Computers? Schools? Government? Really?

Was reading this morning that Mary Hanafin, the all knowledgeable runner of schools in Ireland stated that having computers in schools helps prevent kids from dropping out.

She was also talking about some crap package of €252m to be spent on schools (equates to about €15 per child per year in Ireland)

This is the same government who give schools NO money to buy computers. Most computers in Irish schools have come from the Tesco scheme and other such schemes that rely on parents to participate. Or, they get computers from businesses or from parents - not the government. This is also the same government who have spent no money on broadband for schools and who have wilfully neglected the schools for years. The same government who give no money to schools for maintenance or support of computers, networks or connections. And they expect kids to learn.

The sooner this government are out the better. And especially Hanafin.

Band or Singer - which one are you??

Think about this carefully.

If you could say you are like a band or singer which one would you say you are like and why???

For example, you may think you are like Radiohead. Had a good time in the 90's when everyone liked you but as people spent more time with you they got depressed and stopped hanging around. You went into hiding and in order to make new friends you offer them discounts to spend time with you..

Have a try..

Ahhh...Baby Cheeses

Stole this from Nerd Rock who stole it from Unbearably Light. Class.

Broadband Bill in the Seanad

I was listening to the Last Word on Today FM and heard Senator Shane Ross talk about the broadband bill he will be trying to get accepted in the Seanad.

I hope this gets accepted or even parts of it. Broadband in Ireland is crap and needs to be sorted ASAP.

Support this by emailing your ideas, issues and concerns to shane.ross@oireachtas.ie. Or if you don't have broadband use the old fashioned means (like the Government want us to):

Senator Shane Ross
Seanad Eireann
Leinster House
Kildare St
Dublin 2.

Tel: +353 1 618 3014
Home: +353 1 211 6692
Fax: + 353 1 618 4192

Fanny Waters v The Bloggers

So tomorrow Fanny Waters is taking on the blogging community on Newstalk. The yoke who has made some very bold statements about the Internet and blogger's will have the chance to take on a very able opponent.

Lets see what the scuttering gobsheen has to say for himself now..

Newton Faulkner

Listened to his album "Hand built by robots" for the first time this evening and have to say I thought it was excellent. His cover of Massive Attack's "Teardrop" is really cool.

If you haven't bought this album get it.

Fanny Waters

You really should go to this amazing blog. Fanny Waters is so full of wisdom and he is imparting this to us. Go and gorge on this...

Kevin Myers v Kieran Allen

I was listening to 'The Last Word' (or the Mulley show as it's known in some quarters) on Today FM and there was a debate between Kevin Myers (journo from the Irish Independant) and Kieran Allen author of "The Corporate take over of Ireland". It was with regards to the recent Irish Rail strike in Kent station in Cork.

I missed the start of the interview but apparently Mr.Allen personally attacked Kevin Myers on his views and background and not about the issue in question. Allen was stating that the guy in Cork had every right to do what he done because he was asked to do something that wasn't part of his job by management.

Lets look at this last statement: This one guy, brought down the whole rail network in Cork because he was asked to do something other than his norm. And he affected over 2000 rail users. Although his colleagues joined him, he alone is the cause why people had to find other means of travel. This one guy. Allen was saying that you can't let management get away with these things and he is right....to a point. There are ways and means of venting your frustration and making your point. In this case he could have called his union rep and acted.

But no. He went on strike and brought down the rail network. That is what Kevin Myers was arguing about and I agree with him. I don't often agree with him but in this case he is right.

There has to be an accountability in any line of work and the unions have done nothing for the public who are affected by these inexcusable strikes.

Some guy wrote into the show and stated that what happened to cause this strike was that an agreement was reached before Xmas between the Labour Courts, management at Irish Rail and the unions and this agreement was breached. That is wrong but so is the strike. The unions have no trouble stating what caused the strike was wrong but never, ever admit when their members are in the wrong and act on it.

And this needs to start happening. Soon.

Open note to the American owners of Liverpool

Fuck off back to America and leave our club and manager alone.

Pricks.

Why this country is going to shit

I was reading Twenty's post about the HSE slashing budgets in our hospital's which makes so much sense. Where else would Mary Harney get the money for food?

It made me think of this letter that was in the Metro newspaper this morning. Everything in this letter show's what is wrong with Ireland and why everything run in the public sector and civil service is in total and utter crap. What I write here is taken exactly from the letter:

"So us poorly paid civil servants will have to endure more hardship and financial struggles after the disgraceful benchmarking report?

On my journey home by train on Thursday I listened to the intense criticism of public sector employees. How easily they forget that without civil servants they will not be able to sign on and collect their social welfare payments when the tiger finally dies.

I had time to sit back and consider my futur employment prospects in a full-time pensionable job with six months paid sick leave, seven uncertified sick days each year, flexi-time, free educational courses, paid study leave, free car parking in the city, 23 days annual leave, two priviledge days and a requirement to work a massive six hours 57 minutes each day.

Then I remembered that when decentralisation is completed I will have a five minute walk to work. So, private sector slaves do you honestly believe I'm worried about the three per cent pay increase. Your criticism is falling on very comfortable but deaf ears.

Happy civil servant by email".

We pay for this gobshite to work? We pay for them to have 25 days holidays and all that sick leave (and they probably take most of it too)? How can they justify all those perks for civil servants for very little work? I mean, this person says they have to work 6 hours 57 minutes per day. Do they actually work any more than about 2 hours in reality.

I hate this dude/dudette. An utter prick. If the tiger dies, I hope you are the first person made redundant you insensitive bollox.

School Broadband

I see on Damien's blog he has a story about more lies from TIF and the Government on school broadband.
I also know this story to be untrue as I have inside information.

I just wonder how much longer can this government go on in light of all the rubbish and scandal that is surrounding it? It seems that for 10 years while they hid everything, they think now that they don't have to hide it anymore as they have been voted back in. That we are all OK with what they have done and will continue to bend over and take it again.

It's about time we all started to stand up to them. Yes we had the Celtic Tiger but it's waning and they are doing nothing at all. We need to do something, and quick.

FBI in non-payment of bill shock..

I love this story. A telephone company cut off an FBI phone tap for not paying the bill.

Class.

Fly on the wall

If you could be a fly on any wall in the world for 1 day (and guaranteed not to be swotted) where would you be and why?

And to help you think, some soft music...

2008 Irish Blog Awards

And so the date has been set for the 2008 Irish Blog Awards and tis on March 1st in the Alexander Hotel in Dublin.

Please do come along. If you are not there then (delete as appropriate):
1) You were not invited
2) You are bitter about last years awards
3) You are a Fine Gael moron who is bitter and twisted.

As Una says, byesies.

Another Irish Rail Strike

I heard yesterday on the news (yes, I'm a bit behind everyone else) that an unofficial strike had been averted in Cork. However, services between Cork and Dublin and the commuter lines in Cork were affected by this strike. Yet again, it was the rail inspection and maintenance staff that caused this stoppage.

I ask - when will this crap stop? It was unofficial. No stoppage should have occurred. Why do the ordinary people suffer because of a disagreement between management and workers? Why is it that when people are in a union and have a gripe, rather than talking properly over the issue downing tools is their first action? And if deemed wrong NOTHING EVER happens them.

If this disruption was wrong I want to know what will happen the man who caused the problem. Why is it, that one man can cause trouble for 100's and get away with it? Why does his union back him? Answer: Unions in Ireland are weak ass bodies who do nothing at all expect cause people pain. Period.

Please, oh please something needs to be done to ensure that unofficial strikes and disruptions to people does not occur.

Irish Rail apologised for the inconvience caused. Nothing from the unions or the prick who caused the problem. I'm sure those affected who were late to meetings, late home, or had to fork out for taxis or other methods of transport are really grateful for the apology.

I hate unions.

Judge not lest thee be...

...judges yourselves.

Yes indeed, Damien is looking for people to be judges for the 2008 Irish Blog Awards. Put yourself forward for this prestigious honour.

Last year, I was a judge for the awards overseeing the "Best Political Blog". This year I will indeed put myself forward to be one of the judges. I think that awards of this nature are fantastic and really should be promoted. Too often in this country we have pansy-ass offering such as the All-Stars which are not really award ceremonies. These do not always go to the best, cost a fortune to run and more to the point, a fortune to attend, and are not attainable to the average Joe Soap.

The Blog Awards are fantastic. Well run, open attendance, no crap dinner and a good laugh. They are also a chance to meet you heroes. Or maybe not.

So Damien, I humbly offer my services.

Where the money REALLY goes

Did anyone else notice on page 6 of the Metro today (got it in Dublin).

Heading 1: Fares for Luas and Dart go up
Heading 2: Up to 3% pay rise (for civil and public service)

Is that not too much of a coincidence??

I honestly don't know how they can justify the raising of prices of the Luas and Dart when there has been no improving of the service that I can see. They are also raising the prices of Intercity trains. If they really are keen on getting more people using public transport then:

1) Increse the number of services and expect a loss in the first few years (do Irish Rail and Bus Eireann make a profit? If so, why? Surely they should just be a cost centre)
2) Lower the prices to make it more attractive for people to travel on public transport
3) Have more park and ride facilities
4) Maybe, and this is a novel idea, solicit people to see what they NEED.
5) Remove this stupid idea of having to get a CIE photo ID to buy monthly tickets. Why can't a drivers license or passport be enough?

I think the prices for the dart service are already over priced. To give an idea, I get a weekly return ticket from Raheny to Sydney Parade (about a 20 min train journey depending on the way the driver is feeling and the number of leaves on the track). This weekly ticket costs €16.50 and is going to go up. Yup, €16.50 for a max of 14 train journeys.

Now, in Sydney for $35 you get 7 days unlimited use of bus, rail and ferries within certain zones of the city. The zones for this ticket cover nearly everything you will need. Which seems the more value for money? Consider also that the trains in Sydney run AFTER midnight and at weekends trains are pretty much 24x7.

We in this country just bend over and take it.

The shee-ite heads that run public transport need to be beaten but I will make one more statement:

We will NEVER have a decent public transport system or health service while Unions are involved.

Doh!

My head ain't right this morning....damn food. Honestly don't think it was the beer.

Using the language

See over on Damien's blog a massive who-ha over not much really.

What I don't understand is why people are having a go at Damien for his language. Why can't people see that different things offend different people.

Personally, I don't find the word "retard" offensive. I find other words offensive and if people use them towards me I won't be shy in letting them know I find it offensive. Similarily I would expect people to say the same to me. But it's all about how they let the person know.

Recently, Tommy Tiernan got slated by do-gooders over his DVD yet people with the disabilities he was making fun off stood up for him. We can make fun of stupid people, white people, people with no disorders so if we are treat everyone the same, why can't people make fun of the disabled? Surely that's one of the best ways to integrate everyone into our environment.

This is one of the reason's I enjoyed the Borat movie and also his book. He doesn't hold back and presents it from the point of view of someone who actually uses the language in the manner.

Maybe we need to understand if the people who are being called these words find it offensive. Black, coloured or whatever the PC term is now-a-days people often call each other "nigger" so why can't I call them it? Often they refer to caucasian people as "white boy" or "white girl". If I get offended by this what next - do I tell them to stop?

The world needs to calm the fluck down and stop a lot of this PC nonsense.

To do list for 2008

One of the lads I work with told me about this thing his wife and himself do each year. They sit down and compile a list of things they would like to accomplish for the coming year.

Be it go to Glastonbury, attend a play in the west end or play a round of golf at a certain course they list things they want to do. They are not necessarily done together and it helps them put a purpose to the year and ensure that each weekend is not wasted.

I thought this was a great idea and so must sit down and do a list as well.

To start with, here are 2 of mine.

1) Write a book (not saying novel as not sure if I can create a story 80,000 words long - unless in part of the book someone is reciting parts of War and Peace)
2) Get a surfboard, wetsuit and get surfing....

What would your list be???

Happy New Year

I would like to wish everyone a very happy and peaceful 2008.

Except for Schlumberger management.

Pick me! Pick Me!!

It's that time of the year again when the Irish Blog awards take place. If you feel the need to, please choose this blog for one of the awards...

You can vote here but please READ the rules on nominating. However to ease your pain of wondering vote this blog for the "Best Blog" category and "Best Personal Blog" category.

Don't forget to vote for Rate This Toilet for the "Best Specialist Blog" category. It rocks. And helps you with the pain of wondering where to take to the throne.