Ha, oh Panti, how I love you!

Shocking that!!

Ireland tops table of worst-run EU states

By Ann Cahill Europe Correspondent

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

IRELAND is the worst- run country in the EU, according to a poll that shows people’s faith in the Government has plummeted over the past five years.

Greece and Latvia, with similar economic woes, have also scored very poorly with their citizens, in the EU’s Eurobarometer survey.
But the Irish Government has gone down in people’s estimation more than any other.

The Irish do not expect the way the State is run to improve much over the coming year, and are one of the most pessimistic nations in this respect.

Independent MEP Marian Harkin said the survey showed that Irish people have lost faith in the State: “Irish citizens are among the most pessimistic in the EU about how their public administration is run.”

Healthcare and pensions are the big bugbears for Irish people when asked about social protection, although they are marginally satisfied with unemployment benefits – although the survey was conducted before the budget cuts.

Most people are unhappy with the way inequality and poverty is being addressed, and are marginally content with relations with people from different cultural or religious backgrounds – though expect this to change a little over the next few years.

While Irish people have been among the happiest in the EU with their personal situation, they are among the most pessimistic when it comes to how they view the economic situation of the country. Many expect it to worsen in the next year.

After Latvia they are the most concerned about jobs, but more so about the general employment situation than their own.

“The outlook of Irish citizens mirrored that of many central and eastern European countries rather than those of our neighbours in western Europe”, Ms Harkin said.

Despite falling prices and little inflation, most are dissatisfied with the cost of living, saying it has become more expensive than five years ago and many expect it to worsen in the year ahead.

Most are deeply unhappy that house prices have not fallen sufficiently.

A separate EU Social Situation report said average housing costs, at 4% of disposable income, was among the lowest in the EU. It also showed accommodation costs have increased more for the poorest 20% of the population than in most other states.

These figures took into account that close to 45% of householders do not have a mortgage.

The study also pointed out that the majority of people living in rented accommodation were being subsidised.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Read more: http://examiner.ie/ireland/ireland-tops-table-of-worst-run-eu-states-111170.html#ixzz0eT3ctA4d

Pope condemns gay equality laws ahead of first UK visit

Shocking that! Seriously though, fuck off. Homophobia exists because of people like him… If a young catholic teenager is constantly hearing bile like this, they will grow up with the same ideals and the cycle of hate will continue.

Whatever happened to love your neighbour Benedict?!

From the http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Benedict XVI says legislation safeguarding rights of same-sex couples violates ‘natural law’ 

Pope Benedict XVI has condemned British equality legislation for running contrary to “natural law” as he confirmed his first visit to the UK later this year.

In a letter addressed to the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, the pope praised Britain’s “firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all”.

However, he criticised UK legislation for creating “limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs”. It is thought his comments relate to laws that came in last year preventing adoption agencies from discriminating against gay couples and also Harriet Harman’s equality bill, currently going through parliament.

The pope, whose visit is expected in September, made the comments after hearing representations from English and Welsh bishops on their concerns about the place of religion in an increasingly secular society.

They told him sexual orientation legislation that came into effect on 1 January 2009 had forced the closure of half the Roman Catholic adoption agencies because the law making it illegal to discriminate against gay applicants went against their beliefs.

In his letter the pope said: “The effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs. In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed.”

It is also thought the pope was referring to the equality bill, which narrows the special exemption enjoyed by churches allowing them to exclude people whose lifestyles do not fit in with the religious ethos of an organisation when hiring staff. The bishops cited it as another restriction of their freedom of religious belief.

The archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, who is in Rome, said: “It has been clear that he knows the situation and applied it to a move in legislation to look for equality.”

The pope urged the bishops to make their voices heard and to defend the faith, saying Christian teaching did not undermine or restrict the freedom of others.

His remarks drew swift criticism from the National Secular Society, which said it would stage protests during the visit.

Terry Sanderson, the society’s president, said: “The taxpayer is going to be faced with a bill for £20m for the visit – in which he has indicated he will attack equal rights and promote discrimination.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/01/pope-condemns-british-equality-bill

So so true :)

More Westboro Baptist Church hilarity as the gays strike back!!

“Weather” CaKe, February 13th

Review of Make and Do Do/Half Price Pantibar

 

 

I’m sure you’ve all heard about the fantastic Sunday promotion in Pantibar, but just in case you haven’t,  all drinks are half price (That’s right, HALF PRICE!!) which means that you can have an amazing night out and spend very little.

I went for one with a mate when the bar opened at 5pm, and I found myself still there at closing because I just couldn’t bring myself to leave as the atmosphere was so electric. The DJ was brilliant, the bar was packed to the rafters and with everyone so… merry shall we say, it felt like a Pride night out.  The only downside was that the girl’s bathrooms kept running out of toilet paper for obvious reasons, but apart from that I can’t find a bad thing to say about the evening.

As a non-drinker, I was especially impressed with the fact that the offer even extended to soft drinks, as these things rarely do.

Everyone was keeping their receipts, which were pronounced “beautiful” by many, with some taking pictures of them and uploading them to Facebook almost instantly (mobile internet is a wonderful thing). My flatmate got four glasses of wine over the course of the evening, and only spent just over a tenner. A pitcher of beer was a fiver, and three of my mates managed to get three pints of Guinness for about €6.75!

I would highly recommend that everyone checks this out next Sunday, but get there early if you want a seat. Thanks to this, Mondays will be wiped off the calendar for Dublin’s LGBT community, and people are going to have to start calling in gay to work every week.

We love you Panti!

 

Make and Do Do on Monday is always an excellent night out, but was especially brilliant this week with everyone still on a buzz from the previous night’s half-price endeavours. Everyone except for Panti that is, who didn’t get to bed till 9am…and was dying to say the least!  Yet she was still absolutely on fire during the judging.

Each week, Panti gives a theme, and you have to get your play dough/mála/plasticine (whatever you like to call it yourself) and make something inspired by that theme. Then you hand it up, and Panti proceeds to rip it out of your creations, makes you explain the story behind it, and then rips it out of you, and picks a winner. It’s awesome!

Last week, the theme was “A Lesson I’ve Learned” which led to some very interesting entries. There was a play dough pot of Vaseline handed up, with the lesson being that one should always wash their hand thoroughly after applying it… One to remember apparently!

There were also interpretations of an Amsterdam sex show, a lesson on how to have sex in a wardrobe, a warning against meeting people on Gaydar, and a penis. EVERY week, no matter what the theme is, someone hands up a play dough penis. Every week!

After everything is handed up, Panti starts to go through them all. A tip, you should NEVER make a 2D model. You have a 3D medium to work with, so make a 3D model. Trust me on this. My other tip is that if you want to win, it’s all about the details. After everyone has to share their stories, Panti picks a top three or five, depending on the amount of entries. The prize is usually a bottle of Absolut vodka, and sometimes a second choice of a voucher for a back, sack and crack wax (I kid you not.) The winner is chosen by the crowd, so whoever gets the loudest roar is the winner. The lucky entry this week was a model of a chicken and an egg, the lesson being “It doesn’t matter who comes first…once everyone is happy!”

If you haven’t experienced the wonders of Panti’s Make and Do Do yet, go try it out. 9pm is usually a good time to go, as the making and doing starts at 10pm, with the judging at 11pm.

Pantibar -  7-9 Capel Street, Dublin 1.

Open 7days a week from 5pm.

I origninally wrote this for www.gaelick.com, and it appeared on that site on the 20th of January 2010.

God Hates Lady Gaga

Apparently.

Fred Phelps is at it again, lol!!

In a statement, Phelps has said:

Thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed…Will He reserve HIs anger forever? Will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.” Jer 3:3,5

“Art” and “fashion” are the euphemisms, the guise under which proud whore Lady Gaga teaches rebellion against God (incidentally, her claim to the title of “lady” is sound only if she tacks on “of the night,” thereby alluding to another euphemism of what she is.) As much as she’d like to pretend otherwise, there’s nothing new or different about this particular hussy’s pretentious prancing. Does the simple slut truly think that she can change God’s standards by seducing a generation of rebels into joining her in fist-raised, stiff-necked, hard-hearted rebellion against Him? Get real!

Even as she gives lip-service to “liberating” her young fans, Lady Gaga brings them into slavery to their own corruption, teaching them to glory in their shame. She hates you! “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness…While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption!” 2 Pet. 2:18-19

He’s so crazy it’s wonderful

Here is the Westboro Baptist Church’s version of Poker Face:

Nutters.

Let’s Go To WAR!!

WAR is, without a doubt, the most mental night I have ever been to. WAR is described on the Spybar website as a “Friday night for people who love glitter, gold and glamour!” In my opinion, this is the understatement of the century. There seem to be no rules in WAR, and it’s certain that anything goes. People dance on the couches, the seats, the stage, the windowsills, the speakers and the mantelpieces. I, of course, would never engage in such activities… (*avoids everyone’s eyes*)

It is free into Spy before 10pm, €5 before midnight and €10 after that. And it’s totally worth it. For your admission fee, you have access to both WAR and WAX, as well as the three other bar areas that make up Spybar. Wax is the bar/dance area in the basement, and plays a fantastic set of 80’s music. This leads out to the smoking area, where you will need to retreat to every now and then if you intend to stay most of the night in WAR.

WAR is like dancing in a sauna. I kid you not. As you walk through the door, the heat hits you like a wall. It’s just body heat from everyone dancing, but I guarantee that your clothes will be sticking to you after half an hour or so. As such, my first tip for the night is to wear a tank/string top under whatever else you are wearing. You’ll need to remove layers. Due to the water shortage, they can’t give out free water anymore, so my second tip is get glasses of ice. Ice is a beautiful, beautiful thing. The third tip is dance on the back of the couches. Go on, you know you want to! Finally, watch out for stilettos and bring glo-sticks!!

The best thing about WAR is the eclectic crowd that goes there. It’s pretty even between a gay and straight crowd, because pretty much anything goes, so it’s just a really cool atmosphere in there. It can be a bit too “scene-y” for some people though (not the gay scene, but the dance club scene.) You will be met at the door by a boy with a cup of neon paint, and he will paint war stripes on your cheeks.

The music is brilliant too, a mixture of chart, favourite oldies and alternative music. Prepare to get your rave on, and remember, all’s fair in love and WAR!

I originally wrote this for gaelick.com and the article appears here:

http://www.gaelick.com/2010/01/let%e2%80%99s-go-to-war/7015/

USI Eastern Area Regional Forums

Please see details below for a full list of our seminars taking place in Dublin City Centre next week. All events open to USI students.

 

Changing Circumstances for International Students – what next?

Monday 25^th January, 6 – 8pm

Mansion House, Dublin City Centre

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Emer Costello has kindly agreed to host a forum for all international students (incl. Erasmus Students) studying in the Dublin area.

Sheila Power, Director of the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS), will discuss the current proposed changes to immigration procedures for students. This will be followed by a workshop for students during which there will be an opportunity to discuss issues on Immigration, Support Services in College, the GNIB, Current Work Permits and much more. 

This event is free but places are limited. All students must register for the event by emailing their name and college to Linda Kelly at equality@usi.ie. Closing time for registration is 12pm on Friday the 22^nd of January. 

This event is jointly organised by USI & ICOS. Refreshments provided.  

 

 

Supporting Students with Disabilities in a Recession

Tuesday 26^th January 2009, 6-8pm

Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin

 This workshop is open to all students with disabilities in third level. Niamh Hayes, AHEAD will discuss the difficulties facing college authorities and disability support services in the current economic climate as well as her own college experience. Then students will be given the opportunity to share their college experience and how the current cutbacks are affecting them.

If you require an interpreter or have any additional requirements or questions please contact Linda Kelly via email at equality@usi.ie

This event is jointly organised by AHEAD & USI. Refreshments provided.

Mature Student Coffee Morning – How is your college experience going?

Wednesday 27^th January, 11am -1pm

Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin City Centre

 This coffee morning is open to all mature students studying in the Dublin area. It will be an opportunity to talk to other mature students and to have a bit of a rant about college so far! There will also a discussion on the budget decisions regarding the Back to Education Allowance & Student Maintenance Grant.

Free tea, coffee & scones available!

Women in politics – how do we achieve equality?

Wednesday 27^th January 2010, 6-8pm

Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin City Centre

 Aisling Billington, USI Gender Equality Officer will share her experience of a recent training event aimed at encouraging women into student politics. This will be followed by an informal discussion on how best to increase female participation in students unions and wider political structures.  Refreshments provided.

This event is organised by USI and is open to all students.

USI LGBT Trans* Forum

Thursday 28^th January, 2010, 6-8pm

Central Hotel on Exchequer Street, (just off George’s Street).

USI LGBT will be holding a Trans* forum on Thursday the 28^th January from 6-8pm.   The talk will be given by the director of TENI, Cat McIlroy, and will discuss among other things what it means to be Trans*. We will also examine the issue of gender recognition. This is a great opportunity to increase your knowledge of Trans* Issues and we welcome all LGBT students to this event.

 Please circulate this notice to friends and contacts who may be interested in attending.