Dear lord, there are honestly people out there, right in public, insisting that "_technically_ he was an ephebophile". That argument always makes me think of this clip (it's only a minute long and the punchline is worth it). www.youtube.com/watch?v=f98u...

Ireland 2-0 up against Portugal and Ronaldo red-carded with a half hour to go. Don't want to count any chickens, but I'm definitely enjoying this so far. #IREvPOR #Football #IREPOR

Just like Swans, Benefits have decided to skip Ireland on this tour (probably due to Brexit or flags or the weather or some shite like that). So I won't be seeing them. If you're in the UK though, you should get your arse along to one of the gigs.

This Epstein email dump isn't looking good for Venezuela...

Given that the victims and abusers were international, is there any fucking way someone else can take the fucking Epstein case away from American control and just treat it as an actual fucking legal case rather than a two-party pissing contest? For fuck's sake.

When this album came out in 2012 I added it to my ambient music playlist. But I soon removed it as there was a sinister, foreboding element to it that's really good when I'm in that particular mood, but it's not really what I'm looking for most of the time I stick on my ambient music playlist. 1/2

Can't they just claim asylum in the United States? Sorry to nice Americans of course; but the Burkes brand of nonsense would barely register in Trumpland... they'd join a mad church and disappear without a trace over there. And it would give us in Ireland a much-needed break from the feckers.

Ian Dury, London, 1977

"Racism returning to UK politics – and people are very scared", says Starmer. "I mean, how did we end up here? It's hard to believe", he continued, "but there are mainstream politicians, right now in 2025, giving speeches that clearly echo the words of Enoch Powell. It's just awful."

I voted for Catherine Connolly and I'm glad she won the election. I think she'll make a good president. But I'm going to miss Michael D. Higgins. It's no slight on Connolly, but I'm not sure we'll see his like again.

Although I still liked the last season of Slow Horses, I did feel it was the weakest of the four. Very happy to report that Season 5 is a return to form. Really enjoyed it. #SlowHorses

"After two years actively enabling genocide, the Prime Minister solemnly laid a wreath at the cenotaph in solemn remembrance of those who died in past wars. At his side, other genocide enablers solemnly bowed their heads. You could cut the solemnity with a fucking knife." None more solemn.

The evolution of language...

Watched Leonard and Hungry Paul tonight and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. My expectations had been lowered by all the "middle class twee" takes. And I get that. But it's also a story that celebrates kindness and gentleness and quietness. And, occasionally, that's a nice change of pace.

You know what doesn’t work on Bluesky? Videos. Videos with text. And swearing. And noise. And ones promoting a music tour. None of that works.

Arrests have been made in the Drogheda arson attack. The CCTV footage clearly shows the person setting fire to the staircase. And they must have known there were people asleep upstairs. This is a cold-blooded attempt to commit mass murder. Including of children. 1/4 #SpeirGorm #SpéirGhorm

Been a while since I heard this but it resurfaced on my YouTube feed again today. One of my favourite artists covering another of my favourite artists backed by a large choir of people who just happened to be there at the time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7HJ... Goodnight.

It shouldn't need to be explained to anyone, so soon after the Soldier F verdict, why Irish people might not want to be socially obliged to donate to a charity committed to uncritically commemorating all British wars, including Iraq and Northern Ireland, and financially supporting their veterans.

[Trump wins election] Centrists around the world: "What lessons can we learn from Trump so we may emulate him?" [Mamdani wins election] Centrists around the world: "What lessons can we learn from Trump so we may emulate him?"

This may be controversial but I honestly don't think gay people should be in the military. Or trans people. Or women. Or non-binary people. Or straight people. Or men.

If anyone lost a bag of books from LRB Bookshop on the Metropolitan Line between Baker St- Watford, I handed it to a cleaner when the train terminated at Watford tube station. And if you have far more followers than me, please share this status. LRB bookshop is not cheap!

If you're in the UK, get yerselves out to see @benefitstheband.bsky.social in November. Reading (12th), Coventry (13th), Ipswich (14th), London (15th), Bedford (16th), Sheffield (18th), York (19th), Carlisle (20th), Edinburgh (21st), Stockton (22nd). www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbAc...

The fact Simon Harris, Micheál Martin and the rest of them are obsessed with pandering to the bigots who spoilt their ballots rather than the much larger number who voted for Connolly tells you everything you need to know about them as politicians and as people. #SpeirGorm #SpéirGhorm

If a PBP TD said that there were too many foxhunters in Ireland and then there was a arson attack on a hunting lodge that night, you can be damn sure that Simon Harris could join the dots. He really should resign.

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the Irish that people leaving their home countries for better prospects elsewhere are worse than landlords. #speirgorm

"Yes, we’ve tried not building houses, not building children’s hospitals and not tackling the cost of living, but maybe, just maybe, if we tell people that immigration is to blame, we can finally bring those apathetic voters into the Fine Gael tent." www.thejournal.ie/readme/surre...

Epson Moore, my choose your own adventure book is now available to purchase or the play online. #epsonmoore #polyversitypress #chooseyourownadventure #gamebook #cyoa http://www.iotacism.com/2025/uncategorized/epson-moore-online/

It feels like we're about 2 years away from "Racism is good actually" openly being a liberal centrist position.

Having a weird argument in the comments of a YouTube video about who is the vocalist on a particular song (a collaboration between Brian Eno and John Cale). Despite having the album sleeve notes in front of me telling me the singer is Eno ... >> 1/2

I just saw this headline: "Cocaine worth €8.1 million seized". Now, I couldn't tell you what coke goes for these days, but based on inflated cannabis valuations in Gardaí press-releases, repeated without fact-checking by the media, I assume they nicked someone with a couple of wraps in their wallet.

43 years ago today, readers the world over opened their newspapers and gazed upon cow tools for the first time. happy birthday cow tools. you look great.

Once everyone's been laid off due to their jobs being replaced by AI, I assume these companies will start paying AI a decent wage so it can purchase all the products they produce, which unemployed workers can no longer afford.

My thoughts on the new Tortoise LP for @freqzine.bsky.social... ⤵️

That's me finished with work for the weekend. Nice. Off to vote for Catherine Connolly and then grab a cheeky takeaway on the way home. 3-day weekend too. Given how shitty the world can seem these days, you have to try and enjoy the small pleasures when you can. #Aras2025 #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm

Having fled a warzone, a mother is forced to warn her young child that they are still under threat. This time from the baying mob of bigoted Irish thugs rioting outside their refuge. It's fucking shameful. 1/3

Get out & vote the bejaysus outta them! 👍 #Aras25

Look, "A Tonic For The Troops" is a genuinely good album, and "Deep In The Heart of Nowhere" is criminally underrated, but would you ever get a grip, Bob!

If nothing else, by voting today you'll play a part in opposing the far right in Ireland. You have a centre-right candidate (if you really must) and a left-wing candidate (yay!) Either way, just give the far-right a kick. I'll vote for Connolly after work today. #Aras25 #spéirgorm #spéirghorm

Message to PC Gamers... Mass Effect Legendary Edition is currently available on sale for less than €5 on Steam. That's remastered versions of the first 3 games plus all the important DLC for less than the price of a pint. Amazing value for some of the best RPGs on the PC. #Gaming #MassEffect

Just to make it clear, these three were nowhere near The Louvre on Sunday. I saw them in my local pub here in Dublin at the time of the heist. Yes, that's right, here in Dublin, honest officer. #JewelHeist #Heist #TheLouvre

Define "Perfect Ending"? I hate to be so predictable, but... "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Aside from anything else, this is just guaranteed to make open-plan offices *that* bit more insufferable as the babble of tired and irritated voices telling their PCs to do things they used to do in a couple of clicks rises in volume and deepens in despair.

1/2 Well, there you go, RTÉ. A few weeks ago, my elderly mother told me she wouldn't be voting in the presidential election as none of the candidates appealed to her (this is back when Gavin was still involved). >> #Áras2025

Connolly has my vote. She's a good candidate, made into an excellent one by comparison with her opponent. I won't deny I'm less enthusiastic about her than I was about Michael D. and I do disagree with her on some points. But she's by far the best option. So Vote Connolly! #Áras2025 #SpéirGhorm

Fave cover song thing going round. Like I'm going to pick just one! - People Are Strange (Stina Nordenstam) - Take Me To The River (Talking Heads) - Wild Is The Wind (David Bowie) - Gloria (Patti Smith) - Jackie Wilson Said (Dexys) - This Corrosion (Lambchop) - Heart of Saturday Night (Holly Cole)

I quit tobacco 24 years ago. By the time I did I was mostly smoking whatever the cheapest rolling baccy was in the shop. Because the idea of paying 5 quid a pack seemed insane to me. I look at the price now and it just boggles my mind.

“Introduce yourself using only one food you refuse to eat, one movie you’ll never watch again, and one song you can’t stand” - Cauliflower. - Cronenberg's "Shivers" - Cliff's "Mistletoe & Wine"

Me: *solves Lament Configuration* Pinhead: *appears* *looks around at everything* lol nah, bro, you're good *vanishes*

"They hate us for our freedom!" [watches endless stream of videos of masked government militia brutally assault people and grab them off the streets] "They hate you for your what now?"