blackBanking fraud specialist Professor William Black this morning

Meanwhile, at the banking inquiry…

Professor [William] Black said the Irish Bank guarantee had been “the worst possible decision that could have been made” and “an attempt to bail out the German banks and that was never going to happen”. It was “the most destructive own goal in history” he said.

He said the Government was essentially bullied into the guarantee on the bailout which was made on September 30 2008. “If the banks are lying to you and the regulators are utterly incapable” and the message is that “tomorrow the world ends unless you take this action, then you take that action”

Banking inquiry told guarantee decision was ‘insane’ (Tim O’Brien, Irish Times)

William Black?

(Leah Farrell/Photocall ireland)

Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 12

We’ll see…

The sale of the Charlie Hebdo magazine published after the Paris atrocity is threatening to become the first major test of the Irish Republic’s blasphemy law, Muslim representatives and secularists have warned.
Ireland’s Islamic Cultural Centre has said the presence of a depiction of the prophet Muhammad on the front page of the satirical publication, on sale now in Irish shops, is a clear breach of the country’s blasphemy legislation

READ ON: Sale of Charlie Hebdo in Ireland will test blasphemy law for first time (Henry McDonald,Guardian)

(H/T: Peter)

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Andra Gorski writes:

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magic-mike-poster-04feb15

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwPR0q5es0A]

What you may need to know:

1. Magic Mike used to dance. He was out of the game, finished, retired but he comes back one last time to shake his xxl bits at a stripping convention.

2. The first Magic Mike (2012) made a crotch tonne of money.

3. Matthew McConaughey has gone on to win an Oscar and star in a hit TV show. Magic Mike (2012) director Steven Soderbergh is still messing around with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

4. Channing wrote the script for this sequel. Channing just wants to dance and have fun. Which is cool too.

5. This trailer premiered on the Ellen DeGeneres show. Really?

6. Who is the hairy fella at 1.13? He looks badass for a lad covered in baby oil.

7. Tatum is a better dancer then welder in fairness. We are better at welding then dancing. Evens.

8. Broadsheet Prognosis: Not a dry seat in the house.

Release Date: 31st July 2015

buncrana-cinemaBuncrana Cinema in the former St Mary’s Church, Buncrana, Inishowen, Co Donegal

Delighted that Buncrana Cinema will not be screening ‘Fifty Shades’  [Despite being listed in the  ‘coming up’ section on the cinema’s website] Christian campaigner Mary Doherty, who lives in Bucnrana, , described it as a ‘pornographic’ film which ‘portrays and accepts sexual violence against women’.

Initially fearing that the film would be shown however, Ms Doherty said it would be ‘scandalous’ to show such a film under the church’s roof.

Previously: Spanky Panky

No ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ for Buncrana (Caoimhinn Barr, Innisowen Independent)

Thanks Ciaran

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