For cooking-related control-freakery, I got some *lovely* handmade bowls from the Yard (part of the @SolasProject)
Loads of really nice stuff at this stall, all handmade in the Liberties. They've got a shop online too: solasproject.com/the-yard-shop-…
First time decorating my own Christmas tree this year, so I got some really nice doors of Dublin-themed decorations. These are really well made, as are the smaller pins they do.
Handy thing you might not know: all @dubcilib Dublin libraries have a home energy saving test kit, which you can take out for free (as you would a book)
I picked it up in Inchicore library in the stormy winds (pictured, for no reason) and gave it a go.
Thread on what's in it:
The first bit I used was a fridge/freezer thermometer. You pop it in for 30 minutes and it'll tell you the actual temperature inside and if you're overusing energy.
Turned out my fridge should be colder, but freezer was about right.
(I'll accept no judgement on fridge contents)
Second bit was this room thermometer and hygrometer. It tells you the temperature and also the humidity %.
I used it in every room in the house around the same time to see which rooms were getting colder. Largely as I'd thought, but the hall/stairs was really cold.
Seen a few claims that the Greens voted against the living wage last night.
Untrue.
Image one is the entire Soc Dem motion which was amended to image two.
Both contain supportive references to the living wage. (1/2)
The second image (the amendment which the Greens backed) actually commits to the living wage happening over the lifetime of the government, rather than just flagging the problem.
Nothing wrong with the Soc Dem motion, but I think the second is stronger on a living wage. (2/2)
Two more things, more broadly:
1: The living wage was something we fought for and won in the Programme for Government negotiations. Here's the text from the agreed PfG.
2. What would this mean? The big change is that 30kph is the DEFAULT across the city. So rather than there being zones of 30kph - it's 30 unless otherwise marked.
Thread: There'll be lots of opposition and legit questions about plans to ramp up Dublin city's cycling and walking rapidly.
But the key question: what's the alternative? Here's the context we face... (1/9)
On a given workday in 2019, to cross the canals into the city:
🚌 113k people used public transport
🚗 58k drove in with cars
🚶♀️ 25k walked
🚴♀️13k cycled
Forget for a moment the 120k who live within the canals (and we shouldn't, really): just focus on those coming in. (2/9)
With social distancing and other changes, public transport is facing an 80% capacity reduction. Do nothing, and there are potentially 80k+ people who need to get into the city. (3/9)
THREAD: The latest drug-related death figures are out. Deeply grim, frustrating reading.
736 people died from drug-related deaths in 2016 - that's 2 a day. It's a 71% increase on 2004.
Before breaking down those figures - let's just think of that one number: 736 people in 2016.
In the same year, 187 people were killed on our roads. It was rightly treated as a national emergency and is subject to high-profile, concerted government action.
Yet four times as many drug-related deaths provokes far less concern. Why? Many reasons, but it's hard to avoid conclusion that we're more willing to write off the lives of people who are stuck in addiction.