Yearly Archives: 2013

bosnia(Potocari, Bosnia yesterday on the 18th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre)

Former diplomat Eamon Delaney writes:

Yesterday, the bodies of another 400 victims from the notorious 1995 Srebrenica massacre were buried in a moving ceremony in Bosnia.

The Bosnian conflict, despite being completely uneven, was one in which Ireland took a shameful policy of doing nothing, as I wrote in 2010 and saw at first hand at the UN General Assembly.

“In a move that amazed other countries at the UN, especially the neutrals and non-aligned, Ireland didn’t support the right of the Bosnian Muslims to arm themselves. “We have settled for the mess of pottage,” a doughty Ambassador told us in New York, meaning the EU Structural Funds package from Brussels. An old-timer and UN veteran, who’d came through from the era of Frank Aiken and Frederick Boland, when Ireland at least tried to take a neutral stand on these matters, the Ambassador couldn’t believe our cop-out.”

At least our reputation was restored somewhat two years ago when Ireland was one of only two countries to insist on the arrest of Ratko Mladic, the architect of the Srebrenica massacre, before Serbia could be further considered for EU membership. This duly happened.

 

Bosnia And The Irish Question (Eamon Delaney)

(Reuters)

chopper

The $250,000 Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition, which has been contested unsuccessfully by all manner of chopper boffins since 1980, has been won  by the first human-powered helicopter to fulfill all three of the American Helicopter Association’s criteria, namely: a flight lasting at least 60 seconds, rising at least once to a height of 3m while maintaining its centre-point inside a 10m square.

Last month, the AeroVelo team from the University of Toronto hovered their Atlas pedal-powered quadrotor (which measures a massive 47m across but only weighs 54kg) for 64.1 seconds and reached a maximum height of 3.3 meters.

AeroVelo, University Of Toronto Team, Win Human Powered Helicopter Flight Competition (HuffPo)

colossal

T_cosywickerandsquee(Morgan and cosy, top, and Wicker Bones with Squee)

You may recall the Michael T cosy winner Wubbelz from last year?

He writes:

You will be glad to know the T cosy is in constant use at every social event possible, keeping temperatures of hot delicious tea at a constant for maximum enjoyment.

Picture of said T cosy and guardian cat ‘Morgan’ (top).

I write in as myself and bandmates (above) in ‘Wicker Bones’ who frequently enjoy tea incubated from said t-cosy managed to meet and greet the full size version of the tea-cosy or ‘President’ as he is known.
I thought you might like to know this as we have a gig coming up TONIGHT  in the Pint on Eden Quay, Dublin, as part of the 10 days in Dublin Festival, if you could throw a punters our way we would be much obliged! I can say for definite that Michael T will be in attendance
and maybe the big man himself.

 

wicker_bones_pint_gig_10didWicker Bones

BO-WUrbCAAE05Uk

Ah mohair.

Soon to be betrothed Ireland rugby player Johnny Sexton (second left) and his groomsmen in Adare, Co Limerick, this afternoon.

Wet-look gel and the sun.

Messy.

Via Aine McMahon

What about the bride, Laura Priestley?

Oh go on then:

BO-g0btCMAE9k8WOh my.

Pic via Aine McMahon

vid

Epic video, awesome beardage.

The Carnival Brothers – The Sun Is Gonna Shine

Good rockin’ Johnny writes:

Brand new video from The Carnival Brothers for the day/week that’s in it!

 

The Carnival Brothers (Facebook)

Directed by Simon Eustace; Producer Hilda O’Connor; Steadicam Keith Durham; Choreography Lisa Darling; Makeup Louise Myler; DOP Ivan McCullough; Post Production Windmill Lane – Matt Branton


bike 03-42-07Previously spotted in a state of casual lockedness on Sunday outside Grogan’s on South William Street, this bike appeared again – properly secured this time – outside the Beggar’s Bush pub in Dublin 4 yesterday evening accessorised with a one-of-a-kind prototype Securispeed Couriers satchel.

If you happen to be in the cycle courier game, you’ll appreciate the near pornographic significance of such a rare artefact.

If not, carry on as if you’d never seen any of this.

(Pix: Dongle/Oisín Kane)