Where is the annual Good Friday thread?

Joeseph Balls

logically wrote: »

Isn't life awful all the same - having a thing called a job on a day with a bit of sun. Awful stuff - you poor thing.

You know exactly what he meant:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Ann Landers

Hell Ram wrote: »

I understand people want the choice and I'm not saying they shouldn't. I'm simply saying it's the way it is and offering some reasons as to why some people (bar staff) mightn't be bothered.

Hell Ram wrote: »

I'm not a religious person myself, but I find it very hard to care.

Yup.

on the river

Mr.S wrote: »

I'm not whinging, I know where one needs to go if they need a drink on this backwards day!

Some of us, sadly, have to work on nice days

you should be lucky you have a job. so stop the personal attacks and get back to work.





p.s have a good friday.;)

Femme_Fatale

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Whinging about it on an internet forum won't change anything.

Hell Ram wrote: »

I suggest you quit whinging on the internet about these things

But... you could say that about anything. It's an internet discussion, doesn't mean people aren't also lobbying for change. If they were saying "Why doesn't someone do something about it" you'd have a point, but they're not, so, pointless comment by ye really.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Femme_Fatale

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

But they're not looking to change government policy via giving out on the internet; they're just discussing it, which is what an internet forum is for.

TheLastMohican

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

If enough people do then politicians will realise that there are votes out there. mean, in here

BuilderPlumber

The Good Friday and Christmas closing laws, whatever your view, are actually the least dangerous laws in this country to pubs, restaurants, alcohol sales, etc. Far worse are some of these (some are not even formal laws but brainwashing/fear based statements to reinforce and convince people to change):

-Constant mentions of 'binge drinking' being 'three or more drinks in one sitting'. Absolute bull and a definition that makes all consumers of alcohol so-called 'binge drinkers'. Real binge drinking is those who drink constantly from 2 in the afternoon to 2 in the night.
-Draconian drink driving laws without accommodating transport for people home from pubs.
-The way in which the smoking ban was implemented.
-The dear prices for alcohol in pubs and restaurants.
-Spurious association between alcohol and cancer, heart disease, etc. (that is poorly researched) presented and constantly cited as 'fact'.

True, there is an alcohol problem in Ireland. True, it needs control. True, alcohol excess consumption damages people's health and makes people do bad things. But, why should any government tar everyone who drinks with the same brush? Drunk and disorderliness is horrid, wreckless drink driving clearly is dangerous, and excess consumption of alcohol is not the best for your health, we all know. But, the majority of people are responsible with alcohol and should be allowed to enjoy it and only be punished if they abuse it and cause hurt to others.

catallus

TheLastMohican wrote: »

If enough people do then politicians will realise that there are votes out there. mean, in here

There's probably about 20 posters in here that are saying it's a bad thing.

Which would probably translate into about 3 votes.

And those people probably don't know the joy of house-parties. Anyone with half a brain has a well stocked fridge of beer and spirits ready to roll. And if they're anything like me then they're probably half-pissed already

Rough Sleeper

Blake Skinny Spokesperson wrote: »

Hopefully Good Friday will stay as it is for years to come. It's not a big sacrifice to stay off the meat and the drink for one day. I've the rest of the weekend to drink away to my hearts content.

I'll have my usual Good Friday round of golf (salmon sandwiches in the bag), fish for dinner and no drink.

You know the Catholic Church considers any kind of drunkenness as sinful? Why do you abstain from drink on one day of the calender only to go off and get drunk every other weekend of the year?

2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm

As you can see, that's from the Vatican, which is something of an authority on these issues, or so I've heard.

J_E

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

-Draconian drink driving laws without accommodating transport for people home from pubs.
-The way in which the smoking ban was implemented.
-The dear prices for alcohol in pubs and restaurants.
-Spurious association between alcohol and cancer, heart disease, etc. (that is poorly researched) presented and constantly cited as 'fact'.

Er, what? The government have no obligation to facilitate drunk people in such a manner. Alcohol is a cause or helps to cause a number of illnesses if abused. Not sure who your rant is directed at...or what it really has to do re: today.

There is an alcohol problem in Ireland, by the way. You might not consider 3 or more drinks in one sitting excessive, that doesn't mean it isn't.

C14N

bleg wrote: »

What if the bar staff would prefer to work and get the wages?

Is it not treated the same way as a bank holiday and the bar staff get wages anyway? Whenever I work in summer I still get paid for bank holidays anyway.

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

But they're not looking to change government policy via giving out on the internet; they're just discussing it, which is what an internet forum is for.

But they are looking to change the law. Some people here are genuinely pissed about this law but nobody has mentioned doing anything to actually have it fixed. It's like spending all day making the point that the house is too messy and needs to be cleaned up instead of actually cleaning it up.

c_man

To celebrate the Good Friday Agreement let's all watch an episode of the sitcom that brought both communities together

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmKoHaI5NsA

sopretty

C14N wrote: »

Is it not treated the same way as a bank holiday and the bar staff get wages anyway? Whenever I work in summer I still get paid for bank holidays anyway.



But they are looking to change the law. Some people here are genuinely pissed about this law but nobody has mentioned doing anything to actually have it fixed. It's like spending all day making the point that the house is too messy and needs to be cleaned up instead of actually cleaning it up.

I think we'll wait till our grannies and grandparents are gone, THEN we'll sort this sh*t out. My Granny would have a heart-attack if she thought I was campaigning for drink to be sold on Good Friday. As things stand, she's praying a decade of the Rosary a night, for me to get off the drink.

BuilderPlumber

Cydoniac wrote: »

Er, what? The government have no obligation to facilitate drunk people in such a manner. Alcohol is a cause or helps to cause a number of illnesses if abused. Not sure who your rant is directed at...or what it really has to do re: today.

There is an alcohol problem in Ireland, by the way. You might not consider 3 or more drinks in one sitting excessive, that doesn't mean it isn't.

I never said that the government has to facilitate drunk people. But, the government has to facilitate the majority of people in this country who both drink and who drink responsibly. Drunks and especially disorderly drunks are the loudest but also are in the minority. The vast majority of people I saw leaving pubs at closing time when things were good in pubs were not falling all over the place, fighting or puking.

What what I said has to do with today is that today's ban on alcohol is less harmful than other policies regarding alcohol.

I already said there is an alcohol problem in Ireland but that is as I also said the minority of drinkers thankfully. Most people drink responsibly and know their limits. I agree with the theory that there are some people who would be better off not drinking at all and I admire those who admit this and don't take a drink.

3 standard pints of beer is not excessive/binge drinking. Unless the beer was one of these 7/8/9% ones drunk down quickly of course! The problem with drink and number of units to drink is answered by the following:

Compare someone drinking 10 pints of beer in 2 hours versus someone drinking 10 pints of beer across a day. Clearly, the former is going to make one drunk, the latter not.

Most people who drink on a night out will be drinking 4-10 pints I'm sure. 10 may be a bit excessive if repeated too much. But 4-5-6 pints out on a night is hardly excessive drinking.

People need to be aware too often that anti-drink legislation and advice needs to be put in context with the person who originated it. Ex-alcoholics and those brainwashed by some misinterpretation of Christianity or Islam may hold these views and be in a powerful position with WHO or be the ruler of a country or whatever. For example, Ayatollah Khomeini (Shah of Iran between 1979-89) was a bipolar depressive whose son was murdered in the 1970s and likely an ex-alcoholic who by 1979 hated alcohol with a passion and thus banned it out of 90% of Iran's society and used (misinterpreted) Islam as a basis to make it law. We get the same attitude in the name of health when religion does not work.

J_E

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

People need to be aware too often that anti-drink legislation and advice needs to be put in context with the person who originated it. Ex-alcoholics and those brainwashed by some misinterpretation of Christianity or Islam may hold these views and be in a powerful position with WHO or be the ruler of a country or whatever. For example, Ayatollah Khomeini (Shah of Iran between 1979-89) was a bipolar depressive whose son was murdered in the 1970s and likely an ex-alcoholic who by 1979 hated alcohol with a passion and thus banned it out of 90% of Iran's society and used (misinterpreted) Islam as a basis to make it law. We get the same attitude in the name of health when religion does not work.

You genuinely comparing this with our own drink-driving laws in Ireland? Whatever makes you happy I suppose.

To be honest I think our laws re: alcohol consumption are generally fairly lax, with the exception of one or two stupid rules. The more they clamp down on drink driving the better, because there should no 'it will be grand' attitude which a lot of the country still has.

pajor

Today must be the worst day of the year to have your debs.

One on in the hotel down the road.

BuilderPlumber

Cydoniac wrote: »

You genuinely comparing this with our own drink-driving laws in Ireland? Whatever makes you happy I suppose.

To be honest I think our laws re: alcohol consumption are generally fairly lax, with the exception of one or two stupid rules. The more they clamp down on drink driving the better, because there should no 'it will be grand' attitude which a lot of the country still has.

I never said I was comparing anything with anything! Only all laws need to be thought out properly.

With regard to Iran: just because some depressed, elderly ex-priest finally becomes king after losing his son, freedom and health to do so and has a chip on his shoulder, very dangerous laws come into play there. In one year, Iran's wine, tourism and well every industry is gone and still today 30+ years on, Iran suffers from Fr. Khomeini's disasterous and weak leadership.

In Ireland, yeah, of course I agree our laws are lax. But things were pretty dark here in the early part of our independence but just not regard to drink! Then again, we did not have the history in modern years Iran had. Fr. Khomeini was an elderly, depressed, weak leader but he was not alone responsible. His weakness and age allowed others to enter power and the war with Iraq allowed extremists to take advantage thus ushering in a dangerous dictatorship where a violent military junta had a weak priest as a figurehead to justify any dictatorial law they liked with the blessing from god to do so! We never had this in Ireland, even when we were priestridden.

But, we have some petty stupid laws that are well meaning but implemented in silly ways. Nevertheless, Ireland needs to think more before implementing legislation. Of course, we do not want drunk driving and all the rest of this but we need to have a system where we can employ taxi drivers and mini bus drivers to allow people to get to and from pubs and the like. That would keep a lot of people in work too.

C14N

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

For example, Ayatollah Khomeini (Shah of Iran between 1979-89) was a bipolar depressive whose son was murdered in the 1970s and likely an ex-alcoholic who by 1979 hated alcohol with a passion and thus banned it out of 90% of Iran's society and used (misinterpreted) Islam as a basis to make it law.

I was under the impression that Muslims are forbidden from drinking alcohol completely, the few Muslims I've met have all abstained because of it, unlike Christians who are only supposed to not drink to excess (or on Good Friday). Is this not the case?

Cydoniac wrote: »

You genuinely comparing this with our own drink-driving laws in Ireland? Whatever makes you happy I suppose.

To be honest I think our laws re: alcohol consumption are generally fairly lax, with the exception of one or two stupid rules. The more they clamp down on drink driving the better, because there should no 'it will be grand' attitude which a lot of the country still has.

I get the impression that our laws are still a little more lax than most countries. I thought that the dramatic drop in road deaths in the last few years was at least partially because of the crack down on driving under the influence.

pajor wrote: »

Today must be the worst day of the year to have your debs.

One on in the hotel down the road.

The hotels can still serve though can't they?

J_E

C14N wrote: »

The hotels can still serve though can't they?

I think you have to be a guest for them to serve you, I could be wrong though.

Funny enough I think they still serve drinks on the trains also.

C14N

Cydoniac wrote: »

I think you have to be a guest for them to serve you, I could be wrong though.

Funny enough I think they still serve drinks on the trains also.

They must be in international trackspace :pac:

If the debs people can't get served though then that's the most hilarously bad debs committee I've ever heard of. They should be able to serve after midnight though.

TeddyTedson

Would nightclubs have had to fishing serving at 12am and will any many opened tonight at 12am? I can imagine paying in somewhere for 2 and a half hours if I hadn't already been drinking in a pub or something.

C14N

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Would nightclubs have had to fishing serving at 12am and will any many opened tonight at 12am? I can imagine paying in somewhere for 2 and a half hours if I hadn't already been drinking in a pub or something.

I can't see why not. As a student anyway, pre-drinking at home and then heading out was pretty common last year. Lots of people turn up after 12, some of them even gave free in before 12.

BuilderPlumber

C14N wrote: »

I was under the impression that Muslims are forbidden from drinking alcohol completely, the few Muslims I've met have all abstained because of it, unlike Christians who are only supposed to not drink to excess (or on Good Friday). Is this not the case?

I get the impression that our laws are still a little more lax than most countries. I thought that the dramatic drop in road deaths in the last few years was at least partially because of the crack down on driving under the influence.

The hotels can still serve though can't they?

Under the laws of Saudi Arabia, citizens of that country are not allowed to drink alcohol at all. This comes from the Wahabi's (mis)interpretation of Islam and the Koran. This warped and fascist form of Islam took off massively due to many things down the years most notably:

-Mecca and Medina are on Saudi's soil and thus the Wahabi's can influence all Muslims by saying their Islam is the 'right' form.
-Oil allowed Saudi to become rich and dominant.
-The US backed radicals in countries bordering to USSR to cause trouble for the USSR. Among these are the Saudi Wahabi inspired Taliban. Now US enemies of course but friends back in the 1980s.
-Tribal cultures predating Islam.

I think Ayatollah (Fr.) Khomeini was in his young days a learned man and a good priest. He was a very poor leader of Iran and allowed extremist peasants to hijack 1979's revolution. Khomeini is seen as an evil dictator in the West, but he is essentially a weak, old man out of his depth when all that chaos of Iran's Eastern peasant's revolution (Eastern Iran borders tribal Afghanistan and Pakistan regions afterall) engulfed Tehran and other moderate areas of Western and Northern Iran. He dithered on the embassy hostage thing, ordering out the hostage takers first and then endorsing them. The extremists saw weakness and knew they could control and use Khomeini as their figurehead to set up a military dictatorship. Saddam's Iraq's invasion solidified this. Alcohol largely was banned for Muslims then in Iran and that Iran-Iraq war was another motive for banning it as well as other forms of entertainment as praying and fighting Saddam were the only things people were supposed to do then!

In the past, Islam and alcohol coexisted and alcohol was a huge part of Islamic culture in Persia (Iran) and Moorish North Africa and Spain for example. The Koran like the Bible warns of the dangers of alcohol abuse and warns there are dangers in it. It does not ban alcohol. A lot of what we see today as 'Islam' is rules made up by the Saudis around 200 years ago and followed by modern dictators like the Taliban and Gaddafi and weak regimes like Iran's one who capitulated to gunmen.

Iran never totally banned drink either. In effect, alcohol ban in Iran applies to poor Muslim Iranians who are preferably anti-system. Christians, etc. can legally make and sell alcohol but officially not to Muslims unless special permission is given. Muslims can buy, sell or drink alcohol under some circumstances: if a priest gives a fatwa to say it is in the interest of god that the person drinks it. Also, for medicinal reasons. Depressed people, who would be cured of depression if they can be allowed to drink, can in special circumstances get a priest to rule a fatwa to drink as well. Alcohol in chemists officially sold not to be drunk but as a medicine or cleaning agent can be freely bought and of course people then drink it. Rich people in general and regime members and priests all drink alcohol in Iran. They are not supposed to show it off to the general public. A blind eye is often turned to non-Iranians (Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs, etc.) who break laws as the authorities want to keep these restive populations quiet (however, Kurds aside, Iran's other non-Iranian minorities are the least likely to drink as they follow a fascist Wahabi based Sunni sect of Islam that makes Iran's Shia lead government (yes, even the 1979-1984 version) look moderate). Wine is made in Iran. So is brandy. It is exported to Armenia and chances are cheap brandies not of French origin sold in Europe could be from there.

Ireland on Good Friday is a bit like Iran! Hotels and greyhound tracks can serve alcohol. If special matches are on, it is allowed too.

I Heart Internet

Diego Simeone wrote: »

The simple fact of the matter is:

Keep the law - has a negative effect on people who want to have a beer.
Abolish the law - has a negative effect on nobody.

I don't see the logic behind keeping it?

I asked earlier in the thread if bar-workers liked the good friday law as they are or would like them changed. I'd like to hear their point of view. If they couldn't care less than you'd be correct - negative effect on nobody.