parents face higher cervical vaccine cost as relief is cut
Change in tax relief to mean higher cost for vaccine.
Irish Times
Record ECB rate cut aims to boost economic activity
Rates down to 2.5%
Embarrassing defeat for Government in Seanad vote
Monumental cock up
€40,000 for family of man who died in Garda custody
Alleged overdose while in custody
Molloy took 16 trips in three years but had a ‘problem with flying’
Squandermania at FAS
Christian charity is better than hot air
John Waters attacks the “secular socialists”
Ganley to sue RTE
RTE reports that RTE is to be sued by Declan Ganley, over last week’s awful PrimeTime investigates.
The head of Libertas said the programme “was actionable”. Was it a slanderous programme? I guess a court will decide, unless RTE settles out of court first.
Beamish & Crawford brewery to close
Heineken Ireland said:
“The high costs of operating two breweries in the city, difficulties associated with expansion at the Beamish & Crawford facility and excess brewing capacity at Heineken Ireland, makes the future of the Beamish & Crawford plant unsustainable.”
It’s a sad day really. Cork had two breweries in the city centre, not it will be one big brewery. I wonder what the site will be changed into, it is a perfect location for *thinking as imaginative property developer* as many shoebox apartments as we can squeeze behind the facade of the listed building.
PAC inquiry witnesses
Will Molloy turn up?
Witnesses for Meeting of 4 December
Committee Room 1 Leinster House 10.00 a.m.
FÁS
Mr. Peter McLoone, Chairman of the Board
Mr Christy Cooney – Assistant Director General, Human Resources/Organisation Development/Public Affairs
Mr Donal Sands – Assistant Director General, Finance & Information Technology
Mr Patrick Kivlehan- Director -Internal Audit
Mr. Niall Saul, Board Member, Chairman of the Board Audit Sub-Committee
Mr. Jim Coughlan, Director South East Regions
Mr Denis Rowan, ADG Employment Services
Mr Rody MolloyDepartment of the Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Mr. Dermot Mulligan, Assistant Secretary, Labour Force DevelopmentDepartment of Finance
Ms. Gráinne McGuckin, Principal OfficerOffice of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Mr. John Buckley, Comptroller and Auditor General
Cervical cancer Facebook groups hits 10,000 members
The original target for membership has been met (just about). The Facebook group now has 10,000 members after just over two weeks of existence. Membership contribution has been significant, with 164 wall posts, posted videos and dozens of links to newspaper stories.
The group has been covered, or mentioned by, TV3, the Irish Times, the Irish Examiner, the Irish Independent, the Belfast Telegraph, the Evening Herald and the Daily Mirror.
I have run an extensive advert campaign to achieve higher membership, and as far as I can tell from the stats, it has been highly successful. Membership growth (these are ballpark figures taken towards the end of each day). The invited numbers are also estimated, as Facebook does not show number of invites once it passes 6,000.
November 12: 255 members, 1,760 invited
November 13: 1,012 members, 5,534 invited
November 14: 2,122 members, 6,000+ invited
November 15: 2,987 members, 6,000+ invited
November 16: 3,815 members, 6,000+ invited
November 17: 5,685 members, 6,000+ invited
November 18: 5,900 members, 6,000+ invited
November 19: 6,850 members, 6,000+ invited
November 20: 7,120 members, 6,000+ invited
November 21: 7,450 members, 6,000+ invited
November 22: 7,567 members, 6,000+ invited
November 23: 7,900 members, 6,000+ invited
November 24: 8,100 members, 6,000+ invited
November 25: 8,464 members, 6,000+ invited
November 28: 8,938 members, 6,000+ invited
November 29: 9,245 members, 6,000+ invited
November 30: 9,400 members, 6,000+ invited
December 1: 9,500 members, 6,000+ invited
December 2: 9,700 members, 6,000+ invited
December 3: 10,000 members, 6,000+ invited.
To my knowledge, this makes the group that largest ever Ireland-specific single issue group ever. As you can see, in the first week of the campaign, 1,000 people were joining per day.
Furthermore it has led to people who joined the group going on to organise events off their own bat, inspired by events organised by the admins. Shauneen is organising a candlelit vigil for the Dáil on December 10th at 6.30pm. On foot of that vigil, a member in Cork is organising a similar event there. Another one in Limerick is also in the works.
Blogging has its place in campaigns like this one, and so does Facebook. But you have to say that Facebook is a great tool for this particular type of cause – and no doubt we will see a lot more like it in future. I guess the question is – where is this use of technology leading us, and second, how can the blogosphere contribute?
Fuck these fuckers
I have to say, this is one of the best Daily Show clips I’ve seen this year. John Oliver tells it like it is about the Mumbai attacks.
Via Dan.