Low Tide
at
O’Brien’s Bridge, Galway yesterday.
Thanks Galway Girl
Uncanny.
The Empire Chinese takeaway, Rathmines, Dublin.
Conor McGregor targets UFC title shot after win over Dustin Poirier (Irish Times)
Thanks DD
Meth Cat
at
A series of styleframes created for a ‘fun’ pitch by designer Ryan McDougal that Vince Gilligan should get busy developing as an actual spinoff series right now.
Portraits by Sophie Gamand.
Seven month old wolf pup Lorne at animal rescue Camels And Friends in Arizona is introduced to a ram of very specific temper as part of his socialisation. To wit:
Lorne is now five months old, coming on six. He has been introduced to sheep since he was seven weeks old and has been around the herd daily. Today, under strict supervision I decided to put him in with a semi-dominate ram to gauge his reaction to him. The reason I chose this ram was because he was dominate and willing to stand up to Lorne, but was not overly aggressive and dangerous to him (such as Octavian would have been). Likewise, most of the Ewes would have been a poor choice and triggered a flight response in the sheep, which then may have triggered a chase drive in Lorne, which could have resulted in his predatory nature kicking in- whether he meant the sheep harm or not.
Handshake
at
A recent mural in Williamsburg, NYC by Puerto Rican street artist Joshua Santos Rivera, aka Bikismo.
Phil Hogan denying a claim we didn’t make. We didn’t say he approved €40 m allocation. He ‘seen & approved’ document telling him about €40+m
— John Burke (@JohnBurkeRTE) September 28, 2014
Phil Hogan signed & dated the 10/12/2012 document under words ‘seen & approved by the Minister’. Told “consultants” to share in €43.5m pot — John Burke (@JohnBurkeRTE) September 28, 2014
Former Environment Minister Phil Hogan was informed as far back as December 2012 that Irish Water had allocated a sum of more than €40m out of which consultants, among others, would be paid.
According to a document obtained by RTÉ’s This Week programme, Mr Hogan signed and approved of the document on 10 December 2012.
That is more than a year before the controversy broke over the spending of tens of millions of euro on consultancy services during the new water utility’s set-up.
Mr Hogan said he did not know that €50m had been spent on consultants when the controversy broke in January of this year.
He expressed concern at the level of spending at the time.
Listen to John Burke and Colm Ó Mongáin discuss the latest revelations on RTÉ Radio One’s This Week here.
Hogan knew of €40m Irish Water consultancy allocation in 2012 (RTÉ News)
Previously: Thicker Than Uisce
Via tomorrow’s Financial Times:
Apple will be accused of prospering from illegal tax deals with the Irish government for more than two decades when Brussels this week unveils details of a probe that could leave the iPhone maker with a record fine of as much as several billions of euros.
Preliminary findings from the European Commission’s investigation into Apple’s tax affairs in Ireland, where it has had a rate of less than 2 per cent, claim the Silicon Valley company benefited from illicit state aid after striking backroom deals with Ireland’s authorities, according to people involved in the case.
“We were simply trying to understand what was the right amount of taxes that we would have to pay in Ireland,” Mr Maestri said of the agreements, describing Apple’s approach as “very responsible, transparent and prudent”.
Legal curbs on state aid to companies are unique to the EU and Brussels has far-reaching powers to recover illegal support stretching back 10 years. While the commission has not yet made a precise calculation of improper support, it is expected to reach billions of euros.
The accusation that Apple rode to riches totalling $137.7bn in offshore cash with the help of the Irish taxpayer will come as a blow to a company that has striven to burnish its image of corporate social responsibility in recent years.
Apple Hit By Brussels induing Over Irish Backroom Deals (FT) – behind Paywall
Previously: Falling Far From The Tree