Behold the HM4 Thunderbird, inspired by aeronautical engineering, released in 2010 and limited to 20 handmade pieces per year. The blurb sez:

The case of HM4 blends high-tech titanium for its lightweight and strength with a sapphire centre section offering a view into the engine. The limited editions HM4 Razzle Dazzle and Double Trouble take the aviation theme even further with real rivets in their fuselages and hand painted nose art inspired by the rebellious paintings on WWII aircraft, while HM4 RT offers an altogether more luxurious way to fly.

The Thunderbolt’s engine is the culmination of three long years of development. Each of the 300-plus components – including the regulator and even the screws – was developed specifically for this anarchistic calibre. Horizontally configured dual mainspring barrels drive two vertical gear trains, transferring power to the twin pods indicating hours/minutes and power reserve.

Mid-range price: a trifling $158,000.

We’d have the Razzle Dazzle.

iheartchaos/ablogtoread

This mystery film-maker Sam,
Really does not give a damn.
He’s no film connoisseur,
He’s just trying to stir,
Up the people who do not eat ham.

John Moynes

Unless you can do better.

Oh yes, it’s Thursday blasphemy ‘Rick off.

A final pair of tickets to the Secret Garden Beer Festival in Dundrum, Co Dublin, THIS WEEKEND to giveaway.

Lines close at 3pm

Yes, you could be here:

Update:

The winner

I suspect his real name’s “Im Becile” –
‘Cos it’s clear from his B-movie reel
That this “Sam” is a Schmo
For depicting ol’ Mo
As a whoremong’ring pedofile heel

Mouldyman


Scuba diver Michael Maes recently had a less than pleasant run-in with a rogue dolphin off the Cayman Islands.

The dolphin known by local divers as ‘Stinky’ has had many encounters with humans since he was rejected by his pod for ‘bad behaviour’. Now fully mature and devoid of dolphin company, Stinky has turned sexual predator. Maes sez:

If the dolphin decides to use you as a (sex) toy, you don’t stand a chance. These are animals with 500 pound of pure muscle! They could shoot you to the surface, gently or at fast speed, putting a SCUBA diver in peril due to lung overpressure. They could grab you and take you down.

In my case “Stinky” tried to keep me down on the ground which was, fortunately, only some 30 feet deep, next to a mini-wall of 85 feet depth. So as I hardly had bottom-time and had plenty of Nitrox, my life wasn’t in danger from a DCI or Nitrox intoxication point of view.

(sNSFW: dolphin attempting (unsuccessfully) to rape diver)

dpaf


 

On April 1, 2012, the Sunday Independent published an article stating UK equity firm Forum Partners had hired former Nama executive and portfolio manager Enda Farrell “to scour the Irish market for distressed debt deals”.

On August 5, John Mooney, of the Sunday Times, reported that Farrell and his wife Alice Kramer had purchased  a five-bedroom house in Sundaywell, Lucan, Dublin for €410,000 in December 2011 from the agency’s portfolio without the board of Nama knowing about the sale.

The property was never advertised.

The article stated Farrell bought the home after he made an unsolicited approach in August 2011 to the previous owner Thomas Dowd, a former business associate of Derek Quinlan.

It said Farrell didn’t tell Dowd about his position in Nama. Dowd had bought the house for €1.4million in 2004.

Mr Mooney wrote: “Dowd is believed to have provided Nama with Farrell’s name and address before the sale, but the agency’s compliance and supervisory departments appear not to have noticed the connection.”

He added an investigation by the newspaper prompted officials in Nama to carry out an internal inquiry.

On August 6, 2011, it was reported that Farrell felt he acted in good faith.

The Irish Daily Mail quoted him as saying: ‘In July 2011, at a time when my wife and I had decided to purchase our first home but before we had identified a specific property, I discussed the possibility of acquiring a Nama property as my home with the agency’s head of compliance.
‘I received Nama compliance training during which I was told I could purchase residential property as a principal residence. I sought and received informal clearance from the compliance unit to purchase a property as a primary residence.

‘I did not inform Nama of this specific purchase which closed in the weeks leading up to my departure from the agency. I believe I acted with probity at all times.”

On the same day, RTE reported a Nama spokesperson saying they had: “no record of clearance for a transaction in which a former employee bought a NAMA property”.

On August 12, The Sunday Times reported comments from Farrell’s solicitor Robert Dore that Farrell believed some of his co-workers at Nama knew about his property deal.

Yesterday it was reported that Nama had obtained High Court orders last week to issue legal proceedings against Farrell “over the alleged removal of confidential information from the agency.”

The orders demanded Farrell and his wife to hand over all the confidential documentation they had on Nama.

Last week’s proceedings were held in camera. But yesterday, at Nama’s request, the order to keep them private was lifted.

RTE reported: “Lawyers for NAMA told the court that information was taken in a premeditated way over a number of months. The court was told the confidential information taken relates to loans and properties with a combined value of many billions of euro.”

In a statement, Nama said it became aware of the purchase on August 2.

Today, in a report from yesterday’s high court proceedings, the Irish Times reports that Enda Farrell’s wife works in compliance for Ernst & Young..

It also reports that the court heard Farrell sent up to 30 emails containing “highly confidential and commercially sensitive information” from Nama to his wife.

The court heard Nama uncovered this after Deloitte conducted an audit – on foot of learning about the sale. The court heard an internal inquiry is now taking place in Ernst & Young.

Last March, the Irish Independent reported Ernst & Young had earned €8.4million from its work with Nama since its inception.

Deloitte, which is Nama’s internal auditors, had earned €4.8million.

‘Dublin’

By Richard Walshe and Alan Wall  of Workhouse.

Alan sez:

I’m a fan of American designer Aaron Draplin who makes these great posters for different US states. I started wondering “what would I put in a Dublin one?” and eventually made it myself. I particularly wanted to include the Poolbeg chimneys. Bank of Ireland once had an ad where they painted them blue and white which I thought was brilliant. We are thinking of turning this into a big poster with lots more Dublin icons.

Le Cool Dublin 

How to make a nightcap (with hair extensions).

And a sock.

A knitting guide book for schoolgirls, 1832.

The book was published under the title ‘Simple Directions in Needlework and Cutting Out intended for the use of the National Female Schools of Ireland, to which are added specimens of work executed by pupils of the National Model Female School’. The Model Schools were set up to promote the education of the poor in Ireland. They often taught knitting, as did orphanages and workhouses, with the aim of providing the poor with a skill for gainful employment.

 

Simple Directions in Needlework and Cutting Out intended for the use of the National Female Schools of Ireland (V&A Collections)

Thanks Sibling of Daedalus

Broadsheet.ie