95 thoughts on “De Friday Papers

    1. Eoin

      It’s the same pic across most of the papers, I think the pic editors, for those who have them, missed a trick. There was a pic yesterday of the church upclose against the snowy mountain that looked ethereal. It’s the second pic in this IT article. You wouldn’t think such a place existed in Ireland, it’s beautiful and in the context of the tragedy is just too poignant.

      https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/donegal-crash-there-is-no-greater-weight-than-the-coffin-of-your-son-brother-or-friend-1.3777273

    2. millie st murderlark

      I should clarify that when I posted this comment, some of the papers weren’t there and that I was commenting on the pic of Lake Michigan. I think I’ve caused some confusion.

  1. Spaghetti Hoop

    In fairness Millser, the pic on the Times is it. The results of an inquest into the cause of the accident won’t be known for months, but how many of you have kids driving right now and would you let them drive with a full license in Donegal? I’m aghast at how many lads there have died in their 20s on the road. If it’s the road conditions and that the county have been truly abandoned in funds, then protest it.

  2. Ads

    Mm. going on about the horrors of Donegal driving is surely a way of convincing ourselves it won’t happen to us. Cars are getting more massive and faster, and the equivalent of 50 families are killed by them every year.

  3. Giggidygoo

    Nd, as suspected. we are being prepared for the 2bn+ price tag for the NCH. Cleverly constructed that the accountancy firms and the successful tenderers can keep getting additional payments. As with almost every public tender for construction in this country, it’s a case of a winner emerging, and then Bam! the prices increases 3,4t,5,6, fold.
    no one held to account. No independent investigation. But we all see it when we are hot with new levies and taxes courtesy of the Bilderberg Blueshirts

    1. Eoin

      Sssh, are you trying to upset the govt-Big 4 apple cart. The obvious way ahead now would be to have the Comptroller and Auditor General examine the procurement and current costs estimate. But we already fund the office of the CAG, why would we use the CAG when we can pay an extra €450,000 to PwC. It’s incompetence upon incompetence by FG. You’d get better financial management of the public purse from a coalition of the communists and anarchists.

    2. SOQ

      No, the fault lies firmly with those who drew up the tender documents. A good tender document covers all bases while a bad one misses half of them. There may be unforeseen issues like archaeological digs but in the main, the core reason why some construction projects stay within budget and some do not is due to the tender documents up.

      Look at the rebuild of the Red Cow roundabout redesign for example, came in on schedule and budget with flyovers and a new route for the Luas, all while keeping the busiest road in Ireland open and free flowing.

      1. Johnny

        Are you referring to Contract 1 or JCT 7 of the upgrade scheme,was there really,really a separate tender for the sad cow roundabout or did you just make something up again ?

        Which schedule and budget are you referring to,a link would be great :)

        https://www.m50concession.com/the-m50-upgrade/

        Do you have any other examples to illustrate,back up your rather grandiose claim,like maybe a real one……

        1. Johnny

          You can just leave your response/links SOQ,under Dans thread on The Tragic (Magic) Roundabouts,how apropos:)

          1. millie st murderlark

            That made as much sense to me as a poem written in Kurdish.*

            *I don’t know any Kurdish at all

          2. SOQ

            OK Johnny I know so much about that project because I worked on it- No doubt I am sharing too much again but guess what? Some of us on Broadsheet are real people who do not hide behind numerous personas and I personally couldn’t care less.

            There was numerous contacts, not just the ones you linked to and yes, it was as tight as a duck’s backside, a testament to Irish engineering, which is the complete opposite of this shambles called The Children’s hospital.

            So I shall repeat my initial statement. The buck stops with those who drew up those tenders or, more likely given the size of overrun, contracts which should have been drawn up but never were, which is even worst.

            Everything about it stinks, right from the decision to without adequate road infrastructure or accommodation, place a new hospital of that size in one of the most densely populated areas of Dublin – the only hope for accommodation being that Government issues CPO’s on the James end of Guinness and builds there.

            Otherwise, complete gridlock on that side of D8.

        2. Johnny

          The sad cow roundabout was done by this team.

          ‘This element was delivered through a Design & Build contract by SIAC-Ferrovial M50 Joint Venture, a partnership between SIAC Construction Ltd and the Spanish Construction Company Ferrovial Agromán S.A., who were joined by a consulting engineering consortium of Hyder Consulting Ltd, PH McCarthy & Partners and Grontmij. Arup Consulting Engineers supervised the contract on behalf of South Dublin County Council and the NRA‘

          Contracts/tenders huh-for someone who ‘worked’ on this you don’t appear very au fair with the project,or any large scale projects,the sad cow roundabout was NOT a separate tender as you claimed.

          You made the whole magic roundabout example up,you haven’t a shred of evidence to back up your outlandish claims,do you need more info/links my end?

          What on earth are you referring to-it was hundreds millions overbuget-got any links,bored by your rambling,incoherent anacedotes ?

          1. Johnny

            Yeah swings and magic roundabouts,stick to your overly sexual outdated,1970’s benny hill ‘jokes’,your clearly out your league here old queen,stay off my posts under your various guises.

    3. harry

      As usual reports will be the get out of jail card then when it quieted down nothing is done
      Then the next one followed by the next
      I truly believe in heads chopped first
      The project should be shelved and the hospital decided by Berlin built by others with no connection with this state

      God help us when the national maternity project is being built

  4. Eoin

    Front page of the FT – banks are a pox.

    The EC has accused eight unnamed banks of manipulating the market for government bonds (presumably including Irish government bonds). Just look at the roll call of shame.

    “Thursday’s announcement is part of a campaign by European competition enforcers to uncover rigging of financial benchmarks by traders.

    EU antitrust officials unveiled a separate investigation in December that accused Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Crédit Agricole and one other unnamed bank of price rigging in the market for some types of US dollar-denominated government bonds.

    There is also a probe under way into the manipulation of foreign exchange rates by eight banks — UBS, Royal Bank of Scotland, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Barclays, HSBC and two others. The parties were nearing a settlement in the autumn of 2017, but the investigation is continuing as at least one bank has decided not to settle, according to two people familiar with the matter.

    …Since 2013, Brussels has also fined seven banks €1.3bn for manipulating euro benchmark derivatives, six banks were fined €670m for rigging yen interest rate derivatives and three banks were fined €32m for colluding on the Swiss Franc instrument.”

    Pox

  5. Eoin

    Fair play to the USA for awarding $300m of damages against what is left of the state of Syria for the death of a journalist.

    I wonder how much the USA would have to fork out if all those relatives of innocents, especially children, killed in targeted US drone attacks, sued the USA for damages.

  6. Clampers Outside!

    Today is both #HijabDay and #NoHijabDay.
    One being promoted by western feminism the other by middle-eastern feminism.
    One saying it is a symbol of empowerment while the other saying it is a symbol of oppression.

    No prizes for guessing which says what.

    Support #nohijabday, it’s common sense.

        1. bisted

          …no rabbits in Ireland at that time but hares were acceptable…and the ancient deity associated with the date was a woman…

    1. Nigel

      Support #wearwhatyouwantday. If you’re living in a place that tells you to wear hijabs and you don’t want to, don’t. If you’re living in a place that tells you not to wear hijabs and you want to, do. Don’t listen to some thundering ignorant fool who tries to tell you there’s a difference.

      1. Rob_G

        “If you’re living in a place that tells you to wear hijabs and you don’t want to, don’t”.

        It would be nice if the world were like that, but I’m fairly certain that if a lady didn’t want to wear her hijab in Iran or Saudi Arabia, things might not go so well for them.

        1. Nigel

          The degree of mortal danger did not seem to be a factor in the brave exhortations of the ignorant fool above for other people to defy the imams at the risk of their lives, He was only interested in using their plight and their courage to attack feminism.

          1. Clampers Outside!

            Nonsense, I was showing the difference between real feminism in action and nonsense that claims to be feminism.
            And that’s what the campaigners for #nohijab day say.

            You’d know that if you actually listened instead of going off on one, ya silly billy.

          2. Nigel

            Yeah what feminism needs is to listen to men intrinsically hostile to feminism and who thinks women shouldn’t be allowed to wear what they want.

          3. Rob_G

            “…who thinks women shouldn’t be allowed to wear what they want.

            In cultures were women are forced to cover their heads, almost all women do (well, they have to). In cultures where women are not obliged to cover their heads, quite few do. I think it is strange that you are equating what women from a particular culture want to wear, with what they have been inculcated at birth (by men) that they must wear.

            Being a feminist doesn’t mean that you will think that every idea emanating from every strand of feminism is a good idea.

          4. Nigel

            No. What I’m pointing out is that if in one culture women are forced to wear something, feminism means the freedom to not wear it. In a culture where women are told not to wear something,, feminism means the freedom to wear it, if you want. It’s not that complicated. It’s choice, even choices you disagree with.

          5. Clampers Outside!

            No one is arguing against choosing to wear anything. But you’ve set yourself up as some defender of such a position for what I can only see as an assumption due to your own preconceived notions of mine and others position on the matter. And in doing so ignoring all explanations to the contrary made so far.

            Why do you do this? Because, I can only conclude, is because you’re an argumentative buffoon with a blind ideological bent that you’re righteous and those who disagree with you are wrong regardless of the explanations of those positions.

            Again, for clarification, no one is arguing against choosing to wear anything.

          6. Junkface

            You know that there are different types of Feminism. There’s a good podcast called Femsplainers by Christina Sommers, where she meets traditional, more centred, realistic feminists and discusses how a lot of the modern feminist movement has alienated them, because they think some of their issues are crazy and go against all logic. For example their support for Islam continuing to suppress women.
            Then there’s the women’s march organisation issue that is getting main stream news attention in USA because they have found out that they were excluding Jewish women and supporting Luis Farrakhan with his antisemitic hate speeches. So Clampers has a point. Feminism is splitting in a way.

          7. Clampers Outside!

            As Ms Sommers says, it can get very lively, as they insist on having fun…. and wine to loosen up the conversation :)

          8. Nigel

            Misogyny has tied the whole world up in knots, don’t confuse the tangles with the people trying to untie them, and who may not always agree on the best way to do it.
            Antisemitism has no place in anything, ever, but it gets into everything, somehow. That needs to be sorted, or it needs to die.
            Clamps isn’t talking about feminism splitting, Clamps is anti-feminism. You won’t get an honest picture of feminism from an anti-feminist.
            In the run up to the second Iraq war, there was a strain of right-wing pro-war argument that by opposing a war on Afghanistan and Iraq, feminists were effectively supporting the suppression of women in those countries. This is another version of that.

          9. Clampers Outside!

            I’m egalitarian, and as I have pointed out many times before, I support the type of feminism that is equivalent to egalitarianism, the type that Christina Hoff Sommers espouses.

            But hey, you run with your self-righteousness, and insistence on what you want to believe I think… it’s par for the course at this stage for an ideological buffoon like yourself, in fairness.

          10. Clampers Outside!

            I love the random point thrown in at the end with regard to Iraq and Afghanistan… as if that has anything to do with anything I have ever commented on.
            Such blatant attempts at association are so ridiculous, and dishonest of you, they are actually quite funny. But more importantly, they reveal your desperation to paint a foul picture of myself that you imagined out of thin air.
            Truly deserving of a *slow clap* …and for clarification, that is, a very slow mocking clap :0)

          11. Nigel

            ‘No one is arguing against choosing to wear anything’

            Literally pushing a don’t-wear-a-thing hashtag (as an attack on feminism.)

          12. Clampers Outside!

            You obviously haven’t even looked up those women who started the #nohijaday because they have explained this misconception of it, that you are pushing.

            I’ll be accused of mansplaining (s/) it if I say any more, so maybe do yourself a favour…. Look. It. Up!

          13. Nigel

            Don’t care what you call yourself, inasmuch as you have failed to articulate any clear or useful or even interesting ideology and are incapable of engaging with criticism of what you do say. You’re an anti-feminist who routinely and in bad faith attacks feminism.

          14. Nigel

            If you actually understood the point I was making, you could try to argue against it, but either you can’t, or you’ve internalised acting stupid as a debating tactic. .

          15. Clampers Outside!

            Why would I argue against a dishonest point that claims I said something I didn’t. Are you really that stupid. (that’s rhetorical pet)

          16. Clampers Outside!

            Again, as I said above.

            Just because you repeat an incorrect point of your own, doesn’t make it true.

            To close and reiterate, Nigella, your continued dishonesty in discussion means I’m done on this now, thank you.

      2. Clampers Outside!

        Exactly Nigel, that’s what #nohijabday is all about.

        Having the CHOICE to wear or not, and supporting women living in countries where they have NO CHOICE.

        1. Johnny

          Yesterday you were ranting and raving about late term abortions,today it’s about suppprting women’s choices,but only in what they wear…
          Confused much !

          1. Johnny

            -lost me champ,are you opposed to the current Virgina law or the now dropped proposed changes to the same law ?
            -it’s a non issue,seized upon by Trump and his redneck,ill educated,racist,white trash,misogynist supporters to prove one off Stone’s maxims,that hate is often the best voter motivator.

          2. Clampers Outside!

            My point was, that delivering an infant, and resuscitating it, and then deciding to keep it or not, is not abortion.

            Simple as.

          3. Johnny

            -an infant like with its school uniform ready and all that,as opposed to 3 highly qualified and trained medical doctors,making this decision, they should ask you,when your not digging holes or painting like…

          4. Clampers Outside!

            I agree with all that.

            My only point is that when an infant is birthed, and alive, it is passed being called abortion.

            Again, simple as.

          5. Clampers Outside!

            That is, …passed being called an abortion, if a termination of the infant is carried out.

        2. Nigel

          No It’s not. Right there in your first comment it was clear that for you It’s about attacking feminism.

          1. Nigel

            If you don’t want me to point out you’re cynically use the plight of women in repressive Islamic states as a way of attacking feminism, then don’t do it.

          2. Clampers Outside!

            Still making assumptions. Still assuming motivations. Still being a blind fool incapable of honest discussion… give it a rest pet, thanks.

          3. Nigel

            Still cowering behind lazy rhetorical tools that let you cop-out of anything substantive. Between ‘slow clap’ and ‘assumptions’ I think we’ve reached the limits of your intellectual engagement.

        3. harry

          I always loved the scene in as good as it gets when the secretary said to yer man jack Nicholson
          How do you know women so well
          He replied
          I look at a man then I take away reason and accountability

    2. Lobster

      You’ve expressed so much hostility to feminism that I find it quite offensive that you want to tell feminists how to feminist better. You’re not affected by the issues feminism responds to, so it’s well and good for you to sit griping from the sidelines, but not constructive.

      1. Clampers Outside!

        I’m supporting genuine feminists from the middle-east.
        But hey, you keep stressing over “manspreading” on the bus, or whatever triviality of western feminism that floats your boat.

        1. millie st murderlark

          ‘Genuine’.

          I didn’t realise you were the arbiter of such things, Clamps. Good to know.

          1. Clampers Outside!

            I’m not at all Millie. The point was intended only for the specifics of that comment, as far as I’m concerned. And that it is about supporting the #nohijadday campaign as genuine, as opposed to trivialities like “manspreading” which are not.

            This differentiation is not simply something I have come up with myself, but is a point made often by middle-eastern feminists that I have read. I am only reiterating a view they themselves have expressed, not in any way acting as any arbiter.

            I hope this clarifies any further misinterpretation of my comment Millie, thanks.

          2. Clampers Outside!

            I see you’ve also you’ve shown an interest in the Femsplainers podcast.

            I believe the differentiation, the arbitration mentioned above, will also be found in the content of Ms Sommers’ podcasts.

        2. Lobster

          You appear to have picked an argument you feel is trivial, and decided it’s something I feel strongly about so you can dismiss it, in spite of the fact I didn’t mention it. Weak.
          I’m not actually weighing in on the issue of hijabs here, I’m saying that you routinely come on here to make arguments against bad feminism wherever you can fit them, then act as though feminists should really turn to you to decide the serious issues. I don’t agree with all feminists, or think that any argument made by people claiming to be feminist stands up to scrutiny, but the idea your suggestions are in good faith is not credible.

          1. Clampers Outside!

            You can assume that, if you so wish, and I can accept that as your point of view.
            But I know my own mind, and I know I am coming at this from an honest, in good faith position, regardless of how others may assume to view that position. Thank you.

    1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

      Oh no! I had to double check that. God, I’m so sad. I LOVED him on The News Quiz. He seemed like such a lovely man. RIP.

  7. SOQ

    Looks like a new Brexit party is in the making for the EU elections, including Farage. The pitch is that it will be a lot more polished than UKIP (read more middle class), and while it may pull some support from Labour; it will primarily damage the Tories.

    It somewhat explains why May is pandering so much to the hard-line Brexiters so much because if they start running in general elections, there will be a choice between traditional Conservatism and veiled English nationalism.

    1. Spaghetti Hoop

      Agree. I see a Tory split for sure.
      The old Moggsy-Johnson-Cameron Etonian-Toryness of old won’t wash anymore will the UK citizens who have had to record their eastenders and watch parliamentary votes that may affect their ‘pairnd’ and their local chippy.

      Labour effectively split in the 90s but just rebranded as Blairy New Labour. Tories will fall apart after Brexit.

      1. SOQ

        Well a 50 extension is near inevitable now so it could be beforehand. Then, if they can muster enough candidates, the EU elections become somewhat of a referendum rerun. Although, campaigning for a EU election on an extreme anti EU ticket would require a certain skill set.

        I was talking to an Irish man who lives in England a few days ago. He mentioned this whole conspiracy thing where because May is a remainer, that the mess is deliberate on order to keep GB in EU. When you have that level of electoral mistrust and suspicion, anything can happen. .

    2. Giggidygoo

      The European elections are in May. If there’s a Brexit before that, then the UK wouldn’t be able to have european MEPs?

      1. Spaghetti Hoop

        Brexit is scheduled for 29 March.

        The May elections is the reason why Junker, Tusk etc. are adamant about no more extensions to the Brits. They cannot be still in the EU and not fielding candidates. It means Farage is out shortly – and off the payroll – he will be looking for a new venture possibly back home if SOQ is right.

        Mind you, Jeremy Hunt (silent h, invisible c) said yesterday he was expecting an extension. On the Tory naughty step now I believe.

        Disclaimer: we are all speculative here. Brexit is one of the most haphazard events of the 21st century and events are and have been unpredictable. I cannot stand Brexit prophets and forecasters, especially the ones selling books off the back of it, so I do not pupport to be one.

          1. SOQ

            Where is the ‘we’ in above? It’s a Farage quote from The Sun article.

            And no I is definitely Irish, born, bred and buttered.

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