Also sent to joe@rte.ie

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Dear Joe and the Liveline team,

I wonder if you might address a query I have with regard your recent coverage of ‘head shops’.

Previous to your campaign against them not one ‘head shop’ in Ireland had been set on fire. Since you spent the best part of a week drumming up fear and public anger two of them have been set on fire. Perhaps I’m putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 5 but you would have to think it’s more than just coincidence.

Let’s be realistic, on Monday you covered the Michael O’Leary/Mary Coughlan debacle in great detail and no doubt that was a contributory factor in the softening of the Minister’s stance to Mr O’Leary whom she had previously said she would not meet. Although the meeting ultimately proved unsuccessful Liveline played some part in raising public awareness and pressurising the government to do something.

So, if we accept that Liveline has a measure of influence, albeit small, at the upper echelons of government, isn’t it reasonable to suggest that you might influence the ‘common man’, so to speak? Do you accept any responsibility for the two fires that have damaged the ‘head shops’? Before your show raised the issue of these shops there was little or no public interest in them, beyond the customers who used these perfectly legitimate businesses, and certainly none of them had been victims of arson.

Previous to your shows, Capel Street had not been closed to traffic for days on end, which, as most Dubliners will tell you, is a good thing, what with it being a rather important thoroughfare in this city of ours. I listened anxiously on Monday to see if you addressed the Capel Street fire as this was not a small event. One of Dublin’s main streets being closed off is a serious matter and as there was an obvious connection to your shows, during which you invited all manner of ill-informed, inflammatory comment, I thought this would be a subject to which you would return. I have to admit I was disappointed.

May I ask what it might take for you dedicate some time on your show to these fires? More road closures? Injuries? Deaths, perhaps? Are you worried at all that another ‘head shop’ might be the victim of an arson attack?

In the interests of balanced broadcasting wouldn’t it be an idea to ask your listeners how they feel about the fires? If you can raise such ire over businesses which, as I pointed out earlier, are perfectly legal, provide employment to dozens of people across the country and revenue to the state, what is your stance on deliberate arson and what appears to be vigilantism?

I look forward to your reply,

Twenty Major.

via @unarocks

• “Victoria and Shane’s Garden follows rock wife Victoria Mary Clarke as she tries to get husband Shane McGowan to live The Good Life.”
• “The Savage Eye : Satirical and often surreal examination of subjects close to the hearts of the Irish people with Dave McSavage
• Karl Spain Wants to Rock! – Karl Spain searches for Ireland’s greatest hard-rock tribute band.
• Podge & Rodge’s Stickit Inn – Every Tuesday night Podge & Rodge host a quiz with a difference from their new hangout The Stickit Inn

You know, I always liked those posts where you made up potential TV shows. For example:

• Gay Burns – former Late, Late Show host talks to pyromaniac homosexuals who like to set each others balls on fire
• Mooney and the Moonies – Derek Mooney goes undercover to join weirdo religion, the Moonies and bites off more than he can chew
• Seoige girls – Gráinne and Síle travel to Vegas to work as pole dancers in a hilarious new rom-com-reality show

But now RTE have gone and spoiled it by making their real schedule even more ridiculous than I can make up.

Spoilsports.

No words are necessary from me. Just watch (via Liveblog).

A comment popped up on an old post. I bring it you now fully intact, not modified in any way, shape or form:

serously you’s need 2 get a life the panel is feckn gas and 1 of the best shows on tv…andrew maxwell is a ledge and 1 of th best comedians around…if u dnt lik it… dnt watch it… and shut up moanin bou it

‘Aha’, I thought, ’some simpleton has been upstairs hammering at their non-retarded sibling’s PC with their podgy, permaclenched claws’.

Then a quick look at the email address revealed that the person in question was a student at DCU – here.

Imagine someone in university actually thinks this is an acceptable way to attempt to communicate with someone else. When they rewrite the constitution in years to come it’s going to be interesting:

Th Irish nation (dat is us) ‘ereby affirm’s its inalienable, indefeasible, and feckn sovrgn right 2 chooz its own form off Gvmnt, 2 dtrmn it’s rel8ions with udder n8ions … and 2 dvlp its life, political, economic and … like … whatever, in akrdnce with its own tinkin’ and tradition’s.

God bless you, DCU, God bless you Irish universities. With your help we can maintain Ireland’s long and renowned literary reputation.

I know it shouldn’t really be a surprise that people ‘talk’ in such a way and I’m sure that when submitting essays and other such college work a more correct form of English is used. Such as THE correct form.

It still begs the question makes you wonder why people can’t, you know, just use proper English all the time. Comments like the one above are like grunting and snorting at someone instead of using words.

And The Panel is still fucking shit.