isadub.com » stupidity

What national emergency?

isadub — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:42:25 +0000

I received my 80 page booklet today from the Office of Emergency Planning. Half of it is written in Irish and the second half is in English. In the foreword, our Dear Leader writes, “there is no reason to think that a major emergency is likely in the immediate future“. Most of the advice seems to be ring 121 and/or do what you’re told by the authorities. So now you know

The booklet is also available on the internet, on CD, in large print, in braille. The website also has Chinese, Russian, and Polish translations.

The Irish Times summarised the 40 page English section thus:

Nuclear incidents: Go in, stay in, tune in [to radio or TV]

Flu pandemic: Buy enough food to last at least a week…Make sure you have a thermometer and supply of paracetamol or ibuprofen.

Flooding: Don’t try to walk or drive through floodwater

Hazardous chemical spills: Stay away from the scene

Fire: Before opening a door, feel it with the back of your hand. If it is hot do not open it, as there may be a fire on the other side.

I’m surprised there was no mention of how to deal with the current emergency in our hospitals. It’s yesterday’s news so the politicians probably don’t care about it anymore but the report on Tania McCabe’s death in Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda made for grim reading. Mrs McCabe was pregnant with twins but she, and one of her babies, died because of a misdiagnosis.

The latest report found “maternity, paediatric and anaesthetic services are significantly under-resourced to cope with the current demands and that this had an impact on how Tania McCabe was cared for“. Concerns had been raised previously by the hospital’s medical board, An Borad Altranais, and in a report by Judge Maureen Clark. Concerns were also raised by the chairman of a taskforce set up to oversee the delivery of better maternity services in the northeast. Last month, a consultant at the hospital offered to give up part of his salary so more nurses could be employed.

Eithne Donnellan, the Irish Times reporter, finished her story by concluding:

It now remains to be seen if the tragic death of this young woman, leaving behind a grieving husband and two young children, will finally stir the HSE into action.

But with tight controls recently imposed on recruitment in the HSE in order to cut costs, one couldn’t have too much confidence in progress being made by it on these pressing issues anytime soon.

Twenty years ago, it used to be that elderly people wouldn’t go into hospital because medicine wasn’t advanced enough to save their lives. Effectively, when they went into hospital, they knew they were going into hospital to die. Now, it would seem you have a better chance of saving alive if you stay out of hospital.

Oh, and remember those iodine tablets that this same Government gave out to every home a couple of years ago?? Well, you don’t need them now



NTL Ireland sucks
isadub — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:02:46 +0000
It’s been a while since I posted here because I honestly can’t think of a single noteworthy thing to say. But tonight, I was messing about, and to my surprise, discovered that NTL Ireland were…well…I’ll let the picture do the talking.

The law of unintended consequences! (wiki)
I’ve written two posts (one, two) previously complaining about NTL Ireland’s poor customer service.  Others responded but it seems like NTL Ireland may have the last laugh.  And it’s based on a true story!!



Children are the new must-have item in Kerry
isadub — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:42:08 +0000

No adult will be permitted in a playground unless accompanied by a child
It will be an offence for anyone other than a child to use playground equipment
Only families are allowed to take photographs in playgrounds


Kerry County Council have introduced new byelaws regulating the playgrounds in their county.  Introduced because of concern that the playgrounds are not being used for the purposes intended, the new byelaws are designed to stop the ‘overaged’ using playground equipment.  Dan Kiely (Fianna Fail) is quoted in The Irish Times (sub req) as saying, ‘Thirty-five-year-olds and 50-year-olds are swinging around at 3am in the morning‘.  Presumably they’re swing-abusers and not swingers!  And to avoid getting scared in the dark (I made that up), nobody is allowed in playgrounds after dark unless they are a council employee (I didn’t make that up).

Those breaching the laws will be fined €75.

You’ve been warned.
I may have miscounted but I’d like to congratulate the 27 councillors who thought deeply about this issue and debated it at great length.  You’re worth every penny euro.



Loony Louth
isadub — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 16:02:06 +0000
A taxi driver called Friday drove me to my hotel last Saturday from the pub.  And, indeed, he was a very good driver. 
A friend needed a passport renewal form and called into Drogheda Garda Station for one.  She couldn’t get one because the Superintendent (or Sergeant) had the key to the stationary room and wouldn’t be back until Monday.
Onto Dundalk Garda Station for the form. She spent an age queueing behind a Northern Ireland women who also wanted an (Irish) passport renewal form.  The Garda was convinced that she couldn’t get one because she wasn’t ‘Irish’ and she’d need a visa anyway.  The Newry woman made a convincing argument about the ‘Free State’ and the Constitution.  After consulting with a colleague, he gave the Newry woman her application form without a hint of embarrassment.

      



Losing it
isadub — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 18:58:53 +0000
Ireland lost the rugby and I’ve lost my memory.
Against my better judgement, I watched the Ireland v Argentina rugby game this afternoon.  In the final quarter of the game, the Setanta commentator made a pithy comment that ultimately was a damning judgement on Ireland’s performance.  ‘Oh’, I thought to myself, ‘I should write that down so I won’t forget it’.  Sadly, the Sunday afternoon stupor meant I was too lazy to rouse myself to find pen and paper.  
It was a two-word phrase – easy enough to remember?  All I had to do was remember the first word (homeopathic) and the second word would spring forth.  But now I can’t remember!
It was something like, ‘homeopathic aggression’, homeopathic defence’, or even ‘homepathic gameplan’.  Actually, they all apply.
It’s also my birthday tomorrow so I’ve also lost another year.  I really am losing it.



Rathmines population = 5million souls
isadub — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:49:35 +0000
According to Dublin City Council’s website, the population of Rathmines = 4.9M people.
What is the population of Rathmines etc? #5820
Central Statistics Office – 4,984,000



Victory is ours – sorta
isadub — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:49:00 +0000
This has got to be an urban myth!
Aughrim in Co Wicklow won the 2007 Tidy Towns competition.  Apparently, one of the local councillors said that ‘pride’ had now been restored to the town after the 1691 Battle of Aughrim.  
Only problem is…the Battle of Aughrim took place in Co Galway on the opposite side of Ireland.  Still, I guess it’s easy to get confused over something that happened over 300 years ago…



NTL are pants
isadub — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 21:35:30 +0000
 In Sept 2006 and March 2007, I wrote about the appalling customer service I’d received from NTL.  
Sigh, here we go again…
A Brazilian friend is moving to a new apartment.  It’s all a bit sudden…her partner died recently and she can’t afford the rent.  Her English isn’t very good and she’s a bit nervous about ‘officialdom‘ because of her dealings with the immigration people.  She wanted to cancel her NTL subscription and asked me to do it.
Long story short…I eventually spoke to a real human being and explained the situation.  It went something like this…

.
– You can’t cancel on her behalf.

– But her English isn’t great and she’s in a bad place right now.

– She’ll have to phone herself to cancel.  We’re open until 10pm [I maybe misunderstood the closing time]

– But she’s working until late [Spar-type shop] and she’s gotta move out tomorrow.  [I didn't mention she didn't have the money to waste waiting and waiting for someone to answer the phone.  Nor would she understand the 'press 1 for, press 2 for...]

– I’m sorry but she’ll have to phone herself.

– Do you have anyone there who speaks Portugese or Spanish?

– Err, I’ve no idea. [Puts on helpful hat].  You could write in to cancel?

– Let me get this straight.  You’ll accept a cancellation letter from me but you won’t accept a verbal cancellation from me?

– Yes.

– 10% of the population are non-nationals now.  Do you have anyone there who speaks foreign languages.

– Err, I’ve no idea.
Let’s be honest realistic.  If we wrote the letter, NTL would lose it and they’d maintain they never got it.  They’d chase her for the arrears, threatening her with court action etc and further traumatise her.
So I’ve now got to send registered letters to NTL, my friend, myself, and copy the bank to cancel the direct debit.  And, in six months time, I’ll almost certainly write again that they’re chasing her for money that she doesn’t owe.



Another fine mess by DLRCC
isadub — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:30:47 +0000
  As I’ve written previously, DLRCC does like to waste money.  I might have taken this sign seriously if it had been put up straight.  Only a cynic would think that the council workers had errected the sign after a liquid lunch.
Or maybe it’s a cunning plan?  A normal person might not be able to read the sign but a drunk staggering up the road might be able to read it as he weaved from side to side?
I have to admit there’s a better class of wino on the Southside.  As I cycled from town out to Dun Laoghaire, I was surprised to see them on the beaches ‘happy out’ with their cans of beer.  They really seemed to be enjoying themselves and they weren’t threatening to anyone.  It was a different story when I returned to the Northside.  
On Dorset St, three police officers in two cars were watching over an unconscious junkie until the ambulance arrived.  He was wearing all his clothes, and he wore the hood of his parka jacket up over his head.  Maybe he needed to sleep and the hood was to keep out the sunshine?  Still, it seemed to be a pleasant interlude in the afternoon sun for the three Guards and the sleeping junkie.



Men and their key fobs
isadub — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:24:46 +0000
What is it about some men and their cars?  I’ve recently noticed that lots of men get out of their cars, pocket the car keys in their trouser pocket and, only then, activate the car alarm.
Is it some sort of sub-conscious attempt to set themselves apart from the apes?  ‘Look, ma, it’s working invisibly. I did that. Mentally with my head.‘.
They can’t be showing off because most casual observers would just see the furtive movement of a balled fist in the trouser pocket, near the you know what, and assume the worst.