Maman Poulet

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No not another National Treasure post but just pointing out something for those of us who watched Questions and Answers last night and wondered what the hell Nell McCafferty was was going on about when saying ‘youse don’t know what will happen tomorrow’ and talking about hedge funds etc. etc.

She was convinced something big was going to happen this morning and whatever was in her crystal ball -she was right! You can watch last nights Q&A here (Question 2 in particular) and of course readalongaliveblog while you watch for added atmosphere.

Goodnight Sisters….

Update: Nell (and I’ve no reason to think its not her) has left a comment here explaining it all further!

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Ok so the world is imploding, nobody will ever be able to get a loan again, our government have ’safe guarded’ the banks – still trying to get my head around why this is a good thing.  Chicken licken, Henny Penny and Goosey Loosey are very busy. Oh financial meltdown is all down to gay marriage by the way! Let’s add that to 9/11, Katrina and everything else it gets blamed for.

But we have Barney Frank to watch. Congressman Frank is from Boston, he’s chairperson of the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and what you may not know is that he was the first openly gay politician in the US congress. He’s had a very colourful career with a few controversies thrown in along the way.

If that wasn’t enough what intrigues me about this man is his turn of phrase and his turn out (the badly tied tie, the button down collars – it all fits perfectly in terms of the bluster and cutting sarcasm.)  Each press conference there is a new gem to add to the lexicon – Frank believes that politicians should use the same words as other people and you can see more of his quotes over the years here. Last night he did not disappoint.

“Here’s the story. There’s a terrible crisis affecting the American economy. We have come together on a bill to alleviate the crisis. And because somebody hurt their feelings, they decide to punish the country. I mean, I would not have imputed that degree of pettiness and hypersensitivity. We also have — as the leader will tell you, who’s been working with them — don’t believe they had the votes, and I believe they’re covering up the embarrassment of not having the votes.

“But think about this. ‘Somebody hurt my feelings, so I will punish the country.’ That’s hardly plausible. And there are 12 Republican members who were ready to stand up for the economic interest of America, but not if anybody insulted them. I’ll make an offer. Give me those 12 people’s names and I will go talk uncharacteristically nicely to them and tell them what wonderful people they are and maybe they’ll now think about the country.”

- Rep. Barney Frank responding to accusations that the bailout plan failed because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s statement before the vote was “partisan” and caused some Republicans to change their votes. Republicans claim that 12 members switched their votes after Pelosi’s speech, causing the bailout bill to fail.

h/t  Joe. My. God.

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One of the most dangerous academics in the US (according to David Horowitz) is back blogging and I’m a happy bunny

One of the most dangerous (and best) bloggers in Ireland stops blogging and leaves with some comments on his impressions of blogging in Ireland but true to form his departure is not all him him him and that’s what I really appreciated about his craft. Enjoy the pints and the freedom but hope you’ll still pop in to comment on other blogs Twenty.

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Well it was a fairly uneventful (read boring) Questions and Answers tonight. Except for Nell McCafferty doing exasperation and her own unique version of financial analysis. Myself and Eidin live blogged it.

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My colleagues in femme central amongst others may be interested to note that I’ve written a guest post on Beaut.ie about my recent visit to the Tethra Spa at the Merrion Hotel for a facial

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Photo owned by Robert FW Whitlock (cc)

Last night I was in Herbert Street off Dublin’s Baggot Street waiting on a lift. I spotted a unmarked Garda car coming out of Herbert Lane and remarked to the person with me that it was a Garda car. They appeared to be looking for someone. The car headed out to Baggot St. and about one minute later reappeared in Herbert Street this time chasing a car. They were headed down towards the Pepper Canister Church and after a bit of screeching the car being chased was stopped.

There was a lot of shouting, two men were ordered out of the car and told to lie on the ground. They were told to drop the keys. (Memories of the Sweeney were being evoked!)

It took a bit of persuasion. (Also known as a lot of shouting and something being pointed at the men at the ground.) The Gardai were wearing protective vests. Then the sirens really started ringing out around the South City Centre and 4 other Garda patrol cars and 2 unmarked arrived at speed. In fact I got the impression they were a bit sorry that the first car had stopped the suspects. I was kicking myself I didn’t have a camera. Herbert Street is very quiet with little residential accomodation – a few people came out of the houses and offices around to witness the incident.

The car being chased was briefly checked, the suspects put in a Garda car and everyone left with a Garda driving away the suspects car, which we noted had a Northern reg.

All very exciting and something to tell the mates who missed it. However today what has me wondering is the fact that there is nothing about this at all in the mainstream media? Ok so no member of the mainstream media witnessed the event – and that doesn’t mean they didn’t know about given that Paul Reynolds et al get told about stuff before it happens these days. But 7 Garda Cars chasing someone and we hear nothing? Maybe it’s normal and I live a sheltered life (in the North Inner City with the Garda helicopter over head every weekend and gangland murders once in a while). But how much Garda activity goes unnoticed and unreported these days?

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Well some of us were up late last night and mad enough to try live blogging the first presidential election debate between John McCain and Barack Obama.

You’ll see the live blogging between myself and Alexia below. Alexia bravely stayed up for the whole thing. But we both were very much awake when John McCain mentioned the Irish Corporate Tax Rate.

He was at an Irish American Event earlier this week and said something about our tax system before and I saw commentary on Irish tax rates pop up everywhere with all sorts of figures and none of them right so when he started off again my ears pricked up. (The Transcript of the debate is available here.)

MCCAIN: Well — well, let me give you an example of what Senator Obama finds objectionable, the business tax.

Right now, the United States of American business pays the second-highest business taxes in the world, 35 percent. Ireland pays 11 percent.

Now, if you’re a business person, and you can locate any place in the world, then, obviously, if you go to the country where it’s 11 percent tax versus 35 percent, you’re going to be able to create jobs, increase your business, make more investment, et cetera.

I want to cut that business tax. I want to cut it so that businesses will remain in — in the United States of America and create jobs.

As the IDA, Wikipedia, KPMG et al tell us – our rate is 12.5% or 25 per cent for passive income. The low low rate of 10 is for some software and financial companies located in a tiny part of Dublin until 2010. Luke and P. O’Neill also picked this up. I’m sure the US blogosphere and MSM have by now picked this up in the fact check that happens post debate. Haven’t they?

And no doubt Irish bloggers will step up to the plate on the matter of the impact of our corporate tax rate (The very short version – how we’ve been a tax haven for American, UK and other international companies for years – with small corporate headquarters all over the city passing millions through their books. )

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Economies the world over are imploding, Ireland is officially in a recession, the Russians are making nuclear somethings. Over 50 year olds can get the flu and be dammed according to the HSE.

I know a few of you liked the Les Mizbarak and you’ve probably all seen the Letterman Savagery and the Couric debacles so I went looking for something new for the weekend linkathon.

Thanks to the wonderful Andy Towle and Joe My God there are so many more gems in my feed reader to share!

Obama Mama (Katreese Barnes is musical director for Saturday Night Live – I do think the lyrics could be better!)

College Humour bring us the trailer for that Matt Damon predicted really bad Disney movie.

PS – World By Storm over at the Cedar Lounge has me mulling some issues regarding composing responses to Sarah Palin – I’m torn and confused. Help us out?

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Ah those wise Celibate men (or they are supposed to be celibate) were holding their Autumn conference for the last few days and launching a new website yesterday. And in their statement released after their meeting they told us that they were talking about civil partnership. The full text of their thoughts relating to the proposed civil partnership bill is below for your dissection.

Which part of the word CIVIL do they not understand? (Never mind the word partnership…)

If God is about Love why do they hate us so much (or patronise us by saying love the sinner, hate the sin). They don’t mention the words lesbian or gay either, see that – they think they are clever!

(Many thanks to Damien (!) for the fluffy link that led me to this nugget. Nothing but eclectic the work of the Mulleymeister! More Donna Summer or Kylie needed!)

All this just in time for Conor’s appearance on the Late Late Show. Good luck to Conor, his brother and his parents, yes the whole family – they’ll be able to speak with some authority on the matter unlike the men in the mitres.

Civil Partnership Bill 2008
Bishops discussed the Civil Partnership Bill 2008, which was published in June by the Department of Justice, and in particular the Constitutional obligation on the Government to guard the institution of marriage with special care (Art. 41.3.1). Bishops highlighted the benefits which derive from marriage between a man and woman as the fundamental unit of society.

Bishops restated that marriage exists so that spouses may grow in mutual love and by generosity of their love, bring children into the world and serve life fully. As a faithful, exclusive and lifelong union between one man and one woman, marriage is both a relationship of persons and the fundamental unit upon which society is built.

Our recognition of this unique status is further deepened by our Christian understanding that love of husband and wife mirrors Christ’s abiding love for the Church.

The Irish Constitution rightly acknowledges the unique status of marriage and why it is appropriate for Government to support that status with special measures, including special measures in taxation and social welfare.

God, who is love, is the author of marriage. This authorship includes the natural complementarity of man and woman through which the union of spouses is deepened and the gift of new life is made possible.

Indicating that a further and more detailed statement on the Civil Partnership Bill would follow at a later date, Bishops revisited their submission to the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Family in February 2005, which concluded:

“This special status of marriage does not prevent just and appropriate measures being taken in relation to the diversity of other forms of dependent relationship which exist in society. It may, in certain circumstances, be in the public interest to provide legal protection to the social, fiscal and inheritance entitlements of persons who support caring relationships which generate dependency, provided always that these relationships are recognised as being qualitatively different from marriage and that their acceptance does not dilute the uniqueness of marriage. However, it would seem discriminatory to confine this protection to those in sexual relationships and thereby exclude from protection the interests of siblings and other non-sexually involved cohabitees. Moreover, the creation of a category of ‘marriage like’ relationships which would enjoy special rights and protections would seem to contradict in spirit, if not in law, the pledge in Article 41.3.1 to guard with special care the institution of marriage. In the case of those who would in any event be free to marry, any scheme which confers on them many of the advantages of legal marriage, might be judged to be an incentive not to marry and to have devalued the institution of marriage.�

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Aw shucks – no chance to overhear mention of Sarah’s favourite U2 number during the pleasantries.

According to ABC Bono wasn’t too happy meeting her in front of any cameras anyway which would suit Palin and the McCain Campaign down to the ground given their keep ‘Sarah from the press strategy’.

I’ve just seen the first part of Palin’s interview with Katie Couric. Car Crash TV from a campaign in meltdown. She couldn’t find what Katie was looking for! (Markos Moulitsas says she makes Bush look good – oh dear!)

They are going to talk on the phone with Bono instead.

UPDATE: The One campaign have released a statement on the phone call (and it was Even Better than the Real Thing) (Yes I had considered a whole post made up of U2 song titles but I had my mullet cut last week…)

“Because of gridlock in Manhattan and in the markets, we spoke over the phone. We had a spritely discussion across a few subjects, including progress on AIDS and malaria and the use of non-military tools as part of United States foreign policy. I enjoyed it and look forward to speaking with Senators Obama and Biden shortly,� said Bono.

Gridlock? That’s surely the campaign in Gridlock.

Bono likes Obama very much by the way.

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