Off Topic Thread 5.0

stephen_n

Podge_irl wrote: »

I understand the inclination to blame the opening up of the country, but if you look at somewhere like Finland they have things as open as Ireland did in Dec and did not see the same spike. According to Holohan you had people reporting 30 close contacts when being traced - I don't have that on a normal trip home at Christmas! Between this and refusing to accept any responsibility for the 09 crash, I feel like Irish people are not always big on personal responsibility and are a lot more fond of blaming govt for everything. The govt absolutely could have done better but under no interpretation of their guidance could you interpret having 30 close contacts as ok.




I don't have much time for the zero covid people tbh. Having zero covid requires exactly that - zero. NZ and Aus have had to have reasonably serious lockdowns when they have had a few cases. We are simply not in a position to ever have zero cases with the NI border and the means of goods traffic between us and the UK.

If the cases drop off sharply in the next week. It will be clear that the main difference between us and Finland would be the way we celebrate Christmas here.
People choosing to congregate indoors for longer periods of time. Bigger families and extended families.

Bazzo

stephen_n wrote: »

If the cases drop off sharply in the next week. It will be clear that the main difference between us and Finland would be the way we celebrate Christmas here.
People choosing to congregate indoors for longer periods of time. Bigger families and extended families.

The Scandinavians might enjoy some slight social advantages over us. I mean, I remember pictures doing the rounds years ago that this is how Finns wait for the bus:

Podge_irl

stephen_n wrote: »

If the cases drop off sharply in the next week. It will be clear that the main difference between us and Finland would be the way we celebrate Christmas here.
People choosing to congregate indoors for longer periods of time. Bigger families and extended families.

Oh for sure, I expect that is a large part of it.

Paul Smeenus

Whatever else about what sort of paper they may be, that's some front page from the Irish Examiner.

sydthebeat

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Whatever else about what sort of paper they may be, that's some front page from the Irish Examiner.

Pic??

MaybeMaybe

sydthebeat wrote: »

Pic??

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErkBNBjXEAE1Xcs?format=jpg&name=large

Paul Smeenus

https://twitter.com/irishexaminer/status/1349242273637101569/photo/1

Paul Smeenus

1994 is that last one. I was in sixth form. Mental.

sydthebeat

Jesus that's a hard hitting page

Paul Smeenus

Modern Ireland is a remarkably liberal, modern, progressive nation. Enviably so.

But I think folk in their twenties and thirties tend to act like repression, poverty and Catholic conservatism was a lot further in the past than it actually was.

Had I got married as soon as I was allowed, and lived down South, I would not, then, have been able to get a divorce - it was prohibited in the Constitution. I'm not yet forty five.

Zzippy

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Modern Ireland is a remarkably liberal, modern, progressive nation. Enviably so.

But I think folk in their twenties and thirties tend to act like repression, poverty and Catholic conservatism was a lot further in the past than it actually was.

Had I got married as soon as I was allowed, and lived down South, I would not, then, have been able to get a divorce - it was prohibited in the Constitution. I'm not yet forty five.

You'd have to find a woman to put up with you Paul. Or these days, even a man. You could even divorce him if it didn't work out...

Paul Smeenus

Zzippy wrote: »

You'd have to find a woman to put up with you Paul. Or these days, even a man. You could even divorce him if it didn't work out...

Hey! There's veritable queues of Irish womanhood (and indeed, manhood) lining up for the chance to encounter my raw sexual magnetism first-hand. I have been described, by trained medical personnel, as a "nuclear explosion of horny".

molloyjh

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Hey! There's veritable queues of Irish womanhood (and indeed, manhood) lining up for the chance to encounter my raw sexual magnetism first-hand. I have been described, by trained medical personnel, as a "nuclear explosion of horny".

I was just waiting for "goddamn sexual tyrannosaurus" there. Missed opportunity Paul. Although the above did produce a chuckle....

Paul Smeenus

molloyjh wrote: »

I was just waiting for "goddamn sexual tyrannosaurus" there. Missed opportunity Paul. Although the above did produce a chuckle....

GET TO DA CHOPPAH!!

OldRio

MaybeMaybe wrote: »

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErkBNBjXEAE1Xcs?format=jpg&name=large

As one gets older and looks back at the past I realise the utter power the Catholic Church had over us. Indoctrination began whilst we were still in the womb. From birth to death. Evil manipulation.
It was like Communist China, Stalinist Russia and Nazism all rolled into one. 'The Holy Catholic Church'
Evil. Pure evil.

'Tell me your sins' 'original sin'

mfceiling

OldRio wrote: »

As one gets older and looks back at the past I realise the utter power the Catholic Church had over us. Indoctrination began whilst we were still in the womb. From birth to death. Evil manipulation.
It was like Communist China, Stalinist Russia and Nazism all rolled into one. 'The Holy Catholic Church'
Evil. Pure evil.

'Tell me your sins' 'original sin'

And to some that power remains. The wife's mother is a devout Christian and Catholic. Before Christmas she was on to my wife about getting her ticket for mass at Christmas. My wife explained to her that she never goes to mass and for her to take a ticket would be depriving a true follower their place. She wasn't happy with her decision and I'd say behind it all I was getting some of the blame due to my complete and utter non beliefs in any organised religion.

On a brighter note I got to see a specialist this morning about my dodgy knee and surgery will more than likely take place before the end of the month!!

Squidgy Black

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Modern Ireland is a remarkably liberal, modern, progressive nation. Enviably so.

But I think folk in their twenties and thirties tend to act like repression, poverty and Catholic conservatism was a lot further in the past than it actually was.

Had I got married as soon as I was allowed, and lived down South, I would not, then, have been able to get a divorce - it was prohibited in the Constitution. I'm not yet forty five.

Not gonna lie Paul, all I got from that is "I'm old".

Paul Smeenus

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Not gonna lie Paul, all I got from that is "I'm old".

And you're not too old to go over my knee, young man.

Buer

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Modern Ireland is a remarkably liberal, modern, progressive nation. Enviably so.

But I think folk in their twenties and thirties tend to act like repression, poverty and Catholic conservatism was a lot further in the past than it actually was.

Whilst in chronological terms it's certainly not that long ago, the era of when the church had such a hold understandably seems like a completely different age to some. It's unrecognisable from the society we now live in and it's very hard for people to grasp how close they were to living in it.

From a visual perspective, if you look back at Reeling in the Years on RTE, there's an incredible change that took place in about 5-7 years. If I was to look at footage from 2012 on television now, I could look at it and it really wouldn't seem very different from today. If you look at footage from 1992 and from 2000, however....it looks like a completely different era.

Here's the episode from 1992 Watch the opening 2 minutes and you could honestly believe it's from the 1970s judging by the quality of footage, fashion etc. The fact that those opening 2 minutes also demonstrate the grasp of the church (interviewing a bishop about unemployment and the infamous X Case) goes hand in hand with that.

The world became a vastly smaller place in the late 90s through technology and the advent of the Celtic Tiger changed the behaviour and mentality of us as a population forerver. It's hard for younger people to identify with the world that was in any respect prior to those times.

Paul Smeenus

Buer wrote: »

Whilst in chronological terms it's certainly not that long ago, the era of when the church had such a hold understandably seems like a completely different age to some. It's unrecognisable from the society we now live in and it's very hard for people to grasp how close they were to living in it.

From a visual perspective, if you look back at Reeling in the Years on RTE, there's an incredible change that took place in about 5-7 years. If I was to look at footage from 2012 on television now, I could look at it and it really wouldn't seem very different from today. If you look at footage from 1992 and from 2000, however....it looks like a completely different era.

Here's the episode from 1992 Watch the opening 2 minutes and you could honestly believe it's from the 1970s judging by the quality of footage, fashion etc. The fact that those opening 2 minutes also demonstrate the grasp of the church (interviewing a bishop about unemployment and the infamous X Case) goes hand in hand with that.

The world became a vastly smaller place in the late 90s through technology and the advent of the Celtic Tiger changed the behaviour and mentality of us as a population forerver. It's hard for younger people to identify with the world that was in any respect prior to those times.

Indeed. Night and day.

Although I'd be wary of saying "forever" and the kind of assumption that there's no going back.

What's happening in America at the minute, for me, does a good job of illustrating the arguments of the likes of John Gray; that we imagine or presume that we are moving along some kind of continuum towards a liberal, humanistic democracy as an endpoint, but society will swing back at times. It's not a given that we will always march in the same direction.

Buer

Buer wrote: »

Whilst in chronological terms it's certainly not that long ago, the era of when the church had such a hold understandably seems like a completely different age to some. It's unrecognisable from the society we now live in and it's very hard for people to grasp how close they were to living in it.

From a visual perspective, if you look back at Reeling in the Years on RTE, there's an incredible change that took place in about 5-7 years. If I was to look at footage from 2012 on television now, I could look at it and it really wouldn't seem very different from today. If you look at footage from 1992 and from 2000, however....it looks like a completely different era.

Here's the episode from 1992 Watch the opening 2 minutes and you could honestly believe it's from the 1970s judging by the quality of footage, fashion etc. The fact that those opening 2 minutes also demonstrate the grasp of the church (interviewing a bishop about unemployment and the infamous X Case) goes hand in hand with that.

The world became a vastly smaller place in the late 90s through technology and the advent of the Celtic Tiger changed the behaviour and mentality of us as a population forerver. It's hard for younger people to identify with the world that was in any respect prior to those times.

It's astonishing how much Ireland has changed in such a short period of time and I think it's cultural impact is fascinating in many ways. I think you are right in that the current generation missed out on a huge transition in how we live, think, eat and interact but I'm glad my kids will grow up in a secular and more accepting world.

I agree that things really took off in the 90s. I would say that joining the EU was probably the catalyst for it all but it was a remarkable shift in public life and impacted all aspects of society.

As for the church, it's amazing that 1/3 of the population showed up for the Pope's visit in 1979 (1.25 million) and only 150,000 attended the 2018 visit. I think the child sex scandals robbed the church of it's authority both moral and otherwise and most people I know completely dismiss the church now bar the occasional ceremonial aspects of weddings etc.

The last visit very much focussed on the sins of the church with Pope Francis seeking forgiveness but it's quite telling that Varadkar basically responded with 'actions speak louder than words'. It for me highlights the general sentiment people have for the church in Ireland now.

On a separate note it looks like republicans might actually turn on trump bar those in the party most exposed by their actions the last few months and those who fully embraced him.

Loosing twitter has really neutered him, you still hear about him but very little from him. Speaks volumes of the power twitter wields.

Lost Ormond

Deleted User wrote: »

On a separate note it looks like republicans might actually turn on trump bar those in the party most exposed by their actions the last few months and those who fully embraced him.

Loosing twitter has really neutered him, you still hear about him but very little from him. Speaks volumes of the power twitter wield.

Shows why Twitter didnt want to remove him while he was president. The party is turning from him as theyve realised what harm he was doing to them long term.

errlloyd

Dems shouldn't impeach him. He's gonna be a massive problem for the Republican party for the next 4 years. Let them deal with it.

irishbucsfan

errlloyd wrote: »

Dems shouldn't impeach him. He's gonna be a massive problem for the Republican party for the next 4 years. Let them deal with it.

I hope they impeach him and it destroys his fundraising ability. He is stealing the money of these poor fools

irishbucsfan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I hope they impeach him and it destroys his fundraising ability. He is stealing the money of these poor fools

Mitch McConnell is now saying he would vote to impeach so it could well happen as he is the de-facto leader of the Republican party. This is a decision that will be made exclusively for selfish political reasons so I wonder if there is something else about to come out. Polling suggests that republican voters don't have a huge issue with the riots and Trump is still absurdly popular among rank and file GOP supporters so there are risks outing him in this fashion.

The entertainment value of American politics is something else, but it's also awful to see politics devolve into nonsense reality tv.

Podge_irl

I am feeling significantly dumber for having watched this so far.

I genuinely thought I would be inured to this level of brazen hypocrisy, but it turns out I am not.

Podge_irl

Podge_irl wrote: »

I am feeling significantly dumber for having watched this so far.

I genuinely thought I would be inured to this level of brazen hypocrisy, but it turns out I am not.

Their two party system is disgraceful

Podge_irl

Deleted User wrote: »

Their two party system is disgraceful

The UK is looking like it is heading in a similar direction. The "two party system" is not an inherent constitutional structure obviously but something that has come out, at least somewhat, naturally. We are seeing something slightly similar develop in the UK with the vote share for Lab and Con going up and squeezing the normal third party almost out of existence. And then a basically segregationist govt in Scotland.

It happens when its more important to get a seat at your own table then actually work at the general election.

Podge_irl

Rep Greene, the QAnon representative, just gave her speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, broadcast live on CNN, while wearing a facemask saying "censored".

Not sure it gets more hypocritical than that.