Humour

“Riddikulus!”

Pete Baker on March 7, 2011, 2:07 pm

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In the News Letter, Alex Kane calls the new TD for Louth, and still Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, Gerard Adams, on his party’s, self-declared, “ongoing reconquest of Ireland“. From the News Letter article. Sinn Fein’s greatest skill remains its ability to bluff with a poor hand. It always talks and acts as though Irish unity were an inevitability and that everything that happens – the ballot box/armalite tactic; the IRA ceasefire and decommissioning; becoming part of …

“Theirs is a vote for equality…”

Pete Baker on February 27, 2011, 10:11 pm

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One of the new TDs for Louth, and still Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, Gerard Adams, has thanked all those who voted for his party. “I want to thank everyone who worked for Sinn Féin and all those citizens who voted for us. “Theirs is vote is a vote for equality, a real republic and a United Ireland in which citizens are cherished.” Which might come as news to those who thought they were voting to [unilaterally] …

“Beards, fries, but no government…”

Pete Baker on February 18, 2011, 3:26 pm

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Crooked Timber’s Ingrid Robeyns ironically congratulates Belgium on setting a new world record without a government. As, indeed, do the Belgian people… 250 days and counting! Here’s a short CNN interview with Flemish comedian Geert Hoste And from a Guardian report On Thursday the word in Brussels was there would be fresh elections in April, a ballot likely to entrench the divide, deepen the crisis of political accountability and legitimacy, and result in yet further months of government-less squabbling. There is no talk of …

An anarchist speaks: “The only one that adheres to my policies is Fianna Fail”

Mick Fealty on February 17, 2011, 11:33 pm

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H/T Malcolm… Great video via Alex Massie… 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

“at least those smartarses from Vanity Fair didn’t notice the pencils…”

Pete Baker on February 16, 2011, 4:54 pm

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Prompted by Michael Lewis’ recent lengthy, and somewhat controversial, article on Ireland in Vanity Fair, Frank McNally takes the opportunity in his Irishman’s Diary to provide a, possibly apocryphal, account of the parliamentary vote which led to the glass partition in the public gallery in the Dáil. From the Irish Times article Thus I suspect reports that O’Flaherty had been “locked out” on the afternoon in question may have referred only to his physical condition, rather than Dáil vote protocol. Either way, …

Jeremy, Plaid Cymru and how to do economic competence

ItwasSammyMcNally on February 7, 2011, 2:03 pm

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I have to confess to being something of a fan of Jeremy Paxman but his smugness can occasionally require use of the TV brick or alternatively a viewing of this excerpt from Newsnight below. It is quite an old clip, having originally been posted by Dewi (Slugger’s Welsh + Rugby correspondent) around election time and which was perhaps a little too concealed in his post – I only just stumbled on it recently. About two and a half minutes minutes …

Jeremy Paxman: “This is an ex-email”

Pete Baker on February 2, 2011, 5:25 pm

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BBC Newsnight’s Jeremy Paxman has had fun signing off on the last ever Newsnight daily email. Here is the text Good morning. And good afternoon. Or possibly, good evening. Welcome to positively the last Newsnight daily email. The time has come to put this exercise in fatuousness out of its misery. It gives me no pleasure to say that it should have happened years ago. Actually, I lie. There is more joy in heaven, etc, etc. The reason for killing …

Brian Cowen: Extreme Political Turbulence Ahead

Brian Spencer on January 18, 2011, 10:00 am

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Your captions, please? Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

Ireland sent a turkey once before…

Pete Baker on January 16, 2011, 5:18 pm

| Readers 13

And it didn’t end well… On the night it became clear that Ireland was like a child, engaging in all sorts of annoying tricks just to get some attention. But the voters, I would guess, could see right through it. Post-Lordi, you have to be a little more subtle if you’re going to go overboard. Ultimately, it was more humiliating than any of the other recent disasters, because in previous years we sank quietly. This one plummeted with a very …

Apparently, T-shirts have already been printed…

Pete Baker on January 15, 2011, 3:58 pm

| Readers 22

For sheer entertainment value I feel obliged to share this account of the clash between Conservative MP, Mark Pritchard, and Mr Speaker… Mark Pritchard, a Tory MP described “as mild mannered” in the way that serial killers are usually described as mild-mannered until the lampshades made of skin are found in the basement, apparently impeded the movement of Speaker Bercow, who was progressing through the palace like a small medieval king mounted on a skateboard. “The courtesy of the house is …

Shock horror probe: DUP have a sense of humour…

Mick Fealty on January 13, 2011, 2:24 pm

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Courtesy of Lee… And Google Translate… 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 first winner to totter down our stained red carpet…”

Pete Baker on December 26, 2010, 2:24 pm

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In The Observer, Andrew Rawnsley has some, admirably even-handed, fun distributing his alternative political awards of the year. Time now to unveil the Assassin Of The Year. There could only be one winner: Ed Miliband knifed not just his brother, but also Nick Brown, Gordon Brown, Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper. The panel were particularly impressed that the first killer panda ever to lead a major British political party could keep a straight face when he said: “I love you, …

Ballymena City?

Moochin Photoman on December 1, 2010, 9:30 pm

| Readers 77

As part of the Queens Diamond Jubilee in 2012 one town will be granted city status. Predictably Ian Paisley Jnr has nominated Ballymena hey Moochin PhotomanPhotographer and visual artist based in Belfast. I have facilitated community based workshops with groups as diverse as visually impaired individuals in Dungannn, Travellers across Northern Ireland, Young Offenders and many community groups across Belfast. My work has exhibited extensively here in Northern Ireland in group and individual shows and has been shown in North …

Who is doing their own thing?

Blank on November 26, 2010, 8:34 pm

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We start easy: Now it gets political: ‘One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn’t belong’ Can you spot the odd one out? Blank

You take the man out of West Belfast but his MP will (eventually) follow…

Mick Fealty on November 16, 2010, 1:57 pm

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I was going to leave this caustic piece of graphic satire from the Bavarian Orange Blogspot to Moochin, who spotted it on Facebook this afternoon, but then someone punted me this post from former West Belfast resident Anthony McIntyre, whose former MP is about to become his bright shiny, new Sinn Fein TD… Clearly, he cannot believe his luck… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider …

“Relive the nightmare; believe the dream”

Pete Baker on November 5, 2010, 11:41 am

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That’s the tagline for 1916: The Musical, which the producers are clearly hoping will be more Les Mis than The Pirate Queen. Although, they are apparently following the latter in planning a world premiere in Boston in April 2012. I’m assuming they found an appropriate librettist… In the Irish Times, Frank McNally has some thoughts The producers are clearly well-meaning and have put a lot of work into creating what they hope will be an Irish Les Misérables. So I rather …

And the winner is…

Pete Baker on October 21, 2010, 2:30 pm

| Readers 6

The BBC’s Nick Robinson, apparently. According to the [ei] Comment Awards he’s the “Best Blogger” of 2010… At the Telegraph blogs, Toby Young suggests that “Asking Robinson to blog is like inviting a eunuch to an orgy and expecting him to participate”. Nevermind, Toby. Maybe next year… But, perhaps, that’s who [his BBC colleague] Andrew Marr had in mind? A lot of bloggers seem to be socially inadequate, pimpled, single, slightly seedy, bald, cauliflower-nosed, young men sitting in their mother’s basements …

Just when you thought you were out…

Pete Baker on October 8, 2010, 3:11 pm

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They pull you back in. Shaun Woodward has been named as shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland. Nevermind, Shaun. It could’ve been worse… [Worse?! How? – Ed]. Could have been Wales… Pete Baker

A hole in Dail security? Plug it

Blank on September 30, 2010, 1:00 am

| Readers 10

Blank

“Bartender, politician or comic…?”

Pete Baker on September 28, 2010, 12:29 pm

| Readers 5

Harsh? Probably… Pete Baker