15 thoughts on “Figuratively Speaking

  1. More_Bemuda_Than_Berlin

    Their leading article this fortnight is well worth a read.

    It puts to bed any doubts people may have had about the post-colonial hang-ups of the Irish Establishment, and those of our very own Laurel and Hardy (Kenny & Noonan) in particular.

      1. More_Bemuda_Than_Berlin

        Before the Greek elections, there was talk apparently around the ECB, IMF, and the other over-lords of a big EU pow-wow to discuss debt write-downs for various countries – probably to try and sway Greek voters away from Syriza.

        Kenny, Noonan, and Bruton gave it cautious support (the proposed conference/talks “held promise”, etc.)

        Then, the IMF came to town last week, and in private meetings Kenny et al. were told by Christine Lagarde to toe the “responsible” line.

        Suddenly, Kenny was spouting a different story in Davos, where the Irish Times reported that he took his place with other Northern core EU countries (i.e. not with those Mediterranean types and their talk of debt write-downs).

        In a nutshell, Kenny had the chance to put Ireland’s enforced debt on the table but a kick in the shin from Lagarde and and he quickly ran back to the Master’s side, lest Ireland be associated with those uppity upstarts in the sun.

        (The Phoenix obviously tells it much better and in much more detail than this)

  2. Soundings

    Bloody dire. Is that front cover even remotely funny? figure = body shape = euro, hardeharh, I nearly sh*t myself.

    Graeme Keys has even given up the ghost not even bothering to spell check his word bubbles any more. (“I before E, except after C” Graeme)

    The “lead story” of Enda Kenny’s stance on a debt conference is cringeworthy and hangs on the notion of a U-turn with Enda initially embracing the idea but then “falling into line” with “responsible” northern European countries, but there’s sod all evidence of Enda ever embracing a debt conference (Paddy will repay every cent of what he owes has consistently been his line for three years).

    Beyond that, it’s the usual cobbling together of Irish hacks’ information-free opinions that weren’t deemed worthy enough to publish elsewhere.

    Interesting that when The Phoenix adopted its edgy “Je ne suis pas Charlie” in the previous issue, its trumpeted contributions to Irish news and commentary were from the 1990s. What have you done for us lately, lads (with the odd ladette)?

    1. ivan

      They’re one of the few publiciations to bang on *constantly* that Iain Bailey was being fitted up, no?

      1. Soundings

        Fair point, they have consistently covered the Ian Bailey case, but was it last year they did the four page special on the Bailey case. It was the worst written piece that I ever studied (the subject matter is serious, it describes a crime and evidence surrounding the crime, but the writing was unclear, ambiguous and tortuously written – I spent an hour on the train one morning reading it and correcting it and trying to figure out what they were saying.).

        Other outlets have also covered the Bailey case, not least because it has been cropping up in the courts (defamation, extradition and now the current matter). Has the Phoenix really contributed anything special on the subject? Going by the atrocious 4-page special last year, I’d said “no”/

          1. ivan

            That’s the difference between an investigation, and a court case; the Gardai can have all the suspicions they like and investigate based on those suspicions.

            If, and this is the crux of it, there isn’t any evidence to back up those suspicions, then they’re not permitted to go and manufacture evidence. So, in short, no, there wasn’t a good reason for fitting him up. If there was ever a good reason for fitting people up, we’d never have unsolved crimes, would we?

  3. Glat

    I before E except after C Soundings? Is that what you tell yourself every night at eight as you snuggle down in your beige pyjamas under your eiderdown after taking your codeine? Heigh-ho, seems a bit weird to me, but then society is made up of all sorts.

    1. Soundings

      You’ve got me banged to rights Glute, but tonight, though it tends to be a cami instead of jim jams (tonight there’s a fetching champagne number), Mr Sandman visits at 11pm most nights though later at weekends, “Sex and the City” on the TV/DVD, with sleep timer is my only sleeping aid though sex in the city is an admirable alternative.

      But spot-on with the rest, well done.

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