Kit Harington on Belfast: “It’s wonderful for two or three days…”
As I said of similar comments by HBO’s Michael Lombardo last year, With so much of some Northern Ireland Executive ministers‘ time and effort [and other people’s money! – Ed] focused on exploiting the...
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NI Tourism Minister: “I recently had discussions with the chief executive of...
Without wishing to undermine historian Hiram Morgan’s call for Irish Government action to preserve the cultural heritage in the seas off the Wild Atlantic Way, it’s worth noting the stated objective of...
View Article“Today, I hold fast to all tenets of mistrust…”
The novelist Howard Jacobson on the virtues of art and literature over politics and politicians… It doesn’t follow from what I say that we should hand over the reins of political power to artists. They...
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Raise a glass to Hubble! – Redux
The Hubble Space Telescope celebrates its 25th Anniversary in space today, 24th April, with the release of this wondrous image of the giant star-cluster, Westerlund 2, in the stellar nursery, Gum 29,...
View ArticleProgress 59: “The spacecraft is 160 miles high and travelling at more than...
…and out of control… The BBC reports on the Russian unmanned cargo ship delivering supplies to the International Space Station that mission control has lost contact with and is now in a uncontrolled...
View Article“Greece is joining a fairly exclusive club…”
Which ‘club’, exactly, remains to be seen… If you’ve been having trouble following the twists and turns and lies and misdirection of the on-going Greek financial crisis [Join the club! – Ed] *ahem*...
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Fly Over Dwarf Planet Ceres
In March Nasa’s Dawn spacecraft became the first man-made object to go into orbit around a dwarf planet – Ceres, at 950km across, the largest object in the main asteroid belt. As I mentioned at the...
View ArticleIMF to Tsipras: “You’ve got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky?...
After more of the familiar lies and misdirection yesterday, there were some optimistic noises from Brussels last night as the leaders of Germany, France and Greece met on the side-lines of the EU-Latin...
View Article“Glory be the day, Mr Yeats!”
As the man said… It’s tradition! Those of a sensitive disposition are duly warned, again, that James Joyce enjoys the language in all its fecund nuttiness. Enjoy! The Guardian looks at how fans around...
View ArticleMore Greek gamesmanship…
With the Greek Parliament, and Greece’s creditors in Europe and elsewhere, discussing the latest sudden manoeuvre by the game theory academics in the Syriza-led Greek Government, via the Guardian’s...
View Article“The exact location of the international boundary between Northern Ireland...
In January 2012 I suggested there might be some cause for optimism that the unresolved issue of the delimitation of the territorial water boundary between the UK and the Republic of Ireland could be,...
View ArticleGreek Referendum: “a chunk of undecided voters to fight over.”
Via the Guardian’s Greece crisis blog. Another wrinkle for the game theory academics in the Syriza-led Greek Government, and those agitating on their behalf, to contemplate ahead of the...
View Article“Greece today is angry and fearful, divided and conflicted, and will still be...
With Sunday’s controversial, and confused, Greek referendum clearing its constitutional test in the courts, the Guardian Data Blog rounds-up the polls – as of 12.34pm Friday. The then-live-blog added...
View ArticleISS Night-time Compilation
A brief musical interlude, accompanied by a selection of wondrous time-lapse videos, old and new, from the International Space Station, by NASACrewEarthObs. Full-screen mode recommended. Enjoy!...
View ArticleEuropean Council President on Greek Crisis: “the final deadline ends this week”
Following what the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is reported to have described as a “very long, intensive”, “very clear and candid discussion” at the emergency summit of Eurozone leaders in...
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New Horizons: Countdown to Pluto
Nasa’s New Horizons mission spacecraft is now within two days journey time to the dwarf planet Pluto and its complex system of 5 moons. [Image credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Showalter (SETI Institute)]...
View ArticleGreek deal: This Is NOT a Coup
Whether the Syriza-led government of Greece survives its own domestic democratic pressures remains to be seen following the deal struck at the Eurozone summit yesterday – in the end the 28 EU leaders...
View ArticleWhat the Greek diktat says about the future of Europe.
Away from the political turmoil, the bewildering complexity and the human misery at the root of it all, a couple of interesting overviews. First, the shock of final disillusionment from Fintan...
View Article“À la Bastille!” – Redux
Once again, with apologies to Pierre Ranger… [It’s a tradition, we know… – Ed] Indeed! Sadly, no French winner in the Tour de France today. Nor will there be in Paris. Play La Marseillaise!
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New Horizons: Live Briefing
Having survived yesterday’s fly-by, follow the live-briefing from the Nasa New Horizons mission to Pluto as they reveal the first hi-resolution images from the dwarf planet system nearly 5 billion km...
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