Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

SIPO press release

SIPO issued a stark press release yesterday following complaints over payments to Bertie Ahern.

The press release differs from the letter that was sent to one of the complainants.

The Standards Commission may examine the matter again if additional evidence emerges from the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments.

as oppose to:

The Standards Commission will not be issuing any further statement or making any further comment.

Why the difference?

And the beat goes on…

Times Select is dead. Finally.

They’ve also opened up a huge part of their archives.

In addition to opening the entire site to all readers, The Times will also make available its archives from 1987 to the present without charge, as well as those from 1851 to 1922, which are in the public domain. There will be charges for some material from the period 1923 to 1986, and some will be free.

Wtf?

I think this is probably the most blatantly unquestioning and biased piece of “journalism” I have ever seen in my 26 years.

Government propaganda in the fourth estate. Ahern using a proxy to blacken the name of an investigation into corruption, via a national newspaper, which swallows it hook, line and sinker. How on earth did Jody Corcoran put his byline to that rubbish?

Groucho makes lots of denials on behalf of our Taoiseach.

He also rubbished reports that the Taoiseach never told the tribunal about the £50,000 lodgement to Celia Larkin’s accounts when he was obliged to disclosed all such details.

Mr O’Dea strongly denied that Celia Larkin had operated nominee bank accounts for the Taoiseach which he failed to disclose, and that the Taoiseach sought details from the bank about key lodgements long before the tribunal has specific queries about these lodgements.

And the evidence to back up these denials? So Ahern is saying th Tribunal deceived us? Can we have something to back that up please?

The money quote from Mr Corcoran:

But Mr Ahern is in no mood to further facilitate the tribunal.

Then obstruct it Mr Ahern, or attempt to bring it down, as your corrupt predecessor tried to do to McCracken.

I have to stop this post, before I lose the head.

As usual, the only sane voice in the Sindo is Gene Kerrigan. And what does he say about Ahern’s story?

There’s only one word — blunt and crude as it might be — that’s appropriate to what we’ve heard. And that word is bullshit.

Something odd with Google

For over a year when you typed Burj Dubai into Google, three images appeared at the top of the search. One of them was of a post I wrote, and of a graphic comparing the size of buildings. It generated a good bit of traffic.

Then, suddenly, the traffic stopped. The image remains, incidentally the *very* same image, even linked to my Flickr account, but now the traffic is clearly directed to another website. What slight of hand is being used here?

When I do a search for the image on my own blog, the Google preview shows up as a broken thumbnail, despite it linking to the same Flickr image.

Here is a link to the google search that leads to the guy who appears to have stolen my place on Google. Not sure how he did it.

Here is where Google used to point to when you did the same search. As you can see the linked image is from the same source, but showing as a broken link.

Help please.

Ahern at the tribunal

I’ve read the transcript. Staggering stuff really. Some of it could be construed as misleading or obstructing the Tribunal.

Who wants to do a podcast of the entire thing, but made quicker? Would anyone listen to it?

I’m sure I could master the high moral tones of counsel for the Tribunal.

Update: Thanks Cian. The request by Ahern’s solicitor to only look at amounts above 30k looks like the one to me, and restricting to dates between 1989 and 1992. The Tribunal seem to have accepted the 30k rule, but then later said hang on…(Circa question 91 onwards, Q. 96 being the nail on the head by counsel for the Tribunal).

And of course Ahern did not have any accounts between those years either.

Ahern knew there were amounts of withdrawals of more than 30k from Larkin’s account but for his benefit, but in smaller tranches, and seems to have failed to tell the Tribunal until very much later.

Larkin at the tribunal

Q. 716. You got a lift?
A. Yes.
Q. 717. Similar to the previous occasion?
A. Similar but not the same.
Q. 718. A different driver of Mr Ahern?
A. He didn’t have a driver then.

Q. 743. And there’s a driver is there?
A. No, my best recollection is that Bertie drove the car

So Ahern was driving then it seems. Hmm. Why did counsel for the Tribunal push this question so much? Even Larkin was puzzled.

Update: Ah….Bertie Ahern said in 2003: “I don’t have a driving licence because I don’t drive. I’ve been lucky enough to have a State car for 17 or 18 years.” The plot thickens.


Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Undefined variable: todo_styles in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/bwp-minify/includes/class-bwp-minify.php on line 3120