Yearly Archives: 2013

6a00d8342f650553ef019affb02bde970c-500wiHighest debt per capita of any European country.

Economist Michael Taft writes:

…Ireland is at the top, head and shoulders above all other countries – in particular, Italy, Greece and Portugal which the Fiscal Council refers to as countries with a higher debt when measured as a percentage of GDP.  Why the difference?
Measurements which use GDP as the benchmark can distort Irish data given that GDP is flattered by the accounting practices of multi-nationals.  For instance, when using Gross National Income as the benchmark (which is equivalent to GNP) which removes international flow such as profit repatriation, debt in Ireland is 143 percent of GNI.  This is the second highest, only exceeded by Greece.  But the fun doesn’t stop there.  The ESRI has found that even our GNP/GNI is inflated due to multi-national activities (undistributed profits of headquartering multi-nationals).  If this was factored out, we’d be reaching Greek levels of debt….

Sea of Debt (Michael Taft, Unite’s Notes On The Front)

Thanks Justin Moran

senate

Some will see these poll numbers and say,
That they think that the game’s still in play,
It’s almost as though,
They believe that the “No”,
Side can still win so late in the day.

John Moynes

Screengrab: Irish Times

Earlier: Four Days To Save Democracy

il_570xN.393041605_brupnicola-hyland-cake-topper-companyDaintree(Nicola Hyland, centre and one of her same-sex wedding cake toppers, top. banned by Daintree Paper, above.)

Jane Casey, at GCN (Gay Community News) writes:

Recently, we received two letters complaining about homophobic discrimination at Daintree Paper [wedding stationers] on Dublin’s Camden Street. This is what transpired…

 

Dear Editor,

I make hand crafted, personalised, clay cake toppers and I was invited by Daintree Paper on Camden St., Dublin to become part of their ‘Wedding Hub’ in May this year. The idea behind The Wedding Hub is a space where brides and grooms can visit and view the stalls of potential wedding suppliers.
One of the toppers in my stand depicts two clay grooms holding hands. After about a week of my stand being in the store I got a call from the owner saying he would like a word next time I am in. He had removed the same-sex couple topper from my stand without my permission because it was in conflict with his religious beliefs and although he is happy for people from the LGBT community to shop in his store, he is not comfortable with promoting same-sex marriage on the shelves.
This was pretty shocking to hear. I told him that what he did was not in line with my own beliefs, and indeed that I wasn’t happy with him removing stock without my consent, and that I could not in good conscience remain in The Wedding Hub if he refused to place the topper back where it was. After a lengthy conversation, during which it was pretty obvious he wasn’t going to change his mind, I left and removed my stand from the shop a couple of weeks later.
This incident has been all at once shocking, upsetting and anger-inducing. I had been of the belief that this kind of attitude was all but gone, but I was very sadly mistaken. I would like to add that in the weeks following this incident I have spoken to a number of staff members in The Wedding Hub and Daintree Paper, none of whom share the opinion of the owner.
Yours,
Nicola Hyland

Dear Editor,
Thank you for allowing me the right to reply to Nicola’s letter. Daintree does not stock any merchandise that promotes same-sex marriage.
Daintree has a subsidiary company called The Jesse Box, which is a program for teachers and parents to pass Christian faith to children through re-enacting bible stories in a diorama.
There is an obvious conflict here that prompted the action as outlined in the letter from Nicola Hyland.
Yours sincerely
Paul Barnes, Daintree Ltd

The Daintree Letters (GCN)

MotorTax

Galway

Carloww

Carlow

Castlebar

Castlebar, Co. Mayo

Car owners are queuing up outside motor tax offices across the country as a 4pm deadline looms in respect of a new rule requiring anyone intending to take their car off the road to make a submission in advance to the motor tax office.

NO!

But postal applications of the Declaration of Non-Use Of a Motor Vehicle forms (RF 150 form) postmarked September 30, 2013, will be accepted.

Yay.

Motor tax exemption deadline today (Irish Times) 

Pics: RTE News, Ken Power and Colm Gannon

lurgan

The mighty Coláiste Lurgan’s just-released cover of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ ‘Can’t Hold Us’ (complete with bonus Macklemore and Lewis cameo as Gaeilge).

All together now:

Gabhfadh muid ar aghaidh,
Seo’d é an nóiméad
Ná breathnódh muid siar
‘S tabhair faoi go cróga
Caith bhur lámha san aer,
Tá an saol seo romhainne
Tá an saol seo dhúinne

 

Previously: Wake Me Up As Gaeilge