From Irish News
Posted at 32CSM Message Board
29 August 2008
A former leading IRA man has said attacks on police officers in Lurgan this week were a “symptom” of nationalists’ refusal to accept the PSNI.
Colin Duffy was speaking after two days of serious rioting in Lurgan which saw separate gun, blast and petrol- bomb attacks on police.
In...
Belfast Telegrpah
Thursday, 28 August 2008
An American immigration appeals court has upheld Maze escapee Pol Brennan’s bail denial, just weeks after three US Congressman wrote to the Department of Homeland Security calling for the Ballymurphy native be freed on bond.
In its ruling this week, the Board of Immigration Appeals in Falls Church, Virginia, agreed with a...
32CSM Message Board
28 August 2008
Hardline republicans in Derry have vowed to continue to oppose the presence of the PSNI in nationalist areas.
At a commemoration held in the City Cemetery on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the death of hunger striker Micky Devine, the IRSP called on republicans to unite to prevent the PSNI from...
By Ronan McSherry
Ulster Herald
**Via Newshound
28 August 2008
Fears expressed by many relatives of the Omagh bomb victims that the monument to their loved ones may become the target of vandals appear to be well founded following an attack on the memorial at the weekend. The attack has been strongly condemned by local representatives across the political...
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the article straight through, and you'll get the point. 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America. 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress. 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners. How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are...
Independent.ie
The DUP and Sinn Fein are involved in a new row - this time over whether the words of a policy document can be changed once they’ve been approved by the power-sharing executive.
Conor Murphy of Sinn Fein changed references in a document from “Northern Ireland” to “the North” and Peter Robinson is understood to be...
Like many I'm sure, I was begin to tire of his abstract notions of 'hope' and flowery rhetoric but in last night's speech to the Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama finally nailed it. Obama focused his guns on McCain and the corporations and his policies at everyday working Americans for the first time in a speech that outlined a vision totally anathema to anything the 3 main British parties would dare to spell out. It's a sad thought that most of it was, to me, common sense but that it seemed so radical after 8 years of Bush, and even in a UK context with New Labour so willing to prop up the bankers that caused the current crisis rather than those who suffered at the hands of their reckless greed.The Democrats at last have started to tear lumps out of their Republican...
His words can make stock markets quake. They pushed house prices down further when he failed to quash rumours of a cut in stamp duty. Yet here is that flinty character Alistair Darling confessing all to one of the most winsome women in the interviewing business, Decca Aitkenhead of the Guardian.
Confesses the Chancellor: “We knew the economy was going to slow down.” But he hadn’t the faintest inkling of the financial crisis about to unfold before him? “No, no one did. No one had any idea.”
“The economic times we are facing “are arguably the worst they’ve been in 60 years,” he says bluntly. “And I think it’s going to be more profound and long-lasting than people thought."”
“In the space of 10 months...
For anyone with Mario Kart Wii, my friend code is: 3609-3218-8554 - add me, I’ll go easy on you, I promise! #
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Every so often a ‘Battle of the Bands’ pops up on the radar, each one to be better than any before it. Last Standing with its emphasis on war rather than battle, may prove itself to be stronger than its predecessors of the genre of musician competitiveness.
Last-standing.com Is a social networking site for Northern Irish bands; trying to build networks between bands in NI to strengthen our collective position in the music industry. Also runs a Battle of the Bands which is open to entrants right now, heats are on around NI to to determine the finalists, the finalists will then battle for a chance to win £2000’s worth of prizes, including:
- cash prize
- demo recording at Shabby Road studio
- 100 copies of the demo
- expert advice from those in the music and promotion...
When i took this picture and started to edit it i intended to draw particular attention to my sore eye! Then the power of Photoshop gripped me and i ended up with what you see below! You probably don't notice anything wrong with my eye but my right eye (left in the image) has been sore since last night..........I spent all day yesterday and most of today in front of a screen and i have also struggled to handle this rather disjointed week. When i say struggle, i don't mean in a bad way but its just been different and when i have 'different' or busy i get sore eyes, irritated skin etc. We were off on monday and then on Tuesday & Wednesday i caught the 8am train to Belfast, changed at Belfast and headed to Derriaghy at 9.10, arrived there at 9.30 and began my days work. I left at 5pm,...
It's only a small distance between G and T on an QWERTY keyboard ... and it explains why Gerry Anderson is being called Terry in the advert on BBC NI's homepage for his show tonight on Radio Ulster looking at the history of the walls of Derry/Londonderry, "a city with a division through its own...
Congratulations to the King of Pop who celebrates his half-century today. Let's hope he gets his act together and releases an album to match the quality of Bad and Thriller. Fingers...
It’s wonderful how a little detail can scale down a story as a day develops...UTV and The BBC’s Mark Devenport report that changes to the “massive” strategy development document Conor Murphy failed to bring back to the Executive for clearance amounted to around “150 changes, many involve references to “Northern Ireland” being changed to “the north".” Are you being serious, First Minister? The air is going out of this story’s balloon. Sinn Fein ministers may well have a case to answer on possible breaches of the ministerial code by stalling on the prescribed fortnightly Executive meetings and much else, like the failure of Martin McGuinness to clear 30 papers for discussion by the Executive. ( see my...
Gonzo gave his immediate reaction to Barack Obama’s speech late last night but it’s also worth reading Micky Kaus’ suitably sceptical take at Slate“A little flat, and not just because of it’s now-required State-of-the Union laundry-list passages”
Meanwhile Máirtín points to an Irish Echo report from a couple of days ago on the reaction by some to Obama’s suggestion that a US envoy to Northern Ireland was no longer required - as previously noted by Brian.“I’m Shocked, I really am,” veteran Democratic activist Brian O’Dwyer said. “The stupidity of it, that somehow the idea that it is all over (in Northern Ireland) and there is no need for an envoy; this of all things. Irish American is most proud of...
By Noel McAdam
Belfast Telegraph
Friday, 29 August 2008
The troubled Executive tumbled towards crisis today as First Minister Peter Robinson accused a Sinn Fein minister of a deliberate attempt to derail the power-sharing government.
The DUP leader also demanded an immediate Executive meeting after charging Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy with breaching his Pledge of Office in the...
http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blogger.php?inventory_key=PH203EOCDRY2ZAL1H02V...
It appears it is not easy to find a grave for an atheist in Donegal. There is no municipal graveyard and Roy Greenslade had been informed that a religious service would be required to use the various church graveyards (although this advice may have been mistaken). So instead his atheist mother’s remains were brought across the border and buried in Londonderry. Derry City Council has different designated areas for different religions within its graveyards but none for atheists, when asked where she would be placed a graveyard official said:
“...we’re putting her in with the Protestants.”...
Northern Ireland comes second among the four parts of the UK in the amount spent per patient, according to a breakdown just published by the respected Health Service Journal.
“Huge contrasts found between UK nations. Patients in the UK’s four nations have dramatically different experiences of the NHS.”
Scotland came highest in spending per patient at £1262, compared to NI at £1214, Wales at £1186 and England £1,086. NI has the second highest ratio of GPs per 1.000 patients, 0.63 compared with Scotland’s 0.76.
Among the comparisons:
Same day admissions discharged
43% rise in the proportion of emergency admissions discharged on the same day in England between 2004 and 2007.
In Wales the rise was 34% and 12% in Northern...
The BBC’s Mark Devenport had suggested the IMC could play a part of the “serious consequences” predicted by Northern Ireland First Minister, the DUP’s Peter Robinson, if the Executive continued to fail to meet. Whether today’s reported meeting between the DUP and the IMC is more than a sounding of next week’s IMC report isn’t yet clear. But it comes at a time when the NI First Minster has accused the Regional Development Minister, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy, of breaching the ministerial code....
Breaking news... The Belfast Telegraph is selling hard the story of deepening crisis in the Executive, although as I type, nobody else seems to have picked up this latest twist. Peter Robinson’s charge is constitutionally a serious one, that the Regional Development minister SF’s Conor Murphy breached the code of office by failing to bring a “ massive” regional strategy to 2025 before an Executive meeting.
“Mr Robinson said he wanted an immediate Executive meeting to deal with the issue before it becomes a matter for the courts.”
In political terms, it’s clearly a straight challenge to Sinn Fein to come in or get out. Quite a gambit. Yet how does it square with yesterday’s story of a meeting with SF next week to try to...
Have you ever heard of Blanchflower ? You have now. To most of us, the name conjures up fond memories of two great Belfast footballing brothers of the 1950s and 60s. But now there’s a new Blanchflower – David. (no relation as far as I know). David Blanchflower moves into history as the first member of the Bank of England monetary policy committee (MPC) to break ranks and give a stark warning of deep recession – in public. You aint seen nothing yet, is his jist.
He forecasts 330,000 more people losing their jobs by the end of the year – banks and construction firms being the first to lay staff off. He’s got some evidence on his side. As the Guardian reports: “Fears of recession this winter intensified.. with High street sales in Britain...
WELL, dunno about you but I’ve just watched Obama give what was billed as the speech of his lifetime. And what a show it was from a gifted orator. Was it enough to make him the next US president? I think that’s another matter, but tonight was a night in which Obama set out his stall - not in any great detail, but with an appeal for change and a vision for the future that will attract many undecided Americans. I’m not sure that it’s enough though…
A few stream of consciousness notes…
Obama tried hard to portray John ‘How many homes do I own?’ McCain as out of touch, with many appeals to the middle classes. Healthcare and education were prominent in his thoughts, and he tried hard to side with workers as opposed to big business....
Having been away over the weekend, I've just got around to watching through some bits of the Olympic closing ceremony. The over-riding impression I was left with as I watched was the sheer organisation and discipline of the Chinese organisers.Huge numbers of performers, working in low light, with few cues. Beyond military timing. But close to perfect.And taking chances with high wire jinks and acrobatics, light wheels (gyro-cycles) and synchronised fireworks.Fireworks that can spell out numbers. That can be fired by cannon into the air. That make the coloured Olympic rings.With no way of practising the closing ceremony in the stadium after the sporting events had started, there was no opportunity for a last minute dress rehearsal. (Maybe explains why the camera work around the London...
It's not just Glasgow that can artistically place a traffic cone on top of a...
Three cheers for that bureaucratic pain, but first defence of human rights section 75 for taking Gay Rights to the top- even creating a ruffle in the Robinson household perhaps? And two cheers for the Belfast Telegraph for digging out the story under FoI ( great headline guys, you kept it simple). And to Pink News for, well, celebrating the news.
“First Minister to authorise grants despite wife’s outspoken comments
80,000 to gay groups within the next seven months — despite his wife’s controversial views on homosexuality.”
Officials have also confirmed that Stormont grant-aid totalling £100,000 was allocated to the gay sector during Ian Paisley’s period as First Minister.
It has further been revealed that money from the Office of the...
This is my current work area at home and will be for a little while, its very good i have to say! A blog has been one of the first stages of my new job! We have a webshop in development right now and there have been many setbacks but this week has been my first week in charge of the project. I am not sure if i feel like i am in charge just yet, a lot of our progress depends on the company who are providing all of our computer needs across the shops. To say that they have a played a huge role in our development over the last year is probably a bit of an understatement. It would be equally understated to suggest that these guys are very busy with all our current needs. In light of this we need to learn to walk before we run, and perhaps that is a good thing. So in the meantime, updates and...
For those who don’t know, my Astra was attacked in Donegal at the end of July. Woke up to the damage on the Saturday morning. The windscreen was fixed for just the £60 excess on the Monday (apparently these guys don’t do weekends). The Garda were nice but never inspired much hope of catching anyone and were ultimately useless. Anyway, having left work I finally got around to shopping around for estimates and thought I’d share my experience for anyone else looking to get a car repaired in the Belfast area.
My Experience
I actually got one from Bodytech Collision Repair in Carrickfergus a few weeks ago, because they seem to be the only car body repair outfit open on a Saturday morning. They came in at £666 + VAT which was £783.31 to you and me. They seemed very...
After the “kerfuffle” - the threats, the clarification, and the rebuttal - apparently the DUP and Sinn Féin are to hold talks next week. As the Belfast Telegraph report tells usThe DUP today said it was waiting confirmation of talks with Sinn Fein for next week to tackle the impasse threatening the future of devolution. Sinn Fein has also organised a series of internal consultations, including a meeting of its 27 Assembly members also next week.
Well we’re certainly not in May now.. But will they take the advice offered in the NewsLetter editorial? Probably not.....
In his column in the Irish News today, the always stimulating Brian Feeney raises one of the major issues emerging out of the population study I referred to frivilously on Tuesday. He in effect poses a 64,000 euro question: should government ( whatever that is these days ) abandon the fiction of one community and break it down into a range of different social and sectarian profiles?
“What is needed from the devolved administration at Stormont is a set of policies to take account of the different population profiles in the Catholic and Protestant communities, to answer their different needs and stop following the outdated NIO mindset of trying to pretend that everything here would be OK if everyone started behaving as if they lived in England”.
I want to be...