Bad Beat/Moaning/Venting - pray for Lazare

[Lord Sir Banter]

Agree that his heart is in the right place. You just dislike the packaging. He's America's chaddly, sure sometimes it seems he is just ranting after too many bags of cans but you know he'd be lovely to his dog.

[Denny Crane]

Lets start with coming up with some examples of good things hes done... No there are none. The man has never done anything in his life that wasn't self serving

He gave up an easy billionaire lifestyle, moved out of his home, split his family, spent the last 18 months on the road campaigning, and endured all the pain of politics because he wants to make America great.

[Strewelpeter]

He gave up an easy billionaire lifestyle, moved out of his home, split his family, spent the last 18 months on the road campaigning, and endured all the pain of politics because he wants to make America great.

Srsly, thats the best you can come up with. Hes running the presidency as an ad for his businesses FFS!

This is a man who beat his wife to a pulp and then raped her because he didn't like the hair do she recommended for him.
That is the sworn testimony of his wife.

This is a man who has never paid tax and charges charities appearence money. This is a man who stole his late brothers inheritance from his family.

Tell me how he is a good man.

[Lord Sir Banter]

The tax thing. Rly.

[mdoug]

Wasn't Trump accused of raping a 13 year old girl too and had to go to court? He was friends with another convicted paedo Jeffrey Epstein who had parties trump went to.

[Strewelpeter]

I'm out.

Anyone who thinks this revolting piece of shite is a good man has deep seated problems problems that are not going to be addressed by my ranting.

[KevIRL]

So, is this McCabe stuff enough to bring down the govt? Stinks to absolute high heaven. Zapone, o Sullivan, Fitzgerald and a clutch of others surely have to go.

[Guest]

Thoughts on the best way to purchase something in NZ using an Irish bank account.
I don't want to get a bad exc rate purchasing in NZ dollar. I'd usually just transfer money over but I need to get something over the weekend.
I was thinking PayPal any other suggestions?

[CHDad]

Agree that his heart is in the right place. You just dislike the packaging. He's America's chaddly, sure sometimes it seems he is just ranting after too many bags of cans but you know he'd be lovely to his dog.

So you're saying you'd fawn over my drunk ramblings.

Makes sense.

[CHDad]

I'm out.

Anyone who thinks this revolting piece of shite is a good man has deep seated problems problems that are not going to be addressed by my ranting.

Don't let them win m8

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

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[Strewelpeter]

So, is this McCabe stuff enough to bring down the govt? Stinks to absolute high heaven. Zapone, o Sullivan, Fitzgerald and a clutch of others surely have to go.

/
Surely though the stink is between Tusla and the Gardaí?

Its a rotten stench... Hard to see it as being anything other than someone in Tusla doing a favour for Garda management.
But when exactly did it happen ? it it back in Callanan's time or more recent.

As much chance of it being an innocent mistake as it is of there being proof of how it came about.

Doesn't matter who is or isn't responsible meejia won't stop jumping up and down until they get a head

[SatNav]

32 hours drinkng I think Acc to Bolton. Told me go to bed and I. Did like a good girl. I'm never drinking again

[ComradeCollie]

There's something disturbing about how I think Sue Perkins is the hottness.

[DeadParrot]

So, is this McCabe stuff enough to bring down the govt? Stinks to absolute high heaven. Zapone, o Sullivan, Fitzgerald and a clutch of others surely have to go.

It stinks to high heaven but surely they'll hitch the blame to shatter

[Emmet]

There's something disturbing about how I think Sue Perkins is the hottness.

Do you struggle with your gayness?

This seems like a struggle, but also potentially a valid shout?

[6starpool]

Thoughts on the best way to purchase something in NZ using an Irish bank account.
I don't want to get a bad exc rate purchasing in NZ dollar. I'd usually just transfer money over but I need to get something over the weekend.
I was thinking PayPal any other suggestions?

This is the reason things like Revolut cards exist. If you don't already have a physical card though it's too late for this weekend. Otherwise use a normal Irish credit card if you have one and choose to pay in NZD, not Euro. Otherwise I'm out of ideas.

[DeadParrot]

he's so smart

[DeadParrot]

[Guest]

This is the reason things like Revolut cards exist. If you don't already have a physical card though it's too late for this weekend. Otherwise use a normal Irish credit card if you have one and choose to pay in NZD, not Euro. Otherwise I'm out of ideas.

Yeah I'm a bit of a disaster tbh, I only have a visa debit card, of which i only have the details, ie card number and cvv number because my card expired while I was here so online payment with that card or PayPal is what I'm stuck with if I want it this weekend.

[Denny Crane]

he's so smart

You realise he does this deliberately right?

[6starpool]

Yeah I'm a bit of a disaster tbh, I only have a visa debit card, of which i only have the details, ie card number and cvv number because my card expired while I was here so online payment with that card or PayPal is what I'm stuck with if I want it this weekend.

How do you get cash out? Do you have a NZD account and work over there but just don't have enough in it to buy what you need to?

[horatio1]

I'm struggling to understand what the story is, although it def seems whiffy. They need to have a recap story attached to any updates when something is a big story, like those scenes at the beginning of a show 'last time on...'. Anyone give a brief summary?

Something along the lines of:

Garda claims he has evidence of institutionalised fraud within his organisation.

Garda is isolated and victimised by his employer from the top down until his life is ruined.

Journalists claim they have evidence of smear campaign initiated by senior management, management refute claims.

Minister for justice initiates inquiry stating she knows nothing of the claims.

Minister for Children issues statement saying she had met Garda 3 weeks earlier as agency she has responsibility for had opened files on Garda's children due to a " cut and paste error" by member of agency leading to Garda being wrongly suspected of sex abuse. She states she had advised relevant Ministers of the meeting.

Minister for justice admits Minister for Children had informed her of the meeting but had not informed her of the reason for the meeting.

Minister for Children states she had not told a cabinet meeting discussing the setting up of the enquiry about the meeting because of the delicacy of the issue.

Minister for Justice states she did not mislead the Dail. When asked during a Dail debate if she knew about any of the claims made about the Garda she denied she did. She said as she had not been told by the Minister for Children what the meeting with the Garda was in relation to she had not mislead the Dail.

Arse covering of the highest order on the government side and usual calls for a head from opposition side. Commissioner will probably join her predecessor in the retirement ranks.

Mary lou with a straight face questions how Tusla handled an accusation of child abuse.

[Guest]

How do you get cash out? Do you have a NZD account and work over there but just don't have enough in it to buy what you need to?

Yeah that's exactly it, I just transferred enough when I moved because I figured id be less likely to go through it if it was at home.
I have only transferred money once or twice so haven't had a regular need for a revolut card. It's only for a bike for work, there's a local enough bike shop who might be willing to take a bank transfer or PayPal transfer but it's just the hassle of asking really.

[BobSloane]

I'm struggling to understand what the story is, although it def seems whiffy. They need to have a recap story attached to any updates when something is a big story, like those scenes at the beginning of a show 'last time on...'. Anyone give a brief summary?

http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/maurice-mccabe-your-guide-to-the-story-so-far-442551.html

Q. Why is the Garda whistleblower saga the subject of yet another investigation?
A. Because the first one, the Fennelly Commission, only examined the circumstances leading to the resignation of former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan over his handling of the whistleblowers, while the second one, the O’Higgins Commission, only examined whistleblower claims of Garda malpractice in the Cavan-Monaghan district.

Q. Only two? It seems like there were more than that.
A. That’s because there have also been three different inquiries and reports into penalty points fixing as revealed by whistleblowers plus the Guerin Inquiry which led to the O’Higgins Commission, and then the O’Neill Inquiry which has led to the newly announced Charleton Commission.

Q. So what’s left for Judge Charleton to examine?
A. The treatment of whistleblower Maurice McCabe by senior members of the gardaí who, it is alleged, ran a deliberate smear campaign against him to try to undermine his credibility.

Q. Who has made these allegations?
A. The former Garda press officer, Superintendent David Taylor, who says he was instructed by his superiors to brief media that Sgt McCabe was unreliable, was motivated by malice, and was facing investigation on a serious criminal issue.

Q. Which superiors are we talking about?
A. Former commissioner Martin Callinan “and/or” current commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan is how the proposed terms of reference put it.

Q. Presumably neither will be thrilled about a probe?
A. That would be a safe assumption. Callinan has been down this road before and it’s unlikely he wanted to spend any more of his enforced retirement revisiting the scene, and O’Sullivan has been issuing strenuous denials of any wrongdoing and fending off opposition calls to stand aside until the investigation is complete.

Q. When is the inquiry likely to be complete?
A. The smart answer is: In time for the next commission to be established. In reality, nine months has been mentioned but the proposed terms of reference seek a trawl of all telecommunications records of both Callinan and O’Sullivan over a two-year period.



Depending on what that throws up, there could be many — or few — witnesses to call.

In addition, there are already calls to widen the terms of reference to include a number of other events, including a meeting back in 2008 following which it was claimed Sgt McCabe said he was making his whistleblower disclosures because of a grudge against the force.

By chance, he had recorded the meeting and proved he made no such remarks.

[Mellor]

Russians eh
Beevor relates the story of “a young ss soldier forced to play a piano for his Russian captors. They made it clear in sign language that he would be executed the moment he stopped.” The man played for 22 hours, after which he collapsed in tears. The Russians congratulated him and then shot him

http://www.hoover.org/research/contest-brutality

No doubt the Soviet army did some brutal stuff as they took Germany from the east. But the above sounds pretty fair and reasonable given the SS games before hand.

Another punishment was known as ‘Achtung!’ A Soviet prisoner was made to strip and kneel in the open. Handlers with attack dogs waited on either side. The moment he stopped shouting, ‘Achtung! Achtung!’ the dogs were set on him.”

[mocata]

You can use transferwise to do this with your debit card

[Guest]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQAgrCuKwPc

I thought some people might like this one of my favs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7vvPXz-Qes

[Guest]

Smearing of whistle blowers in civil services the guards is widespread in this country. I always assume every whistle blower goes through it.

[ionapaul]

In Rome since last evening, noticeable amount of Irish around. Spent the evening in the Trastevere neighborhood, really cool place. We stuck our heads into an Irish bar for a single pint later on, was absolute madness. Gonna head to the Stadio Olympico relatively early today after some sightseeing (best city int the world for it maybe, if you like history anyway), hope there is a fan zone or similar set up. Really looking forward to the game now!

[DeadParrot]

You realise he does this deliberately right?

On Tuesday, in an incident picked up by NPR and a bunch of other outlets, Donald Trump joked to a group of sheriffs about “destroying the career” of a Texas state senator one of the sheriffs, Harold Eavenson of Rockwall County, Texas, was unhappy with. Eavenson is a fan of what is known as asset forfeiture, and the state senator had lobbied hard against a certain type of it.

What is asset forfeiture? Traditionally, it’s been the practice of taking someone’s stuff after they’ve been convicted of a crime — picture a DEA photo opp in front of a drug lord’s boats and jewelry and cars. But in many parts of the country, the practice has grown extremely loose, and there are numerous signs of widespread abuse. Law-enforcement officers can often take your stuff simply by, in effect, declaring that there’s some connection between you and a hypothetical crime — they don’t need to even arrest or charge you.
Related Stories



Sarah Stillman of The New Yorker wrote what is probably the definitive journalistic account of this subject, and her piece contains truly astounding stuff. In the story that leads off the article, for example, Stillman relates an incident in which a couple passing through Tenaha, Texas, with a bunch of cash to buy a used car was pulled over, brought to the local police station, and given a choice: Either they could sign a document handing the cash over to Tenaha, or they could be charged — despite a lack of any substantive evidence — with money laundering and child endangerment, meaning they would immediately be sent to jail and their children, who had been riding in the backseat, taken from them. If they signed the document, there would be no charges at all, so that was what they did. The couple would later learn that this was something of a tradition in Tenaha; there had been “a raft of complaints from out-of-town drivers who claimed that they had been stopped in Tenaha and stripped of cash, valuables, and, in at least one case, an infant child, without clear evidence of contraband.” (They joined in a class-action lawsuit fighting the practice.)

This sort of thing is disturbingly common, and some of the stories make the Tenaha incident look minor in comparison — as the subhead of Stillman’s article notes, “Americans who haven’t been charged with wrongdoing can be stripped of their cash, cars, and even homes.” That’s why, in recent years, something of a left-right alliance of criminal-justice reformers has formed to try to rein in the worst excesses of asset forfeiture, with many critics of the practice pointing out that police often target poor and minority citizens who lack the legal resources to defend their property. Basically the only groups that aggressively defends these types of asset forfeitures, on the other hand, are law-enforcement organizations themselves (and the politicians who want to broadcast unwavering support for them). They often claim asset forfeiture is a vital tool in their fight against drug cartels, but the full story is a bit more complicated and less noble: Asset forfeiture has become a big business. Some police departments rake in hefty sums from pulling people over, taking their stuff, and letting them go without charging them with anything. At a time of widespread state budget cuts, regularly harvesting the money and cars and other assets of local residents and passers-through has become a convenient way for some small-town police departments to stay in the black. Elsewhere, it’s used for other purposes: A Washington Post investigative series published in 2014, for example, revealed that, “Police agencies have used hundreds of millions of dollars taken from Americans under federal civil forfeiture law in recent years to buy guns, armored cars and electronic surveillance gear. They have also spent money on luxury vehicles, travel and a clown named Sparkles.”

So, back to Trump and the sheriff: Trump made his joke after Eavenson complained about “a state senator in Texas who was talking about introducing legislation to require conviction before we can receive their forfeiture.” “Can you believe that?” responded Trump, before joking about ruining his career. As the Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday, it isn’t clear exactly which state senator Eavenson was referring to, but both Democrats and some Republicans there have pushed for laws to reform the state’s asset-forfeiture practices. And all they are asking is that someone be convicted of a crime before police take their stuff — they aren’t even questioning law enforcement’s authority to seize certain property.

The whole debate was new to Trump. As the White House’s transcript of the session where he made his joke makes clear (hat tip to Reason), the president didn’t appear to know what asset forfeiture was or what the debate over it entailed. This probably shouldn’t come as a surprise given that Trump, by his own admission, isn’t much of a reader, and has exhibited very little interest in questions of public policy. What’s interesting, though, is observing, through the transcript, the process of Trump puzzling through a new concept and trying to understand what it means and how it fits into his worldview.

Interesting and deeply, deeply discomfiting:

SHERIFF AUBREY: Sheriff John Aubrey, fifth-term sheriff, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Past president of National Sheriffs’ Association. And my fellow sheriffs have brought up a number of points, and I’d like to add two to it that I know are on your plate and the administration’s plate. The 1033 program, where we were sharing Department of Defense surplus material that helps us in our war. They were used in the war, and they helped us in our war. That got severely curtailed.

And the other thing is asset forfeiture. People want to say we’re taking money and without due process. That’s not true. We take money from dope dealers —

THE PRESIDENT: So you’re saying – okay, so you’re saying the asset-taking you used to do, and it had an impact, right? And you’re not allowed to do it now?

SHERIFF AUBREY: No, they have curtailed it a little bit. And I’m sure the folks are —

THE PRESIDENT: And that’s for legal reasons? Or just political reasons?

SHERIFF AUBREY: They make it political and they make it – they make up stories. All you’ve got to do —

THE PRESIDENT: I’d like to look into that, okay? There’s no reason for that. Dana, do you think there’s any reason for that? Are you aware of this?

[Then-acting Attorney General Dana Boente]: I am aware of that, Mr. President. And we have gotten a great deal of criticism for the asset forfeiture, which, as the sheriff said, frequently was taking narcotics proceeds and other proceeds of crime. But there has been a lot of pressure on the department to curtail some of that.

THE PRESIDENT: So what do you do? So in other words, they have a huge stash of drugs. So in the old days, you take it. Now we’re criticized if we take it. So who gets it? What happens to it? Tell them to keep it?

MR. BOENTE: Well, we have what is called equitable sharing, where we usually share it with the local police departments for whatever portion that they worked on the case. And it was a very successful program, very popular with the law enforcement community.

THE PRESIDENT: And now what happens?

MR. BOENTE: Well, now we’ve just been given – there’s been a lot of pressure not to forfeit, in some cases.

THE PRESIDENT: Who would want that pressure, other than, like, bad people, right? But who would want that pressure? You would think they’d want this stuff taken away.

SHERIFF AUBREY: You have to be careful how you speak, I guess. But a lot of pressure is coming out of – was coming out of Congress. I don’t know that that will continue now or not.

THE PRESIDENT: I think less so. I think Congress is going to get beat up really badly by the voters because they’ve let this happen. And I think badly. I think you’ll be back in shape. So, asset forfeiture, we’re going to go back on, okay?

SHERIFF AUBREY: Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: I mean, how simple can anything be? You all agree with that, I assume, right?

In reality, of course, none of the controversy over asset forfeiture centers around what authorities do when they find a “huge stash of drugs” — Team Let Them Keep Illegal Drugs has approximately zero members. So what’s striking here is the manner in which, over the course of an exchange that lasts perhaps a couple minutes, Trump progresses from learning of the existence of a new (to him) concept, to misunderstanding completely what it is and why it’s controversial, to developing a strong opinion about it painted in a childlike understanding of the world and of morality (“Who would want that pressure, other than, like, bad people, right?”), to expressing outrage that anyone could have an opinion about it that diverges from his own.

In this instance, we have full access to Trump’s thought process, to his confused knee-jerk conclusions. What’s going on behind closed doors, when the stakes are higher and there are no White House transcripts available?

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/02/trumps-exchange-on-asset-forfeiture-is-quite-discomfiting.html

More 3d chess?

[Guest]

Have a lovely time in Rome Iona Paul I hear it's truly amazing.



Dead Parrot your choice in quotes is deeply perceptive. Trump wants to reinstate and expand civil asset forfeiture so cops can steal your stuff. I haven't really heard of it in a democracy except in terms of criminal forfeiture etc.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

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[Guest]

Better late than never Hitch it's always the thought that counts.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

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[Guest]

Pretty fancy .. Hitch.

I love all the children's drawings and artwork in the background!

[Guest]

It all seems such an odd thing to bungle.
It seems to me that if an investigation for child abuse were being carried on someone you would NOT write to inform that person you were until they were being charged. It would seem to put your investigation at a disadvantage.
Why would Tulsa do such a thing?

[Guest]

This is so charming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LOFhsksAYw

Seems to go with this so well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll2H3TIt0PE&t=145s

[SatNav]

Sightseeing and bingo ahead..... Fun times

[Raoul Duke III]

Irish-Bolivian wedding yesterday. All was progressing along fairly standard lines until midnight when the bride and bridesmaid took to the dancefloor wearing Bolivian carnevale dress.
Never seen so many 70 y\o auld lads take such an acute interest in the dancing before.

Not actual pic but gives you an idea:

SPOILER

[MrsFlushdraw]

Sightseeing and bingo ahead..... Fun times

Did you take Hansen to get the foot checked? enjoy the bingo

[Raoul Duke III]

One of the few single lads at the wedding took an acute interest in the translator who was the better-looking younger sister equivalent of the burd above. Out dancing with her, putting the chat on and making outstanding progress. All going swimmingly until he went to the bar to get them drinks and upon returning, found her with the equivalent of Enrique Iglesias' better-looking younger brother with his arm tight around her waist.

Sensing he had no chance against this competition, our hero took himself off to the bar for the remainder of the evening. He was sitting at the breakfast this morning with the lads when Enrique approached him. "Where you go last night? My sister, she really like you." They return to their native soil today.

Tears of laughter all round.

[Guest]

Don't forget the part the Irish media played in the ongoing Garda scandal,they facilitated a lot of aspersions being cast on McCabe,went in studs up on Daly and Wallace for pressing the issue. The Garda shills masquerading as journalists (Jim Cusack,Williams et al )who are given free reign to push the Garda line just so they can keep their flow of scoops about vastly over inflated drug seizures and building up 2 bit scum with Batman villain nicknames would make you sick.
They did great work for the guards in the recent pay dispute too

[Raoul Duke III]

You realise he does this deliberately right?

He's become a typical politician.

Flip-flopping with the best of them.

[Denny Crane]

He's become a typical politician.

Flip-flopping with the best of them.

That's not flip flopping, that's just the same negotiating tactic he uses every time.

[Raoul Duke III]

That's not flip flopping, that's just the same negotiating tactic he uses every time.

Yessssss.

Tell us about his tactics on the Muslim Ban so. Clearly he wished to sabotage his own Executive Order, in which case he did it perfectly. Sheer genius!

The way he alienated his very own Supreme Court pick was a masterstroke too.

You have to admire a man with some much metagame.

[SatNav]

Did you take Hansen to get the foot checked? enjoy the bingo

Nah be grand. I'd say it's only a small fracture. She's not hobbling. Can't be too bad.

[Guest]

That's not flip flopping, that's just the same negotiating tactic he uses every time.

Forget the read pill and the blue pill.
I am a lefty ..but
The pill no one likes swallowing is the truth pill. It's a hard pill to swallow.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/shinzo-abe-trump-presser-golf-234905

SPOILER

Also my pill is pink...also i don't take pills...

[Guest]

Nah be grand. I'd say it's only a small fracture. She's not hobbling. Can't be too bad.

Oh really sorry to hear it. Maybe check to be sure.

You can't be too careful.

You will both enjoy the holiday more with it off your mind. Enjoy sights and bingo hope she is ok

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

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[Raoul Duke III]

That's not flip flopping, that's just the same negotiating tactic he uses every time.

He's lost.

Or perhaps he's winnning. So much winning. Tremendous, beautiful winning. Who the fuck knows anything anymore.

[mdoug]

Coquelin to finally score today from a corner knock down, maybe deflection, be good fun that

[Guest]

[Denny Crane]

pfft don't be jealous that only denny has been endowed with the unique gift to see the deeper levels behind the seeming inanity!

That's how it's worked so far

[MrsFlushdraw]

Nah be grand. I'd say it's only a small fracture. She's not hobbling. Can't be too bad.

Only a small fracture, be grand

You go to bingo and tell WK to take her to get cheched! if there was a small fracture, is it not best to check and make sure it sets right? instead of an op to correct later on? I am no Dr, but maybe BK can say what's best if he lurking!

[Guest]

Only a small fracture, be grand

You go to bingo and tell WK to take her to get cheched! if there was a small fracture, is it not best to check and make sure it sets right? instead of an op to correct later on? I am no Dr, but maybe BK can say what's best if he lurking!

Best advice there. Things can get worse if not seen to. You can go to bingo here anyway.

[Rahenyrhythm]

Smearing of whistle blowers in civil services the guards is widespread in this country. I always assume every whistle blower goes through it.

Lovely Russian hymns p&t. Slightly prefer the "Agni...", but both are beautiful

[eamonhonda]

He's lost.

Or perhaps he's winnning. So much winning. Tremendous, beautiful winning. Who the fuck knows anything anymore.

Doing it all on purpose. Genius.

[Guest]

Lovely Russian hymns p&t. Slightly prefer the "Agni...", but both are beautiful

Yes the country has some great choirs. Amazing bases too!

"Sviatïy Bozhe'' is my fav :-)

They have some amazing voices.

I can only imagine what it must be like to have this vibrate through you live.

It literally feels like it's vibrating through my soul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WpD2Cspn6g

[Lord Sir Banter]

Same shit.....

Possibly broken. She tripped getting in shower

get well soon

Most folk have a dump in that situation, not a shower like

glolm