Is Biffo related to bif, as per Joey Deacon.
(god kids can be evil)
BIFFO. Scroll down.
Not that bad then.
Dont forget the near relation, of the BIFFO : the BUFFALO
(Big Ugly Fucker From Around Laois/Offaly)
Possibly invented by the long suffering people of Tullamore to get back at the uppity Portlaoisers.
Imagine thier chagrin, then when a passing Dublin gurrier pointed out to them that in their biffodom, not only had they inadvertently included themselves in the insult, but they had also added ugly to the sobriquet.
(PS I’d say we have convinced not only Fretful Porpentine, but all the rest of the Americans to join in the original boycott by this stage)
I’m suprised. Over 60 posts, and NO ONE has determined the worst thing about Ireland.
Fianna Fail rarely loses the elections.
And when they do, Fine Gael gets in. 
Oh how funny to see Fretful Porpentine actually being fretful. She is not usually. Nice thread, but if a sinister odd look is the criterion, I think you should add the United Kingdom to your boycott list. T. Blair looks very strange at times. Most times, I mean.
DIdn’t know where else to add this, so here will do…
As Jjimm mentioned our old friend ‘Big Ian P’:
Any of the Irish based boys and gals seen the DUP election broadcast yet? It was aired last night for the first.
The fecking spin and lies and political pandering in it would make your head explode! It would even make the current US administration blush, or jealous, due to the level of misinformation it spouts.
Unbelievable. :eek:
Yet another reason to boycott this country. It’ll do your head in.
It’s no wonder we have so many pubs and so many alcoholic beverages. It’s the only thing which keeps you sane.
how much complete fucking lies can the DUP get away with?
[homer]
Six? No, seven.
[/homer]
[Lisa]
It was a rhetorical question, dad.
[/Lisa]
[Homer]
Oh, I see. Eight?
[/Homer]
I’m pretty convinced they don’t have a lot of credibility with NI residents. They’re pretty extreme, and I think they’ve only got a strong following within the extremist groups (the paramilitary organisations come to mind).
Hopefully the majority of people in NI are sick and tired of these spiels, and will vote for parties that are commited to make things work up there.
The extremists up North, and by those I mean the Unionist extremist (I’m sure there’re some on the republican side, too, REAL IRA for example) are trying to hold on to the only thing that defines their identity: being anti-catholic, anti-republican.
They are aware that the majority of Britian sees Northern Ireland as being “Irish” and would very much like to wash their hands of them. To Britain, Northern Ireland is a waste of money, energy and time, and is a major pain in the neck.
Unionists do not want to share power, they’re trying with all their might to hold on to whatever power they have. That is why Trimble is so reluctant to get into a Power Sharing Agreement, and why he’s never going to be satisfied with whatever gestures the IRA makes. He wants to hear the words: “The War IS Over”.
But as long as Britian hasn’t stated that their war with Ireland is over, the IRA is not going to issue such a statement.
What really makes my blood boil, is that in the past 5 years, the IRA and the republican parties are the only ones that have implemented some, if not nearly all, of the steps that were agreed on in the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement. (Ok, from the British side: the RUC is now called the PSNI, but it hasn’t really changed. A lot of subversive elements are still present within the police force (and the fact that a good few of them are thugs, was confirmed in the Stevens Report).)
The IRA has decommisioned a major part of their weapons, and has complied, indeed is complying still with the cease fire.
The last three statements that have been issued, make it quite clear that their preferred path is the path towards peace, not conflict. The only ones in this whole conflict I can see being contrite, are the Unionist parties, and not just the extreme ones.
They want the ceasement of all paramilitary activities, but never have they even asked, let alone demanded, the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) and the UDA (Ulster Derfence Association) to decommision and to stop fighting. Indeed, the only thing that has been requested of them is that they stop fighting eachother (!).
The presence of British armed forces has not diminished, as stipulated in the GFA, indeed, when Tonly Blair issued a statement last week that he was going to look at pulling some of the troops out, Trimble hastely urged TB to reconsider, and to let them stay (!). So Trimble is openly going against the GFA.
The situation we have on our hands now, is this:
one side of the fighting parties has stuck to its promises, implementing whatever was required of them. Not only has the other side not stuck to their promises, they have actively:
-boycotted the GFA
-If they did implement something out of the GFA, implemented it in such a way that in effect, nothing changed.
And now they have the audacity to demand that IRA and republican side comply completely and utterly with conditions set out in the GFA, before they will even think about doing the same?
It’d be laughable if it wasn’t so sad.
godammit.
and this just to illustrate my point:
http://www.unison.ie/breakingnews/index.php3?ca=39&si=34566
Blair to postpone Northern Assembly elections
14:05 Thursday May 1st 2003
British Prime Minister is to announce the postponement of the North’s Assembly elections later today. Mr Blair is expected to make the announcement during a speech to the British House of Commons at 2.30pm. Earlier today, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams had urged Mr Blair not to postpone the elections, saying to so would be “absolutely wrong”. The vote, which had already been delayed by four weeks, was due to go ahead on May 29th. All the Northern parties except the Ulster Unionists wanted the British Government to allow the ballot take place, but Mr Blair is now expected to postpone it until the autumn.
Speaking in Belfast earlier today, Mr Adams slammed the British Government’s rejection of his statement yesterday promising that the IRA would engage in no activities which undermine the peace process or the Good Friday Agreement. He said British Prime Minister Tony Blair was effectively implementing a unionist veto over the peace process. A spokesman for Mr Blair said he was disappointed that the statement did not clearly say that the IRA would end punishment beatings and targeting, but Mr Adams asked today what parts of the words “no activities” did the British Government not understand. He said the Irish Government should not acquiesce if London decided to postpone the election.
Bairbre de Brun, the Sinn Fein Health Minister in the suspended power-sharing Executive, has also slammed the British Government’s attitude and accused Mr Blair of continuously moving the goal posts every time republicans make an effort to rescue the peace process. She also said the planned postponement of the May 29th election woulc be an effective cancellation of democracy in the North of Ireland. “The British Government asked for words. They got those words. They’ve now moved the goal posts again,” she said. “The people should decide. The election campaign has begun. The elections should not be cancelled and any British Government that is now going to cancel elections in Ireland is cancelling democracy in Ireland.”
sickening.
:mad:
With all due respect Elfje, I don’t want going to hi-jack this thread into another NI argument. Sorry to the OP, but this needs to be answered:
To pick up on a few points: (bolding mine)
What about these issues:
Early release of all political prisoners from the Maze.
Reduction of numbers and role of armed forces. (reduced by over 3,500)
Removal of security installations in South Armagh and closure of many police stations throughout the province. (35 have been closed since GFA)
Closure of Holding centres (Castlereagh & Strand).
The new Police Art (2000) became law.
New Policing Board set up.
New cross-border bodies set up.
European Convention on Human Rights added to NI law October 2000.
Positive discrimination laws on police recruitment, ensuring 50% catholic & 50% other.
On-the-run prisoners are to be given immunity.
There are many other issues, but this should be plenty to illustrate how partisan your position reads.
Major part? Cite? A tiny part would be a lot closer. A major act of decommissioning on the part of the IRA who always maintained “not an ounce, not a bullet” but it is hardly indicative of their entire arms holding. And not an ounce of explosives has been handed in.
The IRA ceasefire is still considered in place, if you conveniently ignore:
Spies in Government - information gathering
Continued weapons training and recruitment
The 'problems’ in Columbia
The constant beatings and policing of communities via vigilante methods.
Splinter groups - continuity / Real IRA continuing to carry out bombings and training.
Are you seriously suggesting that Britain is at war with Ireland? I trust you can clarify this statement?
well, ermm, they had occupied the country since Elizabethan times, and slaughtered anyone who has ever dared to challenge their claim on Ireland. There were uprisings in 1798, 1803, 1848, 1867 and 1916, and none of them succeeded in anyway to make the plight of the Irish people less severe. If British rule was so wholesome, why do you think were there 5 uprisings in the space of 124 years? For fun?
And when they finally DO decide to withdraw from Ireland, they make it token freedom: 6 counties are to remain part of England (Why? Why leave incompletely? It was a recipe for disaster from start to finish), + anyone who accepted the freestate had to swear allegiance to the King. How free is that, exactly?
So I’m sorry, but yes, I would say that Britain has never completely ended their occupation of Ireland.
Furthermore, the treatment of the Irish people by the British government druing the occupation, was nothing short of brutal. During the famine, even, Irish was exporting grain to Britain, because most british believed the famine was caused by the laziness of the Irish people. I believe it was Shakespear who vilifed the Irish and came up with the Fighting Dumb Irishman stereotype for the first time. But what piques me most under current circumstances, is that Britain never ever beat their chest, proclaiming mea culpa. They’ve never admitted any wrongdoing in Ireland, and indeed, the British public is still being kept in the dark as to what really went on, all those centuries.
So forgive me my fury. I think it’s justified.
While I don’t agree that Britain is at war with Ireland, they could at least promise to stop the illegal spying on Nationalist politicians.
I totally agree your anger may be justified in light of historical goings-on.
I also feel there are many legitimate points of contention to attack in the way the British government has handled Northern Ireland over the years, and how they have since justified their actions.
But I don’t agree it is OK to make up accusations and distort facts to suit your view. Especially on this board.
I’m not getting dragged into this as I have too much work to do today.
Couple of questions:
Do you think an inspection of an arms dump qualifies as decommissionning?
Do you think the IRA have only three arms dumps in total?
Do you think the victims of IRA bombs care about whether the gruop is called the Official IRA, the Provisional IRA, the Real IRA, the Continunity IRA or whatever?
ALL groups have to stop the violence before any progress can be made diplomatically. And that includes the Loyaslist gangs too.
Nice coding by the way. 
[d]Twisty**, you been reading some biographies lately?
What’s that law that states slagging off someones coding means you make a mistake in your own?
Damn it!!!
'tis called “Poetic Justice”
just like you: i’m busy.
didn’t want to figure out how to Unbold a part in a bolded bit, so underlined it instead.
Hope it was clear enough.
nah, I’m waiting for the DUP “Fair Deal” version of the book to come out so I can learn THE REAL TRUTH!!! (c)