An occasional series. If it’s not the Northern Ireland Executive’s Deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, telling everyone of the importance of “Respect for authority..” [*ahem* – Ed] it’s Junior Minister, the DUP’s Ian Paisley jnr, emphasising the “importance of tolerance, acceptance and understanding in society..” Indeed. Pete Baker
The BBC’s NI political editor, Mark Devenport notes an intriguing rumour on his blog, apparently there is some discussion about whether the NI deputy First Minister or the NI Secretary of State should represent Northern Ireland when Archbishop Sean Brady receives his Cardinal’s red hat from Pope Benedict XVI – “Needless to say Ian Paisley is otherwise engaged.” Presumably the dilemma is a result of an Irish government representative also being in attendance. ANYhoo.. Mark notes Apparently the Deputy First …
Great commenter’s post over at Mark Devenport’s blog (number 4) with this cracking quotation (below the fold) from Yes Minister. Can’t find the episode online, but here’s another one that also deals with the vexed issue of minute taking within the Civil Service: Is your conscience better now?. It is characteristic of all committee discussions and decisions that every member has a vivid recollection of them, and that every member’s recollection of them differs violently from every other member’s recollection; …
The Guardian’s film critic Peter Bradshaw got this from the Observer’s Philip French. A 9mins 28 secs long “parody of all the “100” list specials that the American Film Institute keeps putting out” – “100 Movies, 100 Quotes, 100 Numbers”. “Enjoy” might not be the appropriate directive, but Peter Bradshaw’s right in describing it as “an inspired collage”. Pete Baker
Iain Dale has published his list of the 500 top political blogs in the UK – as compiled from a reported 500 lists of top 10 or 20 political blogs submitted by his readers and other bloggers. A point which is worth noting when I see that a humble NI-centric blog, with delusions of grandeur, comes in at number 32. Thanks to all concerned, the cheques are in the post [They are?!! – Ed] Pete Baker
A little Saturday evening humour.. well, it made me smile. Whether the kaboodle will agree is unknown.. ANYhoo.. with an appropriate warning for those of a sensitive disposition of language in all its fecund nuttiness.. Here is CollegeHumor’s Internet Commenter Business Meeting. Pete Baker
This has been languoring in my Hotmail in box for weeks.. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
Mark Steel reckons the secret talks with the Iraqis may have some unintended consequences: …there’s a danger it could be counterproductive, because McGuinness and the Unionists might say to the Iraqis: “Your main problem is you’ve been at it for only four years, you need another 26, at least. So we’ve set out a schedule – in a couple of years, one lot needs to kidnap a horse, then have a hunger strike, then there needs to be a period …
From the BBC NI website That highlighted text in full NI politics blog Mark Devenport takes a urinary track around Belfast And I know that the post being referred to includes the line “Finally, the new extension to the Grand Opera House leaves something to be desired (guide – “it looks like a big urinal”).” but still.. Pete Baker
As the controversy over the proposed closure of Aer Lingus flights from Shannon continues, not least between the mickey taking East and the West [makes a change from odious wrangles over North Southery – ed], Newton Emerson offers a humble solution (subs needed) in today’s Irish Times:By Newton Emerson Following several days of intensive negotiations between airlines, pilots and unions, the government has announced a last-minute compromise on the Shannon-Heathrow issue. “We are confident that nobody from the Shannon region …
Slugger understands that the feeling amongst some senior civil servants at Stormont is that the new ministerial incumbents have not presented half the challenge they first anticipated [just wait till they finish reading all those reviews in about three years time – ed] So, this is for them (and their new political masters), for when times start to get rough. Thanks to Tom for the heads up… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the …
The Irish Times’ bloggers have been having some fun with today’s front page image – as captured at yesterday’s announcement by Aer Lingus. Blogger 73man is also having some fun. Pete Baker
David McWilliams arrested STOP. Under the terms of the Patriot Bill STOP. Charges of subversion and incitement to financial panic STOP. You can read the rest here. File under humour STOP. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
More of an aside to our regular scheduling, but it made me smile.. Hey, it’s Saturday and I’m easily pleased [You are?! – Ed]. John Patterson in the Guardian compares and contrasts the arthouse films of Ingmar Bergman, “the northern Protestant miserablist”, and Federico Fellini, “the Catholic of the exuberant south”, commenting – “One of them needed to liven up, and the other to calm down.” ANYhoo.. with the re-issue of Bergman’s The Seventh Seal to mark its 50th anniversay, …
One thing no one who has seen them up close doubts is that Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness like each other. It’s obvious in their body language and good humour. But their actual laughs are quite different, as this mockup send in by reader John (scarily?) demonstrates. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, …
Some houses have reportedly been flooded after a river burst its banks in the Cushendall area. [Flying spaghetti monster said to have got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning? – Ed] Pete Baker
Via Will Crawley, who has other Bloomsday related links.. a Short Short film by Bórd Scannán na hEireann. Those of a sensitive disposition are duly warned that James Joyce enjoys the language in all its fecund nuttiness. Pete Baker
Poor Pluto. No longer a planet.. just a number. And to make it worse there’s a bigger, heavier number dwarf planet, Eris, out there too. They weighed it with the help of a telescope. You can stop honking now.. Just don’t tell these guys.. Pete Baker
Tongue firmly in cheek, Newton Emerson reckons that Sinn Fein ‘bombed’ simply because there weren’t enough Protestants in the Republic to wind up their supporters… (subs needed) Newton’s Optic: Sinn Féin has blamed “a serious shortage of Protestants in the 26 counties” for its poor showing in last week’s election. “Sinn Féin draws its core support from people who can’t be relied on to vote,” explained Dr Pat Answer, Professor of Advanced Shinnerology at Dublin Sunday Business College. “They might …
Garret FitzGerald in the Irish Times [subs req] Finally, the emphatic rejection of Sinn Féin by the electorate of this State is a welcome outcome of this election. Gerry Adams’s performance in the four-way debate on Wednesday week may well have contributed powerfully to this result. As a somewhat partitionist observer maliciously remarked to me, even with the recent remarkable improvement in Irish-British relations, the people of this State are not yet ready to welcome the intervention of a member …
