At a political level, the signing of the bill reminds the world that Ireland is still the pious Roman Catholic society of yesteryear. The appeal to religious morality as the embodiment of good at a time when loan default is imminent functions to create an image of Ireland as a society more concerned with... »

So there you have it. Today, those numskulls in the Dail have passed the blasphemy amendments to the defamation bill without debate. Funny how there was no public consultation on this. Where did this come from?  Is there more to this? At first look it seems that this is yet an another example of an... »

I think I’ve just found the book I’ll be taking with me for my two weeks off.  Sara Burke is a freelance journalist, broadcaster and health policy analyst. She is currently doing a PhD in health policy in Trinity College Dublin, and has a weekly radio slot on RTÉ’s Drivetime programme. Sara authored Irish Apartheid – Healthcare... »

West Yorkshire Police have been storing DNA samples from suspects and car crash victims in a freezer also used for ice cream, a watchdogs’ report has said. Full report here: - BBC NEWS | UK | Police stored DNA with ice cream . »

photo credit: la picarita Michael Jackson is gone and I’m not sad. I guess that makes me as much of a freak as he was, given the massive media explosion of coverage on a wretch of a man whose megalomania apparently knew no bounds. I will try my best in the coming days and weeks... »