Mental Meanderings

Blogging the Election

2006-09-08T15:23:00.000+01:00

A fabulous idea, announced here, and proposed by some super smart Irish bloggers

Ending one War, Fuelling Another: Pakistan, Waziristan & the Tabilan

2006-09-03T06:24:00.000+01:00

The Government of Pakistan has been negotiating truces with militant groups in Waziristan. Why? Well, apart from the obvious unrest caused by ongoing hostilities, the US government appears to be encouraging such actions. Of course, some aren't happy. Diplomats claim that these fighters are now joining Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. One bad war creates another.

World Law This Week

2006-09-03T06:16:00.000+01:00

Human Rights Watch is being heavily criticised by some for its approach to the Israel/Lebanon conduct. In particular, Avi Bell criticises (1, 2, 3) Ken Roth for being anti-Semitic and Kevin Heller (1, 2, 3) and Rosa Brooks (LA Times) protest. This wouldn’t be the first time a human rights organisation is accused of being anti-Semitic, or at least anti-Israel, but at some stage supporters of

DRI v Ireland

2006-08-01T11:02:00.000+01:00

As widely reported Digital Rights Ireland appear to be preparing legal proceedings against the State in relation to the directive issued by Mary O'Rourke in 2002 to telecommunications providers to keep a record of commuications by individuals for three years, which can then be accessed by Gardai without a warrant if they believe it will help in investigation of criminality. DRI explain the legal

Once upon a time UN posts were respected and protected

2006-07-26T09:07:00.000+01:00

If this was on purpose Israel must surely loose all international support in the current conflict; if it was not on purpose then the incompetence of the Israeli military targetting should be cause for worry, especially given all these 'precision strikes' they carry out.There's been a lot of talk about proportionality in international law over the last few days - the best discussion is on Opinio

Drink?

2006-07-26T08:50:00.000+01:00

In 2001 Gay Mitchell recommended that alcohol advertisement be banned from television. In 2003 the government declared its intention to ban alcohol advertisements during the broadcasting of sports events and the restricting of sports sponsorship in 2003, but dropped their Alcohol Products (Control of Advertising, Sponsorship and Marketing Practices/Sales Promotions) Bill (A&L Goodbody briefing),

Rules are made to protect us

2006-06-16T08:58:00.000+01:00

Originally posted hereI’ve spent the last half hour staring at a blank page and thinking about what I should write. There are so many things playing on my mind at the moment – world cup politics, Charles Haughey, Big Brother, an historic parades agreement in Northern Ireland but still the page remained blank because what I really want to talk about is this: why have we decided that rules are made

Tides are Turning (?)

2006-06-16T08:03:00.000+01:00

The US promises there will be no classified interrogation sections in the Army Field Manual - it's progress. More imporant is a grow recognition of this crystal clear fact:''By perpetrating human rights abuses in the name of the Global War on Terror we are in fact fueling a worldwide wave of hatred and violence against the United States,'' said Meehan. ''To regain credibility in the world we need

Graffiti and Free Speech

2006-04-26T16:29:00.000+01:00

An interesting case is developing in New York where a number of young artists are challenging the constitutionality of a strict anti-graffiti law:Seven young artists Tuesday sued New York City over its strict anti-graffiti law, saying it violated their constitutional right to free speech.The group argued in federal court that the city went too far by banning people under 21 from possessing spray

Nobody's Child?

2006-04-25T16:03:00.000+01:00

A pre-operative male to female transsexual is starting a 10 month jail sentence in Wisconsin, but what section should she be in - male or female? She thinks female - what do you think?Story: Wisconsin State Journal; Hat tip: Ann Althouse

World Law Today

2006-04-21T10:51:00.000+01:00

In what I hope will become a regular feature here, there follows some interesting though sometimes under-reported law news from the blogs.* Conor Foley on free legal aid in post-conflict situations (Comment is Free)* Alabama is asking the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision in Roper; the decision that deemed the execution of juvenile offenders unconstitutional (SCOTUSblog); also interesting

HaloScan comments suck

2006-04-21T10:08:00.000+01:00

There. I've said it. I hate them. They never read on either of the computers here. Sometimes they read on the computer in work, but rarely. I hate them with passion, especially since I'd love to read the comments on this post by Twenty. Please stop using them.Sigh

Picnic Time for Teddy Bears

2006-04-20T14:13:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow there's a little get together in Stephen's Green around noon for anyone who wants to come. Richard and I should be identifiable at the gates opposite the shopping centre from our respective pictures or the fact that we're already shouting at one another. If anyone is going to be late or any some such thing then pop me an email and I'll send my mobile number which I promise to remember to

Law Student Examination technique

2006-04-20T10:21:00.000+01:00

According to Overheard in Law SchoolOkay, so the first part is multiple choice. This second part. Do we just do our normal law school bullshit analysis?Writing Prof: It's like that joke, you know, two men are camping in the woods and a bear comes to the campsite... One guy puts on his shoes, the other guy asks "Why are you putting on your shoes? We have to run from the bear!" The guy with shoes

Can you get a job from blogging?

2006-04-20T08:58:00.000+01:00

Tom is going to try. I don't understand his skill-set, which suggests it must be very good from a techie perspective, but from the Blog awards I can say he dresses very well, is handsome and can hold an audience.I bet he has an offer within a fortnight

Limerick You're a Lady - But Maybe No Longer a City?

2006-04-19T15:38:00.000+01:00

Census trouble ahead? Yahoo reportsAn exodus of rugby fans from Limerick in Ireland threatens its status as a city, and the European funding that goes with it, when a population census is taken Sunday. Diarmuid Scully, mayor of Limerick in western Ireland, told Reuters as many as 20,000 fans could follow the regional team Munster to Dublin Sunday for the Heineken Cup semi-final against

Pardons on Request for Violations of 'Jim Crow' Laws

2006-04-19T15:32:00.000+01:00

But should they be? What do you think? AP reportsThe Alabama Legislature gave final approval to a bill that sets up a process to pardon civil rights icon Rosa Parks and hundreds of others arrested for violating segregation-era laws. The sponsor of the bill, Democratic Rep. Thad McClammy, said the legislation could lead to pardons for Parks, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and hundreds of

Easter Weekend Irish Blog Round-Up

2006-04-18T10:14:00.000+01:00

Niall of Plain of Pillars has an excellent post here on the difficult relationship between the Green Party and the countryside; Twenty gets all artistic; Sinead is back; Maman Poulet voices what we all really think about Luigi Malone's, and Red Mum has an Easter Egg crisis

Tiger Trouble - Woods Apologises for 'Spaz' Remark

2006-04-13T09:00:00.000+01:00

Watching the Masters golf Sunday night I was amazed to hear Tiger Woods say that he played fantastically well from tee to green but as soon as he got on the green he was "a spaz". I flinched when I heard it and was suprised that nobody had picked up on it, except they have. The BBC in particular are looking (here) at whether it's ever acceptable to use that term and considering the most

Control Orders Breach Human Rights (UK)

2006-04-13T08:44:00.000+01:00

Looks like the UK government just can't get that counter-terrorism stuff right. They'll appeal, of course, but even if it's deemed a violation of the Human Rights Act again it should be brought back into line relatively simply - just put in a facility for a meaningful, independent judicial review of the legality of control orders

Gays in the Military: What's the US Army Afraid Of?

2006-04-12T11:19:00.000+01:00

Via Raw Story comes this confirmation from the Pentagon that it spied on queer groups opposed to the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy of the military, which essentially provides that gays may join the military provided they don't tell anyone about the fact that they don't like boys/girls (delete as appropriate).Now I've heard all the arguments about morale and discipline and so on that are forwarded

Succour for Bush in Federal District Court

2006-04-12T11:05:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Roger Alford I came across the details of the case of Junvenal Pineda (a.k.a Simon Trinidad), accussed of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, hostage taking, aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done, and material support of terrorists, i.e. FARC. Pineda claimed that he was entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions and the Federal District Court in Washington DC

Go Green (?)

2006-04-12T09:46:00.000+01:00

For the first time in my life I am seriously considering voting for the Green party. I find it both strangely disconcerting (I don't know why - perhaps I was brought up with a stereotype of greens as crazy ecowarriors with no sense of reality) but also very comforting. The more I read about their policies the more I feel they best fit my political outlook.My traditional party of choice, the

A New Age in Torture?

2006-04-12T09:16:00.000+01:00

The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has stated that torture continues in Uzbekistan, particularly against those who try to oppose the government there (Jurist report). You may recall that Craig Murray last year spoke of the UK's quasi-complicity in torture in Uzbekistan.Something pretty momentous is starting to happen around the world in this respect - whereas previously torture was condemned as

That's So Me

2006-04-10T13:03:00.000+01:00

In law school I was a complete Lucy.Not sure much has changed actually...

Recommend an Innovative Blog

2006-04-10T12:32:00.000+01:00

I just love this bitesize bullets feature that Master Pagano does every week. In fact I think his blog is one of the most innovative on the Irish blog scene. I never seem to be able to think of anything innovative and interesting to do with mine, especially at the moment when real life work is taking over my life. Still, I love to read blogs like JL's though I don't manage to come across too many

Condistas Every One? Condoleeza Rice's Broad Appeal

2006-04-09T16:48:00.000+01:00

Richard has this piece about Condoleeza Rice today, which focuses largely on her music. I'm interested in the end of Richard's piece though where he writes "If only she wasn't pro-choice she'd be beyond reproach". This is something a lot of people forget about Rice - she was a democrat until 1982 and changed to the Republican Party because she didn't agree with Jimmy Carter's foreign policy. In

UN Disappointed with USA Decision on Human Rights Council

2006-04-09T16:42:00.000+01:00

The USA has decided not to run for a seat on the new Human Rights Council of the United Nations this year. John Bolton was quoted in Friday's New York Times as saying "I believe rather strongly that our leverage in terms of the performance of the new council is greater by the U.S. not running and sending the signal 'this is not business as usual' this year than if we were to run." The United

Cashing in on Judas (?)

2006-04-09T16:38:00.000+01:00

Steven Bainbridge has an interesting though short piece here on why the National Geographic is hyping the Gospel of Judas to such an extent. Cashing in? Quite possibly (Bainbridge reflects on how the da Vinci code opening date continues to draw closer).On a slightly related note, could the Gospel of Judas be used to argue that Jesus was in favour of assisted suicide? ;) Wouldn't that be fun??

Irish Men Breaking Hearts

2006-04-09T16:32:00.000+01:00

Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington that is, particularly Padraig... 3 over on the third round. Why oh why?BTW I'm talking about the golf here!! Follow the scores live on the Masters website!

Libyan Involvement in IRA Bombings to be Tested in US Court

2006-04-09T16:28:00.000+01:00

The BBC reports that victims of ten IRA bombings are planning to sue Libya and Colonel Gaddafi for involvement, claiming that they supplied explosives for bomb attacks.I need to know more about this to be able to comment really but I don't understand how they're going to get around the Head of State immunity issue while he's still head of state. Interesting though - what do people think?Hat tip

ISIL Discussion Group on Rendition

2006-04-06T12:20:00.000+01:00

For anyone interested in international law and international legal theory (incl. international relations buffs) the Irish Society of International Law is having a discussion group on rendition next Wednesday evening. Details below. If interested contact secretary[at]isil.ie to be put on the list.I think it might be about 10 Euro for non-members, though membership (which is cheap) should be

Masters Golf

2006-04-05T15:39:00.000+01:00

Does anyone know whether RTE or BBC have rights to the Masters golf or do you have to have fancy foreign tv to watch it??

I am not alone

2006-04-05T12:15:00.000+01:00

This makes me feel a whole lot better. (But she's still not going to run in 2008)

Busy Busy Busy

2006-04-05T11:20:00.000+01:00

Since returning from Washington I've been overwhelmingly busy and will continue as such for a few days yet so there won't be any regular postings here. I still have to answer Mark Humphrys and get into commander in chief stuff with Richard (btw I genuinely don't know anything about US constitutional law - that's why i'm going over to study there for a semester in the Autumn!), but first I have to

Torture Evidence Isn't Only for Courts

2006-03-31T23:12:00.000+01:00

I just attended a session on Commander in Chief power under the US Constitution and particularly limitations on that power, but without getting into that minefield I was struck by a micro-exchange between Brigadier-General Thomas Hemmingway and Deborah Pearlstein about torture. Pearstein advanced the position that American troops engage in torture in at least some limited situations and cases.

Pope Benedict is Right (in part)

2006-03-31T14:42:00.000+01:00

Pope Benedict has stated that the church's view on homosexuality and abortion are "non-negotiable" despite claims in Italy that he is meddling in the politics of the upcoming election. The Vatican, however, has asserted it's right to make statements about issues of church doctrine, and in this case they are right. Making a statement of doctrine is not meddling. Trying to impose a doctrine on

Can President Bush Actually Do That?

2006-03-31T13:40:00.000+01:00

In signing the renewed USA Patriot Act President Bush added an addendum claiming that he did not feel himself bound by the oversight provision in the Act requiring that Congress be informed of how the FBI is using expanded powers.I need someone to help me out here. Of course I understand that the American system of Separation of Powers is somewhat different to the Irish system, but surely he can’

Rahman safe in Italy, but is he really a refugee?

2006-03-30T13:06:00.000+01:00

Well done Italy - they've managed to get Abdul Rahman out of Afghanistan quickly and he's now safely in Italy where he's seeking asylum. Berlusconi is making very positive sounds and I don't think his application is in danger. This is the only way, I believe, Rahman could have avoided execution - either judicial or extra-judicial - for converting to Christianity.From the perspective of refugee

Jill Carroll is Released

2006-03-30T13:04:00.000+01:00

Safe and sound. What wonderful news.The Washington Post has a good report here.

Israel and Palestine: An Opportunity Presents Itself?

2006-03-30T12:52:00.000+01:00

Amas Oz has a good piece in today's Guardian (posted here in Comment is Free) about the opportunities that currently exist in Israel. To be honest I have always felt Israeli politics to be too Byzantine to fully get a grip on and therefore have tried to come to terms with it more but never felt qualified to talk about it. I mention this column because it reinforces my instinctive reaction to the

Human Rights Council: A New Era Begins

2006-03-30T04:10:00.000+01:00

On Monday I missed the fact that the UN Human Rights Commission had its last session and handed over to the Human Rights Council.It's all over, and it's all about to begin.UN Report

A Conversation with Condoleeza Rice

2006-03-30T02:40:00.000+01:00

Update The full transcript of the conversation is now available hereThis afternoon saw the first substantive session of the Centenary Conference of the American Society of International Law here in Washington. The first thing to note is that it was amazing that three of the four panelists on this were women – Condoleeza Rice, Sandra Day-O’Connor and Rosalyn Higgins. The fourth was Jose Alvarez,

Where Did all the Good News Go?

2006-03-29T18:52:00.000+01:00

Crooks and Liars have this video of Lara Logan being fantastic in knocking criticisms of journalists for not covering the 'good news' in Iraq. Watch it all - she's brilliant. And she's angry.

Plagiarism in the Irish Daily Mail

2006-03-29T18:36:00.000+01:00

John Breslin is pointing out a problem with plagiarm in the Irish Daily Mail.Well spotted by John, badly missed by the IDM editors...

Narcissism in the Blog O'Sphere

2006-03-29T18:35:00.000+01:00

Dermod's latest bootboy column sends up the narcissm of those who blog - including himself! An excellent and very entertaining piece. Check it out.

How Not to Make People Believe Iraqi Sovereignty is Safe

2006-03-29T17:39:00.000+01:00

Post-'liberation' Iraq is a sovereign state. It really is. That is, as long as America likes your Prime Minister. That guy who's there now? The president doesn't support him - you'll have to change him. It's not that your not a sovereign state it's just, you know, uhm....An excerpt from today's New York Times: The ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, told the head of the main Shiite political bloc at a

Condoleeza Rice

2006-03-29T16:14:00.000+01:00

If you could ask Condoleeza Rice one question about America and international law what would it be?Answers by 9 p.m. Dublin time please! Will let you know what question was submitted and whether it was considered or not!!Update There are lots of questions being submitted by other people here on international law so I decided to take Simon's lead in the comments and submit this question The

Charles Taylor Arrested

2006-03-29T14:25:00.000+01:00

I wrote here about Nigeria's plans to turn Charles Taylor over to Liberia in order for him to be brought to trial in Sierra Leone. Taylor then staged an escape attempt from Nigeria, but was (miraculously) captured by Nigerian forces and handed over anyway.There's a lesson there for Serbia, which has finally admitted that Serbian forces have been protecting Mladic from arrest and transfer to The

Scalia Hears Hamdan; We Can All Hear Supreme Court Online

2006-03-28T21:22:00.000+01:00

Scalia didn't recuse himself from the Hamdan case in the Supreme Court this morning, despite the speculation that he might. All the indications are that he was the strongest sympathetic voice towards the administration with Alito tagging on, but the other justices apparently weren't interested. Am waiting for the transcript to come up on OYEZ or CSPAN. It's so handy to be able to hear the Supreme

Please Don't Strike

2006-03-27T14:07:00.000+01:00

That's it - the French government must relent on this labour law. I've decided. I'm flying Air France to Washington via Paris tomorrow except...it appears tomorrow is a national day of strike. I saw some hint of it over here and then herself broke the news from her neverending perusal of newspaper from home.Looks like I'll be spending more time than anticipated in Paris then (if I ever get to

Truant TDs (Part II)

2006-03-27T06:59:00.000+01:00

I wrote here about the poor attendance record in the Dail and some people felt that parliamentary business didn't suffer too much from poor attendance as a lot of work is now done in committee (see comments to that thread). Today's Irish Independent runs a story that shows that not only are TDs absent from Dail debates but they are also absent from a substantial amount of votes, including votes

Guantanamo Detainee to Have Effective Access to Lawyer

2006-03-27T06:42:00.000+01:00

Evelle Younger once said "[a]n incompetent lawyer can delay a trial for months or years. A competent lawyer can delay one even longer."In America it's the State that's being delaying cases from Guantanamo detainees, particularly by stymieing access to lawyers and intercepting communications between lawyers and their clients.A federal judge in the US has now ordered that a lawyer be given access

Into Whose Hands Do We Commend His Spirit?

2006-03-27T06:27:00.000+01:00

There's been a lot of speculation and consternation lately about the Rahman case, i.e. the case of an Afghan who converted to Christianity and was being prosecuted for apostasy. It appears now that Rahman will be released while the case is being reviewed - there is apparently some question of a lack of evidence or organisation in the prosecution.I can't help but be skeptical. There had been huge

It's hard out there for a pimp

2006-03-27T06:23:00.000+01:00

RTE News report that a 62 year old man will appear before the District Court today having been charged in relation to his involvement in organised prostition. Here's the story in fullThe man, who is from Dublin but has an address in Cyprus, was arrested at an apartment along the River Liffey last night.The apartment was one of four premises searched last night by detectives from Operation

Will Scalia Recuse Himself from Hamdan?

2006-03-26T18:02:00.000+01:00

It looks like he should....Now everybody is talking about it and most people appear to think that his comments (that Guantanamo detainees don't deserve full jury trials...with a reference to the fact that his son fought in Iraq) should lead him to recuse himself. One of the difficulties is that there is no set or firm set of rules about recusal but I wouldn't be surprised if he recused himself

Moussaoui Trial: Curioser and Curioser

2006-03-26T17:22:00.000+01:00

If this trial is supposed to showcase the potential for America to bring people to justice through due process and fair procedures they're not doing a terribly good job.The latest controversy? The subpoena for Carla Martin (who admitted to having coached prosecution witnesses) is inexplicably quashed by the presiding judge.Associated Press reports

Charles Taylor will face trial in Sierra Leone

2006-03-26T17:07:00.000+01:00

In a hugely significant move Nigeria has agreed to turn former Liberian president Charles Taylor over to Liberia from which UN Peacekeepers will transfer him to Sierra Leone where he is wanted on indictment in the UN-supported Special Court.You can find the news report here, a biography of Charles Taylor here, information on his role in the violence in Sierra Leone here, a copy of the indictment

Insomnia

2006-03-25T05:10:00.000Z

I don’t know whether many of you suffer from insomnia but its occasional interferences in my sleeping patterns drive me around the twist on a fairly regular basis. I tend to get at least one night a week when I just can’t sleep, and tonight is the night. Of course it’s the worst possible night. We have a friend staying over so the futon has been rolled out in my study and she’s sound asleep there

Mick Fealty and The Guardian

2006-03-24T14:25:00.000Z

A hearty 'well done' to Slugger's Mick Fealty who is blogging over at the Guardian's Comment is Free, a fantastic new blog that I really enjoy. Comhghairdeas

Interpretation Matters

2006-03-24T11:02:00.000Z

From my time as an undergraduate and my time teaching Legal Systems I am perfectly aware that students are, to say the least, bored rigid by statutory interpretation, which is basically just figuring out what an Act of parliament means. There are a number of different schools of interpretation, all of which students are painfully familiarised with. However the current battle over the meaning of

The Counterproductivity of the War on Terror

2006-03-23T12:47:00.000Z

Last week I discovered this page by Mark Humphrys which included a critique of me and some of the opinions I express on this blog. Mark responded in the comments with some of the response directed to me and some to others. From the discussion a few interesting issues arose that I’m interested in talking about some more.Essentially Mark appears to be bemused that someone who belongs to what he

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig!

2006-03-17T10:51:00.000Z

Today we celebrate our Irishness. Some will celebrate it by speaking Irish all day. Some by playing music. Some by attending the parade in their local town or city. Some by a quiet day with their loved ones and traditional St. Patrick's dinner. Whatever way you choose to celebrate your Irishness today or, if you're not Irish, the contribution of our little island to the world I hope you enjoy it,

Mothers in the Home & the Irish Constitution

2006-03-16T14:44:00.000Z

Beth over at Broccoli for Breakfast has this very thought provoking post on Article 41.2 of the Constitution to kick off discussions emanating from this and this. In response ainelivia, in the comments, asked me to put up a kind of a primer on Article 41.2 so here it is, together with some of my own opinions on it.What does it say?Article 41.2 provides…the State recognises that by her life within

Who says global warming is a myth?

2006-03-16T10:37:00.000Z

It's snowing. It's the middle of March and it's snowing.How does a white St. Patrick's day grab people?

More on Women and Blogging

2006-03-16T09:45:00.000Z

UpdateThe conversation continues apace. Claire over at gingerpixel has weighed in with a really thought provoking post about personal/internal blogging (which I think we're preferring to 'soft' blogging), Fustar has a substantive post and Beth has proposed the first thing we might talk about - the role of women as outlined in the Constitution. I've bumped this up to the top again, but below this

The Human Rights Council is Passed: America will Support

2006-03-16T09:38:00.000Z

Having stood firmly against the proposed Human Rights Council the United States has announced that it will now support the Council in its current form and even pledge funds to support it. [For background on American objections see here and connecting links]. This followed a vote yesterday in which the proposed new Council was approved by 170 votes to 4 (voting against: USA, Israel, Palau and the

Rachel O'Reilly Murder, the Media and the Law

2006-03-16T09:17:00.000Z

Rather surprisingly there’s not a huge amount of discussion going on about the media coverage of the investigation into Rachel O’Reilly’s murder on the Irish blogs (Sarah Carey and newcomer Dan Buckley are notable exceptions), but the current situation calls into question the role of the entirety of the Irish media. For those of you reading from outside Ireland or not aware of this controversy

You Know You Blog Too Much When

2006-03-15T15:03:00.000Z

I've just looked at the clock and realised I need to leave in fifteen minutes and won't be back until after ten. And then I bit my lip wondering what would await me on the blog on my return. This is both a good and a bad thing. Good because it means that there's loads of conversation and activity going on around here, and bad because it means I may have built up some kind of dependency.In my

Being (Deliberately?) Misconstrued

2006-03-14T16:07:00.000Z

Richard appears to have decided to misconstrue a sentence from this post from this morning and taken that as licence to remind me that conspiracy and commission of offences are two different things and finishes up withAnd lawyers wonder why they people don't trust them I am aware of the fact that he was charged with conspiracy and, unsurprisingly, am also aware of the difference between an

Women Bloggers

2006-03-14T11:59:00.000Z

Update I've lifted this post to the top of the Blog to keep the conversation going as I toddle off to work to teach the intricacies of Deduction of Title. In the comments the conversation ranges from whether this is gender exclusion, to whether there is any such thing as a women's issue and, courtesy of fatmammycat, whether traffiking is an "unbrealla word" used by some immigrants who voluntarily

America Stands Alone in Opposing UN Human Rights Council

2006-03-14T11:51:00.000Z

The controvery about the new Human Rights Council continues to rage with America still putting up fierce opposition to the new system. For those of you unfamiliar with the issues you'll find some background here and in the related links.The main difficulty is that America continues to be opposed to the Human Rights Council which is designed to replace the Human Rights Commission in the UN. The

Moussaoui & The Emerging Farce of American Justice

2006-03-14T11:41:00.000Z

The trial of Zacarias Moussaoui is turning into a farce. First of all the man was in custody on September 11th and therefore not directly involved in the commission of the attacks so the whole notion of putting him to death was absurb ab initio. Now however it looks like the death penalty is definitely off the table as the Court discovered that prosecution witnesses had been coached.You either

Inporting Cars: Saving Money but Maximising Hassle

2006-03-14T11:31:00.000Z

The Irish Independent today reports that cars are much cheaper in other European countries - surely investigative journalism at its best. The paper does have a point however - if you shop around and buy your car in another EU state then you can save some money on it, even after paying the ridiculously high duties on import here in Ireland. However you're unlikely to save enough to make the hassle

In Defence of Michael McDowell....(Kind of)

2006-03-13T11:46:00.000Z

There are three issues guaranteed to make people care about who wins the next General Election: tax, immigration and crime. Fianna Fail are pretty tight on the financial stuff – while our taxes are high not that many people are complaining and the economy is buoyant (for now) so the majority of voters tend to be more worried about famously high socialist taxes if Labour take power than they are

If you REALLY loved us Madam Editor

2006-03-13T09:23:00.000Z

You'd get rid of the subscription service for the Irish Times online, run a regular 'in the blogs section' and have at least one blogger write a column every week.While I continue to allow my head reside in what my second-class teacher affectionately called Cloud Cuckoo Land have a read of p. 7 of today's Irish Times for a good spread on the Irish Blog Awards by Jon Ihle.Despite having a

Mary Hanafin will be Taoiseach? I think not...

2006-03-12T15:36:00.000Z

Browsing the Sunday papers while the missus becomes almost uncontrollable with excitment at France beating the socks off the English over in Paris I couldn't help but be attracted by a certain headline in the Sunday Tribune - "Meet Ireland's first female Taoiseach".Apparently Bertie could be the next Secretary General of the UN (highly unlikely btw - it's Asia's turn and skipping over that region

Mark Humphrys definitely doesn't fancy me!

2006-03-11T22:51:00.000Z

I just came across this page by Mark Humphrys. Here's his entry on me:Fiona de Londras writes intelligent leftie commentary.De Londras is a member of the globally persecuted gay minority.Islamism is the greatest killer and torturer of gays on earth.Yet De Londras considers "Islamophobia" and "The rise in the security paradigm" (the War on Islamism) as the greatest problem in the world today. She

Milosevic & the ICTY: What was the point?

2006-03-11T22:25:00.000Z

Milosevic died today. Of course he'd been ill for some time, as the disruptions to his trial in the ICTY show, but he died before the case had come to an end. He will, therefore, never be named in a court of law as the master genocidier and rabid Serbian nationalist that he was. However the ICTY had Milosovic in custody for six years and the trial, for various reasons, turned out looking

Irish Blog Awards

2006-03-11T21:33:00.000Z

Despite my sickness I wandered out for the Irish Blog Awards this evening. While everyone else is revelling in the Alexander Hotel I've returned to the warmth of home, medicine and tea but it was a great night - and I'm sure it's about to become even better as the drink starts flowing in earnest.Question I was most commonly asked: 'Is your boyfriend [Richard Waghorne] here?'Most earth shattering

Where's my Blog gone?

2006-03-10T11:10:00.000Z

Oh God - what the hell happened to my blog?? My template's gone...I didn't even do anything!OK so something funny happened but am just going to go with a default blogger template for now so at least it's intelligable and hope that a clearer and less-sick head comes tomorrow so I can change it!So I managed to get myself back up and running on my chosen template...I choose not to even think about

Support Victor Connell

2006-03-10T10:35:00.000Z

Every sport carries risks and last year Victor Connell sustained a rugby injury that has left him paralysed from the neck down. He's also Gavin's cousin (Ireland's a small place!) and the Victor Connell Trust has been set up amid great publicity [Irish Independent, Website] to raise funds for his treatment. There are a few ways you can contributeIf you're at the Ireland v. Scotland match put as

That Irish Bloggers Meme Again

2006-03-10T09:48:00.000Z

Do you remember this quasi-meme I started some time ago? Well now that I'm sick and useless I've decided to try to collate the results in some way. Through a technorati search I can see that Richard, vonzepp, Auds, Rinceoir, JoBlog, Zoomtard, JL Pagano, Eamon Brett, Paige and Colm have all done it.A search on irishblogs.ie also gives me kevin, dunner, maca (in the comments on the link), UI and

The Lost Legitimacy of the United States

2006-03-10T09:32:00.000Z

The annual exchange of human rights reports between the US and China is happening again. On Wednesday the US released its 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and, in response, the Human Rights Record of the US in 2005 was released by China on Thursday.China urged the US tolook squarely at its own human rights problems, reflect what it has done in the human rights field and take

Fascist v. 'Faggot'

2006-03-10T09:21:00.000Z

Simply incredibleThe granddaughter of Italy's wartime dictator Benito Mussolini has defended being a fascist by saying it was better than being a "faggot".Alessandra Mussolini's televised derogatory remarks came less than a month after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi welcomed her far-right political party into his coalition before a general election in April.Mussolini, proud of her ancestral

Dubai Ports Deal: Tip of the Iceberg?

2006-03-10T09:07:00.000Z

TIME magazine runs a story that details a contract held by Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) - formerly a British company but now held by a Dubai government investment interest - which has a $50 million contract with the US government as an agent for Navy vessels in Southwest Asian ports. This includes Middle East ports. What type of agent? A husbandry agent, which means the party that arranges

John Roberts & The Rule of Law

2006-03-10T08:36:00.000Z

In his first major address since he became Chief Justice John Roberts said that "The rule of law is a cathedral we have to build brick by brick". First of all I love the building metaphor and while some people may be unhappy with the use of the word cathedral (preferring perhaps 'temple') I'm not overly concerned with it.The Rule of Law is the sacred foundation of law - in fact while it might be

Analysing Blarney

2006-03-10T08:33:00.000Z

For the best analysis I've seen thus far on the implications of Judge Patrick Clyne's judgment on the Blarney Case see this post by Suzy over on Maman PouletPeople may note that Myra McGuirk - one of the women who took this case - has commented on my analysis. If you feel so inclined pop into the comments and offer her your support.

BREAKING NEWS: Oireachtas can Investigate Curtin

2006-03-09T11:02:00.000Z

Have just heard the Supreme Court just handed down a judgment allowing an Oireachtas Sub-Committee to investigate Brian Curtin and, if they see fit to do so, propose a resolution for him to be removed from his judicial office.Have just got a phone call from this and now just heard it on Newstalk 106 news as well but there doesn't seem to be anything on the websites yet - the coverage should all

Travel Tips?

2006-03-09T10:27:00.000Z

In the next month I’ll be off to see Amsterdam and Washington – Amsterdam in a pair and Washington all alone.I know how well-traveled and cultural the members of the Blog O’Sphere are so…does anyone have recommendations for good places to eat or have a drink in either place? For the sake of placement we’ll be city centre in Amsterdam and I’m on M Street in Washington. Also – does anyone know if

Tough on Crime or Pandering to the Electorate?

2006-03-09T08:48:00.000Z

For a change Minister McDowell is right – we shouldn’t rewrite policy in light of one incident, in fact it’s policies of politicking with policies that lead to fragmented, disorganized systems in the first place. Of course I’m referring to all the talk about ‘tougher sentences’ in light of the murder of Donna Carey. First the Taoiseach spoke about how he;d like to see life mean life; then we saw

Blarney: It Ain't Amsterdam(!)

2006-03-08T14:01:00.000Z

Yesterday saw the first conviction under s. 19 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003. People may recall that this provision, which was very heavily lobbied for by publicans, brought discrimination issues in bars before the District Courts as opposed to the Equality Tribunal.The case concerned two women - Eileen Twomey and Myra McGuirk - who were having a drink in Malone's Bar, Blarney, Co. Cork.

The Village of Kinsale (?)

2006-03-08T09:46:00.000Z

Who knew Kinsale could be defined as a village....Sure, everybody who visits Europe makes the obligatory visit to the Eiffel Tower and Buckingham Palace. But to experience the continent in an altogether different way, consider spending a few days in a village, far from big cities and crowded attractions.....In Kinsale, Ireland, Conde Nast Traveler says you'll find excellent food at the 200-

Liberal Professors; Terrorist Sympathisers

2006-03-08T09:19:00.000Z

According to David Horowitz [profile] "[t]here are 50,000 professors" who are "anti-American" and "identify with the terrorists". [story and video] Time for a good old purge then, eh?Good night and good luck, anyone?

Giuliani for America?

2006-03-08T09:11:00.000Z

A new poll names Rudolph Giuliani as the most popular politician in America.I guess it's time to start talking about the '08 election in earnest. The results of the poll are interesting in general, with the top politicians panning out like thisGeorge W. Bush 44.1%Hillary Clinton 50.4%Bill Clinton 56.1%Condoleezza Rice 57.1%John McCain 59.7%Barack Obama 59.9%Rudolph Giuliani 63.5%I guess what's

International Women's Day

2006-03-08T07:59:00.000Z

Today is International Women's Day so I extend best wishes to all other bloggeresses in the Blog O'Sphere and further afield. IWD originated in the early 1900s as a means of celebrating ordinary women who struggled to participate in society and equalise sex and gender relations between men and women.In 1909 the US Socialist Party announced the first National Women's Day, which was then extended

Better Than Belgium?

2006-03-07T11:54:00.000Z

The OSCE has said that detainees in Guantanamo were treated better than detainees in Belgian jails. They went by Pentagon invitation issued in December and I don't yet know whether they got to speak to the prisoners in person.

Milan Babic

2006-03-07T11:50:00.000Z

Milan Babic, who was serving a sentence handed down by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, was found dead in his cell on Sunday. He was one of the war-time leaders of the rebel Croatian Serbs and was convicted of persecution (guilty plea). He was a key witness in the Milosovic trial and had expressed deep regret at his actions.Roger has more over on Opinio Juris

Can't Stop Them Now

2006-03-07T10:32:00.000Z

The US Supreme Court yesterday handed down a unanimous decision (in which Alito did not participate) upholding the Solomon Amendment, which allows military recruitment in academic institutions. This was challenged by law schools who claimed that it violated their anti-discrimination codes in relation to LGBT students and staff.From SCOTUSblog A unanimous Supreme Court on Monday upheld the "

Test Yourself; It's the Best Way to Learn

2006-03-07T10:21:00.000Z

Via Boing Boing I came accross this piece, which outlines some research by Dr. Henry L. Roediger III on learning methods. He claims that students learn much more from repeated test-taking than from repeated 'learning'. By test-taking the piece seems to mean both formal tests in class, 'pop-quizes' (oral and written) and self-testing when studying: "Students who self-test frequently while studying