Slugger O'Toole From the NewsBlog. My pirate name is: Mad Tom Kidd Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Even though you’re not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr! Get your own pirate name from fidius.org. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
The Belfast Telegraph reports on a rare example of politicians here, from all parties, setting their ideological differences aside to criticise the government’s anti-poverty strategy.. or, rather, the lack of a strategy. The campaign which united them is Enough is Enough, organised by NICVA. Poverty, eh? Down with that sort of thing. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
I’ve been trying to roll out the idea that civility in argumentative exchange makes for crisper dialogue and a sharpening of arguments all round – with a noticable upturn in standards. Today my colleague Mark sent me these examples of ‘sledging’ from international Cricket matches uttered in close quarters at the crease. You’ll note from the missing numbers that I’ve had to cut the unpublishable ones out. 1 Rod Marsh & Ian Botham: When Botham took guard in an Ashes …
Reader Moderate Unionist, brought my attention to this stanza from the John Godfrey Saxe poem “The Blind Men and the Elephant” (which I’m sure most of us remember from primary school) seems to wrap up the current gulf in understanding in Northern Ireland. It’s worth repeating: Moral: So oft in theologic wars, The disputants, I ween, Rail on in utter ignorance Of what each other mean, And prate about an Elephant Not one of them has seen. Slugger O'TooleA general …
If not quite decoded.. yet. Two reasons for linking this. Firstly, I find the the whole process of revealing this work, as well as what is revealed, fascinating [??? – Ed] and secondly, because the Guardian’s Portadown based printers are crap lack a modern enough press for a full colour edition [as noted by joemomma on this thread, and by Guardian executive editor, Sheila Fitzsimons], we miss out on the colour images everyone else gets. Fortunately the Guardian Digital edition …
THE decision of the Guardian to switch to a more compact Berliner format has prompted some online soul searching about the future of the newspaper. With so many form of digital media providing news too, will newspapers become a niche market? Or will they adapt to survive, gradually integrating with their online counterparts? Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Again in the Irish Times, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin explains the ground on which his party is abstaining from sitting in Westminster and petitioning to gain access to the Oireachtas (subs needed) instead. It is, he argues, a question of what was in the party’s manifesto, and endorsed by it’s voter base. Which might indicate, there’ll be no change in the party’s stance until the next Westminster election at the very earliest. We would not participate if the oath was amended …
Beidh Club Sult (i mBaile Atha Cliath) ar ais don seachtú sraith Déardaoin na seachtaine seo, 22 Meán Fómhair. Beidh an club ar siúl mar is gnách sa Castle Inn, in aice le Jurys Inn, Teampall Chríost (Christchurch Cathedral). Osclóidh na doirse ar 9.00 p.m. agus tosóidh an ceol beo timpeall 9.30 p.m. Nóta: Mar gheall air go bhfuil costaisí tar éis méadú go mór le bliain anuas, bhí orainn an cead isteach a ardú go 7 (mic léinn 5), …
TWO strange examples (one alleged) of cross-community activity – a Catholic boy has been charged in relation to his suspected involvement in a loyalist riot. Meanwhile in loyalist Tullycarnet, the infamous loyalist ‘Eddie’ mural has been painted over with a mural of a Catholic – Leading Seaman James Magennis, a war hero who was awarded the Victoria Cross. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Interesting poll figures from the Irish Examiner today. It’s entirely focused on the Republic. Although satisfaction rates for the Government have slipped to 37%, it remains above the low of 34% last June. Were the election called tomorrow, the polls suggest a narrow victory for the FF and PD government. The Greens are holding – notionally moving from 4% to 6%. And Sinn Fein retain the position they’ve had for over a year (and here) at about 10%. Gerry Adams, …
THE performance of the Orange Order in the public eye over the past few days has been shambolic. There is no doubt that the reputation of the Order internationally and at home is in dire straits, even when the opportunity is handed to it on a plate. Former UUP MP David Burnside reckons even the Mafia have better PR (though fortunately he sidestepped such a position himself early in his career). The Order’s inability to provide leadership or accept any …
AN Elim church in Larne is to hear about the experiences of Fr Paul Symonds, a Catholic priest in Harryville. The Church of Our Lady has been the subject of a sustained loyalist protest and has been vandalised on countless occasions since. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
It looks like the Toolis’ Big Heist documentary is going to cut more than one way. According to the Newsletter yesterday, a member of Tony Blair’s negotiating team is in the firing line for not acting on information received in advance of Europe’s largest ever bank robbery. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Further to Pete’s flagging of Kevin Toolis’ upcoming Channel 4 documentary this Thursday. Set your videos! Amongst the allegations (vigorously denied) is that Sinn Fein’s former VP and fund raiser Phil Flynn was involved in trying to set up a property deal in Bulgaria on behalf of the Republican Movement, which fell through in the wake of the Northern Bank raid. There are no charges yet other than for a minor firearms offence. And there has been little public evidence …
Via the Professor. Phew, just in time. Today is/was Talk Like a Pirate Day. Keel haul the lot of them! *ahem* Alternatively – Boss, I’ll be borrowin’ a coupla doubloons from petty cash fer some Ho Ho’s and a bottle of rum. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
THere are many new bloggers I owe a mention to, but this guy in the Republic is certain to be one of the first of the new generation Irish bloggers to make it onto the Slugger blogroll! Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Malachi O’Doherty reckons that most of the journalism around the loyalist rioting would fail the Orwell test for clarity in writing about politics. What puzzles him is how few have looked for a political motive behind the rioting. He wonders aloud whether it may simply be a controlled racking up of pressure on the British to draw the centre of gravity in the continuing peace process back towards Unionists: The history of the UVF shows that they have been ruthless …
Father Des Wilson argues that the only people Loyalist communities can trust is the Republican movement. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Good piece of writing in the Irish Times today from Graham Gudgin a former special advisor to David Trimble during his tenure of Northern Ireland’s First Minister’s office. He lays out a key flaw in the governments’ modus operandi: The approach of both governments has been to first deal with the IRA and then to persuade the DUP back into government with Sinn Féin. Hey Presto the Belfast Agreement will have been restored and all will be well. The problem …
Interesting headline in this report on Gerry Adams’ visit to the US. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.