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Sunday Brody Sunday – O’Briens don’t want to pay double time

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

O’Briens press released today about them not wanting to pay double time for people that work on a Sunday. Naturally they threatened 60 jobs would be lost. In fairness lads.

A Partridge on London - Time Out
Photo owned by Annie Mole (cc)

Brody Sweeney (not pictured) stated in the press release:

“This Sunday ‘double time / time and a third’ comes from a period in Ireland where there was no Sunday trading to speak of, and where many employers used Dickensian tactics with their employees. In modern Ireland, Sunday trading is a fact of life; most employers offer Sunday hours on a purely voluntary basis, and of course we have no ability to charge extra to our customers, to reflect the increased cost” he said.

Currently 75% of O’Briens’ 126 stores on the Island of Ireland are open on Sundays. They anticipate that, if NERA continues to enforce these regulations, at least 60 job losses will needlessly have to be made

Posted in business, irishblogs | 47 Comments »

Go Go Enterprise Ireland!

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

I’m not being sarcastic here. Two things, no actually three things that EI deserves recognition for.

1. Innovation Vouchers. I got mine during the week. Really excited about them. Getting friends to get theirs too. Right now, in these very odd financial times, they’re a boon.

2. EI sent around an email around today talking up loads of Irish Web 2.0 companies including: PollDaddy, Contrast, dotMobi, Muzu TV, Nooked, Dial2Do, LouderVoice, PutPlace, Finetuna, Abaltat, RevaHealth, Toddle, IGOpeople, Hosting365, Sxoop Technologies

3. The Enterprise Ireland Silicon Valley blog. For a such a dinosaur of an entity, this blog is disruptive. Not for those that see EI from the outside, or those in the inside but also because blogging disrupts the blogger. Blogging has changed the way I write, the way I research and even the way I am. Watch out Jack!

I’m sure there are lots more things they should be praised for and I’m one that has given out about them a lot, a hell of a lot but I think we should give them as much praise as we can for at least the three items above. Go sub to the blog and give them kudos for it!

Update: That EI newsletter

Posted in business, irishblogs, technology | 5 Comments »

Fluffy Links – November 5th 2008

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

This was written when I was tired and emotional.

Revolution Cycle (worldwide charity cycle) presentation in Cork tomorrow night. Go along if you can.

No, thank you Niall.

Via Niall too is Ray Foley’s reaction to the Brand and fuckface thing. Pretty spot on.

Markham Nolan (feck’s sake stop being linked to) asks are the RTE blogs being ghostwritten?

Fianna Fáil had a bad day yesterday. One TD was in Court for the assault charges. One was sentenced for drunk driving. The rest are just…

Amazon kinda go green packaging Damn.

Uncov guy writes for the Register, takes apart Microsoft’s Azure civil service in the cloud.

Top designer on Threadless now has his own store. Glennz.

Outside Line did Diesel’s 30th gig. Love the tech they used in it.

Posted in Fluffy, irishblogs | 3 Comments »

We can cry now, yes?

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Not Sleeping Tonight
Photo owned by honorfoto (cc)

The world watched tonight because this was a world election, with just Americans voting in it. All those people that were frustrated with their lives, their countries, the world around them just wanted a new regime and their American brothers and sisters voted for it tonight. Thank you.

Is Obama our new saviour? Have we the citizens of the world built him and his campaign up so much to represent the opposite of all that is so wrong with the world today? It seems so. That’s unfair though.

I don’t think we’ll irrationally expect this man to sort every problem but the way he has shown himself and led his team will see us expect to make the right decisions and tough decisions and explain why and hopefully the most powerful man in the world will inspire other world leaders and local leaders.

Did the world sigh? I think it just did after holding our breath for 8 years with massive hurting in the past 6 months as the last of that oxygen went away. Now we go to sleep without having to worry about tomorrow for a change, someone is watching over us and will for four years. Now we breathe and now we cry some happy tears. Thanks America.

Posted in irishblogs, politics | 17 Comments »

Super shots by super Phil

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Via Phil – Some of the profile shots that Phil took at BarCamp.

This is me on 3 hours sleep:
Damien Mulley looking wrecked

If you use some of the shots Phil took of you, link to his portfolio.

Thanks Phil!

Posted in irishblogs, technology | Comments Off on Super shots by super Phil

Tuesday Push? Where’s it at? Nominate your own

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

Why not talk about your own project or a project you like for this week’s push? That’s what Gordon has done. Not had time this week to process the Push or look through the noms for Blog post of the Month. So g’wan promote something you like this time and we’ll get back to the usual in two weeks.

Posted in business, irishblogs, Tuesday Push | 2 Comments »

BarCamp Cork II afterthoughts

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

BarCamp Cork

After a slow start (I was still wrecked from the night before and came down on the 7am train from Dublin) BarCamp Cork really picked up momentum as the day progressed. People complained the morning was too “codey” but I guess the programmers were first in and got their names on the programme first. That or, maybe the programmers were actually less shy than the more business-type speakers. There’s always a first!

Coming up to lunch we really saw things happening with lots of talks being added, more spaces being invaded for use for chats and teeny tiny sessions and the topic content broadened quite a lot. There were a lot of new faces too who were not at the original BarCamp or the any of the ones after that. I was most impressed with the Dublin contingent who came down, as well as the Nordies (yay) and even Emma from the UK who I was told gave a fab talk about what BarCamp is all about. I’d loved to have seen that talk and perhaps Emma could make a video of this at the next BarCamp she goes to and upload it. Should it be the prerequisite video to watch for everyone that attends a BarCamp?

Alexia and Pat held court around lunchtime in the MAXRoam offices and the room was stuffed to the gills with interested people. There was a lot more interactivity at this BarCamp than the previous one I was at and I think a lot of people were so chuffed that they may go off and run their own, right Aileen, right Jessica? 🙂

There was a considerable amount of talented people at BarCamp and many of these are going to be big names within a few years. Hopefully the BarCamps have been part of this incubation process. Onwards and upwards.

BarCamp Cork was pretty much the baby of Conor O’Neill who put it all together. All. A huge thanks is due to Kay Wright from the Webworks who on her day off came along and helped out and to the sponsors who backed this event. Hopefully we’ll see more events at Webworks too. Beautiful location.

Posted in irishblogs, technology | 5 Comments »

Fluffy Links – Tuesday November 4th 2008

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

Dan Boyle is going to try and get into Europe. The Two Faces of Dan Boyle Campaign will be starting sooner then. Libertas will have a rep in the mix too and Seán Kelly is going to be parachuted in and Burke will get shafted. Interesting times. Cork might end up with no MEPS after having 3.

BarCamp reviews:
Nice review and great pics from Phil. Come back soon!

Paul also has a great review.

Julian does a review and then goes on a riff about culture. Love it.

Nice stats on Obama and McCain and their rank on social networks etc.

I want this for my blog header. Yeah, if I ever get this blog designed.

Sweeeeet. Mobile phone with built-in projector. Want. Cheap too.

Nice. iMac-like touchcreen computer. HP were ahead of yiz all though lads.

Consumer purchases are more likely to be influenced by what they read on a blog versus what their social-networking rosters recommend.

For the day(s) that are in it:

Posted in Fluffy, irishblogs | 1 Comment »

Mr. Obama, I hope it goes well

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

Good luck Mr. Obama, I’m quite cynical about your words but your campaign and how it was run is testament to a great leader and management team. That alone brings hope. If you win, it might give hope to all of us here in Ireland and every other country that people who want change can get it. Course it will also bring out all the half-assed wannabe style campaigns too.

Speaking of which, I see totally neutral Rock the Vote are running the campaign of Obama-esque (where are his FF logos and colours) Other Tubridy.

Posted in irishblogs, politics | 4 Comments »

Heineken’s badly done Facebook campaign

Monday, November 3rd, 2008

So you may have seen if you’re on Facebook there are some sponsored ads on the right from Heineken or even ads in the middle of your news feed that advertise some music festival they’re running:

Heineken No Clue on Facebook

Click on the ad and you are brought to their website for the event. It asks where you’re coming from on their Irish site after directing you there. Uhm. Hello?

Heineken No Clue on Facebook

There they ask you for your details including your age and country you’re from. Data they have easy access to on Facebook. They make you re-register all over again for their events when a simple app on Facebook which only those above 18 in Ireland or 21 in the States can see. Dopes.

Heineken No Clue on Facebook

I’m sure there’s a massive drop-off rate too. Why not create a fan page on Facebook which you can restrict to people of certain ages and message all of them about events through the website they are using on a daily basis and having fun on? You need to go and market where the people are, not go there and drag them away to another site and putting a barrier in front of them when you drag them over. This is not a dog show, the people are not your dogs that you can drag around an obstacle course and making them jump through hoops and run through tunnels.

Wasted opportunity there.

Posted in business, irishblogs, technology | 8 Comments »

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