Press Ombudsman Prof John Horgan warned in a speech this week against ‘journalists plagiarising from the internet and using it as a substitute to leaving the office and finding out about what is happening in the world.’ Here’s why. Sixteen year old Masal Bugduv was heralded recently by the Times as a promising young Moldavian… Continue reading »
Jan
30
Jan
28
Face The Music
I downloaded the latest OpenOffice release today. It clocked in at about 140Mb. I also downloaded several podcasts. mostly from the BBC and NPR. Then I emailed some high resolution photos, each about 10Mb. I mention this because Eircom reached a settlement today with the Irish Recorded Music Association. Big Music doesn’t like the internet,… Continue reading »
Jan
27
In My Own Words
Richie Barron died on a lonely country road as he walked home in October 1996. Six weeks later, twelve innocent people were arrested, suspected of his murder. Six years later, a tribunal was established to find out what happened. It would take six more years for the full truth to emerge. Chaos and Conspiracy tells… Continue reading »
Jan
27
Lump Sum
When the cops asked what was in the locked cupboard in the basement, Ted Cunningham – no relation – explained it contained ‘personal items‘. ‘What kind of personal items?’ they asked. ‘A couple of million in sterling.’ The financial adviser explained he got the money as a result of a property deal involving the sale… Continue reading »
Jan
23
Check Sums
As part of my job, I read too many government reports. Most of them are available online and can be downloaded without charge. Downloads are generally in PDF format, though occasionally a press release or speech is available only as a Microsoft DOC (I haven’t encountered the newer DOCX format yet). Checking document properties, it’s… Continue reading »
Jan
21
Could It Be?
‘So here’s how it works’, my informant told me, leaning closer as his voice dropped. ‘To earn the right to vote on party policy, each party branch is required to raise a sum of money each year.’ ‘The amount raised varies from year to year, depending on whether it’s an election year, or if there’s… Continue reading »
Jan
15
Breaking News
I was all set to write an article today on the government’s belated decision to nationalise Anglo Irish Bank. Before writing, I decided to check what RTÉ had to say about the story. Nationalisation has been inevitable since the bailout consensus broke down yesterday, when Fine Gael said it would vote against the government recapitalisation… Continue reading »
Jan
15
Halt
Donegal county council finds itself faced with an unusual problem. Following complaints that there is no authorisation to display a ‘Stop’ sign in the Gaeltacht using the Irish word ‘Stad’, the council must replace the signs with standard English language ‘Stop’ signs. The council points out that ‘Stop’ is also an Irish word, to assuage… Continue reading »
Jan
13
The Unelected Government
Yesterday two hundred economists met in Dublin to discuss the future of the nation. I happened to find myself in Buswell’s Hotel, opposite Leinster House, when the economists retired for refreshments after their meeting. The meeting was addressed by Colm McCarthy, the UCD economist heading An Bord Snip Nua. It says something about our government’s… Continue reading »