Category Archives: Misc

Thank Fabio it’s Friday.

Another week. Another music competition. An oasis of calm in a world gone frankly hatstand. You are most welcome.

I’ve still no voucher to offer but I intend to lay the esteem on pretty heavily next week to the winner. I want to know what is the song you find easiest to dance to and why.

Here’s mine.

Please include a video link where possible.

Nick says: Good luck!

Lines Must close on Saturday at Midday.

Pic: Abbazappa records, county Derry

Meanwhile…

Duke Special – The Ice Cream Man

Last week, I asked for your favourite song that included trees or leaves in some manner.

Fergalito‘s entry, while skirting the rules, won my considerable esteem:

‘Not trees or leaves but all kinds of flora found in the Burren. This is a collaboration between the Belfast poet Michael Longley and Duke Special based on Longley’s poem “The Ice Cream Man” – it’s incredibly moving in my opinion, Longley wrote the poem about a man who had an ice cream shop in Belfast and was killed in the troubles. He wrote the poem for him and in this collaboration reads out a letter he received from the man’s Mother – a most treasured possession of the poet.’

Nick says: Well done Fergalito and thanks all.

Last week: Win Nick’s Esteem

This afternoon.

What would MacLiammóir and Edwards say?

Probably quote Shakespeare.

Or Aeschylus.

Impossible to tell.

This afternoon.

Come on, Ireland.

Earlier: Duffy Passes To Giles

RollingNews

This afternoon.

Custom House, Dublin 1.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald joins Mica-affected homeowners on their march across Dublin city to Leinster House..

RollingNews

Earlier…

This afternoon.

Garden of Remembrance, Dublin 1.

MIca-affected homeowners and their children gather before marching to Leinster House via the Custom House to demand 100% redress.

More as we get.

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

The old Balbutcher Lane site, Ballymun, Dublin

This morning/afternoon.

A good day for ratlickers.

Not so good for Ballymun residents.

Via Dublin Live:

The rats are coming across to homes from a field in Balbutcher Lane, a largely residential area with lots of young children.

They are often spotted sitting brazenly out on the path, and one concerned mother told Dublin Live that they are living in constant fear.

She said: “If you’re walking by them, they just don’t move. The traffic is not even bothering them.

Locals in the area took to Facebook to share their own horrible experiences.

One person said: “The size of them, it’s not normal.”

Anyone?

Giant rats leaving terrified Dublin residents ‘afraid to leave windows open’ (Dublin Live)

Dublin City Council Cllr Noeleen Reilly

Anonymous gay dating app Fab Guys

Fluffybiscuits writes:

My previous piece on the encounter with a married man raised a lot of eyebrows and heckles of the commentariat here. I also mentioned: ” This sort of behaviour is prevalent “.

To prove my actions represent the minor moral infractions that a person could be accused off, I picked one website weaved into the fabric of the gay community you never get the salubrious side of: Fab Guys.

Fab Guys presents itself as  ‘fun, free and fabulous for gay guys’. Free and fabulous it is, fun…that’s a whole other ball game, Fab Guys is a site with a demographic hugely popular with both cross-dressers and married men, yet presents the more salacious side of the gay scene, one that encompasses all that is nasty about it.

The site had up until recently a major issue with men swapping their wives’ used underwear (you read that correctly). Furthermore there exists a problem with men swapping photos of their wives and in some cases daughters. Thankfully the site is clamping down on it now but it cant remain ever vigilant on the matter as it is moderated by people who give up their time voluntarily.

Routinely however, the site has tended to get more married men out there seeking their end. The site holds a particular pride of place for those on the look-out for cross dressers, nowt wrong with that in itself, however a cross swathe (maybe more) of those seeking to engage with cross dressers are themselves married.

Madison (a shortened version of her name) posts with the following in the forum

” I love to dress up and be the slutty girl madison I am I love to be used and abused by young or old guys and other crossdresser”

Responses to these are by and large from the married men who inhabit the site. The site seems to have an unsteady rivalry with Mumsnet. A cursory search though that site reveals a hell of a lot of complaints about the Fab Guys. The story repeats itself all too often with the same husband who has become secretive about his activity:

” There arent any suspicious text messages but his internet history has really made me feel shocked sick to my stomach. He has been visiting what are two gay websites. One called fabguys ” Mumsnet

” Just that really – I feel sick… I’ve just gone on the computer and his email was open, he has received a message from a site called fabguys. I’m at home today and picking our daughter up soon, he will be home at 5.30. I don’t know what to do.” – Mumsnet

” I had a quick peek at OH phone the other day and found fabguys on there.

“I asked him about it and he completely denied it. Saying I’m paranoid.” – Mumsnet

There is not much left to process, you would think, the level of inanity could not sink any lower don’t hold your breath on that. Meet the Barebackers. They are the men (a lot of whom are not on PreP – the drug that reduces the risk of transmission of HIV) , who will happily engage in the practice of unprotected sex and most of it unbeknownst to the wives. Tackling the men on this issue brings with it a cacaphony of condemnation, I am seen as prudish. I did try to message a few married guys to get their sides of the story but was quickly blocked.

Some readers wondered last week if perhaps my moral compass had gone awry. Be rest assured, there are those out there when compared to me have zero moral compass.

Previously: Fluffybiscuits on Broadsheet

Last week: Wey Bi Man


This afternoon

Broadsheet Eurovision correspondent Ted writes:

The host city for Eurovision 2022 in Italy was finally announced today: TURIN!

Ireland will choose its representative from a shortlist of acts on the Late Late Show early next year….

Bring back Linda M.

Fight!

USS Connecticut

This morning/afternoon.

Almost a dozen sailors have been injured after a U.S. nuclear attack submarine hit an unknown underwater object in the South China Sea, USNI News has learned.

The Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN-22) suffered an underwater collision while operating in international waters on Oct. 2 and is returning to port in U.S. 7th Fleet, a U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman confirmed to USNI News on Thursday.

Attack Submarine USS Connecticut Suffers Underwater Collision in South China Sea (USNI)

Meanwhile…

The Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22) struck an object while submerged on the afternoon of Oct. 2, while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region.

Statement regarding USS Connecticut (SSN 22) (US Navy Pacific Fleet)

Anyone?

Pic: US Navy