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
Earlier this year, organisers at Belfast’s award winning Festival of Fools received news from Belfast City Council’s Tourism, Culture and Arts Unit that they were to be excluded from multi-annual funding. In addition, their annual allocation was reduced from £11,000 (2012) to £6000 (2013). The Festival’s funding from the City Council’s Community Festivals Fund remains unchanged. There’s a memorable scene in one of my favourite films, Anthony Manghella’s Truly Madly Deeply (1990). One of the main characters, Nina, is being drawn …
Now that the US President is back home across the pond, it’s probably safe to note the latest candidate in an occasional series. From the House of Commons written parliamentary questions 20 June. US White House Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Government plans to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the burning of the White House, Washington DC, US by the British army on 24 August 1814; and if she …
Somewhat belatedly, here’s the annual excellent Bloomsday video. It’s tradition! Those of a sensitive disposition are duly warned, again, that James Joyce enjoys the language in all its fecund nuttiness. Enjoy! Pete Baker
At a time of unrest in Sweden, I picked this sideways take on the communitarian social model from a good Swedish friend (almost completely proving the national cliche in the video)… 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
They don’t have to be dull. As demonstrated yesterday by the clearly well-read Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, Conservative MP, Brandon Lewis. Here’s the nominated written question and answer Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has any plans to deregulate the publication of planning permission applications in local newspapers. [149335] Brandon Lewis [holding answer 21 March 2013]: Ministers have been clear that, in an internet age, …
Not new, by any means. But still a bravura piece of native story telling… 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
If there’s no good news about, why not make some up… The Donegal Dollop reports on continuing Nordie OUTRAGE… Unionists have yet to react to the following car models also set for the 2013 market: Ford RA Toyota Avengesis Honda Civic Unrest -All of which are planned to be advertised using a new song called “The Car My Father Drove”. The nationalist community is also said to be up in arms over inappropriate marketing in Northern Ireland and is calling …
After US President Barack Obama mangled his sci-fi/popular culture references with his “Jedi mind-meld”, the White House twitter feed doubled down on the confusion… [The Farce is strong with this one – Ed] Meanwhile, also via the Professor, his critics are having fun with the latest in an occasional series of Presidential denials. Heh. Pete Baker
Sometimes, someone, somewhere just gets it right… This picture comes to you courtesy of the small but growing Northern Ireland community on Google Plus… 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
It’s been a pretty depressing couple of weeks all told. Flags, riots, official confirmation of state involvement in the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane. So, let me try and lift the mood, by asking a completely fatuous makey upey question: If Hollywood was to make a Movie about Northern Ireland right now, what would be the plot? And, here’s the controversial bit: who would you cast as the heros and villans? Only rule, you are not allow to criticise each …
Via the Professor comes the important news that today, 8th December, is/was “Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day.” Some starters: If you go the “prisoner who’s escaped the future” try shaving your head and putting a barcode on the back of your neck. Then stagger around and stare at the sky, as if you’ve never seen it before. Walk up to random people and say “WHAT YEAR IS THIS?” and when they tell you, get quiet and then say …
On a visit to the United Arab Emirates, lovely sash David!! And so, your captions place??? H/t to the eagle-eyed Stefan Stern … 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
Too good to miss… especially the last scene… Not that long out so far as I can tell… 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
Ah, Ireland’s political problem writ large and metaphorically… A stroke is a temporary or permanent loss of higher brain function, generally caused by a blockage in the area that involves ethical decision-making. Ba boom… Nice one Frank! 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
The Onion reports, prematurely it would appear, from the Democratic Party’s National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. From the Onion slice. According to sources, none of the students in attendance appeared to be discussing proposals for college debt-relief with quite the same degree of unthinking, asinine fervor as they did in 2008, nor did the older convention-goers seem quite as transfixed by the magic spell of actually believing they could retire with financial stability. Moreover, not a single woman has …
Reading Frank McNally’s An Irishman’s Diary today – on the number of comments here, compared to the numbers here – all I can say is that, fortunately, I don’t suffer from ‘comment envy’… Much. From today’s Irishman’s Diary. And all right, Mars might be a minority interest on most websites, never mind sites focused on Northern politics. One couldn’t expect stories from the red planet to be anything like as pressing as events on the green and orange planets where …
In The Onion’s version of an op-ed, the Republican candidate for vice-president, Paul Ryan, has a message for Democratic Party attack dogs everywhere – “if we’re able to put aside the talking points for a few minutes and say what we’re all actually thinking and feeling”. I’m young, I’m handsome, I’m smart, and I’m articulate. And that scares the ever-loving shit out of you. You can pretend like you have this thing in the bag, but you know good goddamn …
A letter from “A Maskey, Belfast”… Hmmm… H/T to the eagle-eyed reader Kate… 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
All getting a little too hot and heavy round here at the moment, so here’s a view of the world from the early seventies, featuring noises off from Mr Faulkner and Mr Heath… 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
