Behold: the sculpted animals of Japanese artist Taiichiro Yoshida –  armatures clad in thousands of delicately textured leaves and flowers handmade from copper, bronze and silver, rippling across the surface, or as metallic butterflies (pix1,2) poised to take flight.

More of his work here.

colossal

Bleak Reality

Drifting into oblivion, living from a bag,

Walking to their own tune.

A life fallen from the trees,

Living on the streets.

Ghosts in denial,

the bleak reality.

Refusing to claim their trees,

The path is endless.

Their journey is short.

Choosing a destiny that injures their pride,

Poisoned and shunned,

the bleak reality.

Existing as mice in a world of man,

Scavengers – puffing and exhaling mortality.

Puppets to a bottle or a pill.

The wails of Jack Daniel echo,

The bleak reality.

Withered souls burnt into ash,

Denying the shriek of sirens.

Manipulating the inevitable,

Ignoring the door of reappearance.

The bleak reality.

That shovel they’re holding,

Keeps them trapped in a state of their own mind,

And the smell of rotten flesh.

Afraid to drive despite holding the wheel.

Aoife Cunningham

Previously: Sylvia’s Mothering
Relit
Choosing Recovery
Leading Me Home
In My Element
A Path Made Of Thorns
Memory Storage
Wings Of Wardship
Running Out

RollingNews

This afternoon.

KN writes:

Anfield Talk, a popular Liverpool FC website, published a well argued and very reasonable article by journalist Ester (@klopptimistic) on the depressing lack of ambition shown by American-based owners Fenway Sports Group towards the club during the summer transfer window just closed. The result was a barrage of online personal abuse from FSG fanboys (also known as “top reds”) which forced the young journalist to take her twitter account private.

It’s Time To Go, FSG: You Have Promised So Much But Kept To So Little (Anfield Talk)

This morning.

During an Oireacthas committee hearing on Katherine Zappones’ appontment to the UN…

…Fianna Fail TD Barry Cowen asked the minister whether he is now saying that when Ms Zappone text him [in March] to say she was delighted with the offer – that the “offer” was a concept, which she interpreted as a job offer. He asked was that correct?

Mr Coveney agreed it was correct.

He said that it would have been helpful if he had responded to her text to clarify that it was not a job offer at that stage, it was simply a concept that may materialise later.

Mr Cowen asked the minister whether he acknowledged that it appeared from the documents released yesterday that Ms Zappone played a part in defining the specifications for the job in the intervening period, to which the minister said: “No.”

Earlier…

This morning.

Simon Coveney is addressing the joint Oireachtas committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence over the appointment of Katherine Zappone as a UN free speech envoy.

Watch live here

Yesterday evening: Well Now

The Cranberries – Never Grow Old

This morning.

Just ‘dropped’.

Celebrating what would have been Dolores O’Riordan’s 50th birthday.

The band wrote on Facebook:

“In order to celebrate all that she inspired and the joy that she has given on her 50th Birthday, her bandmates, friends and family, have pulled together a brand new playlist called ‘Remembering Dolores’ which is available now on all streaming platforms.”

The Cranberries

September 3

Meanwhile…

September 6

Meanwhile…

Last night.

Oh.

One Hospital Denies Oklahoma Doctor’s Story of Ivermectin Overdoses Causing ER Delays for Gunshot Victim (Rolling Stone)

Meanwhile…

Broadsheet.ie