Wikileaks criticised by the White House.

Wikileaks releases over 90,000 classified reports from Afghanistan, a war that's being going badly (as EVERY attempt in history to occupy that country has done) and where the media reports are about as open and informative as the burkas some of the women are forced to wear by local fanatics.

The cables paint a picture of a different war from the re-assurances we've been spoon-fed. Some hints of the reality came out from McChrystal's statements about civilian casualties and some of his staff remarks that they are 'losing this f*c&ing thing'.
Reports available from Wikileaks and the Guardian Newspaper contain accounts of Polish troops raining mortars on a wedding party, of British troops killing civilians, of collusion between the ISI and Taliban, of the Taliban shooting down helicopters with anti-aircraft missiles, and of US troops killing and maiming the locals. In one case, it gives a report of an American base that was over-run by insurgents, abandoned by the surviving soldiers.

New Dictionary definitions thanks to NAMA and FF

Dictionary of NAMA.

Bailout (verb, noun)

1. To remove water from a flooded area, such as Cork or Galway after a river breaks its banks.

2. To put taxpayers money into a bank after it has been broken by unregulated greed.

Chuggers - Charity Muggers. No thanks.

"Chuggers. " Either sounds like a theme bar or an insult. I'm sure you've met them. The practiced smile, extended hand and polished sales pitch.
"Hey, you look like a decent person, you wouldn't refuse to help (orphans, AIDS victims, the blind... etc)"
Usually young and energetic, and dressed in a bright uniform, with a clipboard full of forms ready to take your bank details.
Now, I've worked for charities AND I've worked for banks, and I would not give someone a form that contained all my banking details AND my signature. The potential for fraud is too high.
One Chugger tried to reassure me by saying there's the same info on a cheque. Well, that's why I don't have a cheque book.
I ask them to give me the form so I can set it up myself. Nope. I figure they're working on commission. Well, if they care more about their commission than the people they're supposed to be helping, they can take their fake 'buddy smile' somewhere else. I'll donate without their 'help'.

Mayor Kiely does it again. Jail the beggars!!!!

According to the front page of this week's Limerick Chronicle, our fearless Mayor is jumping to our rescue from another great peril.
He wants new laws brought in to give powers to Gardaí to stop people begging on the streets of Limerick City. He has the backing of the manager of Brown Thomas!
The mayor says that he had been approached by three beggars and found them "a complete annoyance to shoppers and it is time something was done about them".

I'd also prefer if there were no beggars so what's the wonderful cure, Mayor?
Mayor Kiely intends talking to the city manager and the Gardaí to see if new bye-laws can be brought in to prevent begging, and urges the TDs to see if legislation is needed.

Really? To do what? Tell them it's illegal, move on or be arrested? So that they can end up in court and prison (costing over 300 /day and being around criminals and drugs in our already overcrowded prison system).

In Limerick city, we have beggars, some are simply homeless, some are Romanian gypsies, begging while selling old copies of Big Issues, others are homeless because they are addicted to alcohol or another drug.

Secret Banking Inquiry? Shows how obedient we are that they even propose it.

So, Fianna Fáil wants to hold the Bank Inquiry in secret?
Of course they do. Not for any decent reason (to get more evidence)
but the usual formula;

• to control what is made available to the public
• as an excuse not to answer questions ("that's under review by the inquiry, I wouldn't like to prejudice that process")
• and when the whitewash is done, to point at the conclusions that there were systemic faults but no personal blame can be attached to anyone, unless they've already been laid low enough to be used as sacrificial lambs.
  

And the Irish public will probably let them do it too.

Never mind that the 'Financial Regulator' didn't do his job -

• he carried out less than 25% of the checks he should have
• he didn't check that the banks were being prudent (and before being regulator, he worked in the prudence section of the Central Bank)

He got a lovely big payoff when he retired, rather than being fired for incompetence and lack of productivity. Was it hush money?
Obviously the Minister for Finance and the Government allowed this situation to go on, because in the short term it created jobs, and grasping politicians always think in the short term. Let the next govt deal with the burst bubble, and we'll blame it on 'external factors'.
We know it wasn't just external factors.

Voting Fraud in Ireland? What would "Wheeliebingate' mean for Lisbon 2 vote?

WHEELIEBINGATE
=========================

An angry young Irish politician is outraged over the lack of progress in the investigation into the incident known as 'Wheeliebingate' - where 3,000 of his votes in last June’s European Elections were incorrectly attributed to another in the Ireland North West constituency.


MARGIN

Not a big deal, you say? Consider these facts;
The Irish Divorce Referendum of 1995 the deciding margin was 9, 114 votes.
If the Republic of Ireland is the only country to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, that will utterly change the nature of the European Union for all of its 500 million inhabitants.

Now Irish voters are being warned to be concerned whether their votes during the upcoming Lisbon Treaty Referendum will be allocated correctly.
28 year old resident of Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, Fiachra Ó Luain has this week written to the Republic of Ireland’s Top Cop, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, complaining that the police officer put in charge of the investigation, was the same Garda who was in charge of the European election count when the votes originally went missing. Ó Luain has complained that so far, the Garda in question has been professionally inert in his attempts to gather further statements and investigate the matter.

Adding changes to Lisbon AFTER voting Yes?

So, let's get this straight, it's the same Treaty. They promise to fix it, AFTER we vote.

Wow, the best 'election promise' yet. I must try this scam meself.

I have a car to sell, I bring it to you, you look at it, and say no thanks.

A short time later,I come back uninvited with the same car. I'm not happy you said no, and the other guys in the car dealership are giving me a hard time. So here I am, with the same car, right down to the fluffy dice.

- Ah, go on buy it.
"But there's things wrong with it" You tell me.
- I'll fix them sure I will.
"Okay, go on fix them".
- Ah, just buy it first, and I'll fix it later.
"and is it in the contract of sale that you would fix them later?"
- Ah, no. Trust me. I'm a salesman. I wouldn't lie.

Wouldn't your reply be along the lines of
"Exactly how thick do you think I am? Get out, take your dodgy car. I don't want to see it again" ?