Author Archives: Giolla

How to bring back smoking in pubs?

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An article in the register the other day has given me an idea as to how one might bring back smoking in pubs without any need for a change in the law. The article reports that an American bar has gone self service by use of RFID cards (contactless payment cards) and flow control pumps. So tap the pump with your card and it will let you dispense so much beer. Now sadly this won’t work for real ale but what I can’t help but wondering is this. If no one is in the pub working because it’s entirely self … Continue reading →

Danegeld and riots for all reasons

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So almost a week since the looting and huge swathes of forest has been sacrificed to discuss the cause of the unrest and more importantly who was to blame. I am of course going to add to the sound and fury being generated, mainly because some of the commentary has rather tickled my sense of the absurd. One of the early “causes” of the looting proffered by the punditry, was that youth centres had been shut down and more people had said if the youth centres shut down they’d be trouble/riots/the end of civilisation as we know it. Now to … Continue reading →

A fish rots from the head

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Following on from The Snowolf‘s excellent article, the telegraph today also has an excellent piece comparing the self serving (though often strictly legal) behaviour at the top of society with the behaviour of the looters in the recent kerfuffle. Whilst those at the top may be found not guilty (often on technicalities and one suspects due to better lawyers) they are people expected to set a better example – and yet often get away with “having made a mistake” or “technical breach of the rules” and then just pay back the relevant sum – with no interest paid and no … Continue reading →