circularmay07.

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THE
MAY 2007

CIRCULAR

Global Warming
It’s not the end of
the World

Magic Mushrooms!
The end is nigh
for your legal
high...

DOMESTIC
DISTURBANCE:
The incest case
that rocked
Germany

News, Fashion, Travel, Health, Media, Sport

circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 17:07 Page 2

G RIFFIANS ON G RIFFITH

Robbie Smyth
Deputy Head of Journalism Faculty
“It’s g ood f un t o s ee p eople l earning
stuff.”
Val Corbett
Head of Law Faculty
“Um, I t hink I ’m a g ood l ecturer b ecause I
wasn’t a g enius i n c ollege.”
Seamus Fitzpatrick
Head of Business Faculty
“We h ave a n o pen-door p olicy. T he s tudents
are e ncouraged t o c ome a nd t alk t o u s.”
Deirdre Doherty
Course Director for Faculty of Design
“I w ent o ff t raveling f or a y ear t o L A, H awaii,
Fiji, B ali a nd T hailand... I a dvise a ll s tu-
dents t o d o i t t o g et i t o ut o f t heir s ystems.”

Eamon Nolan
Head of Faculty of Computing
“Students d on’t r ealise t he a mount o f t ime
that i s t aken u p w ith t heir i ssues... W e h ave a
diverse p opulation o f s tudents a nd I ’ve
learned a l ot f rom t hem.”

inside... Editors:
Gareth Barry
The cost of safe sex in Ireland 3 Travel: J1’s summer hotspots & 8 Sean Nevins
Essential foreign phrases for the Noel Burke
Legal loopholes allow illegal high 4 Summer
Sub-Editors:
Catriona Burke
Incest in Europe examined & 5 Fashion...Griffith Style 9 Erin Filisko
Pitfalls of mdern technolgy
Advertising:
The real truth behind 6 Media: Summer Blockbuster’s 10 Orna Ballout
Climate Change Previews & Books to live by..
Contributors: Aidan Corcoran, Wendy Grace, Ciara Healy,
Sport: How we don’t do it at 11 Barry Dunne, Aneta Negra, Jean Kelly
Advice: Exam tips, how to quit 7
Smoking & movies to see before Griffith &... The Circular is produced by students of Griffith College
Dublin, SCR, Dublin 8. Tel 01-4150400

You die The opinions and views in the publication are those of the
Back by Popular Demand... contributors and are not necessarily shared by Griffith
College Dublin.
Page 2
circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 17:07 Page 3

News & Features

ce a Condom?
What Pri
Catriona Burke
bemoans the high
cost of safe-sex
in Ireland

If you have traveled around Europe, you

will have noticed that condoms in Ireland
are overpriced, ranging from €11 to €15
for a 12 pack of Durex. You may have won-
dered why that's the case. The main rea-
son behind it is the Irish government’s
resistance to lower the rate of VAT on con-
doms.

I
n Ireland, the full standard rate of 21% is applicable for condoms and is
increased even further for the consumer. Therefore, VAT charged by the
Revenue Commissioners effectively becomes a disincentive. This is not only
short-sighted, but also uneconomical for the State. Treatment of STDs, and deal-
ing with unwanted pregnancies, is costing the National Health Service hundreds
of millions of Euros every year. A reduction in the price of condoms would reduce
much of these risks.
What is even more surprising, for reasons known only to the Revenue
Commissioners, is that an inconsistency exists in the Irish VAT system. While the
full 21% standard rate is applied to condoms, the contraceptive pill enjoys a 0%
VAT rate, but only condoms prevent from the transmission of STDs.
Party have all assured their support for the campaign.
The Irish government is currently undermining any push for safer sex by treat-
ing condoms under the tax system as though they were a ‘luxury item’ rather
than a basic healthcare essential which saves lives and prevents infections.
Darragh O'Loughlin, chairman of the The Irish Pharmaceutical Union’s (IPU)
Community Pharmacy Committee, said classing condoms as luxury items sent out
a mixed message about sexual health. "These are not luxuries; they are absolute
essentials and should not be taxed at the same rate as luxury goods. But charg-
ing VAT on condoms at the same time as running campaigns to encourage their
use is utterly nonsensical”.

EU law permits reduced tax rates on pharmaceutical products
which are typically used in health care and the prevention of
diseases, including those used for contraception. In March “These
2006, the UK made use of this fact and reduced their VAT
rating on condoms from 17.5% to 5%. So there are no
are not
legalities preventing the success of the condom tax cam-
paign here in Ireland. The only obstacle in the path is our
luxuries; they are
government. absolute essentials,
The campaign has been stepped up recently here in and should not be
Ireland, and has had immense support; pharmacists, fam-
ily planning agencies and student organizations around the taxed as luxury
In the first survey of its kind carried out in the Republic, last
year's Irish Study of Sexual Health and Relationships found that
sexually transmitted infections had increased by 243%
between 1998 and 2003.The research carried out by the
Economic and Social Research Institute and the Royal
College of Surgeons in Ireland also revealed that 14% of
people polled did not use a condom when having sex
with a person they had met for the first time. The IPU
believes if the VAT was reduced more people would be
encouraged to protect themselves from sexually trans-
mitted infections and the risk of unplanned-pregnancies.

country have all added to the increased pressure on the gov-

ernment. All this has failed to influence the government’s
items”
affordable and accessible method of protecting themselves
position on the matter so far.
Brian Cowen, Minister for Finance, argued that if the tax rate was
reduced that pharmacies, wholesalers and supermarkets around the country
would not pass on the price reduction to the general public and so the reduction
would not be of any benefit. The Minister still maintained this stance after
wholesalers and pharmacies all pledged support for the campaign and an inten-
tion to pass on the tax reduction price should it be implemented.
Apart from the obvious contradictions to the government’s campaigns to
encourage condom use, it is somewhat shortsighted to rule out any tax reduc-
tions on condoms so close to general elections. Fine Gael, Labour and the Green
It is clear that we must look to providing people with an
against such infections. As a method of contraception, condoms
have the advantage of being easy to use, having few side-effects,
and of offering protection against STDs. Therefore, they represent the
single most effective safeguard we currently have available to prevent the rise
of STDs and unwanted pregnancies.
Unfortunately, for many young people who do not have sizeable disposable
incomes, cost is a factor in deciding whether or not to use contraception.
Reducing the cost of condoms to an affordable rate is the only logical step. It
must be reduced to al least the basic rate of tax, currently 13%, as a matter of
public health. The campaign however remains ongoing with more resistance pre-
dicted from the government before any change is achieved.

Page 3
circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 17:07 Page 4
News & Features
MARY’S MAGIC
BAN LEAVES
‘MUSH-ROOM’
FOR DEBATE
es, but loopholes still exist.
The law has changed to ban sale
Orna Ballout Reports
A
tragedy that caused contro-
versy and uproar within the
nation and media occurred
on Halloween night in 2005. It was
sparked when Colm Hodkinson, a 33
year old Dublin man met his death
after falling from a fourth-floor bal-
cony whilst at a party. The sad real-
ity which resulted in Mr.Hodkinson’s
death was that he had previously
consumed a lethal volume of the
legally obtainable magic mush-
rooms. He had bought the mush-
rooms from a ‘legal high’ alterna-
tive shop to share amongst his
friends during Halloween. Within
half an hour of taking 3 mushrooms,
his friends became worried about
his behaviour. The end result proved
to be fatal.
Up until Tuesday 31 January
2006, there was a loophole in the
Irish law which made it legal to
obtain hallucinogenic magic mush-
rooms. It was illegal to buy the
mushrooms if they were processed,
but no laws to stop them being pur-
chased in their raw state. Various
outlets dotted around the country
sold these psilocybin mushrooms.
It wasn’t until after the young
Dublin man’s death that a ban was
put on the mushrooms, under the
misuse of Drugs act 1977. This
occurred after Mary Harney met
with the late Mr.Hodkinsons parents
and finally introduced the regula-
tion. The Tánaiste stated, “In
December I met with the family of a
young man who died after having
consumed psychoactive mushrooms.
At that time it had become clear
that the sale of magic mushrooms
was increasingly commonplace, and
I directed that legislation be pre-
pared to clarify the law to ensure
that the trade in these drugs could
not continue. I have signed the
statutory instrument required to
give effect to that legislation
today.”
However, a year has passed since
this bill was signed, and it is still
possible to purchase these danger-
ous drugs in Ireland. In alternative
shops around the city, a customer
can obtain the apparatus to grow
their own hallucinogenic “shrooms”
as they are also known. I spoke to an
owner of one of these ‘legal high’
shops in Dublin City; he was able to
Page 4
give me lots of information on how
to get these mushrooms. According
to the owner of the Hemp Store on
Capel Street, there are many labori-
tories in Amsterdam that will ship and-hallucinated. On the other
Magic mushrooms into Ireland. It is hand, another user had a bad expe-
legal for them to send the mush- rience. Firstly they had an outburst
rooms from Holland, but is illegal of laughter, followed by feelings of
for the customer in Ireland to depression and fear. At some stages
receive them. He gave me details on struggling to retain breath, experi-
how to pursue this process but encing bad cramps and pains in
because of the risk involved in try- their back and stomach.
ing to purchase mushrooms from
Holland the owner sent me down
the street where I could purchase
It is legal for shocking
The law was changed but the
reality is that people can
grow kits.
them to send the There has been an increase in the
still get their hands on these drugs.
sale of other substitute ‘legal highs’
In the nearby Nirvana store, I
bought mushroom seed, which mushrooms from since the ban on mushrooms. Users
comes in a syringe in the form of liq- seeking an alternative to Cocaine
uid, also known as spores. I also pur- Holland, but is ille- and Ecstasy can buy other pills
chased the grow kit. The owner which have a similar effect. A
informed me that I would have to
purchase these items separately for
gal for the cus- chemical known as BZP, which was
banned in the US in 2002, is readily
legal purposes, which meant two tomer in Ireland to available over the counter here in
separate bags, two separate trans- Ireland. Traces of this can be found
actions and two separate receipts.
Although not buying the mushrooms
receive them. inbuymany of the pills that you can
in alternative shops.
in a raw or processed state, I now
had the sufficient means to harvest It took a fatality for the law to be
this dangerous drug. The spores are changed as a result of this deadly
only meant to be obtained for scien- drug. The fact that people can buy
tific research purposes but there apparatus and preparation kits to
was no questioning my use of either grow these mushrooms is a contra-
of the items I obtained. After spend- diction to this law. Is the
ing the sum of seventy Euros, the Government going to wait for
set up apparatus for the growth was another tragedy to take some
complete. A wholesale supplier action about something that is obvi-
Mr.Darcy Petticrew, who owns ously being abused within Irish soci-
Himalayan Crafts in Navan, Co. ety?
Meath, has a toxic mushroom known
as amanita for sale. These
toxic mushrooms weren’t
included under the regu-
lation brought about in
January of last year.
Theses mushrooms are
extremely potent and can
still be obtained in
Ireland.
Magic Mushrooms can
cause many effects after
ingestion; it only takes
one or the wrong amount
to have devastating con-
sequences. I spoke to
classmates who had dif-
ferent experiences with
mushrooms. One user felt
euphoria, which entailed
hours of uncontrollable
laughter. They had an
increased sense of touch
circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 17:07 Page 5
News & Features
DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE
A GERMAN BROTHER AND SISTER, WITH FOUR CHIL-
DREN ARE CHALLENGING THEIR COUNTRY’S INCEST
LAWS
PAUL CLEARY INVESTIGATES
O
ne of the most fundemental taboos of
society is incest. The very notion of
any type of relative having a sexual
relationship with another relative is enough to
make even the most sexually liberated squirm.
In Germany, Patrick Stubing and his sister
Susan have attracted much attention bacause
of their case. Patrick (30) was put up for adop-
tion in his native Germany when he was born
and was only reunited with his mother in 2000.
This is when he met his younger sister, now 24,
for the first time. Six months later their moth-
er died and by 2002 the couple had fallen in
love and had had their first child. Since then
they have gone on to have three more chil-
dren, though all of them except their youngest
have been taken into foster care. Two of the
children have been reported as suffering from
disabilities.It is unclear whether these disabil-
ities have been a direct result of their parents
being so closely related, or whether it is due to
them being born prematurly.
Mr Stubing has already been jailed for two
years for conceiving a child with his sister and
has since been sterilised. However Ms Stubing
has never been imprisoned because she has
always been tried as an adolescent.
The case gets darker still after discovering
that a psychological report has determined
that Ms Stubing has a slow mental capacity and
is generally unaware of what is happening
around her. She has been reported as saying
that she was never told that Mr Stubing is her
brother. A similar report was done on Mr
Tangled up in a Web of Deceit
Shaun Cronin
Is the Government doing enough
to protect young people from the
dangers of the Internet?
In the modern world the internet and technology
have become part of people’s everyday lives.
Twenty years ago if you were seen talking to your-
self it would be assumed that you were insane.
Nowadays, it is a normal everyday occurrence.
Mobile phones come in all shapes and sizes with
cameras, video and even the internet. Over the last
decade our world has been revolutionised by the
invention of the internet. People are now able to
book holidays, purchase items, attend online auc-
tions and access essential information. This is only
the tip of the iceberg where the internet is concerned.
Unfortunately, as with everything, it’s not perfect.
There are many dangers lurking on the internet and
not everyone is mature enough to handle the poten-
tial pitfalls of the net. The blame for this in our coun-
try lies firmly at the feet of our government and its
Department of Education. Our elected officials have
failed to put in place a system for properly educating
the younger generation on how to deal with its many
potential dangers.
Is the government doing enough? Not in the opin-
ion of Brid Lysaght, Principal of Nagle Rice
Secondary School, Doneraile, Co. Cork. In response
THE ULTIMATE TABOO
Stubing which read that he was quick tem-
pered, controlling and unstable. When speak-
ing to a newspaper after his most recent child
was born last year he said “The younger chil-
dren might not have been born had they not
taken the first one from us, we just want to
make sure that we don't lose everything again."
Their lawyer’s grounds for defence is that it
is not illegal for people with genetic diseases
to have children, despite the high probability it
will be passed onto their offspring, and is
appealing to have the law changed.
If we look at this from a distance it actually
raises a question. Can we stop people from
having children if there is a high chance the
child will suffer from a disability? If two people
suffering from severe Haemophilia have a
child, there is an 80% chance the child will also
suffer. However, if a brother and sister have a
child together there is only a 50% chance the
child will have a disability. If we look at it log-
ically there is an inequality occurring.
It is only in modern times that incest
between brother and sister is considered
taboo. In Greek mythology, Zeus and Hera
(King and Queen of the Greek Gods) were
brother and sister born of another brother and
sister. The same applied to the Egyptian Gods
and the Norse. A brother and sister having a
sexual relationship was not considered a bad
thing. Sexual relations between a father and
daughter or a mother and son were always con-
sidered taboo however, as shown in Sophocles’
play Oedipus Rex.
to learning of the government’s deficiencies in this
area she stated, “It is dreadfully dangerous. They’re
all at it; they all think its great until something hap-
pens. I would be extremely concerned”. When asked
what input the government has in the computer
course run in the school she said “none at all, the
government offers no input whatsoever”.
The Once Project and The National Centre of
Technology in Education are government-run organ-
isations aimed at educating younger internet users.
When questioned as to whether she was aware of
these websites she said, “ No I haven’t been made
aware of such websites or guidelines that the gov-
ernment have set up. I am actually very angry that I
have not been made aware of these websites. I will
be asking why the Department of Education has set
up these sites and not made the schools aware of
them, especially when they were set up for educa-
tional needs in the first place.” She also went on to
state, “I would now like to call on the government to
make all schools and educational institutions aware
of these web pages and organisations and to update
these pages and the schools on a regular basis.”
When the topic was turned to cyber and mobile
phone bullying she said, “This is obviously a serious
issue and there is a zero [tolerance attitude] towards
any form of bulling in our school. I find cyber
bulling to be the most vicious form of technological
bullying. I believe this because with mobile phones
at least the bullying is just person to person, but in
Scientist Floyd Martinson studied incestuous
relations between brothers and sisters and dis-
covered that between 25-40% of college stu-
dents have experienced some form of sexual
encounter with a sibling of a similar age.
Indeed Martinson discovered that there was
quite a high percentage of twins that had
engaged in incest at an early age, particularly
same sex identical twins.
When it comes to same sex incest, the law
becomes fuzzy. It does seem that the genetic
similarity is just an excuse for a law to prevent
a social taboo, and this law cannot apply to a
same sex incestuous relationships, due to the
fact that pregnancy is not an issue.
Incest laws are a rather grey area as they
vary from country to country. It is legal for sib-
lings to have sexual relations in many coun-
tries. Incest became legal in France in 1810. It
is also legal in The Netherlands, Luxembourg,
Belgium, Portugal and Turkey. It has recently
been legalised in Japan, Argentina and Brazil.
The existing incest laws in Britain were
strengthened in 2002 to include not just those
with blood ties, but also step-parents and their
children and in cases of adoptions.
Patrick and Susan Stubing’s case is raising
many questions regarding incestuous relation-
ships; Should it legalised? Is it love? Does it
matter?. Public opinions on the matter will
continue to vary, but at the end of the day the
law will have the final say.
the case of websites such as Bebo and Myspace the
bullying is there for all the world to see.”
When the government was contacted to answer
Principal Lysaght’s furious criticism, the
Department of Education’s spokeswoman Margaret
McCarthy responded as follows: “The fact that
cyber bullying content can be on the Internet in a
very public and permanent way makes it a very
insidious form of bullying. Most cyber-bullying
takes place outside of school hours. The NCTE is
working with parents’ representative councils to
develop and co-ordinate advice to parents”.
However, this does not answer any questions and
its logic is flawed. While it is true to say that most
cyber bullying takes place outside school, it fre-
quently leads to actual bullying in school, whether
mental or physical. This is because school is often
the only place where the victim of the abuse and the
instigator of it have contact. Also, this statement in
no way answers the questions raised by Miss
Lysaght. The main question being why the govern-
ment has set up these rules, websites and guidelines
without then informing schools, helping to imple-
ment them and then regularly updating them?
Only in Ireland would you find a government who
would spend tax money to protect its next generation
and then not tell everyone about it. If this continues,
almost a third of the next generation will have been
exposed to unsuitable material on the internet.
Page 5
circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 17:07 Page 6
Cover Story
n 1975, a team of scientists
I announced to the world that
mankind was facing an environmen-
tal disaster. They discovered that global
temperatures had been steadily declining
since the 1950’s. If the trend continued they
said, the world could be facing the onset of a
new ice-age. They called this phenomenon
Global Cooling.
Fast-forward 30 years later and we are still
facing disaster, but for the opposite reason.
‘Global warming’ has become the buzzword of
the new millennium, a prophecy of doom that
rears its head in news reports practically every
day. By now you know the drill; man-made
CO2 emissions from industry, transport, ener-
gy and waste have polluted the earth’s atmos-
phere so much that global temperatures are
rapidly increasing. This climate change is
enough to melt the polar ice-caps, thereby
increasing sea-levels, causing massive flood-
ing, freak weather, seasonal anomalies,
droughts, heat waves, heavy rains and general
geographical mayhem.
If unchecked, scientists say that by 2050
things will already be different: Shannon
Airport will be underwater, and for the same
reason house prices in Cork City will have
dipped dramatically.
Former U.S President Al Gore has
gone as far as to say that “at stake
is nothing less than the sur- Odd though
vival of human civilisation”.
that the greatest news only planet heating up; temperature
There are however, story of all time- the end Pluto, Jupiter and Mars, all coin-
alternative views on the of the world- should come ciding with the current solar
issue, views that have not
been as widely accessible about just around the
to the public. In February same time as 24-hour
this year, the
Intergovernmental Panel on
news.
Climate Change (IPCC) formed a
broad consensus that global warming was a
very real threat to our world, and stated that it
causes were ‘very likely’ caused by human
activities. Both the public and media have
tended to agree with this. Since the IPCC is
made up of 2,500 scientists from 130 countries,
it would be hard not to.
However, some scientists have disagreed
with the assessment that global warming is a
man-made problem, and have instead pointed
to the Sun as the main source of climate tem-
perature change. A recent documentary on
Channel 4 called ‘The Great Climate Change
Swindle’ caused controversy when it claimed
that the public was being misled over climate
change, and that carbon emissions may not be
to blame.
One of the documentary’s contributors
Richard Lindzen, a climate physicist at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
describes the modern obsession with climate
change as “baseless alarmism”.
Lindzen went on to state that the predicted
widespread sea-level rises, droughts and floods
will not materialize. Even if these effects were
on the cards, he says, attempts to reduce emis-
sions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases would do almost nothing to hold such
disasters back.
Other scientists featured held similar views.
Climate change was very real they said, but
carbon emissions have a minimal effect on the
Earth’s temperature.
The reasons for the current hysteria may be
politically motivated. Scientists are receiving
huge funding for climate change research, and
are therefore under pressure to find something
wrong. Lindzen claims that applications for
research funding to analyse other possible
causes for temperature increases are not met
favourably. “Many programme managers have
told me that funding depends on concern for
Page 6
CLIMATE CHANGE
global warming,’ he says. ‘But if that is true, how
can you objectively study the way climate works?’
The main notion that these climate-sceptic sci-
entists have set out to debunk is that man-made
CO2 emissions are the ‘most likely’ cause of glob-
al temperature increases. Instead they point to the
influence of the sun, and how its fluctuating solar
activity directly affects the earth’s temperature. To
prove this, scientists have provided data that
shows a direct correlation between solar activity
and the earth’s temperature.
Charles Long, a climate physicist at Pacific
Northwest National Laboratories in Washington,
published a study in the journal Science showing
that Earth experienced a period of “solar global
dimming” from 1960 to 1990, during which time
solar radiation hitting our planet’s surface
decreased. Then from the mid-1990’s onward, the
trend reversed and Earth experienced a “solar
brightening.”
Indeed currently the Earth is not the
increases have been recorded on
brightening.
Such events have happened
throughout history. During a 75-year
period beginning in 1645, astronomers
detected almost no sunspot activity on the
Sun. Called the Maunder Minimum, this event
coincided with the coldest part of the Little Ice
Age, a 350-year cold spell that gripped much of
Europe.
Al Gore’s documentary ‘An Inconvenient
Truth’ is considered the best argument yet for the
man-made climate change theory. In it, he explains
how analysis of ice core samples from the Artic
show conclusively that throughout history the
Earth’s temperature was higher when CO2 levels
were higher. Thus the problem, as Gore sees it, is
simple: higher carbon emissions equals higher
temperatures.
Even climate change sceptics agree with this
point, but hinge their argument on the crucial point
that CO2 levels increase after global temperatures
increase, after a ‘lagging’ period of 400 years or
so. This they say proves that higher temperatures
cause higher CO2 levels, not the other way round.
But just how much does industry, and other
human activities affect carbon emission levels
anyway? The single highest producer of the
world’s greenhouse gases is water evaporation
from our oceans. When water is evaporated from
the ocean it enters the atmosphere as a greenhouse
gas, a natural source of atmospheric gases that
make up our atmosphere. A previous IPCC report
wrote that some 90 billion tons of carbon as car-
bon dioxide annually circulate between the earth's
ocean and the atmosphere.
Compare this to man-made sources emissions
of about 5 to 6 billion tons per year, and it is hard
to see how much human activity can be blamed.
A 2006 FAO report concluded that livestock are
responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emis-
sions, a bigger share than that of transport.
The climate change argument has fallen down
on clear ideological lines; the left-wing belief that
the world is doomed unless we ‘green’ ourselves,
DON’T
and quick, and the right-wing belief that climate
change is a natural occurrence and has nothing to BELIEVE
do with us, or industry.
In the latter’s case the reasons are obvious: cli-
mate change is caused by ‘industry’, industry is
closely associated with ‘capitalism’, and capital-
THE TRUTH
ism is the root of all evil, at least from the left wing
point of view.
The right-wingers need to believe it is not
industry’s fault, since that ideology hinges on
growth and industrial enterprise, not being ‘green’.
You may have recognised a new media tactic of
pointing out the ‘carbon footprints’ of celebrities
and politicians. John Travolta caused a lot of dam-
age to the environment when he flew to the U.K The earth’s
recently to promote his new film. Bertie Ahern and
his cabinet colleagues were roundly criticised for
flying all over the world on St. Patrick’s Day
environment is
goodwill missions. It is an endlessly usable story;
odd though that the greatest news story of all time-
being
the end of the world- should come about just
around the same time as 24-hour news. destroyed, and
we are to
After ‘The Great Climate Change Swindle’ was
aired on Channel 4, attacks on its makers began
immediately. The Independent ran with a story that
blame- not
the programme’s director, Mark Durkin, had been
in hot water before for misrepresenting the views
true say some
of participants on a previous documentary made
scientists
for Channel 4. The implication was clear: he was
doing it again, therefore not to be believed. Durkin
himself was forced to admit that he had extended
Noel Burke
the timeline of a diagram used in the film, data for
which had ended in the late 1980’s.
However scientists on the show are sticking by
their views. Other voices have repeated the notion
that scientists were over-hyping climate change in
order to receive more funding for research, some
going so far as to say it is all a vast left-wing con-
spiracy, attempting to dupe the public.
So who is to be believed? The IPCC report esti-
mates the Earth’s temperature will increase by 1-
5ºC by 2100, and that a reduction in green house
gas emissions is the only way to stop it. Others say
man-made emissions make up only a tiny percent-
age of global CO2 levels anyway, and that global
temperatures are at the mercy of the sun.
Whatever you believe, what everyone agrees on
is this: the Earth is heating up, and the conse-
quences may be grim. Where they disagree is the
cause of this heating, and the severity of the
results, a point possibly linked more to scientific
egos than anything else. Indeed, if the apocalyptic
visions turn out to be false, and the human race
somehow survives, there may be a lot of disap-
pointed people around.
circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 17:07 Page 7

Advice
TOP 5 FILMS TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE
Exam Tips By Stephen Higgins
If you’re sick and tired of
plays Miles, an English
teacher and part time writer
By Ella Brennan ter summaries, you’re pretty much
Whether you’re a fresher or in your sorted - this is where the most important bad films at the cinema, with an obsessive apprecia-
final year, you’ve got exams this May! As facts generally tend to be. repeats on Sky Movies and tion of wine. Jack, played by
fun as all as that sounds, here’s a few nothing on terrestrial TV, why
pointers to help you out: 7. Read back over past exams and not have a look at some of
class questions, there usually is a trend to the films listed below? I have
1. The night before the exam, don’t these exams, if your smart you’ll have a tried to stay away from very
be stressing if you can’t get to sleep. If fair idea of what’s coming up. well known films that you
you get three hours of sleep beforehand, have seen for films that you
that’s enough to get you through the 8. Another idea is to set your alarm may not have. While I don’t
4. Find somewhere comfortable to
exam the following day. (Doesn’t apply if and make sure you know exactly what pretend to be a film expert,
study but not too comfy so that you don’t
you’re hung over unfortunately) exams are on, what time and where. Lets this is a collection of movies Thomas Haden Church, is an
fall asleep! I’d go with the library. You
not kid ourselves now, sometimes people that I think you should see. actor who although soon to
can’t do anything else study up there.
2. Surprisingly enough, eating an get confused and miss their exams. be married, has a thirst for
apple will keep you much more focused Believe me it’s happened!
5. Chill out and relax. So what if your women. Everything goes
than having your hourly fix of caffeine.
exam is 2 hours away, it’s better to be smoothly until the upcoming
So people, there you have it. Best of
calm than stressed out.
3. Energy drinks and foods will give luck this May. I’m sure you wont need
you energy to study, but don’t go too these tips, you’re probably all too busy
6. If you’re lucky to stumble on chap-
trigger-happy on the skittles.. studying to be reading this...

“But you have to wanna quit!”

By Noel Burke
During an appearance on
‘The Tonight show’ with Jay Leno,
actor Matt Damon revealed he had
just quit smoking by being hypno-
tised. Leno was intrigued and asked
him how long it took. Thirty min-
utes said Damon. Stunned, Leno
asked him if he was sure it was real-
ly that easy. ‘Sure’, said Damon,
‘but you have to wanna quit’.
I had been interested up until the
exact point he said these words.
They don’t seem terribly deep or
important, but believe me they
are. I have tried nearly every
method there is to break my smok-
ing habit, and always failed miser-
ably. I’m talking patches, inhalers,
gum, pills, injections, yoga (I’m
lying I didn’t try yoga) and every
other financially viable method.
And no matter how revolutionary
the method, they always say it’s
going to work, but of course it
requires a small thing from you,
just a little thing, a contribution to
the cause, something to help the
whole thing along, a helping-hand,
and it is this: you have to wanna
quit.
Despite this, I keep trying. These
days it’s becoming more and more
socially unacceptable to be a smok-
er, what with the loitering outside
buildings, pacing absently, shoul-
ders hunched against the cold, non-
smokers eyeing you with pity and
admiration. Indeed it takes a cer-
tain amount of willpower to keep
smoking at all.
I know I should quit, all smok-
ers do. I’d save
money, feel bet-
ter, live longer, I have tried near-
all that good ly every method there and went
stuff, but
here’s the is to break my smoking
thing: I like habit, and always
being a smok-
er. It’s a great way
failed miserably. this centre. No
of avoiding non-
smokers. But I have another
problem. I’m not one of those ‘I can
quit whenever I want’ people; I
can’t quit whenever I want, I’m
hopelessly addicted, and I know it.
I’m emotionally, physically, psy- laughs and then I laugh too, and
chologically and aesthetically
devoted to those little white sticks
of happiness. They comfort me in
times of need. They make me calm
when I’m stressed. They have
always been there for me and they
never ask for anything in return. Do
you have friends like that?
I know this, but I also know that it’s
bad for me, and that I need to quit.
So I decided to give the hypnosis a
try. I saw an ad for it in the paper, a
hypnotherapy clinic that specialises
in all sorts of groovy cures, but cru-
cially states it is possible to quit
smoking in one hour. One little hour.
But it is expensive, €200 for the ses-
sion.
I’m reluctant at first. I tend to
measure amounts of money in the
number of cigarettes it is worth and
€200 is like, loads of cigarettes. Plus
I’m mildly afraid of being hypno-
tised; I fear I’ll come out of it not
being able to pronounce my ‘R’s’ or
something. But I persevere, make
an appointment, front them the
money. The centre is in Swords,
and very nicely decorated it has to
be said.
When I get there, I realise I have
time for a quick smoke before I go
in. I also realise it could be my last.
Last smokes are a religious thing.
I’ve had a few of them. You like to
pick a place, a time, a moment in
your life in which to have it. It’s like
saying goodbye to a loved one. But
I’m in Swords. During the day. And
it’s raining. The mood just isn’t
right, but I have no choice. I
smoked what was
meant to be my
last cigarette
inside.
They run a
tight ship at
waiting around
nervously for me, they had
me in a scented room in seconds. A
woman came in who didn’t look at
all like a hippy, and said she was the
hypnotherapist, and that she saw
me smoking outside. I wait until she
mumble something about last ciga-
rettes.
She is very nice, professional,
explains that this treatment
has a 90% success rate, is
very effective and that I
have invested my
money wisely, but
first she needs to ask
me a few questions.
Her first question is this:
how would you describe your
dependence on cigarettes?
I tell her I need them. She laughs a
little. I tell her that wasn’t a joke; I
need them, I can’t live without
them. She’s heard it all before, jots
something down on a notepad
(probably the word ‘weak’). She
asks how many I smoke a day, when
I smoke them, what brand, stuff
like that. I answer as honestly as I
can.
She seems happy enough, tells me
to lie back in the chair. This is the
strange part; it is not at all like you
might think. No ‘look into my eyes’
or ‘imagine yourself in a safe place’
or anything like that. She tells me
to sit back and relax. She keeps
telling me to relax. ‘Just relax’,
over and over again, in the softest
tones you’ve ever heard.
She asks me if I’m relaxed. I say
‘yes’, while secretly thinking I’d be
more relaxed if I could spark up a
smoke while we are doing this. She
obviously didn’t believe me
because she kept telling me to
relax. I must have been a difficult
client because this went on for
another 20 minutes, until finally
you could say I possibly felt a little
calmer than normal.
On this she told me I didn’t need
cigarettes. That my body didn’t
need them. That I would never
think about cigarettes again after
this session. I know she said all this,
because I could hear her. Which is
another thing you don’t expect.
She had told me that I would still be
conscience and able to hear her
voice. When you are hypnotised,
you don’t go asleep or anything,
you are perfectly awake, just, you
know, ‘relaxed’.
Anyway this went on for a while,
her telling me I didn’t need ciga-
rettes, me dozing away. When
the hour was up she told me
to rise and shine. I’ve
never felt more
groggy. But that
was basically it, job
done. She gave me a
pamphlet to read,
something about self-hyp-
nosis, and sent me on my way.
That night I didn’t smoke, but I did
think about cigarettes. I could have
sworn she said I wouldn’t think
about cigarettes again. The next
day I still wasn’t smoking but you
better believe I was thinking about
it. Constantly. I began noticing
other smokers, and feeling mildly
jealous. This was not how it was
supposed to be.
By the third day I was feeling irrita-
ble. I was scratching my head so
hard and so often that people
began asking me if I had head lice.
I told them I had just quit smoking.
They understood completely.
By the fourth day I’m starting to
fantasise about murdering people
in increasingly horrific ways (by
‘people’ I of course mean college
lecturers and bus drivers). It dawns
on me that the hypnosis hasn’t
worked, and that I might as well
give in and have a cigarette, put
me out of my misery. Would Rocky
Balboa have given up so easily? I
doubt it, but then again I’m snap-
ping at people and they are not tak-
ing it too well, and the ‘I’ve just
quit smoking’ excuse is wearing
thin.
So on the night of the fourth day
after I had quit, I smoked a ciga-
rette.
I honestly believe that hypnosis is
still the best way of quitting. Four
days without a cigarette is like a
miracle for me. And if you are a
smoker, and serious about quitting,
I couldn’t recommend it more. It’s
quick, painless and… relaxing. But
you have to wanna quit..
Fargo (1996)
One of the blackest comedies
you will ever see, this is a
classic from the Coen
Brothers. Set in Fargo, North
Dakota, the film follows a
desperate husband’s botched
attempt to have his wife kid-
napped in order to gain the
ransom from his rich father-
in-law. The film is bleak with
hilarious moments strewn
throughout. William H.Macy
is excellent as the hapless
husband but Frances
McDormand steals every
scene as the heavily pregnant
police chief following the
murder trail.
Citizen Kane (1941)
AIthough you may have been
put off by how old this film is
or how boring you found it
the first time you saw it, I
encourage you to give it
another try because it is sim-
ply one of the greatest films
of all time. At the age of just
25, Orson Welles co-wrote,
directed, produced and
starred in this biopic of a
media baron. The picture
practically invented modern
filmmaking in terms of story
structure, cinematography
and a host of other innova-
tions. More than sixty years
on, the scene where the
camera appears to travel
through a neon sign and into
Susan Alexander’s
nightclub is still magical.
Regularly voted amongst the
greatest films of all time,
This film is a must-see.
Sideways (2004)
‘Sideways’ is a brilliant com-
edy about two friends who
decide to spend the weekend
in California’s wine region
before one of them is to be
married. Paul Giamatti
nuptials are accidentally
revealed. The cast is excel-
lent with Giamatti outstand-
ing as a man coming to terms
with the failures in his life.
Sideways is superbly written
and it leaves a lasting emo-
tional impact.
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
This is the second installment
of George A.Romero’s zom-
bie trilogy and it’s the best of
the bunch. The movie begins
with the living dead spread-
ing rapidly throughout the
United States. Four people
escape from Philadelphia in
a helicopter, searching for
somewhere to hide. They
lock themselves into an
abandoned shopping mall as
humanity self destructs out-
side. Dawn of the Dead
boasts extremely gory special
effects that will delight and
disgust in equal measure.
The French Connection
(1971)
Based on a true story, Billy
Friedkin’s seminal film
depicts the story of two New
York police officers who
uncover a drug ring linked to
Marseilles. Gene Hackman
and Roy Scheider play the
dogged detectives in pursuit
of slimy Fernando Rey. Its
infamous car chase is right-
fully lauded and will have you
on the edge of your seat. The
film siutably took home 5
Oscars, including Best Actor
for Hackman’s terrific per-
formance.

Page 7
circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 19:18 Page 8

Travel J1 Summer Hotspots

Erin Filisko

s o, q uite a f ew o f y ou a re g oing t o t he U .S. f or y our s ummer h olidays, t hanks t o t he J 1 p ro-

gramme! ( For t hose o f y ou w ho a ren’t, I ’ll g ive y ou a m oment t o w ipe t he d rool o ff y our c hin!)
From what I hear, the majority of you are either going to San would be seriously lacking if I did not put this on it. (Ok, close
Diego or Boston. Both of those places have a lot to offer in terms your eyes and concentrate…can you hear the clouds part-
of entertainment! As an American myself (I’m from Chicago), ing…!) This is my favourite place. It’s kind of like Brown
I have chosen a Top 5 list of my favourite things to do in both Thomas with a bigger selection! Of all the American depart-
of those cities. ment stores, Nordstrom has the largest shoe selec-
tion with designer shoes and… not designer shoes!
H ERE GOES: (And remember, you are spending dollars, not
euros, so you can pretty much go all out!) But this

5. F ILENE’ S B ASEMENT
place has everything. Definitely check it out!

2.
This is a Boston landmark! It is a
designer clothing warehouse! It has Limelight S tage a nd S tudios
been around since 1908. You have to
dig through piles and piles of clothing, This is strictly a Boston hangout for those of you
everything from Abercrombie & Fitch to who love to karaoke! It’s on the corner of Tremont
Prada, Marc Jacobs and more! All for and Boylston St. in the heart of the city. There is a
up to 95% off! The key is patience and good luck! $5 cover charge before 10 pm and $10 after…so get on over

4. S
there and karaoke your heart out!
EA W ORLD A DVENTURE P ARK
And, drum roll…drrrrrrrrrrrr
Home of everyone’s favourite Killer Whale, Shamu! If you’re
gonna to be in San Diego, this is a must-see! The newest addi-
tion to the park is its new show called ‘Clyde and Seamore in
Deep Deep Trouble’ starring Clyde the Otter and Seymour the Number 1 is S ix F lags G reat A merica
Sea Lion! The place has over 20,000 animals including 16
marine animals. But my favourite favourite part of this park Don’t worry, number 1 is in San Diego and Boston! This is like
is the Florida Manatee exhibit. These animals, also known as a ‘big kids’ Disney World. It is home to America’s largest and
‘sea cows’ are an endangered species. In Florida, their home, fastest roller coasters, which include Batman: The Dark Knight,
they often swim too close to the surface of the water nears docks Superman: Ride of Steel, Nightwing, and my favourite, Raging
and boats causing many to be maimed or killed by boat pro- Bull. But, for those of you who aren’t into the whole roller
pellers. So make sure to stop by this exhibit to see them and coaster thing, there are also shows, concerts, parades, and fire-
maybe even sponsor one…for me? works, which run almost all night!

3. Nordstrom Ok, those were my Top 5 but there is loads more to do that isn’t
on this list! But seriously, I picked the best! So I hope you all
So I tried to stay away from places to shop on my list…and now have an amazing time wherever you go, but do get to Chicago
I have officially failed! But I can honestly say that the list someday, huh?!

Funky F oreign L anguages!

H
AVE YOU EVERY WALKED DOWN THE STREET AND TRIED TO COUNT THE NUMBER OF IRISH KAMIERNO-WOMAH" , WHICH MEANS 'OF HARD LABOUR BREAKING STONES'. IN KOREA, BAD JOKES DON'T GET BY LIGHTLY. A BAD JOKE IS THOUGHT TO CHANGE THE
PEOPLE YOU SEE? IF YOU LIVE NEAR THE CITY CENTRE YOU'D BE HARD PRESSED TO WHOLE ATMOSPHERE OF A MEETING. IF SOMEBODY TELLS A BAD JOKE, THE ROOM IS SAID TO
GET PAST TEN. THAT'S WHY IN THIS EDITION OF THE CIRCULAR WE HAVE DECIDED TO LIKE IRELAND, POLAND FINDS VIRTUE IN 'TAKING THE PISS'. TRANSFORMING A POLITE TURN COLD. EVERYBODY IS UNCOMFORTABLE. IF YOU EVER HAPPEN TO FIND YOURSELF IN
GIVE YOU A LIST OF THOSE IMPORTANT PHRASES YOU MAY NEED WHILE TROMPING THROUGH THE EXPRESSION LIKE 'BLESS YOU' INTO A CURSE IS A GREAT WAY TO DO IT! THIS SITUATION WITH A KOREAN, YOU CAN SAY TO THEM…
MIST-COVERED STREETS OF DUBLIN!
THE POLISH: SO-LONG-HAY-YO

CHINESE “STO LAT” (100 YEARS) THAT WORD WILL CONVEY ALL OF THE ABOVE.
“CIEZKIEJ PRACY W KAMIENIOLOMACH!” (OF HARD LABOUR BREAKING STONES)
IF YOU'RE TRYING TO IMPRESS A GIRL AT THE PUB, BUST OUT SOME OF THESE CHINESE HIERO- ANOTHER INTERESTING WORD THAT COMES FROM KOREA IS…
GLYPHICS. ANOTHER ONE, FOR THOSE MEN OUT THERE THAT HAVE BEEN REJECTED ONE TOO MANY TIMES
AND WANT A COMEBACK LINE, TRY THIS. TOP-TOP-HAY-YO

"HEY PIENKNA" = 'HEY PRETTY/BABY' THIS WORD ALSO CONVEYS DISCOMFORT BUT NOT NECESSARILY AFTER A BAD JOKE. YOU CAN
SAY IT WHILE ON A DATE THAT ISN'T PARTICULARLY STIMULATING. THAT'S WHEN I FIRST HEARD
THIS IS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH. YOU'RE TRYING TO BE COOL, YOU KNOW A LITTLE POLISH, IT. IT BASICALLY MEANS THAT IT'S TIME TO PART WAYS.
YOU THINK SHE'S GORGEOUS… BUT THEN SHE DISSES YOU. WHAT DO YOU DO?

ADD, "NEE-GU-DUH NEE-AY BENJISH" , WHICH IS 'YOU'LL NEVER BE'. SO YOU WERE ALL
NICE AND SWEET AND SAID, 'HEY PRETTY'. BUT SHE DISSED YOU AND YOU WERE ABLE TO
IRISH
COME BACK AND SAY, 'YOU'LL NEVER BE.' 'YOU'LL NEVER BE PRETTY!' THEN RUN!

THE POLISH: AND FINALLY, FOR ALL YOU FOREIGN FOLKS THAT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THE ROLLING HILLS
AND PEAT-MOSSED BOGS USED TO SOUND HERE IN IRELAND, OR IF YOU'RE PLANNING ON TAK-
POLISH “HEJ PIEKNA” (HEY PRETTY)
“NIGDY NIE BEDZIESZ!” (YOU'LL NEVER BE.)
ING A TRIP OUT WEST , CHECK OUT SOME OF THIS GAELÍC.

HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THE FINE MEN AND WOMEN THAT THE BLESSED NATION OF POLAND
TO OUR EAST HAS DEPOSITED ON OUR IRISH SHORES? IF YOU WANT TO BE COOL WHILE ENJOY-
ING SOME POLISH BREW, TRY SOME OF THESE ONE-LINERS AT THE PUB! KOREAN ÉRIN GO BRÁCH! = IRELAND FOREVER!

AFTER SOMEBODY SNEEZES, SAY "STO LAT". IT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF 'BLESS YOU' BUT IT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE LOOKING TO EITHER INSULT SOMEONE OR HAVE A LITTLE FUN AMADAÍN! = YOU DOPE/FOOL!
MEANS "100 YEARS". AFTER THEY SAY 'THANK YOU' ADD, "CHENSZKAY PRATCÉ V WHILE DINING AT ONE OF THE FEW KOREAN RESTAURANTS IN TOWN, CHECK THESE WORDS OUT.

Page 8
circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 17:07 Page 9

G riffith Mad StyleS

By Iman Majali
“Zara i s e very
Fashionista’s
Best f riend!”
Trine t hat h ot
girl f rom N orway
Sunglasses: D ior

“ I’m a m onster o f
Vanity!”
Robert M cKenna
(Head L ibrarian)
Nationality: I rish
Glasses: R ed o r D ead
“ I d on’t r emember Shirt: K ath H amnet
the p rices!” Shoes: N ik
ke
Alex M ojekwu
Nationality: N igeria
Ring: C atholic R osary
Bangle: f rom N igeria

“Clothes t hat s uit

me a re P erfect...”
Jutta Y u
Nationality: C hinese
Jacket: f rom C hina
Socks: f rom K orea,
“a g ift f rom m y
mother”

“I’m l ike K anye W est S tyle!”

Nathan
Nationality: A merican
Belt: D iesel
“What I l ike, I p ut o n.”
Maggie K a P lun
Nationality: A rgentina
Shoes: f rom C hina S treet
Market
Page 9
circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 17:07 Page 10
Media
E SSENTIAL S UMMER V IEWING!! T
The summer months are always the
most highly anticipated when it
comes to new cinema releases. The
cream of the crop in blockbusters are kept
until the summer each year and this year
looks set to be no exception. The buzz-
word this summer is definitely ‘sequel’.
They are in abundance this summer, from
the last in trilogies, such as Pirates of The
Caribbean: At Worlds End and Spiderman
3, and some fourth and fifth installments
in the form of Live Free or Die Hard and
Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix. If you are a fan of sequels then
this summer will thrill you. Here’s a run-
down of the ones to watch out for:
Spiderman 3
Release Date: May 2007
Tobey Maguire returns as Spidey
supported, as ever, by Kirsten
Dunst and James Franco. In this,
his third appearance, our webbed
hero faces a fresh batch of villains
and demons. And a new addition
to the cast, a young woman, is set
to give MJ a run for her money for
Spidermans affections.
Pirates of The Caribbean:
At Worlds End
By Catriona Burke
Released May 2007
All the original cast, Johnny Depp,
Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
and Geoffrey Rush, are back for
the final installation of the Pirates
franchise. Bill Nighly reprises his
role as Davy Jones and Chow Yun-
ESSENTIAL SUMMER
READING
Sean Nevins
‘Crime & Punishment’
Fyodor Dostoevsky
‘Have you ever killed some-
one? No? Why don’t you try it
with Dostoevsky’s ‘Crime and
‘The Painted Bird’
Punishment’? The danger, fear
Jerzey Kosinski
and tingling existential feeling
Do you like poetry and easy-to-
that rushes through your body
read books but also have a morbid
when reading this book make this
side? Did you watch the French
classic more than worth its while.
film ‘Irreversible’ and think, “hey,
that was disgusting and deeply
The protagonist, Raskolnikov,
disturbing but I want more”. If takes the reader on a journey
so, then run out to the bookstore
through their mind’s like none
to bear witness to Jerzy other. The book starts off quite
Kosinski’s account of horrid suf-
slowly leading the reader up a
fering in ‘The Painted Bird’.
long meandering stairway
towards the ‘crime’, which is
It is the true story of the
accentuated and made especially
author’s experience at 9 years of
tasty through the tenuous build
age in WWII Europe avoiding
up. Simply put, it is delicious.
persecution by the Nazis.
Watch yourself writhe in your
The book is pornographic,
seat as you witness Raskolnikov’s
poetic, colourful and haunting. I
would never read it again and it’s mind jump from one conclusion to
sure to fill your night with mares. another, from one obsession to
But still I’d have to recommend another, from one bout of self-
it. It is transformational. condemnation to one of triumph
and back again.
Page 10
Fat makes an appearance as
Captain Sao Fang. So whats the
story? Well, in their final round
Captain Barbossa, Will Turner and
Elizabeth Swann must sail off the
edge of the map, overcome
treachery and betrayal, and make
their final alliances for one last
crucial battle. The heroes must
face Lord Cutler Beckett, Davy
Jones and Admiral James
Norrington in an epic showdown
that could eliminate the freedom-
loving pirates from the seven seas
forever.
28 Weeks Later
Release Date: May 2007
This is the follow up to Danny
Boyle’s apocalyptic sci-fi drama,
28 Days Later, which co-starred
home-grown Cillian Murphy and
Brendan Gleeson. This time
around, its six months after the
outbreak of the deadly Rage Virus
and London is ready to be re-pop-
ulated. Under the strict supervi-
sion of the U.S. Military, the first
wave of refugees is allowed back
into the city. All seems to running
smoothly and as planned until a
new carrier of the virus makes its
way within the quarantined area.
Oceans Thirteen
Release Date: June 2007
More of the same here from
‘The Glass Palace’
Amitav Ghosh
If you would like to dive
through an escapade of tantalising
literature and have the landscapes
of Burma, Thailand and India
unfold before you in a rich fashion
that’s worthy only of the greats
then read ‘The Glass Palace” by
Amitav Ghosh.
Throughout the 100-year plus
movement of the narrative, wit-
ness environments tumble
through change like kaleido-
scopes and the development of
characters, like Rajkumar at 11
years of age where he takes centre
stage to his impending death, frail
and old. Feel the profound gusto
that Ghosh brings to life through
his uncanny descriptiveness.
“The thickest clusters of leech-
es were gathered always along the
fissures of the body, where cloth
chafed on skin...These were the
sites that were most likely to
attract fresh attacks, from insects
as well as leeches; left unattended
they would fester, turn into foul-
smelling, deep-rooted jungle
sores.”
Clooney and Co, high-speed action
larking around Europe. All the
usual suspects are on hand for the
excitement; George Clooney, Brad
Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia,
with the addition this time around
of Al Pacino to the A-list mix.
Shrek the Third
Release Date: June 2007
Who’s not looking forward to
another visit from our favourite
ogre! This time though, the king of
Far Far Away land has fallen ill and
plans are underway to install
Shrek on the throne! Enter the
wicked Prince Charming, intent on
stopping Shrek. All the major
voice talent returns, Mike Myers,
Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy,
John Cleese and Rupert Everett.
Justin Timberlake joins them as
the rebel of the piece, while
Antonio Banderas returns as the
delightful Puss in Boots.
Live Free or Die Hard
Release Date: July 2007
The fourth installment of the Die
Hard franchise has the main man
Bruce Willis donning his dirty vest
and taking on a terrorist hacker
who plans to infect the USA’s
cyber space on July 4th. Classic
Die Hard action from Bruce, with
Maggie Q and Justin Long in sup-
porting roles.
‘Junkie’
William S. Burroughs
Did you ever pick up a copy of
‘Naked Lunch’ or ‘Cities of the
Red Night’ and think, “I just don’t
get it…” Well, don’t sleep on
William S. Burroughs. He is still
the man. Long before ‘Naked
Lunch’ or any of his famous “cut-
up” technique novels Burroughs
was writing wholesome non-fic-
tion that had both a clear begin-
ning and end.
Junkie was Burroughs’ first
novel. It was published in 1953
and entitled, “Junkie: Confessions
of an Unredeemed Drug Addict”.
It is riveting. The book is a non-
fiction account of the author’s
escapades with different drugs,
notably Heroin.
It tells the story of how a drug
addict, a junkie, thinks, makes
money and gets drugs – how an
addict lives. There is no beatific
metamorphosis of character or
moral rights and wrongs mulled
over by the author for the reader
to learn from. It’s just a straight
forward account of a man addict-
ed to heroin and the varying ups
and downs that this can bring to
one’s life.
Harry Potter and the
Order of the Phoenix
Release Date: July 2007
This is the fifth installment out of
seven in the Harry Potter series.
The plot once again stays true to
the fifth book, keeping all hard-
core Potter fans happy.
Voldermort and his dark forces are
gathering so Harry and his cohorts
assemble themselves into
Dumbledore’s Army in prepara-
tion. All the regulars return,
including Brendan Gleeson as Mad
Eye Moody, with two new teachers
on the staff of Hogwarts, played
by Imelda Staunton and Helena
Bonham Carter.
The Bourne Ultimatum
Release Date: August 2007
Matt Damon continues his success-
ful run as Robert Ludlum’s most
famous assassin, Jason Bourne, in
the last of the trilogy. Here he
delves into his past to discover his
true identity; it’s a dangerous
journey that will take him to
Moscow, Paris, Madrid, London
and New York.
‘The Alchemist’
Paulo Coelho
Are you feeling blue? Are work
and school getting to you? Do
you know what you want to do
with your life? If any of these
questions agitated you or made
you feel even more confused and
empty then sit down with a copy
of Paulo Coelho’s ‘The
Alchemist’ and let it sort your life
out.
Imagine being a young shep-
herd boy with nothing but the
rolling hills of Spain’s Andalusia,
some sheep and a big fat book for
comfort.
How would it feel to be away
from Dublin and the mounting
assignments that lecturers heave
upon you? What kind of dreams
would you have? How would
those dreams be different from
the ones you have now?
Join Santiago, the young shep-
herd boy, as he wanders through
Andalusia, Morocco and Egypt.
Follow him as he meditates on the
beauty of the desert’s night sky,
and as he runs into prophets, mer-
chants and women of striking
beauty. Watch as he chases his
dream.
circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 17:08 Page 11

Sport

This is Griffith College: We

By Stephen Higgins
Don’t Do Sports
I
am coming up to my second full year in
Griffith College and one thing has become
clear, not only is sport not taken seriously in
this institution, I
feel the college
would rather we
did without it.
When I signed up
for Griffith, foot-
ball, GAA, tennis,
basketball and a
host of other sports
were promised during
my degree. I now see that it was nothing more than
false advertising. Griffith is an academically driven
college. They want high grades, well written assign-
ments and as many educational awards as they can
get. Excelling in accounting is treated with much
higher praise than achievement in sports. Why is
this so?
Griffith attracts over 8,000 students to its campus
but it does not provide sports personnel, facilities
or funds that are both wanted and needed by the
student body. As a result of their apathy towards
sporting endeavours, many students who would love
to represent the college as athletes are suffering.
Barry Dunne and Shaun Cronin are two such stu-
dents.
Barry and Shaun come from two significant hurl-
ing counties, Kilkenny and Cork. Unsurprisingly they
have a passion for the game and would love to play
this superb sport in the colours of their college. sports played in Griffith but I have not seen or
However, unlike most third level institutions, heard anything about these games during my time
Griffith has no hurling team whatsoever, much to here. For a campus of 8,000 students, the current
the bemusement of Barry who states, ‘When we sports situation is unacceptable.
signed up for the college many sports were prom-
ised. Then we were told at the start of the year Many things will have to change if Griffith wants
that there was no chance of hurling. There are a its sports reputation to go hand in hand with its
lot of students in the college really interested in academic standing. It is quite comical that
hurling, but the feeling I get is that in Griffith, we Leinster’s out-half, Filipe Contepomi, is used in
don’t do sports.’ advertisements for a college where sports, let alone
rugby, are almost non existent. While most colleges
When they realised there would be no team, they are proud of their sporting achievements, Griffith is
applied to join D.I.T’s hurling squad. Unfortunately more concerned with ACCA honours and student
there were no places left so they looked elsewhere. media awards. If they continue to ignore a crucial
Their options were the Kings Inn, Marino, Mater Dei, third-level element like sports, then we are not
NCI and I.T. Tallaght. They decided to play for getting the full value for our money. They have to
Tallaght. In March they were part of the I.T. squad realise that it is important to sell more than just
that won the Fergal Maher Cup, an All-Ireland third the educational experience. This is supposed to be
level competition. Although proud of his achieve- a college, not just a factory line for qualifications.
ment, Shaun was saddened by the circumstances,
‘It was great to win the All-Ireland with Tallaght but
it’s tainted because we didn’t play for our own col-
lege.’
Hurling is just the tip of the iceberg however;
there are serious failings in the entire organisation
of sports in Griffith College. This year there have
been two inter-college sports, hurling and soccer.
For a college that promises so many extra-curricular
activities, this simply isn’t good enough. Last year
the Griffith ladies basketball team won their small
colleges competition but there hasn’t been any
activity from them this year. The college’s website
Griffith students, Barry Dunne & Shaun Cronin,
lists rugby, golf, swimming and hockey among the
sporting I.T Tallaght’s colours.

o p u l a r D e m a n d .. .
Back by P
RRIS FACTS!!
CHUCK NO
CHUCK NORRIS WAS ONCE CHARGED WITH THREE ATTEMPTED MURDERS IN BOULDER COUNTY, BUT THE JUDGE QUICKLY
DROPPED THE CHARGES BECAUSECHUCK NORRIS DOES NOT "ATTEMPT" MURDER

CHUCK NORRIS ONCE HAD AN ERECTION WHILE LYING FACE DOWN AND STRUCK OIL.

THE REASON NEWBORN BABIES CRY IS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY HAVE JUST ENTERED A WORLD WITH CHUCK NORRIS.

MOST MEN ARE OKAY WITH THEIR WIVES FANTASIZING ABOUT CHUCK NORRIS DURING SEX, BECAUSE THEY ARE DOING
THE SAME THING.

DEATH ONCE HAD A NEAR-CHUCK-NORRIS EXPERIENCE.

THE SADDEST MOMENT FOR A CHILD IS NOT WHEN HE LEARNS SANTA CLAUS ISN'T REAL, IT'S WHEN HE LEARNS CHUCK NORRIS IS.

CHUCK NORRIS USED TO BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIS SHADOW BECAUSE IT WAS FOLLOWING TO CLOSE. IT NOW STANDS A SAFE 30 FEET BEHIND HIM.

CHUCK NORRIS CAN SPEAK BRAILLE.

CHUCK NORRIS WAS ORIGINALLY CAST AS THE MAIN CHARACTER IN 24, BUT WAS REPLACED BY THE PRODUCERS WHEN HE MANAGED TO KILL EVERY TERRORIST
AND SAVE THE DAY IN 12 MINUTES AND 37 SECONDS.

CHUCK NORRIS COUNTED TO INFINITY - TWICE.

CHUCK NORRIS DIED TEN YEARS AGO, BUT THE GRIM REAPER CAN'T GET UP THE COURAGE TO TELL HIM.

SUPERMAN OWNS A PAIR OF CHUCK NORRIS PAJAMAS.

WHEN THE BOOGEYMAN GOES TO SLEEP EVERY NIGHT HE CHECKS HIS CLOSET FOR CHUCK NORRIS.

Page 11
circularmay07.qxd 17/04/2007 17:08 Page 12

THE PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES BOARD

The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established in September 2004 to resolve disputes between landlords and
tenants, operate a national tenancy registration system and provide information and policy advice on the private rented sector.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION SERVICE:

The PRTB operates a supportive, user-friendly dispute resolution service for
landlords and tenants who find themselves in dispute over any aspect of the
tenancy. The PRTB dispute resolution service replaces the courts in relation
to the majority of landlord and tenant disputes. Landlords who have not
registered their tenancies are precluded from referring any dispute to the
PRTB. Tenants have access to the dispute resolution service irrespective of
whether or not the tenancy is registered
The dispute resolution service, which is available nationwide. consists of
two stages:
Stage 1: Either mediation or adjudication as chosen by the parties and is
confidential
Stage 2: A public hearing by a three-person Tenancy Tribunal
A mediated agreement or the decision of an adjudicator or of a Tribunal will
result in a determination order of the Board. A Tribunal decision may be
appealed to the High Court on a point of law only within 21 days. The
enforcement of determination orders of the Board that are not complied with
will be through the Circuit Court. The fee for referring a dispute is €25 and
in the event of an appeal the fee is €40.
The most common dispute referred to the PRTB to date is in relation to
deposit retention and in the majority of those cases completed the landlord
was required to fully or partially refund the deposit to the tenant. Landlords
are therefore advised that the deposit which they hold in relation to a tenan-
cy belongs to the tenant and should only be used to offset rent arrears where
they may exist following the termination of the tenancy or to defray the cost
of damage to the dwelling by the tenant that is beyond normal wear and tear.
Landlords are also advised to inspect the dwelling prior to the tenant vacat-
ing in order to resolve any issues in relation to damage.
It is also apparent from the number of dispute cases referred by landlords
that rent arrears can in some instances be a significant problem for land-
lords. In some cases these arrears have been of such a magnitude that there
is little or no prospect of their recovery due to insufficient means on the part
of the tenant. The PRTB would advise landlords to try and avoid getting
into such situations and to serve a notice on the tenant giving a 14-day
opportunity to pay the amount owed, followed by a termination of the ten-
ancy if the arrears are not cleared - the procedure is in section 67 of the
Residential Tenancies Act 2004.
In many of the dispute cases processed by the PRTB it was found that the
Notice of Termination served by the landlord or tenant was not valid as it
did not comply with the provisions of the new legislation. Two areas of note
are in relation to (1) the requirement to inform the tenant in the Notice of
Termination that the tenant/s has the right to refer a dispute about the valid-
ity of the Notice or of the termination to the PRTB and (2) that they have
the whole of the 24 hours of the termination date to vacate the dwelling
Landlords are required to ensure that tenants comply with their obligations
under the legislation including not engaging in or allowing anti-social
behaviour in the dwelling or its vicinity. Where a third party is experienc-
ing difficulties with tenants in a neighbouring property, they must first
attempt to communicate with and resolve the matter with the landlord and
tenants. If this fails, it is open to the third party to refer a dispute to the
PRTB about the landlord’s failure to enforce the tenant’s obligations.

REGISTRATION OF TENANCIES:
Landlords
Residential tenancies must be registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) within one month of the commencement of the letting. The
standard registration fee per tenancy is €70 provided it is registered within 1 month of the commencement of the tenancy. Where a tenancy is being regis-
tered late, an additional fee of €70 is payable.

Registration is a legal requirement for landlords. Failure to register may result in a fine of up to €3,000 and / or up to 6 months imprisonment. To register,
landlords should contact the PRTB, their local authority or Citizens Information Centre for a registration form or download it from www.prtb.ie.

Since its inception the PRTB have had to return a significant number of registration applications due to the lack of information such as the signature and/or
PPS number of the tenant/s. Landlords are advised to get the tenant to sign the registration application form and insert the PPS number (where available)
before allowing them into occupation.

Te nancy obligations of landlords under the Residential Te nancies Act 2004 - landlords must:
allow the tenant to enjoy peaceful and exclusive occupation
carry out repairs, subject to tenant liability for damage beyond normal wear and tear
insure the dwelling, subject to the insurance being available at a reasonable cost
provide a point of contact,
promptly refund deposits unless rent is owing or there is damage beyond normal wear and tear
reimburse tenants for expenditure on repairs that were appropriate to the landlord
enforce tenant obligations
not penalise tenants for making complaints or taking action to enforce their rights.
Tenants
Tenants are advised to contact their landlords to ensure the tenancy is registered. Tenants are advised to contact the PRTB if their landlord does not register
the tenancy. Tenants are also advised to sign the registration form and provide their PPS number (where available) to the landlord to enable him to register
the tenancy with the PRTB.
Te nancy obligations of tenants under the Residential Te nancies Act 2004 – tenants must
pay the rent and any other specified charges,
avoid causing or make good any damage beyond normal wear and tear,
notify the landlord of any repair requirements,
allow access for repairs to be carried out and by appointment for routine inspections,
keep the landlord informed of the identity of the occupants
not engage in or allow anti-social behaviour
n o t a c t , o r a l l o w v i s i t o r s t o a c t i n a w a y t h a t w o u l d i n v a l i d a t e t h e l a n d l o r d ’s i n s u r a n c e ,
not cause the landlord to be in breach of statutory obligations,
n o t a l t e r, i m p r o v e , a s s i g n , s u b - l e t o r c h a n g e t h e u s e o f t h e d w e l l i n g w i t h o u t w r i t t e n c o n s e n t f r o m t h e l a n d l o r d .

For further information contact:

PRTB, Canal House, Canal Road, Dublin 6. Tel: (01) 8882960
E-mail: prtb@environ.ie Website: www.prtb.ie Page 12