Herbert Park Hotel, Ballsbridge. Dublin.

Isobel Scally writes:

Personally I think the inflatable Corona bottle makes even TravelLodge look classy. But perhaps that’s because I’m a D4 snob. Taken just now, no rugby match today, no excuses.


The Golden Orb spider (Nephila madagascariensis) spins a unique, naturally gold-coloured silk. Last week, the world’s largest piece of spider silk fabric went on display at the V&A in London. Described as much lighter and softer than traditional silkworm silk, it does not (curse you, Golden Orb spider) confer superpowers.

London’s Victoria and Albert Museum put on display a remarkable cape woven from silk extracted from about 1.2 million female spiders in the highlands of Madagascar. The project was the work of English textile expert Simon Peers and U.S. designer Nicholas Godley. For three years, dozens of workers collected spiders every morning and harnessed them 24 at a time into special “milking” contraptions that allowed workers to extract their silk. The museum notes that it takes about 23,000 extractions to create one ounce of silk thread.

No spiders were harmed in the process.

via/via

Occupy Suckerberg.

Protesting Facebook’s policy of banning images of mothers breastfeeding their children were from top: Norah Storey and Ben; Niamh O’Connell and Noah; Grainne Evans and Cassie;  Norah and Ben with Becky Costello and Beau.

Facebook Breastfeeding Protest To Hit Dublin (Silicon Republic)

(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)

Members of Action on X Alliance outside the Dail within the last hour highlighting the 20th anniversary of the X case, where the Supreme Court directed the Government to legislate to allow for abortion where a woman’s life is in danger.

Back then, the late Supreme Court judge, Mr Niall McCarthy, emphasised the need for legislation saying: “The failure of the legislature to enact the appropriate legislation is no longer just unfortunate; it is inexcusable.”

Two decades later, after numerous expert committees, two referendums in which the people vindicated a woman’s right to life-saving abortion, several court rulings doing the same, and an acknowledgment from the current Government’s Deputy Leader that such legislation is necessary – all Labour and Fine Gael are giving us is yet another expert committee.

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Time To Legislate For Life-Saving Abortion (Therese Caherty, Cedar Lounge)

(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

 

For ‘civil society’ read ‘profits’.

In other news: ‘Horseless Carriages: The Work of Satan’ and ‘Bring Back The Shillin’ And The Thrupenny Bit.’

New Media Could ‘Destroy Civil Society’ (RTE)

Fill text of speech here


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxw4uZAezaI

The Superbowl ad of Republican Senate Candidate Pete Hoekstra, currently campaigning for the seat of incumbent Democrat Senator Debbie Stabenow.
Asked to explain the apparent racial stereotyping of the ad (gong sounds, conical hat, rice paddy, Engrish), a spokesman for the Hoekstra campaign rejected such a characterisation, saying:

“I think that China is our global competitor and the facts are what they are,” said Ciaramitaro. “They hold $1.1 trillion of our debt, their economy is booming, ours is not. It’s not a racial overtone to compare yourself to competitors on the global stage. I think the viewer of an ad is going to recognize satire.”

via

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWvT32JUbok

From Political Scrapbook

A UKIP MEP has admitted being “drugged up” on a cocktail of alcohol and prescription painkillers while making a speech in the European Parliament. Godfrey Bloom  stumped colleagues in Strasbourg last week, interrupting a debate on sport with a bizarre question about a university rugby club. Departing from his usually brisk and coherent delivery, Godfrey slurred his words as Tory MEP Emma McClarkin shook her head.

Broadsheet.ie