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“Time and again it was described to me as a system characterized by mediocrity, nepotism, secrecy and a lack of genuine competition. It is a system in which the governing philosophy of “social partnership” has morphed into nothing more than an excuse for buying off special interests.
And it is a system in which the top priority of those who run it is preserving their powers, perks and prerogatives.”

 

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Steven Pearlstein, who recently visited Ireland [his lengthy article below] to see if the Celtic Tiger could be resuscitated.

Can Ireland’s Celtic Tiger roar again? (Steven Pearlstein, Washington Post)

Steven Pearlstein?

chompsky

Today is an historic day. For the first time in the history of the jurisdiction the Seanad is sitting during the August break. Our leaders have an opportunity to heal a broken country.

But they won’t do it.

It’s time to face facts. Despite the fact that women make up almost one third of the population Ireland remains a profoundly misogynistic society. The horrifying reality of recent days make this clear.

Social media has been swamped in a vicious tidal wave of “Rose Shaming”, and pathetic young men have been getting their kicks by circulating photographs that clearly depict Daithí Ó Sé.

We will not be party to this. Though we have identified the Rose in question we have decided to respect her privacy.

Here at Broadsheet we are proud of our long tradition of marital independence, but the time has come to take a stand. Her first reaction was to say No. Her first reaction was right.

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Rannafest, Co Donegal, August 1936.

Dear Eileen
This is just a note to let you know that this is a great place. I am having a great time although we have school for four hours in the day. I saw Elsie here today.
Love
Maurice

Sibling of Daedalus writes:

The card is addressed to Eileen Murnaghan, Omagh, Co Tyrone. I think Maurice is Eileen’s older brother Maurice Murnaghan, from Omagh, son of the doctor there, Dan Murnaghan. Maurice later became Professor of Physiology at UCD. I wonder if he ever got to have a word with Elsie…the genders in Rannafast seem to have been fairly rigidly segregated, from the photo on the card (top)….

 

Postcard via Ebay

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What you may need to know

1. It’s a new thing from JJ Abrams. A TV show? A movie? A load of cobblers? The internet is only ablaze with speculation.

2. Last time JJ dropped a trailer without warning, we got Cloverfield (2008).

3. JJ might be planning to break tradition with his Star Wars movie.

4. What’s more, Trekkers have expressed their unhappiness with his last directorial effort.

5. Chances are, there will be lens flares.

Release Date: ?

ku-xlargeAccording to an International Journal of Surgery Case Reports paper entitled “An Unusual Urethral Foreign Body” [warning: PDF contains unspeakably horrific photos] at Canberra Hospital urologists were recently presented with a 70-year-old patient who had ended up in the emergency room with a 10cm fork lodged inside his penis in order to achieve “sexual gratification.”

dailywhat/gawker

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