Author Archives: Bodger

This afternoon.

Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Protestors representing the more than 1,000 Debenham’s workers who have lost their jobs, and have been told the company does not have sufficient assets to fund their agreed redundancy package.

Rollingnews

 

Carlosfandango writes:

In their wisdom and in the absence of new programming, RTÉ has added some new shorts on the iPlayer. This is one I was delighted to be associated with (nearly ten years ago) in a previous life, and previous world!

Look out for the great crowd dancing scene at the end. Practiced in the loading area of the ilac centre and shot early on a beautiful summers morning (on a Sunday). Everyone learned the steps at home from a video we uploaded on YouTube. It was pretty special to see hundreds of strangers dancing in sequence.

New Irish Shorts (RTÉ)

Previously: Moore Street Mumbai Style

Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to the UN, at the Institute of European Affairs (IIEA) event in the Morrison Hotel, Dublin in 2018

Yesterday.

A  list of the names of officials with US President President Barack Obama’s administration who allegedly requested the “unmasking” of former national security adviser Michael Flynn in intelligence reports was declassified (but not yet released).

Names of US persons ‘whose identities are included in the intercepted communications of foreign officials’ are usually redacted by US intelligence agencies. Requesting that the identity of an individual be revealed is not a crime but ‘disclosing an identity publicly or disseminating it for political purposes’ can be.

Via CBS news:

Former Obama administration officials, including former national security adviser Susan Rice, have previously acknowledged making unmasking requests, but have forcefully denied leaking any classified information or otherwise using unmasked identities for political gain.

According interview transcripts released last week by the House Intelligence Committee, Rice told congressional investigators she had “no idea what the hell a political unmasking” was.

….Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, who was a part of President Obama’s national security team, also testified that she had made unmasking requests, citing a “significant appetite for intelligence,” but said she did not recall making a request related to Flynn.

“Any time a U.S. person or entity’s name came to me disclosed or annotated or where I requested it and it came back, I never discussed it with another member of the human race,” Power said. “I have no recollection of making a request related to General Flynn.”

Power also denied ever leaking information to the press, she said.

“I have never leaked classified information. I have never leaked names that have come back to me in this highly compartmented process. I have, in fact, never leaked, even unclassified information,”

Intel chief declassifies names of Obama officials who “unmasked” Flynn (CBS)

Previously: Fools Rushed Flynn

Rollingnews

Update:

BREAKING: List of Obama Operatives Who Unmasked General Mike Flynn Revealed… Including Brennan, Biden, Clapper and Samantha Power! (The Gateway Pundit)

Zzzup?

Colette Kinsella writes:

My cat Ted, and his permanent position on the filing cabinet beside my desk. I’m constantly inspired by his disciplined work ethic.

Put the sound up on the video (above) – he has the face of a cherub and the snore of a Hell’s Angel. When he’s not sleeping, though, he helps me make inspirational science videos…

Meanwhile…

Colette adds

My other cat Ziggy on vocals (usually, Ziggy plays guitar).

Earlier: Companion In Madness

Your pet in lockdown to broadsheet@broadsheet.ie marked ‘My Pet In Lockdown’

‘

‘Coronamona’,

An Irish father and son ‘alone together’.

Actor and director John O Dowd (top left) writes:

We are a group of Irish individuals on lockdown in Galway City, London, Buckinghamshire, Spiddal and Tenerife.

Together we have produced ‘Coronamona’, an online series using recorded Zoom calls between Seamus, a frontline health worker in the NHS in London and his Father Martin, cocooning in Connemara.

Written by Conor Montague, Seamus is played by myself. Martin is played by Peader O Treasaigh (top right), who for decades has been a stalwart of Irish language theatre, fillm and TV. This is his very first project in the English language.

We have just released episode 2 (above). We have generated over 1100 views on YouTube for episode one from just our own Facebook family and friends. It can be viewed here

This about a health service, understaffed and not adequately protected, it’s workers operating at great risk to their own health. The vulnerability of older people in lockdown. The requirement for connectiveness in a time of uncertainty. The healing power of storytelling.

In fairness.

Vagabond Productions

This morning.

Meanwhile…

More as we get it.

Rollingnews

‘sup?

James M Chimney writes:

Here’s Suggs, my constant covid companion. Been stuck working in the boxroom since early March, I swear the walls are closing in on me. Suggs’ skills with Photoshop leave a lot to be desired, but he brings a bit of light relief, our other cat Buster (featured here – scroll down), can’t be arsed with it all….

Your pet in lockdown to broadsheet@broadsheet.ie marked ‘My Pet In Lockdown’

Followings weeks of on air requests….

Matt Damon on ‘Fully Charged breakfast show’ on Spin1038.

Via Spin1038:

[hosts] Graham & Nathan did it! Here’s the WORLD EXCLUSIVE interview with Matt Damon from the safety of quarantine in Dalkey.

He talks his daughter getting COVID-19, how he ended up in Ireland, that SuperValu bag photo & lots more…

SPIN 1038 Exclusive: The Fully Charged Matt Damon Interview In Full (SPIN 1038)

Meanwhile…

G’wan the backroom staff!

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris inspecting new’ Gardaí at the Garda Training College, Templemore, County Tipperary last month

The changes mean recruits will undertake most of their education from their homes on an e-learning platform before gaining practical experience in frontline policing.

It will also mean students will deploy to stations with little or no practical training. However, these students will not typically deploy on the streets and will not be able to perform arrests…

Coronavirus: Garda recruits to be deployed after just one week in Templemore (Irish Times)

Rollingnews