I was wrong, said Fred

Mollie Breathna

I'm having such a German Christmas - first the Christmas Market now "Schadenfreude.":D

Sponge Bob

I find Fred is soooo boring, maybe the Advertiser will stop publishing Freds boring missives now and then I might read it.

grainnereills

finally some comeuppance!

this guy really irritates me. he harps on and on and on about the writers centre not getting any funding and being closed out by city hall. does he not realise that HE is the reason why?

his attitude, sarcastic, condescending, is solely to blame.

if he wanted to do the centre some service he should resign, then a new independent person can be appointed as its head and see how things would change.

I'm afraid it's purely personal - he has a bad 'chip on shoulder' attitude that doesnt do himself any favours.

if you love your centre Fred, you have to fall on your sword to save it.

As for the Advertiser they must have got a really threatening legal letter for them to print as much as they did. Or Fred himself did!

Dan_Solo

As ever, €10,000 is "incorrect", but you never hear what the REAL cost was. €9,999? Who knows. Why can't they just tell us if it was so grossly inaccurate?:rolleyes:

DRakE

so he said something incorrect and apologised for it

newsworthy.

brianthebard

Dan_Solo wrote: »

As ever, €10,000 is "incorrect", but you never hear what the REAL cost was. €9,999? Who knows. Why can't they just tell us if it was so grossly inaccurate?:rolleyes:

There were three letters pertaining to the issue, did you read them all? Fred made the claim that 10k was given to a single writer, this was incorrect, 10k was used to fund a large number of things including a tour.

Dan_Solo

TBH €0.01 is too much to fund any arts project in Ireland these days!
Where is the complete breakdown of where the €10,000 went? If I have to report a €10,000 bill to my boss I'd have to provide the details. It's this lack of transparency and economy with truth that sticks in my craw.

brianthebard

What research have you done to find the breakdown of how that money was spent?

Dan_Solo

My "research" is that they have not provided a full breakdown of where the €10,000 of public money went. It's simply a matter of pasting a list, even of the major costs. Why wouldn't someone provide this unless they're trying to obscure something they don't want us to know?
And the point still stands. No matter how well it will be spent, not a dime should go to the arts until the state runs a profit.

brianthebard

Dan_Solo wrote: »

My "research" is that they have not provided a full breakdown of where the €10,000 of public money went. It's simply a matter of pasting a list, even of the major costs. Why wouldn't someone provide this unless they're trying to obscure something they don't want us to know?

You don't even know if they've been published somewhere else or not! The arts council requires a breakdown of how the funding was spent I'm sure, you should contact them.

And the point still stands. No matter how well it will be spent, not a dime should go to the arts until the state runs a profit.

Lol that's some armchair dictatorship you're running. You think 10k on an arts tour is the big problem? When did the state last run a profit anyways?

Das Kitty

Looks like he may have been compelled to write the retraction by reading that. The Advertiser look like they might have been a bit scared too. I really hope they stop printing his every whinge now.

Dan_Solo

brianthebard wrote: »

You don't even know if they've been published somewhere else or not! The arts council requires a breakdown of how the funding was spent I'm sure, you should contact them.

And you don't know either, so that makes two of us.
I can't find it on their website, and they don't seem eager to tell us. Why can't they just post up the data on their website instead of having to be badgered for it.

brianthebard wrote: »

Lol that's some armchair dictatorship you're running. You think 10k on an arts tour is the big problem? When did the state last run a profit anyways?

Wow, just wow. Melodrama much? I suppose since you also have an opinion on arts funding, that also makes you an "armchair dictator", huh? What an utterly pointless phrase that is.
And then flick the switch instantly to "strawman mode". I never said this €10,000 was the problem. It's part of a €100,000,000 problem.
Who would have guessed from the fact that you refused to quote me that you'd simply make up some stuff and pretend I said it?:rolleyes:
The state never ran a profit. When they do they should start funding arts. No contradiction there either despite your protests, but I think we could've guessed that by now.

liabhroidi

i get the feeling the advertiser were just as happy to hang fred out to dry as well.

brianthebard

Dan_Solo wrote: »

And you don't know either, so that makes two of us.
I can't find it on their website, and they don't seem eager to tell us. Why can't they just post up the data on their website instead of having to be badgered for it.

How are they being badgered? One guy had to write a retraction cause he was talking ****e, is that it? Btw the arts council website has a section full of information about who they've funded. Like I said you must not have been doing much research to believe all this was being hidden.

Wow, just wow. Melodrama much? I suppose since you also have an opinion on arts funding, that also makes you an "armchair dictator", huh? What an utterly pointless phrase that is.

not as pointless as your demand to shut down arts in Ireland.

And then flick the switch instantly to "strawman mode". I never said this €10,000 was the problem. It's part of a €100,000,000 problem.
Who would have guessed from the fact that you refused to quote me that you'd simply make up some stuff and pretend I said it?:rolleyes:
The state never ran a profit. When they do they should start funding arts. No contradiction there either despite your protests, but I think we could've guessed that by now.

What the hell are you talking about, refusing to quote you? I did quote you, I didn't make up anything. And you said that funding should stop until the state made a profit, the suggestion was that it has made a profit in the past. So you're saying you never want the state to fund the arts? Fantastic, you're madder than I thought. Would you allow the state to fund anything until they make a profit? What can be funded and what can't?

Dan_Solo

brianthebard wrote: »

How are they being badgered? One guy had to write a retraction cause he was talking ****e, is that it? Btw the arts council website has a section full of information about who they've funded. Like I said you must not have been doing much research to believe all this was being hidden.

What you're struggling to say here is that you couldn't find the breakdown for that €10,000 either. And boy is it obvious.

brianthebard wrote: »

not as pointless as your demand to shut down arts in Ireland.

Biting. Copy one word from what the other guy posted and use it in a sentence. Pity that makes no attempt at all to address why me having an opinion makes me an an "armchair dictator" but you having an opinion on the same thing doesn't make you likewise. Then again you weren't trying to address that point at all were you? Again, all obvious stuff.

brianthebard wrote: »

What the hell are you talking about, refusing to quote you? I did quote you, I didn't make up anything. And you said that funding should stop until the state made a profit, the suggestion was that it has made a profit in the past. So you're saying you never want the state to fund the arts? Fantastic, you're madder than I thought. Would you allow the state to fund anything until they make a profit? What can be funded and what can't?

You made up where I "said"

brianthebard wrote:

You think 10k on an arts tour is the big problem?

Where did I say this? I'm sure they spent 55c on a stamp at some stage but I don't think that 55c is "the problem" either.
I think you're mad because you want the state to spend €100 million on book readings and papier maché puppets when we are 85 billion in debt. I guess we have different definitions of madness then. You last line is lame in the extreme. I said don't fund the arts as they are a waste of money. How did you spin that into me saying I don't want them to fund anything at all?
Oh, by making it up.;)

Dan_Solo

brianthebard wrote: »

And you said that funding should stop until the state made a profit, the suggestion was that it has made a profit in the past.

Another made up "suggestion". Derren Brown you ain't.
When a state runs a surplus they can start to think about sponsoring non-essentials. If that means never funding the arts then so be it.
Again, no contradiction until you make up what I'm saying or come to an illogical extrapolation from what you think I said.

Steyr

If it wasnt the Writers Centre it was The Salthill Airshow.

brianthebard

Dan_Solo wrote: »

Another made up "suggestion". Derren Brown you ain't.
When a state runs a surplus they can start to think about sponsoring non-essentials. If that means never funding the arts then so be it.
Again, no contradiction until you make up what I'm saying or come to an illogical extrapolation from what you think I said.

man you're absolutely nuts.

Dan_Solo

brianthebard wrote: »

man you're absolutely nuts.

Nice ad hominem.
You know that when you insult someone you automatically win the argument, even if you've failed miserably to address any points raised?
You knew that, right?

Dan_Solo

Steyr wrote: »

If it wasnt the Writers Centre it was The Salthill Airshow.

Which means what?

Sponge Bob

That was a show in Salthill with airyplanes, it was quite noisy so you knew when it was on and it was an annual event during the noughties.

Dan_Solo

Sponge Bob wrote: »

That was a show in Salthill with airyplanes, it was quite noisy so you knew when it was on and it was an annual event during the noughties.

I know what the Salthill Air Show was.
This doesn't explain what his post meant, if that's even possible.