tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.comments2023-10-23T14:41:51.485+01:00Lyonnesse LibreAitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215800815367830447noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-83398744450058456772012-06-15T12:59:45.927+01:002012-06-15T12:59:45.927+01:00The one thing life is not teasing you about is the...The one thing life is not teasing you about is the fact that you can write very well.<br /><br />And, as long as you do, you can be assured of at least one reader (who, by the way, will turn 60 next month, and so is double trustworthy).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02576465748867478866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-67872538941845829532012-01-26T06:22:57.858+00:002012-01-26T06:22:57.858+00:00That is true. As an author and business man, I can...That is true. As an author and business man, I can relate to how you said, " The trouble is, in a crisis like this dissent is the most valuable commodity you can have". I hope more people discover your blog because you really know what you're talking about. Can't wait to read more from you!Daniel Milsteinhttp://amzn.to/ABCPower150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-66796887306853502522011-05-10T04:47:22.383+01:002011-05-10T04:47:22.383+01:00Great to see you back in action!Great to see you back in action!Starbuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02013102906896853767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-29380059806986137962010-11-23T17:39:27.926+00:002010-11-23T17:39:27.926+00:00Hooray for failure!Hooray for failure!Aitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215800815367830447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-74362576161984204062010-11-22T18:36:40.083+00:002010-11-22T18:36:40.083+00:00And yet, the Euro is still out performing the US D...And yet, the Euro is still out performing the US Dollar.<br /><br />FML.Starbuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02013102906896853767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-14193844953194741782010-11-20T13:16:34.233+00:002010-11-20T13:16:34.233+00:00Well a few things:
1) In the eyes of the internat...Well a few things:<br /><br />1) In the eyes of the international media, that's an Irish beggar.<br /><br />2) I am Irish. You seem a little too ready to decide who is, and who is not,Irish.<br /><br />3)Dublin, and the county as a whole, is infested with lazy, selfish Irish people who have been living off the state for the last 15 years, and there are far more of these than Roma beggars. True, begging does seem to be a part of the Roma lifestyle, which is obviously wrong.<br /><br />4) You read that story, and maybe a few of my other posts, and with all the talk of the IMF and Ireland going bust, your biggest beef is with the Roma. They are, at worst, an annoyance with their begging - it is Irish chancers and traitors like Bertie and his FF cohort that have brought this country into the abyss.Aitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215800815367830447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-79154093760784373072010-11-20T01:39:20.836+00:002010-11-20T01:39:20.836+00:00An Irish beggar,WTF. You can't be Irish if you...An Irish beggar,WTF. You can't be Irish if you think that Gypsie man is Irish, for fuck sake look at his face. Dublin is infested with professional Roma beggars, their like a plague of rats and arrived here over the past ten years. Why Dublin, because of high disposable income, Irish genorosity means they can make alot begging while the idiotic state provides them with accomidation.Fintannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-16368587840621897022010-11-13T17:45:22.671+00:002010-11-13T17:45:22.671+00:00Agrre with you (no surprise) on the merits.
And a...Agrre with you (no surprise) on the merits.<br /><br />And as a "libertarian nut" I am not prejudiced in favour of the police.<br /><br />My general take on the video, however, was that the small number of Gardai who overreacted was even less than the small number of protesters who provoked them, or, more to the point, the number of "protesters" who were really there to encourage the otherwise peaceful majority to engage in acts that might provoke the cops.<br /><br />I lived through the 1960s in America (from which some of the slogans at this demonstration were borrowed wholesale), and I recognize the game being played.<br /><br />But you are right that this does not bode well for what may happen post-December. <br /><br />It will play right into the hands of the bearers of the red flags and Eirigi banners.caulfield-the-yanknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-43626864893147060532010-11-05T13:22:11.648+00:002010-11-05T13:22:11.648+00:00Yes indeed, you are the soul of diplomacy. The new...Yes indeed, you are the soul of diplomacy. The new breed of American warrior!Aitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215800815367830447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-35675094258813010012010-11-05T09:46:02.173+00:002010-11-05T09:46:02.173+00:00Hehe.
It should be said I'm an equal opport...Hehe. <br /><br />It should be said I'm an equal opportunity teaser, hence my tirade against American beer :)Starbuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02013102906896853767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-34089938296511645272010-11-04T15:38:20.545+00:002010-11-04T15:38:20.545+00:00Oh you Americans! Just because you win your indepe...Oh you Americans! Just because you win your independence from someone, then "SAVE THEIR ASSES IN DUBYA DUBYA TOO" you think you can tease them mercilessly. Well, you can, so please continue.Aitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215800815367830447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-19948690475172068532010-11-04T15:35:43.748+00:002010-11-04T15:35:43.748+00:00Nah, I think that's just the HMS Triumph run a...Nah, I think that's just the HMS Triumph run aground off the coast of Ireland now...Starbuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02013102906896853767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-20617881910068487312010-10-28T05:30:01.917+01:002010-10-28T05:30:01.917+01:00What's funny is that, in America, everyone is ...What's funny is that, in America, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. World cultures are much more interesting when drink is involved.Starbuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02013102906896853767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-60460902698019639002010-10-27T16:27:03.353+01:002010-10-27T16:27:03.353+01:00Actually, I've always preferred US St. Patrick...Actually, I've always preferred US St. Patrick's Day parades.<br /><br />The Irish ones are too frightened of seeming twee and cliched. Not a problem in America.<br /><br />Or so a guy dressed as a leprechaun with a tamoshanter and shilelegh once told me in Denver.Aitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215800815367830447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-90464588614962088722010-10-27T16:21:56.275+01:002010-10-27T16:21:56.275+01:00Nor would Boston put up with the competition for &...Nor would Boston put up with the competition for "Best St. Patrick's Day Party"...<br /><br />On a positive note, if Ireland did join the US, at least we could finally claim that American beer didn't suck.Starbuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02013102906896853767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-43027786568530547932010-10-22T05:29:56.579+01:002010-10-22T05:29:56.579+01:00Excellent!
This has become a hot-button item in t...Excellent!<br /><br />This has become a hot-button item in the US. As you know, we have this paranoia about China becoming an emergent power. As such, the Chinese bought an ex-Soviet carrier (the Soviets built a total of four or five carriers throughout their entire existence).<br /><br />Of course, this has caused alarm throughout the defense community. Never mind the fact that <br />a.) The US currently fields 11 carriers (though soon to be 10) <br />b.) a US Navy Nimitz-class carrier carries far more planes--conventional planes at that--than any other carrier <br />c.) it takes years to train a competent carrier force <br />d.) The US Navy fields about a dozen "amphibious assault ships", which carry about as many Harriers and helicopters as some of the British designs (Invincible, etc).<br /><br />Check out the pic at the bottom of this page<br /><br />http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/carriers.htm<br /><br />Anyway, navies that cannot afford the costs of carriers either typically either a.) ally themselves with carrier-wielding nations, as Canada does with the US, or b.) develop anti-carrier technologies. The Soviets invested heavily in anti-ship missiles, and the Chinese are reported to be doing the same. (The same can also be said for the Iranian Navy, and to a lesser extent, Hezbollah, who actually hit an Israeli ship during 2006).<br /><br />Curiously, a good book on the topic is Horowitz's "The Diffusion of Military Power", though it's best to just skip to the actual chapter on aircraft carriers, instead of reading his mathematical theories.Starbuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02013102906896853767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-38492628240963582732010-10-18T20:13:53.901+01:002010-10-18T20:13:53.901+01:00Be interested to hear what you say - I know you ar...Be interested to hear what you say - I know you are reading up on the Falklands at the moment. Plus, you have actually served in the military!Aitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215800815367830447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-60326745778846023862010-10-18T19:13:33.696+01:002010-10-18T19:13:33.696+01:00We're thinking along the same lines...I'm ...We're thinking along the same lines...I'm posting on this same topic tonight!Starbuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02013102906896853767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-82482397929292072892010-10-11T22:07:35.706+01:002010-10-11T22:07:35.706+01:00Yes, that's spot on. It's ironic isn't...Yes, that's spot on. It's ironic isn't it - the very people who would castigate, say, the young woman who stepped in above as "being a racist" for not allowing the Roma woman to continue begging are, in fact, themselves racist. We can all be citizens of this Republic, and live up to the responsibilities that entail - to suggest that "immigrants" or "the New Irish" are exempt is discriminatory - they can fulfill their roles as citizens as well as any native born person.<br /><br />Lattes are nice though.Aitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215800815367830447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-41498428818427926052010-10-11T21:52:02.829+01:002010-10-11T21:52:02.829+01:00To answer your question: No, you are not a racist...To answer your question: No, you are not a racist.<br /><br />What is subtly racist is the constellation of attitudes that prompt you to raise the question at all.<br /><br />Sometimes anti-racism is simply a form of latte elitism, as I think you may be suggesting.<br /><br />I love a certain passage from Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities.<br /><br />A very middle middle class couple have a very proper English nanny. They are intimidated by her, always minding their etiquette. Then, one day, the English nanny lets slip something akin to what Gillian Duffy gave out to Gordon Brown. Instantly, the very middle middle class couple breath a sigh of relief, and feel the world has been righted, that they need no longer feel inferior to their nanny. They, unlike their nanny, are not racists! Their noses can be turned in the desired direction again.caulfield-the-yanknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-84379800259557479122010-10-10T17:55:40.526+01:002010-10-10T17:55:40.526+01:00No.
Miller had long since departed from the scene...No.<br /><br />Miller had long since departed from the scene, and his face was probably the most unrecognized of any national candidate since the advent of TV. In fact, that was the premise of the ad. No one recognized him. It was only when he presented his American Express card that the name "William E. Miller" might ring a bell with anyone.<br /><br />Dole had quixotically resigned his Senate seat (which he need not have done) to dramatise his commitment to running against Clinton, so he was no longer in office. His wife, however, was preparing to seek the Republican presidential nomination.<br /><br />Members of the US Congress have sometimes quit Congress in order to take media jobs -- Joe Scarborough and Susan Molinari come to mind.<br /><br />But no, I cannot think of a single sitting member of Congress or the Executive branch who ever did a for-profit commercial.caulfield-the-yanknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-89629721646660476262010-10-08T15:40:34.308+01:002010-10-08T15:40:34.308+01:00Were Miller and Dole still serving in a political ...Were Miller and Dole still serving in a political role when they made the ads? Bertie is still a TD - not that he shows up in the Dail very much!Aitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215800815367830447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-72528042113389319552010-10-07T18:25:21.355+01:002010-10-07T18:25:21.355+01:00Defeates U.S. national candidates have sometimes d...Defeates U.S. national candidates have sometimes done commercials.<br /><br />Only two examples of that come to mind.<br /><br />Bill Miller (Goldwater's running-mate in 1964) did a commercial for American Express.<br /><br />Much more famously, Bob Dole did an ad for Viagra -- which would have been more convincing if Elizabeth Dole had also given her endorsement.caulfield-the-yanknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-7286215056490382622010-09-28T13:01:54.796+01:002010-09-28T13:01:54.796+01:00Ha ha!
Way back in the day, I was slightly acquai...Ha ha!<br /><br />Way back in the day, I was slightly acquainted with David Friedman (son of Milton Friedman). In that pre-Internet age, and in a slightly different context, he would sometimes bring an argument back to reality by saying, "But there just isn't enough small print in the world!"<br /><br />(Yes, I realize that, under the guise of humbly attributing credit for a remark, I have actually engaged in gratuitous name-dropping.)caulfield-the-yanknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704718830842109826.post-18781333743926122012010-09-28T09:25:59.831+01:002010-09-28T09:25:59.831+01:00Hi Caulfield,
Thanks for being so understanding. ...Hi Caulfield,<br /><br />Thanks for being so understanding. I was mainly following the lead of politics.ie where they took down the Nama thread after this case broke into the news. Given they seem to understand the legal ramifications better than I, I thought it was prudent to follow their lead.<br /><br />However, I have now hired my own team of crack legal eagles, and having reviewed your comment, they have decided that it is acceptable. I will, however, have to ask to sign this waiver.<br /><br />Just sign here....<br /><br />Here....<br /><br />And initial here...<br /><br />And in case you are still wondering, yes, defamation law has gone wayyyy too far in Ireland. As you say, hopefully Lucinda's case will develop some debate.Aitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215800815367830447noreply@blogger.com