Topics

http://theshermanfoundation.blogspot.com/2008/06/some-loser-douchbags-phone-messages-to.html

[This poll will no doubt generate a huge discussion, so can I ask that people keep replies to the point and on the subject.]

This poll will no doubt generate a huge discussion, so can I ask that people keep replies to the point and on the subject.


Romania's health minister said on Wednesday a government committee will decide this week whether an 11-year-old who was raped by her uncle can go to Britain for an abortion or must continue the pregnancy.
The case, which surfaced earlier this month, has bitterly divided the medical community, child rights groups and the public.

The girl is 20 weeks pregnant, which is over the legal limit for abortions in Romania.

Her parents say they found out she was pregnant on June 2 when they took her to a doctor because she seemed unwell. She told doctors that she had been raped by her 19-year-old uncle, who has since disappeared.

Two local committees in northeast Romania where she lives have passed contradictory rulings.

One committee said the girl should be allowed to have a legal abortion in Britain, as her parents want. A Romanian living in Britain has volunteered to finance the costs. On Wednesday, the parents received passports.

Another committee ruled that because both the mother and fetus are healthy, the girl should give birth. Abortions beyond 14 weeks are illegal unless the pregnancy threatens the mother's health.

In Britain an abortion is legal up to 24 weeks if two doctors decide that the risk to a woman's physical or mental health will be greater if she continues with the pregnancy than if she ends it.

The National Child Protection Authority said the girl should be allowed to have an abortion because she is already traumatized by the experience of rape and pregnancy.

The National Doctors Council said that the rights of the fetus should be considered and the pregnancy should go ahead. They argued that abortion laws should not be liberalized further.

The Orthodox Church, to which most Romanians belong, called the case "an exceptional situation which must be treated in an exceptional manner and the family is the only one to take this decision," church spokesman Constantin Stoica said Wednesday.

He said the church considers abortion a crime, but this belief applies to normal circumstances, and not to incest or rape.

Health Minister Eugen Nicolaescu said the case was delicate because it involved medicine, the law and morality. A government committee will publish a decision on the girl on Friday.

AP

This is a 5th grade math problem.  If you can open the spreadsheet, you'll  see it's a very small list of people who have gotten the correct number. This is not a trick question. This is a real math problem so don't say that  a bus has no legs. There is no bus driver.

There are 7 girls in a bus.
Each girl has 7 backpacks.
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats.
For every big cat there are 7 little cats.

Question: How many legs are there in the bus?

I can't decide so I'm leaving it up to people I don't know to decide - I promise to follow wishes of the majority

Something bothering me, it has struck me that if a player gets a hefty suspension from the GAA should he still be entitled to a grant from the government? Is there any sort of mechanism whereby the grant allotted to a player is witheld in the event of poor disciplinary records or bringing the game into disrepute.

Not fishing against the Dubs here per se - but if a team has a very poor disciplinary record should the grants be with held from the entire panel. Seems entirely reasonable to me that players who receive more than a 3 months suspenion should automatically forefit their grant money - give it to charity or something instead. Might be hard to implement but feck it if players are going to get paid a grant they should be more accountable for their behaviour on and off the field, and suffer the consequences if they fail to do so.

Any thoughts?

[Bookmakers around the country are expected to slash the odds on Mayo winning Sam Maguire in 2008 in light of the latest developments.]

I'm hoping this a late April fools wind up from the Western People, the last line I've highlighted in bold would suggest it is a joke.

http://www.westernpeople.ie/news/story/?trs=eyaukfgbey&cat=news

Monkeys may help to end Mayo's football famine
By: Keith Bourke

THE Mayo senior football team is to employ a controversial scientific technique in an effort to gain an edge in this year's championship.

A county board source has revealed to the Western People that senior officials are currently discussing the introduction of compulsory monkey gland injections for the senior panel.

"It's something we're seriously looking at. Over the last few years the failings of the team have been put down to a lack of aggression and mental toughness.

These injections are said to boost testosterone levels and mental ability. There's been nothing set in stone but it's an issue that has been discussed at a high level.We may have to do a little fundraising to pay for the injections, as they are quite expensive, but we are fairly certain the supporters will come on board to help defray the cost. A special fundraising drive is being organised at the moment." Monkey gland injections have been around since the 1920s and '30s with many wealthy Europeans and Americans flocking to Switzerland for the controversial treatment which is also said to reverse the ageing process.

The treatment was first pioneered by Serge Vonoff, a French surgeon of Russian extraction. Almost seventy years ago the Wolverhampton Wanderers manager, Major Frank Buckley, caused a stir by announcing that his players were being given monkey-gland injections in preparation for the FA Cup final against Portsmouth. Fears for the monkey population were removed when Portsmouth scored a 4-1 victory.

Bookmakers around the country are expected to slash the odds on Mayo winning Sam Maguire in 2008 in light of the latest developments.

Took a job about 6 months ago with a Childrens charity/ child welfare agency as IT Manager, the place had/has very little in terms of IT infrastructure or modern IT capabilities, a recent expansion programme resulted in me being employed to modernise their systems and procedures.

Most organisations will have a very detailed IT Policy section provided for all employees, listing acceptable web usage, file sizes permitted etc. pretty basic stuff. I just don't have the 'writing' skills, correct language etc. I know what I need but cannot seem to make it sound right

Basically these things are all the same and I cannot be arsed to start from scratch, just looking for a base document that I can start on and modify for my own purposes - I'm looking for some kind soul who has access to this sort of material who might be kind enough to copy it all into a word doc and email it to me at stephenite@gmail.com

I also understand that a lot of the info listed on corporate intranets etc are copyrighted so if you all feel uncomfortable about this I understand, but I'd do it for you

Goolge has plenty of Uni stuff that doesn't seem to quite suitable

AZ mentioned it on the other thread, impossible to pick one from the entire country so the only rule is you have to have seen them play in the flesh and you can only nominate for your own province.

Connacht :

Gay Sheerin - Roscommon
Kenneth Mortimer - Mayo
Peter Forde - Mayo
Enon Gavin - Roscommon
Deccie Meehan - Galway
James Nallen - Mayo
Sean Og De Paor - Galway
Kevin Walshe - Galway
Liam McHale - Mayo
Eammon O'Hara - Sligo
Ciaran McDonald - Mayo
Michael Donnellan - Galway
Ja Fallon - Galway
Padraig Joyce - Galway
Tony McManus - Roscommon

Tried to be fair, had to put Ja at 13 just to fit both him and O'Hara in. Bloody harder than I thought

Apparently this story has just broken back home with Vincent Browne, a body apparently lay in a closet in the office of Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan for 4 days. Seems to be a highly bizarre place for a body to end up, I mean if it was an employee who was supposed to be there that dropped dead in the office then fair enough but a body stuffed in the closet? WTF is going on there

In all fairness I'm sure there's a relatively logical explanation and there's a lot of details to come out (all though part of me, all of me in fact, really, really wants it to be a murdered spy that was hiding in the closet for Bertie and has a confession note on him because he couldn't come out of the closet, oh the puns, and Bertie ends up in Mountjoy clinking his cup off the bars)

Imagine some security camera footage showing Bertie and Martin Mansergh dragging some poor auld homeless fella (already dead from exposure) into the Minister for Agricultures office and shoving it into the cupboard, ' that'll t-t-t-teach that b-b-bbitch' being heard muttered in a flat Drumcondra stutter

OR, imagine........ feck it I'm losing the run of myself. The only place I can find anything online is here http://www.politics.ie/viewtopic.php?t=32614 but they have about as much info as I have.

EDIT: Main source appreantly todays Irish Sun 

[Calls to review British ownership of lighthouses]

Kind of  - not really Interesting all the same


Calls to review British ownership of lighthouses

By Conor Ryan
THE British Crown still owns and subsidises Irish lighthouses but a review published yesterday called for the urgent renegotiation of the deal.


Under 160-year-old British legislation, Britain controls the Commission for Irish Lights (CIL), and last year paid €11.3 million to help run the service. The unique deal sees Britain employ 190 people in Ireland. It also hands over €29,000 tax to the Revenue Commissioner and pays the bulk of upkeep costs for the country's lighthouses.

Last year, in the House of Lords, Lord Berkley said the deal had left the Irish Government "laughing all the way to the bank".

However, yesterday the British Shipping Minister Jim Fitzpatrick published a review of the CIL's funding. The review team examined who should pay for the service but it said both governments should work out a new deal. "The key next step is for the governments to enter into urgent negotiations in light of [this review]," it said.

Yesterday, Mr Fitzpatrick said the review should form the basis of discussions with Irish Transport Minister Noel Dempsey.

Last year the total cost of the CIL was €38.7m. Under an agreement worked out in 1985, the Irish Government paid €7.5m — the remainder came from shipping fees and contributions from Britain's General Lighthouse Fund.

Recently, the Dáil heard the deal is a unique link surviving from pre-independence laws — rooted in the Dublin Port Act of 1867.

But its continuation has provoked anger in the House of Lords. Last year, Lord Berkley lost patience with British officials for not getting tough with Ireland. "Is it not ironic that 80 years after independence we are still subsidising the lights in the beautiful island of Ireland?

"Are not the Irish Government and the Irish ports laughing all the way to the bank," he said.

Last night, a spokeswoman for Mr Dempsey said he was aware of the report and negotiations between the governments were continuing since March 2007. 

Click here for irishexaminer.com stories before this date

[Sign up to grants -- or else]

In yet another example of the self indulgent attitude adopted by most GAA correspondents, Martin Brehony tries to keep his dream of having a full time job writing about Gaelic Games 12 months a year alive. (He's a stripper in Angels from mid September to January)

Sign up to grants -- or else


According to Ulster secretary Danny Murphy the issue of whether players should receive Government grants as agreed a few months ago is "the single biggest challenge to the authority of our association."


He also says that the "essential elements" involved weren't discussed with the clubs.

Why not? Haven't the grants been on the agenda for a few years?

It was repeatedly flagged in the media that Central Council (the GAA's ultimate decision-making body between Congresses) would decide on the issue, yet there was no opposition until it was agreed to support the payments.

Suddenly, pockets of unrest emerged and having been allowed to wield an influence vastly disproportionate to their numbers, the anti-lobby have managed to get the grants on to the Congress agenda in April.

Memo to delegates -- sign up to what Central Council agreed because if you don't the Cork strike will look like a skirmish outside a chip shop compared to the war that will erupt if there's any attempt to renege on the grants deal.

- Martin Breheny (aka Lucinda Hotlips)

[Player Awards]

Sourced from AFR.com

Player Awards

It was stated that there will be a number of motions on the subject of the Sports Council's award scheme for players before Congress in April. In keeping with previous decisions and policy Central Council agreed to sponsor the following motion for the Congress Agenda:

"That Congress, is satisfied that the scheme proposed by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, to recognise the contribution of Senior Intercounty G.A.A. players and additional costs associated with enhancing team performance in the form presented to Congress is in accordance with rule 11 of the Official Guide and that Congress approves the introduction and implementation of that scheme" .


Seems a wee bit vague to me, but every club member in the country should demand a speak on this before their County Boards final meeting and ensure that delegates vote as per results from clubs.

By Martin Breheny
Thursday January 24 2008


GAA bosses are to seek formal approval from Congress for the recent Central Council decision to back the payment of Government grants to inter-county players.


With opposition to the scheme being driven by the 'Of One Belief' group who argue that the deal contravenes the GAA's rules on amateurism, the Management Committee decided to bring the matter to Congress in Sligo in April.

The Irish Independent has learned that director-general, Liam Mulvihill, wrote to Central Council members this week informing them that they were to be asked by management to submit a motion to Congress "approving the execution and implementation of the agreement between the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, the Irish Sports Council, GAA and GPA to recognise the contribution of senior inter-county players and additional costs associated with enhancing team performance".

It's understood that some motions calling on the GAA to withdraw from the Government/GPA deal will also be put to annual Congress so the Central Council motion will be seen as a strike back to ensure that the issue is debated on a positive and negative front.

From todays examiner

23 January 2008

Army captain must salute queen, court rules

By Conor Ryan
AN IRISH language campaigner has lost his battle to avoid the "institutional harassment" of a Canadian army pledge, which requires him to toast and salute Queen Elizabeth II.


Captain Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh objects to the Canadian army's tradition to toast the British monarch and occasionally salute the song God Save the Queen.

The army captain had taken his grievances to Canada's Federal Court, the equivalent of the Irish High Court, and Mr Justice Robert Barnes published its ruling on Monday.

Mr Justice Barnes said although Canadians were free to hold their own views on the queen, army officers had to pay her respect.

"The queen is, of course, Canada's constitutional head of state and commander-in-chief.

"It cannot be seriously disputed that she is legally at the pinnacle of the Canadian Forces hierarchy, albeit in an emblematic role.

"The obligation of members of the Canadian Forces to display respect to one another and loyalty to their commanders is critical to the maintenance of good order," he said.

Mr Justice Barnes said Captain Mac Giolla Chainnigh's anti-monarchist views were always respected since he joined the army in 1975 at the age of 16. However, to ignoreofficial toasts and salutes would constitute a display of rudeness and disrespect, he said.

The army captain is a leading member of the Canadian Irish language movement, which last year opened the first overseas' Gaeltacht — assisted by a €20,000 grant from ex-Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister, Éamon Ó Cuív.

The captain applied for a judicial review after an internal grievances panel refused to excuse him from salutes to the queen on the grounds of "institutional harassment".

He said his issues were not with Elizabeth Windsor herself but rather her status as the symbolic Canadian head of state.

"I recognise loyalty to the people of Canada alone. I cannot in good faith toast her as the queen of Canada. In doing so I would be implicitly declaring the truth of a premise that I believe to be false," he said.

The court ruled against him and said that the situation was "constitutionally entrenched" and Capt Mac Giolla Chainnigh would have to respect that.

UNLIKE Ireland, Canada has never moved to detach itself from the apron strings of the British monarchy.

In 1926 it joined 15 other Commonwealth countries to sign the Balfour Declaration to gain equality with Britain under the one crown. Canadian law refers to a monarch but it stipulates that at all times this person must be the same as the king or queen of the United Kingdom.

And so while we made our burst for independence Canada remained part of the British Empire and today Queen Elizabeth II is its head of state and commander-in-chief.

She or her representative in Canada, the Governor General Michaëlle Jean, carries out duties on behalf of the "queen of Canada".

In 1982 Canada voted for constitutional independence but retained the queen as its figurehead.

At the turn of the millennium the Canadian parliament considered making a clean break but the public were overwhelmingly against such a move.

Queen Elizabeth II reigns over Canada's 10 provinces and three territories under her official title: "Elizabeth the Second, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom, Canada and her other realms and territories queen, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith

Test

With Setanta recently available on Foxtel cable package I can now watch my first live game of Gaelic Football from the comfort of my own home tomorrow morning at 6 am

Shame about the teams that are playing but exiles can't be choosers

2008 is upon us, hard to know how Counties will fare at this early stage but for a bit of craic call your provincial and All Ireland Champions

Football

Connacht - Roscommon
Leinster - Meath
Munster - Kerry
Ulster - Derry

All Ireland - Kerry

Hurling

Don't know enough about to be honest, I'll go for Waterford to win Liam

Would be interested in the results of this - I've read that one or two on here plan to stop attending Inter-county games and wondered how prevalent this mood is, will this issue have a negative affect on attendances.

I know there was a thread but I couldn't find it (ok, ok I didn't look)

Not much of a gamer but this new GAA game haa got me interested - but if I buy a Play Station2 out here in Oz, and order the GAA game from home online will the game work with an Aussie console? I know some DvD's are regionally programmed and just wondered if they did the same for games?

What are the odds of this succeeding this time around, with Hammas not at the table it's hard to see how it's anything but a pointless exercise designed to ensure that Bush leaves some sort of positive legacy in the Middle East.
Anyone any views on the conference itself and the chances of anything happening?