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#11

GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire 2024 Group 1 ...

Last post by twohands!!! - Today at 06:00:36 PM

Is there any reason with games being played next week why the GAA can't confirm the dates and times of next weekends fixtures so that supporters can sort travel/accomodation if required.  I understand last round of games are neutral and undecided but why could they not announce the venues/times for the first two rounds at one time. 

The thing is that this surely has to impact ticket sales.

The group draw was made on April 30th. On that date it was known that Derry would be playing at home against the loser of the Ulster final on the weekend of the June 1st/2nd.

On the 12th of May, Armagh were confirmed as being the opposition for Derry in this game.

10 days have passed by since then and there is still no confirmation of the date, location, or time.

It's a similar situation for all the final round games.

That's 10 additional days of ticket sales. Whatever way you want to slice it I doubt that having the tickets on sale for a longer period of time would lead to less overall sales and there has to be a very serious chance that it leads to increased ticket sales.

The season ticket holders and the other types of GAA regulars are pretty much guaranteed to turn up no matter where and when the game is on but even if you sold no additional tickets, it would surely be a benefit to a significant percentage of these thousands of people to know the date/time and location two weeks earlier.

I jsut can't understand why the GAA aren't better on this issue.

#12

General discussion / Re: Hamas attack Israel & sub...

Last post by Lubo Moravcik - Today at 05:58:06 PM

There is, as far as I'm aware, no evidence of this gang rape/mass rape thing. Its also pretty much accepted that Israel shot up a large amount of their own people. If they gave a damn about hostages they would gave negotiated their release, instead they carpet bombed civilian areas. You need to think of Israel as Nazis to understand the evil you are dealing with here.

I have no doubt that Israel wilfully murder and starve Palestinians - it's clear from their actions.

Though hasn't the ICC also accepted that Hamas fighters used sexual violence? I'd imagine they must have seen evidence before stating such.

Maybe they have, they've certainly said Hamas has a case to answer on it. But I've not seen any evidence from reliable sources and in fact some of the initial witnesses stating this were shown to be very unreliable. I would have thought it surely would've been out there for all to see if evidence was available. A bit like the weapons and tunnels in hospitals, none of it ever surfaced.

Israel's exaggerated reports of sexual violence are unbelievable but if the ICC are also citing it in their case agains the leadership of Hamas I'm inclined to think there must have been some level of truth in the original reports of rapes occurring.

The 'human shield' thing Israel use against Hamas I find ridiculous. Israel has never cared about harming civilians so what use are they as any type of shield.

https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/icc-has-no-evidence-7-october-rapes-documents-indicate

Sorry but "My office continues to investigate reports of sexual violence committed on Oct 7th' does not mean that it did not occur.  Did Israel tell lies about the scale of it? I would say yes. Did rape occur? I'll wait for the ICC investigation to reach a conclusion on that.

The ICC seems to possess evidence that rape occurred in captivity, however the Electronic Intifada article is very causally dismissive of that:

"But does that mean that Khan possesses enough evidence of rapes and sexual violence against Israelis in captivity to warrant charges against Hamas leaders?

Obviously, we have not seen all the evidence that Khan claims to possess, but despite that we can fairly confidently assess that he does not."

I mean, come on, 'we can fairly confidently assess' - can you? How exactly?

what access to the current hostages does Khan have? there is no access to Gaza for international observers? How would the ICC know is happening to any hostages?

Khan's announcement stated:

"My Office also submits there are reasonable grounds to believe that hostages taken from Israel have been kept in inhumane conditions, and that some have been subject to sexual violence, including rape, while being held in captivity. We have reached that conclusion based on medical records, contemporaneous video and documentary evidence, and interviews with victims and survivors. My Office also continues to investigate reports of sexual violence committed on 7 October."

From that, it sounds like they have interviewed and examined released hostages.  I don't see any other way of reading it. From a quick search it seems 112 hostages have been released so far.

#13

General discussion / Re: Westminster General Electi...

Last post by armaghniac - Today at 05:50:38 PM

Sad thing is, we'll be swapping one shower of odious bastards for another shower of odious bastards. I wouldn't trust Starmer as far ad I could throw the cnut.

He's a politician but has less malign intent than the Tories.
A bit like Biden and Trump, you can have an unimpressive candidate or an outright dangerous one.

#14

General discussion / Re: Westminster General Electi...

Last post by Rossfan - Today at 05:46:24 PM

Hopefully ye'll lose a DUPUDA MP or 2 in the 6!

#15

General discussion / Re: The Many Faces of US Polit...

Last post by Itchy - Today at 05:44:27 PM

Or Biden could be a man, explain the slaughter and why America won't stand for it. Appeal to moderate sensible people. The truth is he's in the pocket of the same people as Trump. See 2 white sheep analogy above.

If I were in your shoes I'd get my family out of that shithole.

And I'm not shouting.

#16

General discussion / Re: Name your three favourite ...

Last post by J70 - Today at 05:42:59 PM

I loved Oasis' sound, but their melodies were, in general, a bit meh (or they were blatantly ripped off like Some Might Say).

Still, they did have a few excellent songs.

Whatever
Live Forever (even this melody is very derivative)
Fuckin in the Bushes

#17

GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire 2024 Group 1 ...

Last post by twohands!!! - Today at 05:41:05 PM

Last week Derry were 6/1 for Sam and Galway were 12/1
Today Derry are 12/1 and Galway are 9/1

Galway have put themselves in a great position to win the group now and that would likely have a massive impact on their chances of winning Sam.

Derry by contrast are very unlikely to top the group, so if they do get out of the group they will end up going the much much harder (close to impossible) preliminary quarter-final route.

#18

General discussion / Re: Hamas attack Israel & sub...

Last post by Itchy - Today at 05:39:59 PM

Western standards laid bare for all to see:

I'm not sure the term "Western" is appropriate, every west European country and Canada, Australia and New Zealand support the ICC.

The USA don't.

Then the post should have referred to the USA and not to "Western".

While your post shouldn't have made the claim that "every western country" supports the ICC.

The point I was making is that the "western" world were up and arms and rightly so when Russia invaded Ukraine, sanctions, diplomats getting banned etc etc, but when Israel starts slaughtering the Palestinians on a scale that would make Pol Pot blush, there's none of the same concern.

Is there any nuance at all between the two conflicts or do you reckon they're directly comparable?

The direct comparison is that innocent women and children are being killed in both.

what other nuance do you need?

Intentionally targeted. I don't believe the Russians are Intentionally starving Ukraine yet or targeting hospitals and churches so I suppose they're not quite at the Israeli level of barbarism yet

https://m.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/patients-evacuated-after-gaza-hospital-struck-in-israeli-missile-attack/a1921804259.html

#19

GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire 2024 Group 3 ...

Last post by twohands!!! - Today at 05:37:12 PM

Was talking to someone who was at the Clare v Cork game. Standard was poor enough from his account.
He said if both Tyrone and Donegal don't manage to beat both of them comfortably they might as well not bothering turning up for the knockout stages.
He didn't give Cork much of a chance in the knockout stages (assuming they pick up the 3rd place spot in the knockouts.

#20

General discussion / Re: Westminster General Electi...

Last post by red hander - Today at 05:33:25 PM

Sad thing is, we'll be swapping one shower of odious bastards for another shower of odious bastards. I wouldn't trust Starmer as far ad I could throw the cnut.