Marking Time

• The Irish Times - Irish banks and golden circles
  "…taxpayers and consumers and workers will have to pay the price over the next few years - for mistakes which they had absolutely nothing to do with."
  (tags: Irish Politics economics)

Anyway on St.Stephens Day the Visitors’ Centre is closed and the parking barriers are raised and I finally take the opportunity to have a sniff around. I’m one of the few natives to do so. The visitors are predominantly immigrants and their families, with many parents travelling from eastern Europe to visit their Irish-rooted children and grandchildren over the Christmas. I imagine the sight of the cliffs and the Atlantic ocean are a novelty to them.
more…

• David Byrne Journal: 12.18.08: No More News
  "How does a democracy work without (in-depth) news? It doesn’t."
  (tags: Politics culture News society media)

• 3quarksdaily - Questions I have for the Secret Service
  "1. Shouldn't you have jumped in front of that shoe?"
  (tags: Iraq Politics security)
• Making Light: Free Muntadar Zaidi now!
  "One more extremely important thing the whole world knows: It may have been a serious expression of contempt, but it was also funny. "
  (tags: Iraq Politics)
• Turbulence Ahead: Out of Reach
  "I think the Government (any government) needs to take a Hippocratic Oath before it embarks on any policy initiative: 'first, do no harm'."
  (tags: Ireland Politics software)
• Fiche Focal - Peig is back!
  "It is tempting now to ridicule the naivety of our early leaders. How could they have been so wrong?"
  (tags: Ireland Politics society Irish language History culture)

• Irish Left Review · Getting Off the Long Run Roller Coaster
  "Any effective solution must involve at the very least the deep transformation of the current institutions of capitalism. "
  (tags: Irish Politics economics society)
• Niall Crowley - an Irish public official of rare courage resigns in response to act of political revenge
  "In a State that for long paid lip service to republican principles, minority rights are an easy target and the opportunity to cut down an inconvenient public voice has been taken in the guise of prudent budgeting. "
  (tags: Ireland Politics society Rights)

• dervala.net - Blog Archive - Life Beyond Screens
  "I detect a few particles of relief. This crisis is bigger than us. It’s so big that it’s no longer our fault if we fail, if we become poor."
  (tags: culture society tv technology life)