Sorry for the bad quality shots, took them with my mobile, did not have the D80 with me today.
There's a discussion at the IBC forum on various charities that are happening around Dublin. If there are other fund-raisings happening around the country, post it there. Of course, people can just donate to the Chinese Red Cross via redcross.ie.
I tell ya, from my previous entries, people are definitely starting to hoard rice in the US. People are preparing for the worst, so panick-buying, and restrictions are applied to some consumers of some shops.
"I picked up as much as I could," Diep said as she hauled a dozen 50-pound bags of Super Lucky Elephant rice and 10 bags of 25-pound long grain into her van and her sister's sedan.
Hmm, over-reacting, aren't we?
Just an example of what is hitting Asians overseas from the current crisis in relation to what will probably happen to me here in Ireland, hoarding of rice. I have mentioned it in my previous post. I suppose that is the least of my worries, as there are people in poorer countries suffering because they cannot afford rice which is part of their staple diet.
Another warning sign for us to bear in mind are dairy products. I noticed that people in China has developed a taste for dairy products, thus a fight for keeping up with demands of supplying dairy produce globally. In Japan, they mainly import their dairy produce from Austrailia, and they are struggling to cope. This article shows that simple needs like buying butter from shops is a problem. Obviously the shortage of grain (rice and wheat) is an issue over there as well, impact from droughts hitting exporting countries and use of grains to be turn to bio-fuel hits pockets as food prices increases hits consumers to bakeries and other food related-businesses.
I wonder will this encourage countries to grow their own food more?
It's called GovWifi, found this via reading an article from The Standard. You can find your nearest location here. For HK$50, you can have encrypted access (you will need your HK id card though)...
[...] encrypted access to protect their personal data or transactions at any Hong Kong post office.
Even found some pictures on Flickr.
According to RTE news report, fake EUR200 maybe circulating, um, not that most people are going around with EUR200 notes in their pockets! Although that reminds me of my lecturer's story about a guy who bought his own driving school a few years back for something like EUR10K in cash, paid in some car park. Turns out the "owner" of the car who sold it to the guy did not even own the car, and it was repossessed, so all he was left was the sign on top of the car. Oh, did I mention, there was no business premises attached to that driving school. So, paying that amount in cash, you have to be really sure when you part with it, or when you receive it... or both.
Fingerprinting will be introduced next term by Griffith College to ensure attendance of international students, and comply with the immigration laws. I don't think that this method will help, if they already claim that the attendance is immaculate, there is no reason to implement this. The students themselves are obviously not happy, I found their student magazine editorial page, if it's not viewable here is what it said:
The international debate on fingerprinting students and storing their photographs has escalated recently. Latest figures show that two million children in 6,000 schools in the UK have been fingerprinted and the number is likely to touch six million this year as nearly 13,000 schools begin to use this method to grant students access to libraries and canteens. This month we have learnt that biometric fingerprinting systems have been introduced to our campus – is it the way forward or a step too far [...].
The government is tightening the laws on immigration and asylum. The proposed immigration bill allows authorities to allow access of foreign nationals and even track their where abouts around Ireland.
From the Indo's breaking news:
The Migrants Right Centre has criticised the proposed new Immigration Bill published by Justice Minister Brian Lenihan today.The bill is aimed at tightening Ireland's immigration laws and making it easier for the authorities to deport illegal immigrants.
Siobhan O'Donoghue, the director of the Migrants Rights Centre, says the proposed legislation is seriously flaws and lacks fairness, transparency and due process.
She says major changes in the bill are needed in order to ensure that immigration reform is done correctly.
In June, China will ban shops from handing out free plastic bags, especially the ultra-thin bags.
Shops that violated the new rules could be fined or have their goods confiscated, it said.
(From BBC) Read More...
It will be dependant on the immigration on what will happen to the minimum wage.
The UK and Ireland have been the main destinations for migrants from the 10 new EU member countries. Future migration flows into Ireland will depend on the minimum wage relativities between the two countries.
Only in Dublin so far thought, but it's a start.
The schools, in the Phoenix Park and Phibblestown, will be the first of their kind in the country and will be under the patronage of the County Dublin VEC.
