Can you say “Dubya”?
Tis so true
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Category Archives: Politics
Do not despair!
Nakedly political but still relevant today:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Eg8F3rap4[/youtube]
It’s from Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 film The Great Dictator, a bitter attack on fascism and Nazi Germany.
The segment is brilliantly directed. Chaplin begins by looking at the floor, gathering his thoughts. As the character gets into the swing of his speech his eyes raise subtly until he looks directly at the audience. Even though this eye contact is occasionally broken — as Chaplin is supposed to be addressing a gathering of soldiers — it is generally maintained to the finish. Strong stuff said with honest passion.
Warhol does Bertie
Bertie Ahern’s foreign exchange shenanigans may well be the first major crisis for this government, but there’s little hope of him stepping down over it.
But as the storm clouds gather ahead of the Taoiseach’s next appearance before the Mahon Tribunal, Michael Nugent has come to the rescue with some welcome levity. I point you toward the Bert, Celia Larkin, Michael Wall and a briefcase of cash as Andy Warhol might have seen them.
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Links and stuff
Given the day that it is, I don’t really feel much like posting something proper. Just links. Nothing overly serious and, for once, no mention of the utter-fucked-upness that is the Middle East.
Study pits liberal brains against conservative brains… who’s more flexible? Liberals, of course. (USAToday)
The Spybot Search and Destroy game. One of my favourite anti-spyware programmes has a secret minesweeper game for you to play while scans are in progress. (How-to Geek blogs)
State of play: the game of love. Increasing numbers of people find MMORPGS a great way to size up a potential mate, the logic being their online behaviour reflects their real-life behaviour. (BBC)
Quench your thirst without selling your soul. Enjoy bottled water without the conscience bothering that comes with knowing how much oil is used to make the plastic bottles. (Earth2Tech)
Why our next prime minister got drunk in a strip club. If only the current crop of Irish politicians had tales like this, as opposed to answering awkward questions about their finances. (Mr Angry)
Links of the day
Short and sweet because I’m on the verge of a migraine. I love how Mother Nature bitch slaps me on my day off.
Anime protestors meet real police. I can’t believe I went all weekend without seeing this… Fans used figurines to hold a protest against a distributor in Singapore. Police sent four anti-riot vans. (Reuters/Textfiend)
Inside politics — of youth and age (again!) A look at the fairly sprightly Fine Gael and aging Labour Party. (Harry McGee)
5,800-year-old mass graves from Tell Brak, Syria Evidence of a massacre at one of the oldest known cities. (Anthropology.net)
Antique ivory skull statuettes Creepy yet strangely beautiful. (Boing Boing)
Britney Spears at the VMAs… If you like train wrecks, check out the footage of a totally out of it Britney ‘performing’ her latest single. Thoughtfully contrasted with her “Slave 4 U” stint at a past show. (Rick O’Shea)
Spanish ‘granny’ dissects past and present on blog. María Amelia Lopez is 95 and kicks ass. A great story I wish I’d seen for today’s foreign pages of the Irish Examiner. (International Herald Tribune)