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Global Warming It’s not the end of  the World

Magic Mushrooms! The end is nigh for your legal high...

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The incest case that rocked Germany

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G R I

F F I A N S     O N    

G R I

FF FI T TH   

Robbie Smyth Deputy Head of Journalism Faculty 

“ I t ’s ’s   g o o d   f u n   t o   s e e   p e o p l e   l e a r n i n g stuff.”

Val Corbett Head of Law Faculty 

“ U m ,   I t h i n k   I  ’m   a g o o d   l e c t u r e r   b e c a u s e   I  w a s n ’t   a g e n i u s   i n   c o l l e g e . ” Seamus Fitzpatrick Head of Business Faculty 

“W e   h a v e   a n   o p e n - d o o r   p o l i c y .   T h e   s t u d e n t s a r e   e n c o u r a g e d   t o   c o m e   a n d   t a l k   t o   u s . ” Deirdre Doherty Course Director for Faculty of Design

“I   w e n t   o f f   t r a v e l i n g   f o r   a y e a r   t o   L A ,   H a w a i i , F i j i ,   B a l i   a n d   T h a i l a n d . . .   I a d v i s e   a l l   s t u d e n t s   t o   d o   i t   t o   g e t   i t   o u t   o f   t h e i r   s y s t e m s . ” Eamon Nolan Head of Faculty of Computing

“ S t u d e n t s   d o n ’t   r e a l i s e   t h e   a m o u n t   o f   t i m e t h a t   i s   t a k e n   u p   w i t h   t h e i r   i s su s u e s. s . . .   W e   h a v e   a d i v e r s e   p o p u l a t i o n   o f   s t u d e n t s   a n d   I  ’v e l e a r n e d   a l o t   f r o m   t h e m . ”

ide... insid This website stores data such as cookies to essential  Theco stenable ofsafesex inIrelandsite functionality, as well as marketing, personalization, and analytics. You gal lo loopho lesallllo owilille legal h mayLe change your settings atigh any time or accept the default settings.

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Editors: GarethBarry SeanNevins NoelBurke Sub-Editors: CatrionaBurke ErinFilisko

Advertisin ing: 10 OrnaBallout Contributors:AidanCorcoran,W endyGrace,CiaraHealy, B a r r y D u n n e , A n e t a N e g r a , J e a n Kelly 11 The Circular is produced by students of Griffith College Dublin, SCR, Dublin 8. Tel 01-4150400 The opinions and views in the publication are those of the contributors and are not necessarily shared by Griffith

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News & Features

?    m m o d n o C   a   e c i r P   t a h W Catriona Burke bemoans the high cost of safe-sex in Ireland If you have traveled around Europe, you will have noticed that condoms in Ireland are overpriced, ranging from €11 to €15 for a 12 pack of Durex. You may have wondered why that's the case. The main reason behind it is the Irish government’s resistance to lower the rate of VAT on condoms.

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n Ireland, the full standard rate of 21% is applicable for condoms and is increased even further for the consumer. Therefore, VAT charged by the Revenue Commissioners effectively becomes a disincentive. This is not only short-sighted, but also uneconomical for the State. Treatment of STDs, and dealing with unwanted pregnancies, is costing the National Health Service hundreds of millions of Euros every year. A reduction in the price of condoms would reduce much of these risks. What is even more surprising, for reasons known only to the Revenue Commissioners, is that an inconsistency exists in the Irish VAT system. While the full 21% standard rate is applied to condoms, the contraceptive pill enjoys a 0% VAT rate, but only condoms prevent from the transmission of STDs. EU law permits reduced tax rates on pharmaceutical products which are typically used in health care and the prevention of  diseases, including those used for contraception. In March 2006,website the UK made use data of thissuch fact and This stores asreduced their VAT rating on condoms from 17.5% to 5%. So there are no cookies enablethe essential legalities to preventing success ofsite the condom tax campaign here in Ireland. Theas only obstacle in the path is our functionality, as well marketing, government.

personalization, and analytics. You may change your at any time here in The campaign has settings been stepped up recently andthe hasdefault had immense support; pharmacists, famorIreland, accept settings.

ily planning agencies and student organizations organizations around the country have all added to the increased pressure on the government. All this has failed to influence the government’s position on the matter so far. Privacy Policy

Party have all assured their support for the campaign. The Irish government is currently undermining any push for safer sex by treating condoms under the tax system as though they were a ‘luxury item’ rather than a basic healthcare essential which saves lives and prevents infections. Darragh O'Loughlin, chairman of the The Irish Pharmaceutical Union’s (IPU) Community Pharmacy Committee, said classing condoms as luxury items sent out a mixed message about sexual health. "These are not luxuries; they are absolute essentials and should not be taxed at the same rate as luxury goods. But charging VAT on condoms at the same time as running campaigns to encourage their use is utterly nonsensical”. In the first survey of its kind carried out in the Republic, last year's Irish Study of Sexual Health and Relationships found that sexually transmitted infections had increased by 243% between 1998 and 2003.The research carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland also revealed that 14% of  people polled did not use a condom when having sex with a person they had met for the first time. The IPU believes if the VAT was reduced more people would be encouraged to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections and the risk of unplanned-pregnancies.

“These ar e not luxuries; they are absolute essentials, and should not be taxed as luxury It is clear that we must look to providing people with an items” affordable and accessible method of protecting themselves

Brian Cowen, Minister for Finance, argued that if the tax rate was reducedMarketing that pharmacies, wholesalers and supermarkets around the country would not pass on the price reduction to the general public and so the reduction would not be of any benefit. The Minister still maintained this stance after Personalization wholesalers and pharmacies all pledged support for the campaign and an intention to Analytics pass on the tax reduction price should it be implemented. Apart from the obvious contradictions to the government’s campaigns to encourage condom use, it is somewhat shortsighted to rule out any tax reducSave Accept All tions on condoms so close to general elections. Fine Gael, Labour and the Green

against such infections. As a method of contraception, condoms have the advantage of being easy to use, having few side-effects, and of offering protection against STDs. Therefore, they represent the single most effective safeguard we currently have available to prevent the rise of STDs and unwanted pregnancies. pregnancies. Unfortunately, for many young people who do not have sizeable disposable incomes, cost is a factor in deciding whether or not to use contraception. Reducing the cost of condoms to an affordable rate is the only logical step. It must be reduced to al least the basic rate of tax, currently 13%, as a matter of  public health. The campaign however remains remains ongoing with more resistance predicted from the government before any change is achieved.

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News & Features

M RY RY’ S  M   GI C B N  LE VES ‘ M USH RO ROO O M’ FO R  D EB TE  Th he law has ch chan ang ged to ban sale  T es, but loopholes still exist. Orna Ballout Reports

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tragedy that caused controversy and uproar within the nation and media occurred on Halloween night in 2005. It was sparked when Colm Hodkinson, a 33 year old Dublin man met his death after falling from a fourth-floor balcony whilst at a party. The sad reality which resulted in Mr.Hodkinson’s death was that he had previously consumed a lethal volume of the

give me lots of information on how to get these mushrooms. According to the owner of the Hemp Store on Capel Street, there are many laboritories in Amsterdam that will ship Magic mushrooms into Ireland. It is legal for them to send the mushrooms from Holland, but is illegal for the customer in Ireland to receive them. He gave me details on how to pursue this process but

legally obtainable magic mushrooms. He had bought the mushrooms from a ‘legal high’ alternative shop to share amongst his friends during Halloween. Within half an hour of taking 3 mushrooms, his friends became worried about his behaviour. behaviour. The end result proved to be fatal.

because of the risk involved in trying to purchase mushrooms from Holland the owner sent me down the street where I could purchase grow kits.

Up until Tuesday 31 January 2006, there was a loophole in the Irish law which made it legal to obtain hallucinogenic magic mushrooms. It was illegal to buy the mushrooms if they were processed, but no laws to stop them being purchased in their raw state. Various outlets dotted around the country sold these psilocybin mushrooms. It wasn’t until after the young Dublin death that aunder ban was put on man’s the mushrooms, the misuse of Drugs act 1977. This occurred after Mary Harney met with the late Mr.Hodkinsons parents This website storesintroduced data such and finally theas regulaThe essential Tánaiste stated, “In cookies totion. enable site December I met with the family of a functionality, wellwho as died marketing, youngasman after having consumedand psychoactive mushrooms. personalization, analytics. You At that time it had become clear may change settings at mushrooms any time that your the sale of magic or acceptwas theincreasingly default settings. commonplace, and I directed that legislation be prepared to clarify the law to ensure that the trade in these drugs could not continue. I have signed the Privacy Policy statutory instrument required to give effect to that legislation Marketing today.” However, a year has passed since Personalization

this bill was signed, and it is still possible to purchase these dangerAnalytics ous drugs in Ireland. In alternative shops around the city, a customer can obtain the apparatus to grow Save Accept All their own hallucinogenic “shrooms” as they are also known. I spoke to an owner of one of these ‘legal high’ shops in Dublin City; he was able to

It is legal for them to send the In the nearby Nirvana store, I mushrooms from bought mushroom seed, which comes in a syringe in the f orm of liquid, also known as spores. I also pur- Holland, but is illechased the grow kit. The owner informed me that I would have to gal for the cuspurchase these items separately for legal purposes, which meant two tomer in Ireland to separate bags, two separate transactions and two separate receipts. receive them. Although not buying the mushrooms in a raw or processed state, I now had the sufficient means to harvest this dangerous drug. The spores are only meant to be obtained for scientific research purposes but there wasthe noitems questioning my use of spendeither of I obtained. After ing the sum of seventy Euros, the set up apparatus for the growth was complete. A wholesale supplier Mr.Darcy Petticrew, who owns Himalayan Crafts in Navan, Co. Meath, has a toxic mushroom known as amanita for sale. These toxic mushrooms weren’t included under the regulation brought about in January of last year. Theses mushrooms are extremely potent and can still be obtained in Ireland. Magic Mushrooms can cause many effects after ingestion; it only takes one or the wrong amount to have devastating consequences. I spoke to classmates who had different experiences with mushrooms. One user felt euphoria, which entailed hours of uncontrollable laughter. They had an increased sense of touch

and-hallucinated. On the other hand, another user had a bad experience. Firstly they had an outburst of laughter, followed by feelings of  depression and fear. At some stages struggling to retain breath, experiencing bad cramps and pains in their back and stomach. The law was changed but the shocking reality is that people can still get their hands on these drugs. There has been an increase in the sale of other substitute ‘legal highs’ since the ban on mushrooms. Users seeking an alternative to Cocaine and Ecstasy can buy other pills which have a similar effect. A chemical known as BZP, which was banned in the US in 2002, is readily available over the counter here in Ireland. Traces of this can be found in many of the pills that you can buy in alternative shops. It took a fatality for the law to be changed as a result of this deadly drug. The fact that people can buy apparatus and preparation kits to grow these mushrooms is a contradiction to this law. Is the Government going to wait for another tragedy to take some action about something that is obviously being abused within Irish society?

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News & Features

DOMESTIC D ISTURBANCE A GERMAN BROTHER AND SISTER , WITH FOUR CHILDRE REN N ARE CHA HALL LLEN ENG GIN ING G TH THEI EIR R COU OUN NTR TRY Y’S INCEST LAWS

PAUL CLEARY INVES NVESTIGA TIGATES TES THE ULTIMATE TABOO

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ne of the most fundemental taboos of  society is incest. The very notion of  any type of relative having a sexual relationship with another relative is enough to make even the most sexually liberated squirm. In Germany, Patrick Stubing and his sister Susan have attracted much attention bacause of their case. Patrick (30) was put up for adoption in his native Germany when he was born and was only reunited with his mother in 2000. This is when he met his younger sister, now 24, for the first time. Six months later their mother died and by 2002 the couple had fallen in love and had had their first child. Since then they have gone on to have three more children, though all of them except their youngest have been taken into foster care. Two of the children have been reported as suffering from disabilities.It is unclear whether these disabilities been arelated, direct result of their beinghave so closely or whether it isparents due to them being born prematurly. Mr Stubing has already been jailed for two years for conceiving a child with his sister and has since been sterilised. However Ms Stubing has never been imprisoned because she has always been tried as an adolescent. The case gets darker still after discovering that a psychological report has determined that Ms Stubing has a slow mental capacity and is generally unaware of what is happening around her. She has been reported as saying that she was never told that Mr Stubing is her brother. A similar report was done on Mr

Stubing which read that he was quick tempered, controlling and unstable. When speaking to a newspaper after his most recent child was born last year he said “The younger children might not have been born had they not taken the first one from us, we just want to make sure that we don't lose everything again." Their lawyer’s grounds for defence is that it is not illegal for people with genetic diseases to have children, despite the high probability it will be passed onto their offspring, and is appealing to have the law changed. If we look at this from a distance it actually raises a question. Can we stop people from having children if there is a high chance the child will suffer from a disability? If two people suffering from severe Haemophilia have a child, there is an 80% chance the child will also suffer. However, if a is brother have child together there only aand 50%sister chance thea child will have a disability. If we look at it logically there is an inequality occurring. It is only in modern times that incest between brother and sister is considered taboo. In Greek mythology, mythology, Zeus and Hera (King and Queen of the Greek Gods) were brother and sister born of another brother and sister. The same applied to the Egyptian Gods and the Norse. A brother and sister sister having a sexual relationship was not considered a bad thing. Sexual relations between a father father and daughter or a mother and son were always considered taboo however, as shown in Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex.

Scientist Floyd Martinson studied incestuous relations between brothers and sisters and discovered that between 25-40% of college students have experienced some form of sexual encounter with a sibling of a similar age. Indeed Martinson discovered that there was quite a high percentage of twins that had engaged in incest at an early age, particularly same sex identical twins. When it comes to same sex incest, the law becomes fuzzy. fuzzy. It does seem that the genetic genetic similarity is just an excuse for a law to prevent a social taboo, and this law cannot apply to a same sex incestuous relationships, due to the fact that pregnancy is not an issue. Incest laws are a rather grey area as they vary from country to country. country. It is legal for siblings havebecame sexual legal relations in many countries. to Incest leg al in France in 1810. 1810. It is also legal in The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal and Turkey. It has recently been legalised in Japan, Argentina and Brazil. The existing incest laws in Britain were strengthened in 2002 to include not just those with blood ties, but also step-parents and their children and in cases of adoptions. Patrick and Susan Stubing’s case is raising many questions regarding incestuous relationships; Should it legalised? Is it love? Does it matter?. Public opinions on the matter will continue to vary, but at the end of the day the law will have the final say.

Tangled up in a Web of Dece Deceit it Shaun Cronin

Is the Government doing enough to protect young people from the dangers of the Internet? This website stores as and technology In the moderndata worldsuch the internet have becomeessential part of people’s cookies to enable site everyday lives. Twenty years ago if you were seen talking to yourfunctionality, as well as marketing, self it would be assumed that you were insane. personalization, You  Nowadays,and it is a analytics. normal everyday oc currence. may change your settings at any time Mobile phones come in all shapes and sizes with or acceptcameras, the default settings. video and even the internet. Over the last Privacy

decade our world has been revolutionised by the invention of the internet. People are now able to  book holidays, purchase items, attend online auctions and access essential information. This is only Policy the tip of the iceberg where the internet is concerned.

Marketing Unfortunately, as with everything, it’s not perfect. There are many dangers lurking on the internet and

not everyone is mature enough to handle the potenPersonalization

tial pitfalls of the net. The blame for thi s in our country lies firmly at the feet of our government and its Analytics Department of Education. Our elected officials have failed to put in place a system for properly educating the younger generation on how to deal with its many Save  potential dangers. Accept All Is the government doing enough? Not in the opinion of Brid Lysaght, Principal of Nagle Rice

to learning of the government’s deficiencies in this the case of websites such as Bebo and Myspace the area she stated, “It is dreadfully dangerous. They’re  bullying is t here for all the world to se e.” all at it; they all think its great until something hap pens. I would be extremely concerned”. When asked When the government was contacted to answer  what input the government has in the computer  Principal Lysaght’s furious criticism, the course run in the school she said “none at all, the Department of Education’s spokeswoman Margaret government offers no input whatsoever”. McCarthy responded as follows: “The fact that cyber bullying content can be on the Internet in a The Once Project and The National Centre of  very public and permanent way makes it a very Technology in Education are government-run organ- insidious form of bullying. Most cyber-bullying isations aimed at educating younger internet users. takes place outside of school hours. The NCTE is When questioned as to whether she was aware of  working with with parents’ parents’ represen representative tative councils councils to these websites she said, “ No I haven’t been made develop and co-ordinate advice to parents”. aware of such websites or guidelines that the government have set up. I am actually very angry that I However, this does not answer any questions and have not been made aware of these websites. I will its logic is flawed. While it is true to say that most  be asking why the Department of Education has set cyber bullying takes place outside school, it freup these sites and not made the schools aware of  quently leads to actual bullying in school, whether  them, especially when they were set up for educamental or physical. This is because school is often tional needs in the first place.” She also went on to the only place where the victim of the abuse and the state, “I would now like to call on the government to instigator of it have contact. Also, this statement in make all schools and educational institutions aware no way answers the questions raised by Miss of these web pages and organisations and to update Lysaght. The main question being why the governthese pages and the schools on a regular basis.” When the topic was turned to cyber and mobile  phone bullying she said, “This is obviously a serious issue and there is a zero [tolerance attitude] towards any form of bulling in our school. I find cyber   bulling to be t he most vicious fo rm of technological  bullying. I believe this because with mobile phones at least the bullying is just person to person, but in

ment hasthen set up these rules, websites and guidelines without informing schools, helping to implement them and then regularly updating them? Only in Ireland would you find a government who would spend tax money to protect its next generation and then not tell everyone about it. If this continues, almost a third of the next generation will have been exposed to unsuitable material on the internet.

Secondary School, Doneraile, Co. Cork. In response

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Cover Story

CLIMATE CHANGE

n 1975, a team of scientists announced to the world that mankind was facing an environmental disaster. They discovered that global temperatures had been steadily declining since the 1950’s. If the trend continued they said, the world could be facing the onset of a new ice-age. They called this phenomenon Global Cooling.

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Fast-forward 30 years later and we are still facing disaster, but for the opposite reason. ‘Global warming’ has become the buzzword of  the new millennium, a prophecy of doom that rears its head in news reports practically every day. By now you know the drill; man-made CO2 emissions from industry, transport, energy and waste have polluted the earth’s atmos phere so much that global temperatures are rapidly increasing. This climate change is enough to melt the polar ice-caps, thereby increasing sea-levels, causing massive flooding, freak weather, seasonal anomalies, droughts, heat waves, heavy rains and general geographical mayhem.

DON’T global warming,’ he says. ‘But if that is true, how can you objectively study the way climate works?’ The main notion that these climate-sceptic scientists have set out to debunk is that man-made CO2 emissions are the ‘most likely’ cause of global temperature increases. Instead they point to the influence of the sun, and how its fluctuating solar  activity directly affects the earth’s temperature. To  prove this, scientists have provided data that shows a direct correlation between solar activity and the earth’s temperature. Charles Long, a climate physicist at Pacific  Northwest National Laboratories in Wa Washington, shington,  published a study in the journal Science showing that Earth experienced a period of “solar global dimming” from 1960 to 1990, during which time solar radiation hitting our planet’s surface decreased. Then from the mid-1990’s onward, the trend reversed and Earth experienced a “solar   brightening.”

If unchecked, scientists say that by 2050 things will already be different: Shannon Airport will be underwater, and for the same reason house prices in Cork City will have dipped dramatically. Former U.S President Al Gore has gone as far as to say that “at stake is nothing less than the survival of human civilisation”. Odd though

Indeed currently the Earth is not the

that the greatest news only planet heating up; temperature increases have been recorded on There are however, story of all time- the end Pluto, Jupiter and Mars, all coinalternative views on the of the world- should come ciding with the current solar  issue, views that have not about just around the  brightening.  been as widely accessible to the public. In February same time as 24-hour Such events have happened this year, the throughout history. During a 75-year  news. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) formed a  broad consensus that global warming was a very real threat to our world, and stated that it causes were ‘very likely’ caused by human activities. Both the public and media have tended to agree with this. Since the IPCC is made up of 2,500 scientists from 130 countries, it would be hard not to.

 period beginning in 1645, astronomers detected almost no sunspot activity on the Sun. Called the Maunder Minimum, this event coincided with the coldest part of the Little Ice Age, a 350-year cold spell that gripped much of  Europe. Al Gore’s documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ is considered the best argument yet for the man-made climate change theory. In it, he explains how analysis of ice core samples from the Artic show conclusively that throughout history the Earth’s temperature was higher when CO2 levels were higher. Thus the problem, as Gore sees it, is

However, some scientists have disagreed with the assessment that global warming is a man-made problem, and have instead pointed to the Sun as the main source of climate tem perature change. A recent documentary on Channel 4 called ‘The Great Climate Change simple: higher carbon emissions equals higher  temperatures. Swindle’ caused controversy controversy when it claimed that the public was being misled over climate Even climate change sceptics agree with this change, and that carbon emissions may not be  point, but hinge their argument on the crucial crucial point to blame. that CO2 levels increase after global temperatures This website stores data such as increase, after a ‘lagging’ ‘lagging’ period of 400 years years or  of the essential documentary’s contributors so. This they say proves that higher temperatures cookies toOne enable site Richard Lindzen, a climate physicist at the cause higher CO2 levels, not the other way round. functionality, as well as marketing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, personalization, analytics. You describes theand modern obsession with climate But just how much does industry, and other  change as “baseless alarmism”. human activities affect carbon emission levels may change your settings at any time Lindzen went on to state that the predicted anyway? The single highest producer of the or acceptwidespread the default sea-levelsettings. rises, droughts and floods world’s greenhouse gases is water evaporation will not materialize. Even if these effects were from our oceans. When water is evaporated from on the cards, he says, attempts to reduce emis- the ocean it enters the atmosphere as a greenhouse sions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas, a natural source of atmospheric gases that gases would do almost nothing to hold such make up our atmosphere. atmosphere. A previous IPCC report Privacy Policy disasters back. wrote that some 90 billion tons of carbon as car-

Marketing Other scientists featured held similar views. Climate change was very real they said, but carbon emissions have a minimal effect on the Personalization Earth’s temperature. The reasons for the current hysteria may be Analytics  politically motivated. Scientists are receiving huge funding for climate change research, and are therefore under pressure to find something wrong. Lindzen claims that applications Save Accept All for  research funding to analyse other possible causes for temperature increases are not met favourably.. “Many programme managers have favourably told me that funding depends on concern for 

 bon dioxide annually circulate between between the earth's ocean and the atmosphere.

Compare this to man-made sources emissions of about 5 to 6 billion tons per year, and it is hard to see how much human activity can be blamed. A 2006 FAO FAO report concluded that livestock are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a bigger share than that of transport. The climate change argument has fallen down on clear ideological lines; the left-wing belief that

and quick, and the right-wing belief that climate change is a natural occurrence and has nothing to do with us, or industry. In the latter’s case the reasons are obvious: climate change is caused by ‘industry’, industry is closely associated with ‘capitalism’, and capitalism is the root of all evil, at least from the left wing  point of view.

BELIEVE THE TRUTH

The right-wingers need to believe it is not industry’s fault, since that ideology hinges on growth and industrial enterprise, not being ‘green’. You may have recognised a new media tactic of   pointing out the ‘carbon footprints’ of celebrities and politicians. John Travolta caused a lot of damage to the environment when he flew to the U.K  recently to promote his new film. Bertie Ahern and his cabinet colleagues were roundly criticised for  flying all over the world on St. Patrick’s Day goodwill missions. It is an endlessly usable story; odd though that the greatest news story of all timethe end of the world- should come about just around the same time as 24-hour news. After ‘The Great Climate Change Swindle’ Swindle’ was aired on Channel 4, attacks on its makers began immediately.. The Independent ran with a story that immediately the programme’s director, Mark Durkin, had been in hot water before for misrepresenting the views of participants on a previous documentary made for Channel 4. The implication was clear: he was doing it again, therefore not to be believed. Durkin himself was forced to admit that he had extended the timeline of a diagram used in the film, data for  which had ended in the late 1980’s. However scientists on the show are sticking by their views. Other voices have repeated the notion that scientists were over-hyping climate change in order to receive more funding for research, some going so far as to say it is all a vast left-wing conspiracy,, attempting to dupe the public. spiracy So who is to be believed? The IPCC report estimates Earth’s will in increase by 15ºC bythe 2100, and temperature that a reduction green house gas emissions is the only way to stop it . Others say man-made emissions make up only a tiny percentage of global CO2 levels anyway, and that global temperatures are at the mercy of the sun. Whatever you believe, what everyone agrees on is this: the Earth is heating up, and the consequences may be grim. Where they disagree is the cause of this heating, and the severity of the results, a point possibly linked more to scientific egos than anything else. Indeed, if the apocalyptic visions turn out to be false, and the human race somehow survives, there may be a lot of disap pointed people around.

The earth’s environmentt is environmen being destroyed, we are to and blame- not true say some scientists

Noel Burke

the world is doomed unless unless we green ourselves,

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Advice

TOP 5 FI FILM LMS S TO SEE BEF EFOR OREE YOU DI DIEE Exam Tips

By Stephen Higgins

By Ella Brennan Whether you’re a fresher or in your final year, you’ve got exams this May! As fun as all as that sounds, here’s a few pointers to help you out: 1. The night before the exam, don’t be stressing if you can’t get to sleep. If  you get three hours of sleep beforehand, that’s enough to get you through the exam the following day. (Doesn’t apply if  you’re hung over unfortunately) 2. Surprisingly enough, eating an apple will keep you much more focused than having your hourly fix of caffeine. 3. Energy drinks and foods will give you energy to study, but don’t go too trigger-happy on the skittles..

ter summaries, you’re pretty much sorted - this is where the most important facts generally tend to be. 7. Read back over past exams and class questions, there usually is a trend to these exams, if your smart you’ll have a fair idea of what’s coming up. 4. Find somewhere comfortable to study but notI’d toogocomfy that you don’t fall asleep! with so the library. You can’t do anything else study up there. 5. Chill out and relax. So what if your exam is 2 hours away, it’s better to be calm than stressed out. 6. If you’re lucky to stumble on chap-

8. Another idea is to set your alarm and make sure you know exactly what exams are on, what time and where. Lets not kid ourselves now, sometimes people get confused and miss their exams. Believe me it’s happened!

If you’re sick and tired of  bad films at the cinema, repeats on Sky Movies and nothing on terrestrial TV TV,, why not have a look at some of  the films listed below? I have tried to stay away from very well known films that you have seen for films that you may not have. While I don’t pretend to be a film expert, this is a collection of movies that I think you should see.

So people, there you have it. Best of  luck this May. I’m sure you wont need these tips, you’re probably all too busy studying to be reading this...

plays Miles, an English teacher and part time writer with an obsessive appreciation of wine. Jack, played by

Thomas Haden Church, is an actor who although soon to be married, has a thirst for women. Everything goes smoothly until the upcoming

“But you have to wanna quit!”  By Noel Burke

During an appearance on ‘The Tonight show’ with Jay Leno, actor Matt Damon revealed he had just quit smoking by being hypnotised. Leno was intrigued and asked him how long it took. Thirty minutes said Damon. Stunned, Leno asked him if he was sure it was really that easy. ‘Sure’, said Damon, ‘but you have to wanna quit’. I had been interested up until the exact point he said these words. They don’t seem terribly deep or important, but believe me they are. I have tried nearly every method there is to break my smoking habit, and always failed miserably. I’m talking patches, inhalers, gum, pills, injections, yoga (I’m lying I didn’t try yoga) and every other financially viable method. And no matter how revolutionary the method, they always say it’s going to work, but of course it requires a small thing from you, just a little thing, a contribution to the cause, something to help the whole thing along, a helping-hand, and it is this: you have to wanna quit.

chologically and aesthetically devoted to those little white sticks of happiness. They comfort me in times of need. They make me calm when I’m stressed. They have always been there for me and they never ask for anything in return. Do you have friends like that? I know this, but I also know that it’s bad for me, and that I need to quit. So I decided to give the hypnosis a try. I saw an ad for it in the paper, a hypnotherapy clinic that specialises in all sorts of groovy cures, but crucially states it is possible to quit smoking in one hour. One little hour. But it is expensive, €200 for the session. I’m reluctant at first. I tend to measure amounts of money in the number of cigarettes it is worth and €200 is like, loads of cigarettes. Plus I’m mildly afraid of being hypnotised; I fear I’ll come out of it not being able to pronounce my ‘R’s’ or something. But I persevere, make an appointment, front them the money. The centre is in Swords, and very nicely decorated it has to be said.

Despite this, I keep trying. These days it’s becoming more and more When I get there, I realise I have socially unacceptable to be a smoktime for a quick smoke before I go This website stores such er, what with the loitering outside data in. I also realiseas it could be my last. buildings, pacing shoulLast smokes are a religious thing. cookies toabsently, enable essential site ders hunched against the cold, nonI’ve had a few of them. You like to functionality, aspitywell marketing, smokers eyeing you with and as pick a place, a time, a moment in admiration. Indeed it takes aand cer- analytics. your life in which to have it. It’s like personalization, You tain amount of willpower to keep saying goodbye to a loved one. But may change your settings at any time smoking at all. I’m in Swords. During the day. And or accept the default settings. it’s raining. The mood just isn’t I know I should quit, all smokright, but I have no choice. I ers do. I’d save smoked what was money, feel betmeant to be my I have tried nearter, live longer,Policy last cigarette Privacy all that good ly every method there and went stuff, but inside. is to break my smoking here’s theMarketing thing: I like They run a habit, and always Personalization being a smoktight ship at

failed miserably.

er. a great waynonof It’savoiding Analytics smokers. But I have another problem. I’m not one of those ‘I can quit whenever I want’ people; I Save can’t quit whenever I want, I’m hopelessly addicted, and I know it. I’m emotionally, physically, psy-

this centre. No waiting around nervously for me, they had me in a scented room in seconds. A woman came in who didn’t look at Accept All all like a hippy, and said she was the hypnotherapist, and that she saw me smoking outside. I wait until she laughs and then I laugh too, and

mumble something about last cigarettes. She is very nice, professional, explains that this treatment has a 90% success rate, is very effective and that I have invested my money wisely, but first she needs to ask me a few questions. Her first question is this: how would you describe your dependence on cigarettes?

know, ‘relaxed’. Anyway this went on for a while, her telling me I didn’t need cigarettes, me dozing away. When the hour was up she told me to rise and shine. I’ve never felt more groggy. But that was basically it, job done. She gave me a pamphlet to read, something about self-hypnosis, and sent me on my way.

Fargo (1996) One of the blackest comedies you will ever see, this is a classic from the Coen Brothers. Set in Fargo, North Dakota, the film follows a desperate husband’s botched attempt to have his wife kidnapped in order to gain the ransom from his rich fatherin-law. The film is bleak with hilarious moments strewn throughout. William H.Macy is excellent as the hapless husband but Frances McDormand steals every scene as the heavily pregnant police chief following the murder trail.

I tell her I need them. She laughs a little. I tell her that wasn’t a joke; I need  them, I can’t live without them. She’s heard it all before, jots something down on a notepad (probably the word ‘weak’). She asks how many I smoke smoke a day, when I smoke them, what brand, stuff  like that. I answer as honestly as I can.

That night I didn’t smoke, but I did think about cigarettes. I could have sworn she said I wouldn’t think about cigarettes again. The next day I still wasn’t smoking but you better believe I was thinking about it. Constantly. I began noticing other smokers, and feeling mildly jealous. This was not how it was supposed to be.

She seems happy enough, tells me to lie back in the chair. This is the strange part; it is not at all like you might think. No ‘look into my eyes’

By the third day I was feeling irritable. I was scratching my head so hard and so often that people Citizen Kane (1941) began asking me if I had head lice. AIthough you may have been I told them I had just quit smoking. put off by how old this film is They understood completely. or how boring you found it the first time you saw it, I By the fourth day I’m starting to encourage you to give it fantasise about murdering people another try because it is simin increasingly horrific ways (by ply one of the greatest films ‘people’ I of course mean college of all time. At the age of just lecturers and bus drivers). It dawns 25, Orson Welles co-wrote, on me that the hypnosis hasn’t directed, produced and worked, and that I might as well starred in this biopic of a give in and have a cigarette, put media baron. The picture me out of my misery. Would Rocky practically invented modern Balboa have given up so easily? I filmmaking in terms of story doubt it, but then again I’m snap- structure, cinematography ping at people and they are not tak- and a host of other innovaing it too well, and the ‘I’ve just tions. More than sixty years quit smoking’ excuse is wearing on, the scene where the camera appears to travel thin. through a neon sign and into Alexander’s So on the night of the fourth day Susan nightclub is still magical. after I had quit, I smoked a cigaRegularly voted amongst the rette. greatest films of all time,

or ‘imagine yourself in a safe place’ or anything like that. She tells me to sit back and relax. She keeps telling me to relax. ‘Just relax’, over and over again, in the softest tones you’ve ever heard. She asks me if I’m relaxed. I say ‘yes’, while secretly thinking I’d be more relaxed if I could spark up a smoke while we are doing this. She obviously didn’t believe me because she kept telling me to relax. I must have been a difficult client because this went on for another 20 minutes, until finally you could say I possibly felt a little calmer than normal. On this she told me I didn’t need cigarettes. That my body didn’t need them. That I would never think about Icigarettes again this session. know she said allafter this, because I could hear her Which is her. another thing you don’t expect. She had told me that I would still be conscience and able to hear her voice. When you are hypnotised, you don’t go asleep or anything, you are perfectly awake, just, you

I honestly believe that hypnosis is still the best way of quitting. Four days without a cigarette is like a miracle for me. And if you are a smoker, and serious about quitting, I couldn’t recommend it more. It’s quick, painless and… relaxing. But you have to wanna quit..

This film is a must-see. Sideways (2004) ‘Sideways’ is a brilliant comedy about two friends who decide to spend the weekend in California’s wine region before one of them is to be married. Paul Giamatti

nuptials are accidentally revealed. The cast is excellent with Giamatti outstanding as a man coming to terms with the failures in his life. Sideways is superbly written and it leaves a lasting emotional impact. Dawn of the Dead (1978) This is the second installment of George A.Romero’s zombie trilogy and it’s the best of  the bunch. The movie begins with the living dead spreading rapidly throughout the United States. Four people escape from Philadelphia in a helicopter, searching for

somewhere to hide. They lock themselves into an abandoned shopping mall as humanity self destructs outside. Dawn of the Dead boasts extremely gory special effects that will delight and disgust in equal measure. The French Connection (1971) Based on a true story, Billy Friedkin’s seminal film depicts the story of two New York police officers who uncover a drug ring linked to Marseilles. Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider play the dogged detectives in pursuit of slimy Fernando Rey. Its infamous car chase is right-

fully lauded and will have you on the edge of your seat. The film siutably took home 5 Oscars, including Best Actor for Hackman’s terrific performance.

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 J 1 S u m m er H o t spo spott s

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From what I hear, the majori majori ty of of you you ar e either either g oing to San San D i ego or B os oston. ton. Both of those those place placess ha ve a lot to off offer er i n term s of ente ntertai rtai nm ent! As an American mys myse elf ( I ’m from Chi Chi cago) , I ha ve chos chosen en a Top 5 list of of my favour favour i te thi ng s to to do in bo both th of those ci ti es es.. H ERE

would wo uld be seri ous ously ly lacki lacki ng if I di d n ot put this on on i t. ( Ok, clos close  you r eyes a n d con cen tr a te… ca n you h ea r th e clo u d s par tin g … !) Thi s is my fav favouri ouri te place lace.. I t’ t’ss ki nd of lik lik e Br ow own n Thomas with a big g er sele selection! ction! Of all the Ameri can d ep epar ar tment stores, stores, N ord st strr om h as the la r g es estt shoe se seleclection wi th desi desi g ner shoes shoes an d… not desi desi g n er shoes shoes!  ( And reme remembe mber, r, you ar e sp spend in g dollars, not  eur os os,, so so you you can pretty pretty mu ch go all out!) Bu t thi thi s  pla ce h a s everyt h i n g . D efi n i tely ch c h eck i t ou t! 

G OE OE S:

 5.. F  5

I L EN E N E ’S

B ASEMENT

2.

This is a Bosto Boston n land mar k! I t is a desig des ig ner clo clothin thin g war war ehous house e! I t has been around since 1908. You have to di g throug h piles piles and piles of clo clothin thin g , eve verythi rythi ng from Abercr Abercr ombie & Fitch to Prad a, Mar c Jacobs Jacobs an d more! All for  for  up to 95% off off!! The key is pati pati ence an d g ood luck ! 

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L i m e l i g h t  S t a g e   a n d  S t u d i o s

Thi s is stri stri ctly a Boston Boston ha ng out for for thos those e of of you you who love love to kar aoke! I t’ t’ss on on the corn corn er of Tremont  an d B oy oyls lsto ton n St St.. in the hear hear t of the ci ci ty ty.. There is a $5 cove cover char g e bef before ore 10 pm an d $1 0 a ft fte er… so get on over  over  there the re an d k ar aoke your your h ear t out!  out! 

WORLD A D V ENTURE P A R K

Hom e of ev everyone’ eryone’ss favour i te Ki ller Whale, Sham u! I f you’ you’rr e  g on n a to be i n Sa n D i eg o, t h i s i s a m u st-see! Th e n ewest a d d i tion to the par k i s its new show show called called ‘Clyde and Se Seamor amor e in Deep Dee p Deep Deep Trouble’ Trouble’ star ri ng Clyde the Otte Otterr an d Se Seymour ymour the

 A n d , d r u m r oll … d r r r r r r r r r r r r 

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i s  S i x  F l a g s G r e a t   A m e r i c a

 Sea Li on ! Th e pla ce h a s over 20 ,0 00 a n i m a ls i n clu d i n g 16 Don’tt worry, worry, nu mbe mberr 1 i s in San Di ego an d Bosto Boston! n! This is lik lik e mar in e an ima ls ls.. Bu t my fav favouri ouri te fav favouri ouri te par t of of thi thi s par k  Don’ a ‘ ‘big big ki ds’ D i s ney World. I t is home to Ameri ca’s ca’ s lar g e s t and  is the the Flori da Ma na te tee e exhi bit. Thes These e an im als, also kn ow own n as ‘sea cows’ cows’ ar e an en da ng ered spe species cies.. I n Flori da , thei thei r h ome ome,,  fa stest r oll er c oa ster s, whi ch i n clu d e B a tm a n : Th e D a r k K n i g h t, Steel, N i g h twi n g , a n d m y fa vou r i te, R a g i n g they often often swim too close close to the sur sur face of the water water n ear s docks  Su per m a n : R i d e of Steel, Bu ll. Bu t, f for or those of you who ar en’ en’tt in to the whole r oller  an d boats causin g ma ny to be be ma i med or ki lle lled d by boat boat proprocoaste coas ter r thi ng , there ar e also s hows, hows , concerts concerts, , para des des,, a nd fir e peller s. So m a k e su r e to stop by th i s exh i bi t to see t h em a n d  work wo rk s , which ru n a lmost lmos t all ni gh t!  ma ybe ev even en sponsor sponsor on e… for me?

3.

Ok , those we werr e my Top 5 but th ere is load s more to do tha t i sn’ sn’t  t  on thi s list! list! Bu t se seri ously ously,, I pi cked the be besst! So I hop hope e you you all  So I tr i ed t o sta y a wa y fr om pla ces to shop on m y li st… a n d n ow  have an a mazi ng time whe wherev reve er you g o, but but do g et to Chicag o I ha ve of officia ficia lly fai fai le led! d! B ut I can hones honestly tly say that the list   somed a y, h u h ?! 

Nordstrom

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HE P  OLISH:  T  SO-LONG-HAY- Y  YO This website stores data such as “S  TO LAT  ” (100 YEARS)   THATWORD WILL CONVEY EYAL ALL OF OFT THE HEAB ABOVE. cookies to enable essential site “ CIEZKIEJ PRAC PRACY WKAMIENIOLOMACH !”(  OF HARD LABOUR OURB BREAKING STONES)  functionality, as well as marketing, RET TRYING INGT TO IMPRESS A GIRL ATTHE HEPUB PUB, BUSTOUTSOME OF OFTH THESECHINESE HIEROHERIINTERESTINGW G WORD ORDTH THAT ATCOM COMES ESFROM FROM K  OREA EAIS IS… IF YOU' RE ANOTHER personalization, and analytics. You GLYPHICS. HERONE ONE, FOR FORT THOSE SEME MEN OUTTHERE THATHAVE BEEN REJECTED EDON ONE TOO OOMA MANY NYT TIMES ANOTHER ANDWANT NTA A COMEBACK LINE, TRYTHIS.  TOP T - TOP-HAY- Y  YO may change your settings at any time or accept the default settings. "HEY PIENKNA" ='HEY PRETTY/BABY'  THIS WORD ALSOCONVEYSDISCOMFORTBUT RTBUTNOTNECES NOTNECESSARILYAFT Y AFTER ERA A BAD JOKE. YOUCAN

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T  HE P  OLISH: 

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THAT' S WHEN I FIRSTHEARD

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r i f f i t h   M a d S t y l e S G By Iman Majali “ Z a r a   i s   e v e r y Fashionista’s B e s t   f r i e n d ”

T r i n e   t h a t   h o t g i r l   f r o m   N o r w a y S u n g l a sses:   D i o r

“ I ’m   a m o n s t e r   o f Va n i ty ” R o b e r t  M c K e n n a   H ea d  Li b r a r i a n ) N a t i o n a l i t y :   I  r i s h G l a s s e s :   R ed   o r   D ea d S h i r t :   K a t h   H a m n e t S h o e s :   N i k e

“   I d o n ’t   r e m e m b e r t h e   p r i c es es ” Alex  M ojekwu N a t i o n a l i t y :   N i g e r i a R i n g :   C a t h o l i c   R o s a r y B a n g l e :   f r o m   N i g e r i a

“ C l o t h e s   t h a t   s u i t m e   a r e   P e r f ec ec t . . . ” J u t t a   Y u N a t i o n a l i t y :   C h i n e s e J a c k e t :   f r o m   C h i n a S o c k s :   f r o m   K o r e a , “a   g i f t   f r o m   m y mother” This website stores data such as cookies to enable essential site functionality, as well as marketing, personalization, and analytics. You may change your settings at any time or accept the default settings.

Privacy Policy Marketing Personalization Analytics t   I l i k e ,   I pu t   o n . ” “W h a M a g g i e   K a   P l u n Save Accept All N a t i o n a l i t y : A r g e n t i n a S h o e s :   f r o m   C h i n a   S t r e e t

“ I ’m   l i k e   K a n y e   W e s t   S t y l e ” Nathan N a t i o n a l i t y : A m e r i c a n B e l t :   D i e se se l

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Page 9

 

Media

GT N W E

The summer months are always the most highly anticipated when it comes to new cinema releases. The cream of the crop in blockbusters are kept until the summer each year and this year looks set to be no exception. The buzzword this summer is definitely ‘sequel’. They are in abundance this summer, from the last in trilogies, such as Pirates of The Caribbean: At Worlds End  and Spiderman 3, and some fourth and fifth installments in the form of Live Free or Die Hard  and

Fat makes an appearance as Captain Sao Fang. So whats the story? Well, in their final round Captain Barbossa, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann must sail off the edge of the map, overcome treachery and betrayal, and make their final alliances for one last crucial battle. The heroes must face Lord Cutler Beckett, Davy Jones and Admiral James

Clooney and Co, high-speed action larking around Europe. All the usual suspects are on hand for the excitement; George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, with the addition this time around of Al Pacino to the A-list mix.

Harry Potter Order of then the Phoenix  . If you and are athe fan of sequels

Norrington in an epic showdown that could eliminate the freedomloving pirates from the seven seas forever.

Who’s not looking forward to another visit from our favourite ogre! This time though, the king of  Far Far Away land has fallen ill and plans are underway to install Shrek on the throne! Enter the wicked Prince Charming, intent on stopping Shrek. All the major voice talent returns, Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, John Cleese and Rupert Everett. Justin Timberlake joins them as the rebel of the piece, while Antonio Banderas returns as the delightful Puss in Boots.

   V

R

this summer will thrill you. Here’s a rundown of the ones to watch out for:

Spiderman 3 Release Date: May 2007 

M U    S   N   e    k   r   u    B   a

  n   o    i   r    t   a    C   y    B

   E

Tobey Maguire returns as Spidey supported, as ever, by Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. In this, his third appearance, our webbed hero faces a fresh batch of villains and demons. And a new addition to the cast, a young woman, is set to give MJ a run for her money for Spidermans affections.

Pirates of The Caribbean: At Worlds End Released May May 2007  20 07 

All the original cast, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush, are back for the final installation of the Pirates franchise. Bill Nighly reprises his role as Davy Jones and Chow Yun-

28 Weeks Later Release Date: May 2007 

This is the follow up to Danny Boyle’s apocalyptic sci-fi drama, 28 Days Later, which co-starred home-grown Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson. This time around, its six months after the outbreak of the deadly Rage Virus and London is ready to be re-populated. Under the strict supervision of the U.S. Military, the first wave of refugees is allowed back into the city. All seems to running smoothly and as planned until a new carrier of the virus makes its way within the quarantined area.

Oceans Thirteen Release Date: June 2007 

More of the same here from

Shrek the Third Release Date: June 2007 

Live Free or Die Hard Release Date: July 2007 

The fourth installment of the Die Hard franchise has the main man Bruce Willis donning his dirty vest and taking on a terrorist hacker who plans to infect the USA’s cyber space on July 4th. Classic Die Hard action from Bruce, Bruce, with Maggie Q and Justin Long in supporting roles.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Release Date: July 2007 

This is the fifth installment out of  seven in the Harry Potter series. The plot once again stays true to the fifth book, keeping all hardcore Potter fans happy. Voldermort Volderm ort and his dark forces are gathering and his cohorts assemble so Harry themselves into Dumbledore’s Army in preparation. All the regulars return, including Brendan Gleeson as Mad Eye Moody, with two new teachers on the staff of Hogwarts, played by Imelda Staunton and Helena Bonham Carter.

The Bourne Ultimatum Release Date: August 2007 

Matt Damon continues his successful run as Robert Ludlum’s most famous assassin, Jason Bourne, in the last of the trilogy. Here he delves into his past to discover his true identity; it’s a dangerous journey that will take him to Moscow, Paris, Madrid, London and New York.

ESSENTIA IAL SUMMER READING Sean Nevin ins ‘The Glass Palace’   Amitav Ghosh ‘Crime & Punishment’   Fyodor Dostoevsky

‘Have you ever killed some-

This website stores data suchone? as No? Why don’t you try it cookies to enable essential site with Dostoevsky’s ‘Crime and ‘The Painted Bird’  Punishment’? The danger, fear  functionality, as well as marketing,  Jerzey Kosinski  and tingling existential feeling personalization, and You Do you like poetry andanalytics. easy-tothat rushes through your body read books but also have a morbid when reading this book make this may change your settings at any time side? Did you watch the French classic more than worth its while. or accept the default settings. film ‘Irreversible’ and think, “hey, “hey, that was disgusting and deeply disturbing but I want more”. If  so, then run out to the bookstore to bear witness to Jerzy Privacy Policy Kosinski’s account of horrid suffering in ‘The Painted Bird’.

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It is the true story of the Personalization author’s experience at 9 years of  age in WWII Europe  persecution by the Nazis.avoiding Analytics

The protagonist, Raskolnikov, takes the reader on a journey through their mind’s like none other. The book starts off quite slowly leading the reader up a long meandering stairway towards the ‘crime’, which is accentuated and made especially tasty through the tenuous build up. Simply put, it is delicious.

Watch yourself writhe in your  The book is pornographic, seat as you witness Raskolnikov’s  poetic, colourful and hauntin g. I Save Accept Alljump from one conclusion to mind would never read it again and it’s another, from one obsession to sure to fill your night with mares. another, from one bout of selfBut still I’d have to recommend condemnation to one of triumph it. It is transformational.

If you would like to dive through an escapade of tantalising literature and have the landscapes of Burma, Thailand and India unfold before you in a rich fashion that’s worthy only of the greats then read ‘The Glass Palace” by Amitav Ghosh. Throughout the 100-year plus movement of the narrative, witness environments tumble through change like kaleidoscopes and the development of  characters, like Rajkumar at 11 years of age where he takes centre stage to his impending death, frail and old. Feel the profound gusto that Ghosh brings to life through his uncanny descriptiveness. “The thickest clusters of leeches were gathered always along the fissures of the body, where cloth chafed on skin...These were the sites that were most likely to attract fresh attacks, from insects as well as leeches; left unattended they would fester, turn into foulsmelling, deep-rooted jungle

‘Junkie’  William S. Burroughs Did you ever pick up a copy of 

‘Nake ‘Naked d Lunch’ or ‘Cities ‘Citi the Red Night’ and think, “I es justofdon’t get it…” Well, don’t sleep on William S. Burroughs. He is still the man. Long before ‘Naked Lunch’ or any of his famous “cutup” technique novels Burroughs was writing wholesome non-fiction that had both a clear beginning and end. Junkie was Burro Burroughs’ ughs’ first novel. It was published in 1953 and entitled, “Junkie: Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict”. It is riveting. The book is a nonfiction account of the author’s escapades with different drugs, notably Heroin.

‘The Alchemist’   Paulo Coelho Are you feeling blue? Are work  and school getting to you? Do

you youany want do with know your what life? If of to these questions agitated you or made you feel even more confused and empty then sit down with a copy of Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’ and let it sort your life out. Imagine being a young shepherd boy with nothing but the rolling hills of Spain’s Andalusia, Andalusia, some sheep and a big fat book for  comfort. How would it feel to be away from Dublin and the mounting assignments that lecturers heave upon you? What kind of dreams would you have? How would those dreams be different from the ones you have now?

It tells the story of how a drug addict, a junkie, thinks, makes money and gets drugs – how an addict lives. There is no beatific Join Santiago, the young shepmetamorphosis of character or  herd boy, as he wanders through moral rights and wrongs mulled Andalusia, Morocco and Egypt. over by the author for the reader  Follow him as he meditates on the to learn from. It’s just a straight  beauty of the desert’s night sky, forward account of a man addictand as he runs into prophets, mered to heroin and the varying ups chants and women of striking and downs that this can bring to  beauty. Watch as he chases his

and back again.

sores.”

one’s life.

dream.

Page 10  

Sport

T h i s  i s  G r i f f i t h   C o l l e g e By Stephen Higgins

We

D o n ’t   D o   S p o r t s

am coming up to my second full year in Griffith College and one thing has become clear, not only is sport not taken seriously in this institution, I feel the college

I

this superb sport in the colours of their college. However, unlike most third level institutions, Griffith has no hurling team whatsoever, much to the bemusement of Barry who states, ‘When we signed up for the college many sports were prom-

sports played in Griffith but I have not seen or heard anything about these games during my time here. For a campus of 8,000 students, the current sports situation is unacceptable unacceptable..

would rather we did without it.

ised. Then was we were told atofthe start of the year that there no chance hurling. There are a lot of students in the college really interested in hurling, but the feeling I get is that in Griffith, we don’t do sports.’

will have to hand change Griffith itsMany sportsthings reputation to go in if hand with wants its academic standing. standing. It is quite comical that Leinster’s out-half, Filipe Contepomi, is used in advertisements advertiseme nts for a college where sports, let alone rugby, are almost non existent. While most colleges are proud of their sporting achievements, Griffith is more concerned with ACCA honours and student media awards. If they continue to ignore a crucial third-level element like sports, then we are not getting the full value for our money. They have to realise that it is important to sell more than just the educational experience. This is supposed to be a college, not just a factory line for qualifications.

When I signed up for Griffith, football, GAA, tennis, basketball and a host of other sports were promised during my degree. I now see that it was nothing more than false advertising. Griffith is an academica academically lly driven college. They want high grades, well written assignments and as many educational awards as they can get. Excelling in accounting is treated with much higher praise than achievement in sports. Why is this so? Griffith attracts over 8,000 students to its campus but it does not provide sports personnel, facilities or funds that are both wanted and needed by the student body. As a result of their apathy towards sporting endeavours, many students who would love to represent the college as athletes are suffering. Barry Dunne and Shaun Cronin are two such students. Barry and Shaun come from two significant hurling counties, Kilkenny and Cork. Unsurprisingly they have a passion for the game and would love to play

When they realised there would be no team, they applied to join D.I.T’s hurling squad. Unfortunately there were no places left so they looked elsewhere. Their options were the Kings Inn, Marino, Mater Dei, NCI and I.T. Tallaght. They decided to play for Tallaght. In March they were part of the I.T. squad that won the Fergal Maher Cup, an All-Ireland third level competition. Although proud of his achievement, Shaun was saddened by the circumstances, ‘It was great to win the All-Ireland with Tallaght but it’s tainted because we didn’t play for our own college.’ Hurling is just the tip of the iceberg however; there are serious failings in the entire organisation organisation of sports in Griffith College. This year there have been two inter-college sports, hurling and soccer. For a college that promises so many extra-curricular activities, this simply isn’t good enough. Last year the Griffith ladies basketball team won their small colleges competition but there hasn’t been any activity from them this year. The college’s website lists rugby, golf, swimming and hockey among the

Griffith students, Barry Dunne & Shaun Cronin, sporting I.T Tallaght’s colours.

. . .  d  n  a  m e  D D    r  a  l  u  p Po b y  P  B ac k   b S!!  T C A F   S I R R CHUCK  NO

CHUCK  NORRI S WAS WAS ONCE ONCE CHARG CHARGED ED WI TH TH REE ATTEMPTED MURD MURDERS ERS I N BOULDER COUNTY,  BUT THE J UDGE QUI UICKLY CKLY DROPP ED THE CHARGES BECAUS BECAUSE E CHUCK  NORRI S DOES NOT "ATTEMPT" MURDER ONCE HAD AN ERECTI ERECTI ON WHI WHI LE LYI NG FACE DO DOWN AND STRUC STRUCK K CHUCK  NORRI S ONCE

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This website stores data such as MOSTto MEN ARE OKAY WITH THEIsite R WI VES FANTASIZING FANTASIZING ABOUT CHUCK  NORRI S DURING SEX,  BECAUSE THEY ARE DOI NG cookies enable essential  THE SAME SAME THING. functionality, as well as marketing, personalization, and analytics. You DEATH ONCE ONCE HAD A NEAR-CHUCK -NORRI S EXPERI ENCE. may change your settings at any time or accept the  THE SADDEST SADD ESTdefault MOMENT settings. MOMENT FOR A CHILD CHIL D I S NOT NOT WHEN HE LEARNS SANTA CLAUS ISN T  'T REAL,  I T'S WHEN HE LEARNS CHUCK  NORRIS I S. OUT OF HI S SHADOW BECA BECAUSE USE IT CHUCK  NORRI S USED TO BEAT THE SHI T OUT

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Privacy Policy CAN SPEAK BRAI LLE. CHUCK  NORRI S CAN Marketing CHUCK   NORRI S WAS WAS ORIGINALLY CAST CAST AS THE MAIN CHARACTER CHARACTER I N 24 24,, BUT WAS WAS REPLACED BY THE AND AN D SAV SAVE E THE DAY IN 12 MINUTES AND 37 SECONDS.

PRODUC PROD UCERS ERS WHEN WHEN HE MANAG MANAGED TO KI LL EVERY TERRORIST

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UNTED TED TO INFINI TY - TWICE. CHUCK   NORRIS COUN Analytics

CHUCK  NORRI S DI DI ED TEN YEARS AG AGO,  BUT THE GRIM REAPER CAN T  'T GET GET UP THE COURA URAG GE TO TELL HIM.

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OF CHUCK  NORRI S PAJ AM AMAS AS.

WHEN THE BOOGEYMA GEYMAN N GOES TO SLEEP EVERY

NIGHT HE CHECKS CHECK S HI S CLOSET CLOSET FOR CHUCK  N  NORRIS.

Page 11  

THE PRIVA PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES BOARD The Private Residential Tenancies Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established in September 2004 to resolve disputes between landlords and  tenants, operate a national tenancy registration system and provide information and policy advice on the private rented sector .

DISPUTE RESOLUTION SERVICE: The PRTB operates a supportive, user-friendly dispute resolution service for  landlords and tenants who find themselves in dispute over any aspect of the tenancy. The PRTB dispute resolution service replaces the courts in relation to the majority of landlord and tenant disputes. Landlords who have not registered their tenancies are precluded from referring any dispute to the PRTB. Tenants have access to the dispute resolution service irrespective of  whether or not the tenancy is registered

ing in order to resolve any issues in relation to damage. It is also apparent from the number of dispute cases referred by landlords that rent arrears can in some instances be a significant problem for landlords. In some cases these arrears have been of such a magnitude that there is little or no prospect of their recovery due to insufficient means on the part of the tenant. The PRTB would advise landlords to try and avoid getting into such situations and to serve a notice on the tenant giving a 14-day

opportunity to pay the amount owed, followed by a termination of the tenThe dispute resolution service, which is available nationwide. consists of  ancy if the arrears are not cleared - the procedure is in section 67 of the two stages: Residential Tenancies Act 2004. Stage 1: Either mediation or adjudication as chosen by the parties and is confidential In many of the dispute cases processed by the PRTB it was found that the Stage 2: A public hearing by a three-person Tenancy Tenancy Tribunal  Notice of Termination served by the landlord or tenant was not valid as it A mediated agreement or the decision of an adjudicator adjudicator or of a Tribunal will did not comply with the provisions of the new legislation. Two areas of note result in a determination determination order of the Board. A Tribun Tribunal al decision may be are in relation to (1) the requirement to inform the tenant in the Notice of  appealed to the High Court on a point of law only within 21 days. The Termination that the tenant/s has the right to refer a dispute about the validenforcement of determination orders of the Board that are not complied with ity of the Notice or of the termination to the PRTB and (2) that they have will be through the Circuit Court. The fee for referring a dispute is €25 and the whole of the 24 hours of the termination date to vacate the dwelling in the event of an appeal the fee is €40. The most common dispute referred to the PRTB to date is in relation to Landlords are required to ensure that tenants comply with their obligations deposit retention and in the majority of those cases completed the landlord under the legislation including not engaging in or allowing anti-social was required to fully or partially refund the deposit to the tenant. Landlords  behaviour in the dwelling or its vicinity. Where a third party is experiencexpe riencare therefore advised that the deposit which they hold in relation to a tenan- ing difficulties with tenants in a neighbouring property, they must first cy belongs to the tenant and should only be used to offset rent arrears where attempt to communicate with and resolve the matter with the landlord and they may exist following the termination of the tenancy or to defray the cost tenants. If this fails, it is open to the third party to refer a dispute to the of damage are to the dwelling tenant is beyond normal andvacattear. Landlords also advisedby to the inspect thethat dwelling prior to thewear tenant

PRTB about the landlord’s failure to enforce the tenant’s obligations.

REGISTRATION TION OF TENANCIES TENANCIES:: REGISTRA Landlords Residential tenancies must be registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) (PRTB) within one month of the commencement of the letting. The standard registration fee per tenancy is €70 provided it is registered within 1 month of of the commencement of the tenancy. Where a tenancy is being registered late, an additional fee of €70 is payable. Registration is a legal requirement for landlords. Failure to register may result in a fine of up to €3,000 and / or up to 6 months imprisonment. To register, register, landlords should contact the PRTB, their local authority or Citizens Information Centre for a registration form or download it from www.prtb.ie. Since its inception the PRTB have had to return a significant number of registration applications due to the lack of information such as the signature and/or  PPS number of the tenant/s. Landlords are advised to get the tenant to sign the registration application application form and insert the PPS number (where available)  before allowing them into occupation. T e na nc y o b l i g a t i o ns o f l a nd l o r d s und e r t he R e s i d e nt i a l T e na nc i e s A c t 2 0 0 4 - l an d l o r d s m u s t :

al l o w t h e t en an t t o en j o y p eacef u l an d ex cl u s i v e o ccu p at i o n car r y o u t r ep ai r s , s u b j ect t o t en an t l i ab i l i t y f o r d am ag e b ey o n d n o r m al w ear an d t ear   i n s u r e t h e d w el l i n g , s u b j ect t o t h e i n s u r an ce b ei n g av ai l ab l e at a r eas o n ab l e co s t  p r o v i d e a p o i n t o f c o n t a c t , o m p t l y stores r e f u n d data d e p osuch s i t s uas nless rent is owing or there is damage beyond normal wear and tear This p rwebsite r ei m b u r s e t en an t s f o r ex p en d i t u r e o n r ep ai r s t h at w er e ap p r o p r i at e t o t h e l an d l o r d cookies toen enable essential site f o r ce t en an t o b l i g at i o n s functionality, well n o tas p en al i sas e t marketing, en an t s f o r m ak i n g co m p l ai n t s o r t ak i n g act i o n t o en f o r ce t h ei r r i g h t s .

personalization, and analytics. You Tenants mayTenants change settings at their any landlords time to ensure the tenancy is registered. Tenants are advised to contact the PRTB if their landlord does not register  areyour advised to contact or accept the default settings. the tenancy. Tenants are also advised to sign the registration registration form and provide their PPS number (where available) to the landlord to enable him to register  the tenancy with the PRTB. T e na nc y o b l i g a t i o ns o f t e na nt s und e r t he R e s i d e nt i a l T e na nc i e s A c t 2 0 0 4  – t e n a n t s m u s t

Privacy  p a y tPolicy he rent and any other specified charges,

av o i d cau s i n g o r m ak e g o o d an y d am ag e b ey o n d n o r m al w ear an d t ear , n o t iMarketing f y t h e l an d l o r d o f an y r ep ai r r eq u i r em en t s , al l o w acces s f o r r ep ai r s t o b e car r i ed o u t an d b y ap p o i n t m en t f o r r o u t i n e i n s p ect i o n s , k eep t h e l an d l o r d i n f o r m ed o f t h e i d en t i t y o f t h e o ccu p an t s Personalization n o t en g ag e i n o r al l o w an t i - s o ci al b eh av i o u r   n o t Analytics act , o r al l o w v i s i t o r s t o act i n a w ay t h at w o u l d i n v al i d at e t h e l an d l o r d ’ s i n s u r an ce, n o t cau s e t h e l an d l o r d t o b e i n b r each o f s t at u t o r y o b l i g at i o n s , n o t al t er , i m p r o v e, as s i g n , s u b - l et o r ch an g e t h e u s e o f t h e d w el l i n g w i t h o u t w r i t t en co n s en t f r o m t h e l an d l o r d .

Save Accept All For furthe fur therr inf inform ormati ation on conta contact: ct: PRTB, Canal House, Canal Road, Dublin 6. Tel: (01) 8882960