Video

“All credit to the Policing Board..”

Pete Baker on May 2, 2008, 2:53 am | Readers 0

While we’re on policing and justice matters.. The Chief Constable, Hugh Orde, appeared on Hearts and Minds tonight – look away now if you’re waiting for the repeat. He was answering questions mostly on political matters.. It doesn’t start well with Noel Thompson apparently also confused about target dates and deadlines.. He’s not entirely accurate on the IMC report either. There are questions about policing the past, and about robust responses. One other quick note on Hugh Orde’s initial point, …

“We’re not in May, you know, we’re just into May.”

Pete Baker on April 30, 2008, 10:57 pm | Readers 0

The quote is from Alex Maskey in last night’s Spotlight discussion on the devolution of policing and justice. He’s referencing those “very firm” British government commitments again. And the ‘unacceptability’ of it all to his party.. If, like Mark Carruthers, you’re still confused about target dates and deadlines here’s a recent post on where we’re at. The clip is unfortunately truncated but the parties’ various positions are made. See the iPlayer for the full programme. Pete Baker

“A rights-based approach..”

Pete Baker on April 30, 2008, 3:35 pm | Readers 3

Here’s Stormont Live’s coverage of the launch of the Strategic Review of Parading in Northern Irleand’s interim report yesterday. There are other reactions and reports here. Pete Baker

WAC and the politics of half truths…

Mick Fealty on April 23, 2008, 5:57 pm | Readers 0

Last Thursday we noted a video of We Are Change activists questioning of Prionsias De Rossa. As we noted then the video was rather dark and indistinct, and edited to end rather abruptly. So what happened next? From what we’ve been able to gather since picking up some scant detail on Damien’s blog yesterday the WAC group approached De Rossa after the meeting, despite raising their issues during the meeting and were as one source told Slugger, “highly aggressive and …

Comet’s close encounter

Pete Baker on April 15, 2008, 10:37 pm | Readers 0

The BBC picked up on this fascinating time-lapse footage of Comet Encke buffeted by a solar storm as it nears the Sun – the images are part of a study of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and come from NASA’s STEREO satellites. [Footage credit: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory/Naval Research Laboratory/University of Birmingham] Previously STEREO captured images of Comet Encke taking a direct hit from a CME. [Video credit: NASA] And here’s a short animation on CME’s and the interaction they have with …

“to transport and charm the ravished heart and ear..”

Pete Baker on April 14, 2008, 3:22 pm | Readers 1

If you’re in Dublin this week you could do worse than catch one of the Dublin Handel Festival events. The Temple Bar website has the details and a lengthy, and interesting, podcast on “freelance composer” Georg Friedrich Handel’s ten month stay in Ireland – which included the world premiere of The Messiah on 13 April 1742 at the New Music Hall, Fishamble St. Dublin. More on Handel here. And the Irish Times has a great quote [subs req] It was …

Undercover Diplomat – “more like politicians now, than capos”

Pete Baker on April 13, 2008, 11:00 pm | Readers 12

The third and final clip from The Undercover Diplomat is the shortest of the three at only 35 seconds. It’s Powell’s comment on a visit to Downing St on 5th July 2005 by Adams and McGuinness, a few months after the events noted in the first clip. The Provisional IRA statement was made public on 28th July. Transcribed from the clip: [reading] “It’s funny. They do seem more like politicians now, than capos.” [To camera] “I think I felt a …

Undercover Diplomat – suing for plagiarism

Pete Baker on April 13, 2008, 10:48 pm | Readers 4

A longer clip from The Undercover Diplomat. This time Powell’s recollections from slightly earlier in The Process™ in 2002, on hearing words he had written being spoken by Adams at an Ard Fheis. He’s also filmed recently joking with McGuinness about bugs and securocrats and the last part of the clip is on “when things started to go badly wrong” before John de Chastelain’s press conference in 2003. Pete Baker

Undercover Diplomat – “addicted to negotiations”

Pete Baker on April 13, 2008, 10:24 pm | Readers 23

Jonathan Powell’s surprisingly interesting TV version of his diary, the hour long The Undercover Diplomat, is still available on the BBC’s iPlayer – but not for long. But, courtesy of Typhoo, I can post a few clips of interest. The first one is Powell’s record of hearing about the Northern Bank robbery in 2004 whilst on his way to a meeting with Adams and McGuinness – and subsequent events. Pete Baker

Belated Birthday Greetings

Pete Baker on April 12, 2008, 4:10 pm | Readers 4

To Tom Lehrer. Via Crooked Timber’s Kieran Healy. Much more here Oh, alright, one more. Pete Baker

“Isn’t that amazing!”

Pete Baker on April 1, 2008, 4:10 pm | Readers 2

As reported here.. [*Ahem* – Ed] Pete Baker

“designed to operate independent of human control..”

Pete Baker on March 31, 2008, 1:29 am | Readers 2

Some science news [as we don’t get enough.. – Ed]. With the Space Shuttle Endeavour safely on the ground at Kennedy Space Centre – video here – the European Space Agency’s Jules Verne ATV is finally approaching the International Space Station – the dot below the edge of the Earth in the image is the Jules Verne viewed from the ISS. And it’s not that the residents of the Space Station don’t trust HAL 9000 the automated docking system on-board …

“My god, it’s full of stars..”

Pete Baker on March 22, 2008, 5:06 pm | Readers 13

The death of author and scientist Arthur C Clarke this week produced some excellent responses to his life and work in the media and in blogs across the world, including this one by WorldByStorm at the Cedar Lounge. Although there was also, I’d suggest, one not-so-excellent response in the New York Times to Clarke’s written directions for his funeral today, “Absolutely no religious rites of any kind, relating to any religious faith, should be associated with my funeral”. To me …

“oh boy.. oh boy..”

Pete Baker on March 16, 2008, 4:20 pm | Readers 1

Via Kieran at Crooked Timber. With one set of muppets warming up backstage.. or already on their worldwide ventures.. Here are the originals. Pete Baker

“a bit of a flippertygibbet..”

Pete Baker on March 15, 2008, 3:51 pm | Readers 10

That’s Tony Blair’s former chief of staff – the recently married Jonathan Powell – on Tony Blair. Powell’s account of The Process™ will be published soon, and is to be serialised in the Guardian from Monday. Today’s paper has a taster, and a longer interview, pointing to the importance of the “secret back channel between the British government and the IRA”. One part of that back channel, Brendan Duddy – formerly a member of the Policing Board – has been …

“They had calculated that they wanted to change the order of things.”

Pete Baker on March 10, 2008, 4:58 pm | Readers 8

Mick mentioned this clip of Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams at Milltown cemetery on Sunday, but the footage, and the speech, is worth putting on the frontpage. Not least as a comparison to his attempt to ride a different horse last week at his party’s televised Ard Fheis. And, while we don’t have the actual text to check against, the reference to attracting US investors is missing from the clip we have. What is there though is some selective memory …

“This is not the Church of Rome..”

Pete Baker on March 5, 2008, 2:34 am | Readers 1

The More4 news report and the discussion of the post-dated cheque [to his party] I mentioned here Adds Thanks again to Typhoo. Pete Baker

Lunar libration and animation

Pete Baker on March 1, 2008, 7:31 pm | Readers 5

Galileo Galilei’s observations – via telescope, natch – of changing shadows on the lunar surface, and his conclusion that this indicated mountains and valleys there, proved instrumental in over-turning the belief, of the medieval followers of Aristotle, in the perfection of the heavens. Scientists continue to look at the moon, and recent radar images show just how mountainous the lunar surface is – especially the south polar region. The following series of NASA animations are based on that radar imagery. …

Ireland’s Cricket World Cup: not hype, just history…

Mick Fealty on February 29, 2008, 3:42 pm | Readers 3

Looks like a must buy: the long awaited: the DVD documentary on the Cricket World cup in the West Indies. It has intrigue, tragedy unexpected success and ultimate failure. The DVD release date for “Breaking Boundaries – Ireland’s Extraordinary Cricket World Cup” is Friday March 7th, with a charity screening at Dublin’s Sugar Club in Lower Leeson Street on Monday 3rd March (and in the Gaiety in Sligo on the 5th). More history, courtesy of Nevin… Mick FealtyMick is founding …

“Fair play to those who dare to dream..”

Pete Baker on February 25, 2008, 5:52 pm | Readers 4

As Jim Carroll says, “Congrats to Glen and Marketa”, and kudos to Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board for providing the funding for Once. As Jim also says, “Falling Slowly is now up there with Moon River, Fame, Say You, Say Me, Take My Breath Away and, of course, It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp..” Pete Baker