It's that time of year when the trickle of reference requests turns into a flood...

Ouch! www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/...

FAI Cup final: Shamrock Rovers complete the double with victory over Cork City

Unfortunate for Cork City's chances, but that's a totally justified straight red card. #SHAvCOR #FAICupFinal

Reposted every year in response to all those who fetishize remembrance

This afternoon I will mostly be watching the #FAICupFinal between Shamrock Rovers and Cork City.

Bertie Ahern quoted in the Irish times: "The problem with equality is that if you give it to one person, then everyone else comes looking for it."

On the death of James Watson So James Watson, a deeply unsavoury individual who co-won a Nobel Prize by stealing Rosalind Franklin’s ground breaking research on DNA, and was an unrepentant racist and misogynist, is dead. Lest it be forgotten, here is a collection of authentic quotes that give an…

Ravel, Dressner and Beethoven at the National Concert Hall This superb concert provided a great finish to a very tiring week. Thanks to the NCH for putting on such a great programme. As an added bonus, the rain had stopped by the time it was over so I didn't get drenched on my way home.

I'm glad we don't have to put up with all the #poppy hypocrisy here in Ireland. (We do have other forms of hypocrisy, of course...)

A retired academic who believes he was victimised by Cardiff University says it would be unethical for the university to use his publications as part of its submission to be validated as an institution of research excellence ✍️ Martin Shipton

FFG le déanaí.

#OtD 8 Nov 1926 Italian Marxist, Antonio Gramsci, was arrested by Mussolini's fascists during a crackdown on left-wing opposition in the country. Despite having parliamentary immunity, he was jailed, and eventually died in custody stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1120...

But he sleeps.

Thousands of homeless people will be able to open a bank account and five major banks as part of a strategy to improve financial inclusion.

Rugby wrap: Italy stun Wallabies with Australian influence to the fore

Alternatively, it could almost fund one Vice-Chancellor's salary...

Just think. We will probably publish about 200 papers at @ojastro.bsky.social this year. Saving £2350 in APC on each one would be enough to fund ~ 22 PhD studentships at the UKRI rate.

I regret to announce that dinner will be late this evening, on account of I forgot to turn the oven on.

The rugby result of the day is definitely Italy 26 Australia 19! #ITAvAUS #AutumnInternationals

God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another.

Weekly Update from the Open Journal of Astrophysics – 08/11/2025 Since the lat update we have published another five papers, which brings the number in Volume 8 (2025) up to 168, and the total so far published by OJAp up to 403.

Ravel, Dressner and Beethoven at the National Concert Hall This superb concert provided a great finish to a very tiring week. Thanks to the NCH for putting on such a great programme. As an added bonus, the rain had stopped by the time it was over so I didn't get drenched on my way home.

Scotland almost didn't lose that one. #SCOvNZL #AutumnInternationals

Me flirting

FT: Ireland 41 Japan 10 Ireland a bit flattered by scoreline - late tries against a tiring Japan team - but pleased to get a win. #IREvJAP #AutumnInternationals

Was it a Tesla?

Weekly Update from the Open Journal of Astrophysics – 08/11/2025 Since the lat update we have published another five papers, which brings the number in Volume 8 (2025) up to 168, and the total so far published by OJAp up to 403.

Euclid’s “Tuning Fork” By way of a quick follow-up to yesterday's post, here's another Euclid Q1 product. This one is an updated version of the famous "Tuning Fork" representation of galaxy morphology: Credits: Diagram: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, Diagram by J.-C. Cuillandre, L. Quilley, F.…

James Watson, the sexist racist who stole Rosalind Franklin’s ground breaking research on DNA, created his own (sadly widely believed) genius mythology with a popular book, is dead.

A trans friend in the UK was barred from her local gym (where she's been a regular for years) after a complaint from another woman about her being in the women's changing room. Just terrible. Far outside my wheelhouse on the legal side, but if anyone with experience has advice, happy to hear it.

It's a rainy night in Dublin. I've just arrived at the NCH for a concert that will reach a climax with Beethoven's Erotica Symphony.

I see the University of Limerick is looking for a new President. Will they paying the lucky person way above the market rate, as they do on their property deals? www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPD353/p...

Now at a seminar on "Metastability in Many-Body Quantum Systems" by Federica Surace (Trinity College Dublin).

Euclid’s “Tuning Fork” By way of a quick follow-up to yesterday's post, here's another Euclid Q1 product. This one is an updated version of the famous "Tuning Fork" representation of galaxy morphology: Credits: Diagram: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, Diagram by J.-C. Cuillandre, L. Quilley, F.…

I'll pleut comme vache qui pisse

Seminars must be anti-woke because I keep falling asleep during them.

Euclid and the Dark Cloud I haven't posted anything recently about the European Space Agency's Euclid mission, but I can remedy that by passing on a new image with text from the accompanying press release. This is actually just one of a batch of new science results emerging from the first `Quick…

New Publication at the Open Journal of Astrophysics: "Measuring the splashback feature: Dependence on halo properties and history" by Qiaorong S. Yu (Oxford U., UK) and 9 others based in the UK and USA. doi.org/10.33232/001...

Arson and Arson with Intent to Endangered Life. Not attempted murder. Yet.

Newnham college will continue to welcome transgender women Newnham College faces legal challenge over this policy “Newnham College remains confident that they have a strong legal case regardless of the Supreme Court ruling,”

Jim Gavin?

No news yet of what the charges are... www.thejournal.ie/arrests-drog...

he is not guilty

I also said that this week, after this announcement: fortune.com/2025/11/05/m...

So it begins...

Terrible decision. Documentaries are things a public service broadcaster should be making, not buying in from commercial providers. www.rte.ie/news/2025/11...

Euclid and the Dark Cloud I haven't posted anything recently about the European Space Agency's Euclid mission, but I can remedy that by passing on a new image with text from the accompanying press release. This is actually just one of a batch of new science results emerging from the first `Quick…

Are Wave Guides the female equivalent of Sea Scouts?