Monthly Archives: January 2012


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP9RnDp_tms

I, for one, etc.

It is a remarkable demonstration of the intelligence of the crow, which sits on a smart branch in the animal tree within the family Corvidae. There is something so deliberate about this play: the crow uses a toy; it searches for the best sledding path; it repeats the adventure down the roof; it keeps upright with its feet planted on the lid when, as a bird, it could simply fly. The bird does not want to travel down the roof, it wants to slide down the roof.

Science Can Neither Explain Nor Deny the Awesomeness of This Sledding Crow (The Atlantic)

In nautical terms, the comparison between the two stricken liners is absurd, of course. The Titanic struck the famous iceberg on 15 April 1912, off Newfoundland and 450 miles off New York, at night, not 300 yards off the Italian shore in the Med. Six have died in the Costa Concordia accident. In 1912, 1,517 lost their lives.

It did so without most of the sophisticated navigating equipment that is now routine, even in yachts, let alone in 951ft gin palaces like the Costa cruise fleet.

GPS satellite technology allowed Costa Concordia’s hapless Italian master, Francesco Schettino, to know exactly where he was to within a few feet. Except that, as with the sat-navs in our cars, it does not protect any of us from computer error (my new sat-nav is always telling me to go the wrong way), technical failure (the rumoured electrical failure seems unlikely) and the magnificent capacity of over-confident human beings to screw up.

We will find out in due course. My money is on human error. One allegation is that Captain Schettino was allegedly seen in the bar with a glamorous companion before the ship struck the submerged rocks – rocks which weren’t on his maps and (says the captain) could be the product of underwater volcanic activity.

But the Costa seems to have been too close to the shore – its rocks and shallow water – possibly to show off to friends on the cliffs, according to one daft theory.

 

Costa Concordia: A floating RBS With A Sudden Liquidity Problem (Michael White, Guardian)

From the National Library of Ireland:

According to our catalogue, this was the Irish Republican Party (Sinn Féin) photographed on Monday, 10 July 1922 presumably in Dublin. However, as Cathal Brugha is present in this photo, and he died on Friday, 7 July 1922 then we need help to ascertain the correct date for this photo.

Some of the figures are readily identifiable, most obviously Eamon de Valera captured smiling. Think that may be Margaret Pearse, mother of Patrick Pearse, partially obscured by the newsreel camera, but would like to identify other people.

 

National Library of ireland Flickr Stream

Mr Hogan alleged that a number of decisions made by Mr Gormley as Minister were designed to deliberately frustrate the process. They included the waste-facility levies capturing large-scale incinerators, a review of waste-management policy and his decision to appoint a senior counsel to brief him on the contracts between local authorities in Dublin and Covanta.

For his part, Mr Gormley had always maintained those decisions were well-grounded and in the best interests of the public.

He also said he believed Mr Hogan’s complaint seemed to have been written on his behalf by Covanta, a claim Mr Hogan angrily denied.

 

Complaint On Gormley And Poolbeg ‘Unfounded’ (Harry McGee, Irish Times)

(Photocall ireland)

 

 

This household charge is a Statute, otherwise known as an Act of Government and only carries the force of law upon you if you consent to it which means that you’re legally obliged to pay if you consent or in other words go on to householdcharge.ie and register.

Your silence and inaction will also give the appearance of consent. If you do not consent, a Statute cannot affect you in any way whatsoever.

 

Household Charge – How To legally Avoid Paying It (IrelandOnItsKnees)

Thanks Lisa Sheppard