Brian Cowen working for Topaz petrol stations?

Irish Times

I brought you here under false pretenses; I am not at all delighted for our former Taoiseach Brian Cowen. As luck would have it, he's stumbled his way into a non-executive director spot on the board of Topaz. They are owned by some guy called Denis O'Brien, and they used to be known as Shell, or something like that...

Irish Times wrote:

Topaz, the fuel and retail chain owned by Denis O’Brien, has appointed former taoiseach Brian Cowen and Colm Doherty, the former managing director of AIB who was appointed in 2009 after the bank guarantee, as directors of the company.

more...

The Journal and the Irish Independent also do their own spins on it too.


Am I the only one here thinking about downing tools to take up a career in politics? Fúck it, I'm long gone past that stage of wanting to try to influence a change, I just want a seat on the gravy train now.

Lucifer MorningStar

One more off the live register

uch

If you hold a shell to yer ear you can hear the sea

wazky

Lucifer MorningStar wrote: »

One more off the live register

Reckon it was a Jobsbridge?

Intern needed: preferably an overweight useless bastard needed for high paying job that is ultimately a position created to get your fat ass on board as a 'face'.

BorneTobyWilde

uch wrote: »

If you hold a shell to yer ear you can hear the sea

If you hold a shell to Brian Cowen you will have no shell

RustyNut

I think it gas...

SEPT 23 1989

what a rotten corrupt kip of a country we live in

RikkFlair

Jobs for the boys

uch

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

what a rotten corrupt kip of a country we live in

And the sad thing is, the mongo's will still vote FF or FG

BorneTobyWilde

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

what a rotten corrupt kip of a country we live in

That is sad. Your post, it's typical Irish to complain but to do nothing about it. French farmers we are not.

uch

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

That is sad. Your post, it's typical Irish to complain but to do nothing about it. French farmers we are not.

Oh yeah, thats someone else's job

Frynge

99% of people who give out about such things are people who wouldn't have a clue about what being a director involves! let alone actually being a director.

You don't actually just sit there and be paid for doing nothing.

If everyone is soooo good at doing things better than people who have been elected TD's, get off your ass and get elected then write a book about how everything you did was perfect.

Tin Foil Hat

Lucifer MorningStar wrote: »

One more off the live register

I don't think you appear on the live register when you're trousering 3k per week pension for a job badly done.

uch

Frynge wrote: »

99% of people who give out about such things are people who wouldn't have a clue about what being a director involves! let alone actually being a director.

You don't actually just sit there and be paid for doing nothing.

If everyone is soooo good at doing things better than people who have been elected TD's, get off your ass and get elected then write a book about how everything you did was perfect.

You should be a TD, seriously, only bit of sense i've seen in ages

RustyNut

Frynge wrote: »

99% of people who give out about such things are people who wouldn't have a clue about what being a director involves! let alone actually being a director.

You don't actually just sit there and be paid for doing nothing.

If everyone is soooo good at doing things better than people who have been elected TD's, get off your ass and get elected then write a book about how everything you did was perfect.

Good luck with the new job Brian...:D

Frynge

uch wrote: »

You should be a TD, seriously, only bit of sense i've seen in ages

Not a chance, already enough people giving out about/to me.

BorneTobyWilde

My attitude is to take as much as you can from this government and to be fair to everyone

RustyNut

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

My attitude is to take as much as you can from this government and to be fair to everyone

And the governments attitude is to take as much as they can and fcuk everyone.

uch

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

My attitude is to take as much as you can from this government and to be fair to everyone

Your attitue stinks

B.A._Baracus

My attitude is work the governement and system, whilst fuck everyone but my close circle :pac:

wandererz

What's the complaint?

The guy was minister and then Taoiseach and then he went off to an ivy league university afterwards with his pension to learn how to do it properly.

So he messed up along the way... we all do so.
Yes, he had an entire country as his playschool. How many people (outside of dictators) have that at their disposal?

So he learned from his mistakes and subsequently sought better education when he could afford it - obviously Irish education was crap hence the reason he and his colleagues screwed up -

Now he has the masters or whatever it is, he is better able to command a better position/salary/boards of directorship ...or whatever else.

Isn't that what our parents taught us all?
.....go to school, study hard, get a degree, get a good job, earn decent money, improve your life...study more ...earn more money, live a better life.

.... get a good job, earn decent money....oh wait ...shucks i plain forgot about the loans one has to take out to get educated and get ahead because i don't have a rich dadday.

However!!! it will all be paid off when you start earning the MONAY!
....CR*P ... you suddenly discover the 52+% effective tax rate....


aaah jeez, i shouldn't even bother....

...BUT ... if only i could get meself a short lived political career, a government funded pension... then the worlds my oyster.... i could even get myself on the board of a multi-billionaire owned company, use the contacts i gained in government and my ivy league schooling...

....hmmm..yes it's possible.

What say you Pinky?

SEPT 23 1989

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

That is sad. Your post, it's typical Irish to complain but to do nothing about it. French farmers we are not.

how the fcuk would you know whether i have done anything?

Frynge

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

My attitude is work the governement and system, whilst fuck everyone but my close circle :pac:

Different people have different sized circles.

My circle involves 140 employees, 5 councils, 215 suppliers, and an estimated 45,000 customers. Tell who should I fuc k.

B.A._Baracus

Frynge wrote: »

Different people have different sized circles.

My circle involves 140 employees, 5 councils, 215 suppliers, and an estimated 45,000 customers. Tell who should I fuc k.

How about everyone of them except the person in the mirror.

BorneTobyWilde

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

My attitude is to take as much as you can from this government and to be fair to everyone

I can't see how it is possible to do the above two things at once.

Aidric

Non Exec-Director. He will just be there is a supervisory capacity and will have no day to day involvement in the running of the company.

SEPT 23 1989

Aidric wrote: »

Non Exec-Director. He will just be there is a supervisory capacity and will have no day to day involvement in the running of the company.

the only thing that nation destroyier will be supervising is the bottom of a pint glass

Frynge

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

How about everyone of them except the person in the mirror.

Yet if you read in the paper about 140 people being laid off in a voluntary liquidation you will probably just come on here and give out about it.

Then the circular conversation of it's the governments, bankers, people who work, and a body else I can think of to blame's fault.

Turpentine

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

If you hold a shell to Brian Cowen you will have no shell

I don't know whether you're implying he'd eat it, wear it or absorb it into his bank account.

Though I'm sure any of the above would be a sight to behold, so therefore well worth the shell.

Frynge

Aidric wrote: »

Non Exec-Director. He will just be there is a supervisory capacity and will have no day to day involvement in the running of the company.

Yet will be held personally responsible should the company become insolvent.

wandererz

wandererz wrote: »

What's the complaint?

The guy was minister and then Taoiseach and then he went off to an ivy league university afterwards with his pension to learn how to do it properly.

So he messed up along the way... we all do so.
Yes, he had an entire country as his playschool. How many people (outside of dictators) have that at their disposal?

So he learned from his mistakes and subsequently sought better education when he could afford it - obviously Irish education was crap hence the reason he and his colleagues screwed up -

Now he has the masters or whatever it is, he is better able to command a better position/salary/boards of directorship ...or whatever else.

Isn't that what our parents taught us all?
.....go to school, study hard, get a degree, get a good job, earn decent money, improve your life...study more ...earn more money, live a better life.

.... get a good job, earn decent money....oh wait ...shucks i plain forgot about the loans one has to take out to get educated and get ahead because i don't have a rich dadday.

BUT!!! it will all be paid off when you start earining the MONAY!
....**** ... you suddenly discover the 52+% effective tax rate....


aaah jeez, i shouldn't even bother....

...BUT ... if only i could get meself a short lived political career, a government funded pension... then the worlds my oyster....

Fair play to Biffo, he did actually go on and study an 'Executive Education Programme' in Stanford upgrading his business acumen in the process. However, there have to be at least 2,000 other people in the country who would be a lot more qualified than our former taoiseach-by-default for a position on the Topaz board, but former politicians are often a shoe-in for seats at the big tables and it all appears to be quite cosy at the top.

That's why I can't blame the likes of Biffo when they do get in there; If it's going, take it.

*Apparently Brian Cowen travelled alone to attend Stanford University in San Francisco, party on, I'd say he's some man to do a keg stand if you could lift him high enough!

Actually I envision his trip to San Francisco more like that episode in the Sopranos where

Tony heads out solo to Las Vegas for some downtime in the aftermath of euthanising Chris. He hooks up with a hot girl, does peyote and wanders out in the desert for some hallucinations and revelations. The episode ends with Tony shouting "I get it" out to the desert's setting sun

Biffo now also "gets it", and will see out his days taking whatever is going from whichever old friend offers it.

Can't honestly say I wouldn't do any different in his position.

Aidric

Frynge wrote: »

Yet will be held personally responsible should the company become insolvent.

A petroleum company. You think that's likely to become insolvent?

Frynge

Aidric wrote: »

A petroleum company. You think that's likely to become insolvent?

You're missing my point, but is it not better described as a retail company more so than a petroleum company.

An god knows many a retail chain has gone belly these last few years.

B.A._Baracus

Frynge wrote: »

Yet if you read in the paper about 140 people being laid off in a voluntary liquidation you will probably just come on here and give out about it.

Then the circular conversation of it's the governments, bankers, people who work, and a body else I can think of to blame's fault.

Nope. I wouldn't. I wouldn't give a fuck.
Would you care if some random joe lost his job in Topaz? ... your answer is the same as mine.

Frynge

Would you give a fuc k if one of those random joes has the same address as you.

B.A._Baracus

Frynge wrote: »

Would you give a fuc k if one of those random joes has the same address as you.

So... in other words, you are saying would I care if it was one of my family members instead rather than simply stating "what if it was a family member instead" :pac: You have to admit. It was easier just to say the latter. But I post my answer to your question with a question of my own. Because your answer, is also my answer

If your brother lost his job & I, someone who you dont know just posting on some message board also lost my job. Whose loss would effect you more?

Your answer is my answer

Aidric

Aidric wrote: »

A petroleum company. You think that's likely to become insolvent?

Especially considering who the company is, no. Shell for one reason or another rebranded themselves as Topaz in Ireland. Shell have had much success in our country through the years, I reckon Biffo is sorted for life or as long as he wants it anyway.

If I got to retire early on a highly satisfactory pension, I personally would take something akin to the Daniel Day Lewis route of becoming an apprentice cobbler in Florence, or cheese making in Bavaria. Can't imagine Biffo doing either of those I guess, so all the best to him with big business.

cant touchthis

Haven't used a Topaz since O Brien bought them.

Take that.

pragmatic1

Frynge wrote: »

Yet if you read in the paper about 140 people being laid off in a voluntary liquidation you will probably just come on here and give out about it.

Then the circular conversation of it's the governments, bankers, people who work, and a body else I can think of to blame's fault.

Jaysus. What crawled up your ass and died. Bit cranky tonight? Wanna talk about it champ?

fullaljackeen

This can't be true. Why would an astute business man like Denis O'Brien give this man an important job in his company. Has public feeling changed about Brian Cowen?

www irishtimes.com/business/sectors/retail-and-services/brian-cowen-and-former-aib-chief-appointed-to-board-of-topaz-1.1782038

Awww really wanted you to say he was working on the forecourt washing cars.

Why do you tease us like that, OP?

beach_walker

Cowen must have really wowed them at the interview.

BMJD

Tenner of unleaded there please, fatso

Boombastic

Dennis must have owed him one

Arthur Beesley

I was just served by him at my local Topaz. EUR 50 of diesel and a platinum car wash.

humbert

Life is so much easier for the beautiful people.

BearBanjer

Had an image of Briany in a Topaz gilet hanging around the pumps scoffing bars of chocolate.

El Weirdo

fullaljackeen wrote: »

This can't be true. Why would an astute business man corrupt crook like Denis O'Brien give this man an important job in his company. Has public feeling changed about Brian Cowen?

www irishtimes.com/business/sectors/retail-and-services/brian-cowen-and-former-aib-chief-appointed-to-board-of-topaz-1.1782038

FYP and answered your question in one fell swoop.

digzy

Boombastic wrote: »

Dennis must have owed him one

When Cowan was Taoiseach and finance minister he continued the whole tax exile thing whereby fellas like o brien and JP mc manus don't pay tax here like the rest of us plebs.

A case of " you looked after me, now I'll look after you".
They really don't give a fcuk.

shedweller

digzy wrote: »

When Cowan was Taoiseach and finance minister he continued the whole tax exile thing whereby fellas like o brien and JP mc manus don't pay tax here like the rest of us plebs.

A case of " you looked after me, now I'll look after you".
They really don't give a fcuk.

And will continue to not give one unless we wake up and do something.

fullaljackeen

shedweller wrote: »

And will continue to not give one unless we wake up and do something.

Suppose I should stop shopping in Topaz