Friday's rant

[TerenureJim]

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2011/08/30/thi ... ery-upset/

Currently sitting in one of those... wow the chair's worth more than I am!

They're comfey chairs but I wouldnt value them at €1,000, and they break just as easily as the average office chair.

[hugonaut]

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2011/08/30/thi ... ery-upset/

Wow. That's an incredibly expensive chair to be spending public money on. I realise that people spend a lot of time sitting down at work, but €1000 a pop? Gratuitous.

Not the only one to buy those chairs. I know another semi-state company recently procured new furniture and went for an almost identical Herman Miller chair along with Herman Miller desks. They still p*ss money away for fun in there to keep people happy.

I try not to be a terrible f*cking reactionary at every little bit of recessionary tittle-tattle, but just as the link promised, it has made me pretty irritated!

The most expensive office chairs in the Ikea catalogue go from €150-280 [you can get cheapo ones for as little as €15, but let us presume I'm not trying to damage peoples' posture]. so you could get four of the ones near the expensive end of that range for the price of one Herman Miller. Bingo, you've just cut your costs by four.

I appreciate the value of good design, but a semi-state company spending a fortune on what could very realistically be called luxury goods during an enormous, lengthy downturn that shows very little sign of easing up? It's absolutely not appropriate.

[TerenureJim]

This is just wrong, seriously nevermind Halloween the feckin kids haven't even gone back to school yet, it's still Summer!

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 37716.html

[Leinsterman]

I appreciate the value of good design, but a semi-state company spending a fortune on what could very realistically be called luxury goods during an enormous, lengthy downturn that shows very little sign of easing up? It's absolutely not appropriate.

And the semi-state in question hasn't spent as much on those chairs as has been reported. In fact, it's spent a fraction of the amount.
Since when have the red-tops been in any way a barometer of accuracy?

[Dave Cahill]

Also, people are forgetting Sam Vimes theory on boots

[TerenureJim]

Ray Shah, good grief. Unfortunately he was the MC at a film event last night and despite the free ticket to a film I really wanted to see that waste of DNA had me thinking of getting up and going before the film started.

[West Brit]

Also, people are forgetting Sam Vimes theory on boots

What, that a copper should be able to tell his exact location in the city because of how thin the soles are?

If only we could get Lord Vetinari to enter Irish politics...

[Dave Cahill]

Also, people are forgetting Sam Vimes theory on boots

What, that a copper should be able to tell his exact location in the city because of how thin the soles are?

If only we could get Lord Vetinari to enter Irish politics...

No, the one about how rich people stay rich by spending 50 dollars on a really good pair of books once a decade instead of spending 25 dollars on a regular pair every couple of years like the less well off had to because they didn't have 50 dollars. The rich people ended up spending less than than the poor did

[West Brit]

No, the one about how rich people stay rich by spending 50 dollars on a really good pair of books once a decade instead of spending 25 dollars on a regular pair every couple of years like the less well off had to because they didn't have 50 dollars. The rich people ended up spending less than than the poor did

Ah yes. He's a very wise man, even if a very poor diplomat.

[Hornet]

Since when have the red-tops been in any way a barometer of accuracy?

Probably following the example of Semi-State bosses and their paymasters.

[honeyec]

Waking up smothered this morning. It's only friggin September!

[hugonaut]

Also, people are forgetting Sam Vimes theory on boots

What, that a copper should be able to tell his exact location in the city because of how thin the soles are?

If only we could get Lord Vetinari to enter Irish politics...

No, the one about how rich people stay rich by spending 50 dollars on a really good pair of books once a decade instead of spending 25 dollars on a regular pair every couple of years like the less well off had to because they didn't have 50 dollars. The rich people ended up spending less than than the poor did

If they're going to keep the chairs for the 12 years they're guaranteed for, it's a reasonably good investment. I have absolutely no faith that they'll do so, and I'm not particularly cynical. You'd have to be quite naive [in my opinion] after three/four years of fact-backed revelations and anecdotal evidence to think that semi-state bodies are paragons of efficiency and diligence.

Also the whole thing about rich people staying rich is not just about the quality of what they buy, it's that they have the available cash to buy the quality that they need. It's their own money – private money. They can spend it how they want.

If Google were going out buying Herman Miller chairs, you'd have to think that they're doing well enough to afford them – when a 'semi-state company' goes out and gets them, it's a whole other scenario. To my knowledge, Bord Gáis is a state-sponsored statutory corporation, not a private company; thus it's not private money that they're spending.

I'm not saying that they should have to bring in chairs from home or sit on milk crates, but $870/unit is a bloody steep price.

[sheepshagger]

Aer Lingus only allowing you to check in 30 hours ahead of a flight when the likes of Easyjet / Ryanair allow you weeks

[ceemec]

If Google were going out buying Herman Miller chairs, you'd have to think that they're doing well enough to afford them – when a 'semi-state company' goes out and gets them, it's a whole other scenario. To my knowledge, Bord Gáis is a state-sponsored statutory corporation, not a private company; thus it's not private money that they're spending.

As a point of interest, Google's furniture and fit out is of a significantly lower unit cost than the semi-state fit outs that are being discussed.

[Xanthippe]

Aer Lingus only allowing you to check in 30 hours ahead of a flight when the likes of Easyjet / Ryanair allow you weeks

You can check in earlier on Aer Lingus if you are prepared to pay for your seat. Also, when you do check in 30 hours before your flight you get to pick where you want to sit - a service the others will probably never have.

[johng]

Aer Lingus only allowing you to check in 30 hours ahead of a flight when the likes of Easyjet / Ryanair allow you weeks

You can check in earlier on Aer Lingus if you are prepared to pay for your seat. Also, when you do check in 30 hours before your flight you get to pick where you want to sit - a service the others will probably never have.

Plus you don't have to fly Ryanair. Not knocking what they have done to create cheap flights, but they ALWAYS make you feel as cheap as possible. Sometimes for no reason other than they can.

[sheepshagger]

Aer Lingus only allowing you to check in 30 hours ahead of a flight when the likes of Easyjet / Ryanair allow you weeks

You can check in earlier on Aer Lingus if you are prepared to pay for your seat. Also, when you do check in 30 hours before your flight you get to pick where you want to sit - a service the others will probably never have.

Dont care where I sit on the plane so not paying for an assigned seat, theres no reason why AL couldn't offer the same service as other airlines (allowing to checkin early for free), heard their IT system is pretty sh!t so that could explain it anyway.

[deco]

Plus you don't have to fly Ryanair. Not knocking what they have done to create cheap flights, but they ALWAYS make you feel as cheap as possible. Sometimes for no reason other than they can.

as opposed to Aer Lingus who operate at a loss and whose staff go out on strike so often that it's pot luck whether you'll actually get on a flight.

[Peg Leg]

I don't know if any of you on here visit the BBC's "Top Gear" website at all, but if you do I trust you share my rage!

What sort of petulant, attention seeking, arrogant and extremely fuking annoying turds think it is cool to be the:

1st COMMENT after every review/story.

Makes me fuking mad it does!

[TerenureJim]

RTÉ's Ed Leahy

He's doing the "live" online text commentry from Russia for today's game and seems to have a bee in his bonnet about our beloved oval ball based game if any of his random early comments are anything to go by. Seriously just shut up and report the game, no one cares about your opinion on other sports there Edward.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/090 ... acker.html