Off Topic Thread too point uh

CatFromHue

Synode wrote: »

I don't know about that. But without doubt, it's a hell of a lot easier having employees in the UK than it is France. The stories I've heard about the Unions and employee rights in France are shocking when compared to the UK

plus the French are also cheese eating surrender monkey's

Zzippy

molloyjh wrote: »

This! We've hardly shown that our electorate is a rational and balanced group looking to ensure the best outcome for our society over the last several years. It's very hard to pass comment on other electorates from our own glass house.

We do have a rather immature way of voting, IMO, but on the other hand it's galling to be told we got it wrong and have to vote again when we don't vote as our political masters want us to... it's not hard to see why democracy in this country is a mess when the politicians don't even respect it.

Podge_irl

Zzippy wrote: »

We do have a rather immature way of voting, IMO, but on the other hand it's galling to be told we got it wrong and have to vote again when we don't vote as our political masters want us to... it's not hard to see why democracy in this country is a mess when the politicians don't even respect it.

While I understand this train of thought and have sympathy for it, technically speaking the referenda weren't exact repeats. There were extra clauses the second time round that supposedly addressed some of the (completely made up) concerns of the No crowd.

Zzippy

Podge_irl wrote: »

While I understand this train of thought and have sympathy for it, technically speaking the referenda weren't exact repeats. There were extra clauses the second time round that supposedly addressed some of the (completely made up) concerns of the No crowd.

Fair point. I do still find the attitude of politicians to the electorate very condescending. For example, running referenda and not bothering to campaign properly (Seanad abolition) or running referenda on ridiculous changes to the Constitution such as allowing 21-year-olds to be president while ignoring far more pressing issues which actually affect people.

Podge_irl

Zzippy wrote: »

Fair point. I do still find the attitude of politicians to the electorate very condescending. For example, running referenda and not bothering to campaign properly (Seanad abolition) or running referenda on ridiculous changes to the Constitution such as allowing 21-year-olds to be president while ignoring far more pressing issues which actually affect people.

Oh yeah, sure. I had no particular issue with the 21 year old thing (it's a stupid restriction, and I would have made it 18) but it certainly wasn't a pressing issue. Politicians are condescending to the electorate and the electorate is unreasonable in it's demands of its politicians. Politics just doesn't work very well! I don't think it is unique to Ireland.

Zzippy

Podge_irl wrote: »

Oh yeah, sure. I had no particular issue with the 21 year old thing (it's a stupid restriction, and I would have made it 18) but it certainly wasn't a pressing issue. Politicians are condescending to the electorate and the electorate is unreasonable in it's demands of its politicians. Politics just doesn't work very well! I don't think it is unique to Ireland.

The problem is the phrase "all politics is local" applies particularly to Ireland. Parish pump politics is where it's at. We don't elect people to debate and enact legislation, we elect them to represent the parish/area, like we're in competition with all those other areas, and not like we have county councillors or anything. The lad who gets the pothole fixed gets the vote ahead of the guy who tries to get legislation passed for the benefit of everyone.

mfceiling

Just heard someone in Starbucks give their name to the barista...

Chester

Don't think I've ever met a Chester let alone see one in the flesh.

Buer

mfceiling wrote: »

Just heard someone in Starbucks give their name to the barista...

Chester

Don't think I've ever met a Chester let alone see one in the flesh.

An unfortunate name if there ever was one particularly if he grew up in Dublin in the 90s when the rhyming slang of it was frequently used!

mfceiling

I'm all ears Buer....

Chester drawers?

Buer

mfceiling wrote: »

I'm all ears Buer....

Chester drawers?

Sweet, innocent mfceiling.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Charlie%20Chester

It was much worse if you happened to be from Killester.

kuang1

Buer wrote: »

Sweet, innocent mfceiling.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Charlie%20Chester

It was much worse if you happened to be from Killester.

Lmao!
Never heard that one!

Scythica

I found a Tarquin in waitrose. I thought it was just a pisstake thay posh people went there but no...

Tarquin darling go get mummy a bottle of the Bollinger those darn horses won't drink anything else... or something like that

Felix Jones is God

Starting to hate that fckin Kate Miss advert that's on the touch site, can't scroll by it without it playing. Only advert that does it for me

Podge_irl

Zzippy wrote: »

The problem is the phrase "all politics is local" applies particularly to Ireland. Parish pump politics is where it's at. We don't elect people to debate and enact legislation, we elect them to represent the parish/area, like we're in competition with all those other areas, and not like we have county councillors or anything. The lad who gets the pothole fixed gets the vote ahead of the guy who tries to get legislation passed for the benefit of everyone.

We have too many TDs and the number of votes required to be elected is too low. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about that short of a referendum to change the one TD per 20-30k citizens rule (which, again, is stupid and kind of short-sighted). You'd have a hard time passing that referendum though I would think as people are fond of having a "local" TD they can call their own - while often simultaneously complaining about parish pump politics!

Anyway, on the topic of referenda, the Economist actually covered it this week (the Economist being where I steal all my opinions from in the effort to seem smart). I agree with the basic gist - the issues being put to referenda are far too complex for simple yes/no decisions and referenda muddy the water rather than providing clarity. And it's not a uniqely Irish thing!

http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21699146-direct-democracy-spreading-across-europe-not-always-good-thing-referendumania

molloyjh

Felix Jones is God wrote: »

Only advert that does it for me

Usually I'd assume that was poorly phrased, but knowing your posting history I'm not quite so sure....

molloyjh

Podge_irl wrote: »

We have too many TDs and the number of votes required to be elected is too low. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about that short of a referendum to change the one TD per 20-30k citizens rule (which, again, is stupid and kind of short-sighted). You'd have a hard time passing that referendum though I would think as people are fond of having a "local" TD they can call their own - while often simultaneously complaining about parish pump politics!

Anyway, on the topic of referenda, the Economist actually covered it this week (the Economist being where I steal all my opinions from in the effort to seem smart). I agree with the basic gist - the issues being put to referenda are far too complex for simple yes/no decisions and referenda muddy the water rather than providing clarity. And it's not a uniqely Irish thing!

http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21699146-direct-democracy-spreading-across-europe-not-always-good-thing-referendumania

There's no shortage of issues with democracy as a whole, but one thing that can be fixed (and really should be) is the whole idea that people can campaign with whatever they want, even blatant lies.

Lisbon was a prime example of a campaign run by a shady businessman who lied pretty much non-stop and not only got away with it but was able to get equal airtime to spread his lies. What kind of nonsense is that!?

If it is false and provably so it should be banned. I'd love to know if legislation like that existed a few years back if we'd even have needed a second referendum. I also find it almost amusing that some people gave out about being asked to vote again on (an updated) Lisbon Treaty yet were never particularly outraged by Libertas taking the complete piss out of them.

TeoReid

25 degrees and no clouds where I am today. 27 forecast tomorrow and staying the mid 20s for the next 10 days.
Finishing up C25K in the coming weeks so that's going to be tough

b.gud

Connacht reach their 1st ever final and Game of thrones episode leaks a day early, I do think think this weekend can get any better

That second shot on the 18th.

OldRio

I was watching the Open on RTE. They managed to cut to adverts and then miss Rorys shot into the last hole. Shocking coverage just fecking shocking.

bilston

Deleted User wrote: »

That second shot on the 18th.

The shot on 16th as well. Hopefully that tees him up nicely for the meat of the season.

Some more winnings for Rory would come in handy anyway as Ulster could do with a new THP...

b.gud

New game of thrones is pretty epic.

wp_rathead

b.gud wrote: »

New game of thrones is pretty epic.

eh - you seen episode 5 already?!?!
..or you talking about episode 4?

b.gud

wp_rathead wrote: »

eh - you seen episode 5 already?!?!
..or you talking about episode 4?

Episode 5 it leaked today https://torrentfreak.com/new-game-of-thrones-episode-leaks-online-early-160522/

DGRulz

Had a load of stuff to watch when I got home from work tomorrow, guess I'll watch this now and make life easy on myself :P

thomond2006

b.gud wrote: »

Episode 5 it leaked today https://torrentfreak.com/new-game-of-thrones-episode-leaks-online-early-160522/

GoT Ep5:

Watched it. Holy ****.

The Skype call was the best bit

pickarooney

I liked when that guy replied to his tweet.

wp_rathead

Watched it there...

I fncking bawled my eyes out.. between this and Connacht winning I cried so much this weekend..

b.gud

pickarooney wrote: »

I liked when that guy replied to his tweet.

I don't think that added as much to the story as the Skype call.

b.gud

If I was an avid book reader I think I'd be kinda passed off that the TV show got to show how Hodor started saying that. Also if that was the way GRR intended it to be that is some serious forward planning

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Apparently a brother of one of the guys who blew himself up in Brussels earlier this year is going to be representing Belgium at the Olympics. I saw a story about it the other day saying he'd reached qualifying standard along with a few others but a decision was yet to be made on who would actually go. There's another story from today though saying that he's in the squad.

Bit of a strange one. I suppose you can't punish him for his brother's actions.

http://europe.newsweek.com/brussels-suicide-bomber-brother-rio-olympics-462257?rm=eu

thomond2006

b.gud wrote: »

If I was an avid book reader I think I'd be kinda passed off that the TV show got to show how Hodor started saying that. Also if that was the way GRR intended it to be that is some serious forward planning

Well we know now that Bran has unique powers to blend past and present. Very intriguing where he goes from here.

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

Well we know now that Bran has unique powers to blend past and present. Very intriguing where he goes from here.

F*ck Bran. Everything is his fault. Stop being so nosy, ya little sh*t.

awec

The TV show has been pretty different to the books for ages now. It started off following them in the first few seasons but then I think they realised it would be way too expensive to make a TV show that followed the book storylines the whole way through. There has been huge chunks of book material just left out and entire characters omitted that would provide some of the best plot twists in the entire series.

Synode

I still haven't watched a single episode of GoT

awec

Synode wrote: »

I still haven't watched a single episode of GoT

There are boobs in it.

Synode

awec wrote: »

There are boobs in it.

Ha that's what everyone says. I've only heard good things so I really should get started on it

awec

awec wrote: »

There are boobs in it.

some lovely ones at that

Most recent episode had the best boobs yet

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Most recent episode had the best boobs yet

Seriously debatable. The prison cell scene surely #1?

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Seriously debatable. The prison cell scene surely #1?

Those characters were so awful that it took away from it. I like my boobs to have more substance.

awec

Synode wrote: »

Ha that's what everyone says. I've only heard good things so I really should get started on it

You should, definitely. If you like boobs all the more reason to!

thomond2006

GoT Q:

Where is Bronn? No sign of him this season, IIRC he would have been in the boat back to King's Landing when Marcella died?

mfceiling

awec wrote: »

There are boobs in it.

I prefer to look at "real" ladies boobs and not ones on tv...

mfceiling

mfceiling wrote: »

I prefer to look at "real" ladies boobs and not ones on tv...

Strip clubs are expensive!

b.gud

GOT Spoiler http://i.imgur.com/ROWcVmC.jpg

mfceiling

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Strip clubs are expensive!

You don't go to a strip club when you've a hottie at home!!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

mfceiling wrote: »

You don't go to a strip club when you've a hottie at home!!

You'll go blind.

awec

mfceiling wrote: »

You don't go to a strip club when you've a hottie at home!!

mfceilings wife when she saw talk of strippers on his laptop: