The WTF thread

[Donny B.]

He lost weight, is my guess!

[Leinster Exile]

But Pyjamas are so comfy...........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16740199

[sheepshagger]

State agency spends €27,000 on 'paper adviser'

A GOVERNMENT agency has hired a "paper adviser" at a cost of €27,000 over three years to help with services -- such as buying photocopying paper.

The National Procurement Service (NPS) awarded the contract in December after it tendered for the service last year.

The NPS is tasked with negotiating and pooling value-formoney contracts for commonly needed goods and services and making them available to all public sector agencies.

According to public tendering documents, the contract was awarded to Papernet -- a business based in Skerries, north Dublin.

It won the competition after it submitted the only application that the NPS received for the position.

Last year, Minister of State Brian Hayes, who has responsibility for public spending, launched an initiative through the NPS to buy cut-price stationery services at a 25pc discount. When it emerged in June that most state bodies had failed to avail of the discount, Mr Hayes ordered a major crackdown to stop wasteful spending by public bodies.

He warned it was "time to tackle wayward practices" and warned he may adopt a "name-and-shame" approach.

Just 170 of 400 government departments, public bodies and agencies had acted on the contract, held by Irish company Codex, by June.

According to the details of the recent tender, the NPS required an "independent paper expert" to act as a "paper advisor" for 36 months.

The agreement included a clause to extend the contract for a further year in two periods of six months if so required.

"The work will require the attention of a suitably qualified person advising NPS staff in the OPW (Office of Public Works) on all issues relating to the procurement of photocopying paper and other paper products," the invitation to tender said.

The owner of Papernet, Ken Waldron, told the Irish Independent that part of the work could involve sourcing paper from a foreign country.

However, he declined to comment when asked about the specifics of the contract.

A spokesperson for the OPW, the public body that oversees the NPS, said that current NPS staff do not possess the technical ability and market knowledge to undertake the work.

This includes reviewing current contracts, advice on linking price changes to a recognised pricing index and advice on environmentally friendly products. It said that estimated public sector spending on paper, stationery and envelopes is between €14m and €16m a year.

- Luke Byrne

http://www.independent.ie/national-news ... 07706.html

isn't this what a procurement person is for??

[Peg Leg]

RE: Above,

Dear All concerned,
I the minister of paper consumption, have decided after 8hrs of using the phone (to find the most affordable rate), that all paper orders are to be made through XYZ paper. All orders to be filled out on the excel sheet attached. Please preceed the PO# with THISIS EASY (for ID purposes).

A formal 1hr review will occur at week 4 to ensure that all is operating as planned.

Thanks for your time,

Peg Leg

PS. Please also find INV001 for €27,000 attached

[alterego]

in fairness those OPW contracts get the stuff at a fraction of the market price, but not all government Departments have signed up to the. At one stage I heard that Social Welfare hadnt signed up, and they would be significant spenders. Its hard to see how individual departments or offices could achive the same economies by setting up their own contracts. Its also an awful waste of staff and a waste of the public finances. Definitely an area where saving can and should be made.

[sheepshagger]

in fairness those OPW contracts get the stuff at a fraction of the market price, but not all government Departments have signed up to the. At one stage I heard that Social Welfare hadnt signed up, and they would be significant spenders. Its hard to see how individual departments or offices could achive the same economies by setting up their own contracts. Its also an awful waste of staff and a waste of the public finances. Definitely an area where saving can and should be made.

Why are not all the government partners made to sign up, each minister should sign up 'their' ministry....

[alterego]

in fairness those OPW contracts get the stuff at a fraction of the market price, but not all government Departments have signed up to the. At one stage I heard that Social Welfare hadnt signed up, and they would be significant spenders. Its hard to see how individual departments or offices could achive the same economies by setting up their own contracts. Its also an awful waste of staff and a waste of the public finances. Definitely an area where saving can and should be made.

Why are not all the government partners made to sign up, each minister should sign up 'their' ministry....

You'd need to put that question to the relevant Ministers. I doubt you'd get a straight answer

[sheepshagger]

€5 bus-pass thief leaves State with massive legal bill

A SERIAL thief cost the State thousands of euro in legal bills after stealing a €5 bus pass, a judge has said.

The bill was run up when Gheorge Filip (26) denied the petty theft 14 times before changing his plea at the last minute.

He finally admitted it when he was being sentenced for a series of similar charges.

Filip, whose own lawyer said he was "probably the worst thief" he had ever seen, was jailed for two months, with a concurrent six-month sentence suspended.

Dublin District Court heard he had been on free legal aid and had a State-funded interpreter on each of his multiple court appearances.

Filip, of Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to thefts in Dublin on dates last year. The bus-pass theft happened at Marks & Spencer, Mary Street, on March 27, 2011.

Heroin

He also pleaded guilty to stealing aftershave at TK Maxx, St Stephen's Green, two bottles of perfume at Debenham's, The Square, Tallaght, and a series of other thefts.

Judge Catherine Murphy said the accused's case had cost "thousands to the State".

The court heard Filip came to Ireland from Moldova on the promise of work, but there was none here for him when he arrived.With no training and insufficient English, he took to begging on the streets. Although he had never had a drug problem before, he became addicted to heroin and stole to get money to buy it.

"It's the amount of money it has cost the taxpayer," Judge Murphy said of the case. "He's been in court 15 times, that is thousands of euro for a €5 bus pass, because he pleaded not guilty on 14 occasions."

Filip was "not someone who enjoyed" resorting to theft, his barrister said. "He's terrible at it", he told the judge. "He's probably the worst thief I've ever seen."

aphelan@herald.ie

- Andrew Phelan

http://www.herald.ie/news/courts/5-busp ... 12057.html

[Hornet]

€5 bus-pass thief leaves State with massive legal bill

A SERIAL thief cost the State thousands of euro in legal bills after stealing a €5 bus pass, a judge has said.

The bill was run up when Gheorge Filip (26) denied the petty theft 14 times before changing his plea at the last minute.

He finally admitted it when he was being sentenced for a series of similar charges.

Filip, whose own lawyer said he was "probably the worst thief" he had ever seen, was jailed for two months, with a concurrent six-month sentence suspended.

Dublin District Court heard he had been on free legal aid and had a State-funded interpreter on each of his multiple court appearances.

Filip, of Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to thefts in Dublin on dates last year. The bus-pass theft happened at Marks & Spencer, Mary Street, on March 27, 2011.

Heroin

He also pleaded guilty to stealing aftershave at TK Maxx, St Stephen's Green, two bottles of perfume at Debenham's, The Square, Tallaght, and a series of other thefts.

Judge Catherine Murphy said the accused's case had cost "thousands to the State".

The court heard Filip came to Ireland from Moldova on the promise of work, but there was none here for him when he arrived.With no training and insufficient English, he took to begging on the streets. Although he had never had a drug problem before, he became addicted to heroin and stole to get money to buy it.

"It's the amount of money it has cost the taxpayer," Judge Murphy said of the case. "He's been in court 15 times, that is thousands of euro for a €5 bus pass, because he pleaded not guilty on 14 occasions."

Filip was "not someone who enjoyed" resorting to theft, his barrister said. "He's terrible at it", he told the judge. "He's probably the worst thief I've ever seen."

aphelan@herald.ie

- Andrew Phelan

http://www.herald.ie/news/courts/5-busp ... 12057.html

Why does this story not surprise me?

[sarah_lennon]

Lindsay Lohan. Aged 25

Show Spoiler:

[Amz]

I'm suddenly feeling absolutely amazing about myself!

[johng]

Lindsay Lohan. Aged 25

Show Spoiler:

Tell the truth. That's yer Ma. Isn't it?

[sarah_lennon]

Lindsay Lohan. Aged 25

Show Spoiler:

Tell the truth. That's yer Ma. Isn't it?

It's Me!

Come and get it boys...

[the spoofer]

Lindsay Lohan. Aged 25

Show Spoiler:

Tell the truth. That's yer Ma. Isn't it?

It's Me!

Come and get it boys...

As Hancock so eloquently put it "Pass".

[Donny B.]

Lindsay Lohan. Aged 25

Show Spoiler:

Say no to drugs kids!

[Donny B.]

Heard an ad on the radio for the rugby coverage in the Sunday Times....with "expert analysis from David Walsh, Stuart Barnes and former international captain Stephen Jones!" Now it might be a case of mixing two people with the same name up or Jones might have spoofed his way into the job by fibbing on his CV. Would explain how he got the job in the first place in fairness!

[Scott]

Ennis Circuit Court was told medics found the baby (10mts old) suffered two broken forearms; a dislocated right elbow; a significant brain bleed; a bite mark to his right cheek; a burn mark from an iron to his calf and multiple bruising across his body when admitted to hospital.

& the judge gave the guy..................3yrs

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 18672.html

[Darce]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/bre ... ing17.html

[Scott]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/bre ... ing17.html

Must have a Dell all-in-one. Drinks the f%~king ink

[Leinster Exile]

I take you 2 twins with ADD and raise you 75 year old Las Vegas crooner

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17222934