Michael Mulcahy and the Privacy Bill

Michael McDowell is intending to bring in a new Libel law, in tandem with a new Privacy Bill. This bill is intended to protect the privacy of famous and/or powerful people. It does not seem that it will protect ordinary people's privacy against intrusions by powerful people.

Read More »

Wasting our Time and Money

Still a long way to go before reaching the lows of the e-voting fiasco but Antoin has posted an excellent piece on the Rail Procurement Agency's expenditure of 9. 5 million on magic beans to help them grow an Integrated Ticketing System. Being Antoin, this isn't just a moan about the money having been spent.

Read More »

Fat Chick Sits on Beckett’s Face

Fat Chick Sits on Beckett's Face Originally uploaded by Editor_Tupp. I post this only so that I can use the headline. Though I do love the look on Beckett's face as the obese bird attempts to hatch his head.

Read More »

Spying Via Mobile Phone

Many of the issues raised by Digital Rights Ireland tend to be met with blank faces due to a lack of technical knowledge by those affected. And yet when you try to put things into everyday language, people tell you you're being alarmist. Well here's an absolutely true story about surveillance by mobile phones.

Read More »

Crediting Poetry

In a conversation recently with a friend, we discussed what you might call "political philistinism". This is the conviction that art of any kind is worthwhile only insofar as it is politically useful. Thus Kipling is worthless, because he was an imperialist, Shakespeare nothing more than a cheerleader for patriarchy, and Jane Austen culpable for her narrow focus on the Middle Classes.

Read More »

Viva El Paso!

Is it just me or is everyone getting just a little bit overheated about the EL Paso affair? I note a certain self-righteousness about some of the posts, not to mention a rush to judgement. A few details seem to have been lost amid the kerfuffle:1.

Read More »

The Customs House Portico

The Customs House Portico Originally uploaded by Editor_Tupp. The OPW cite the Customs House Portico railings as the example of what they are trying to do to the Front Portico of the Four Courts. I thought I'd show readers what that Customs House portico looks like.

Read More »

Doctors Push Back in Neary affair

Neary Apologia Pg 1 Originally uploaded by Editor_Tupp. While the rest of Blogland have been discussing page 3 of this week's Sunday Times, I was more interested in the story that ran on the Front page, and carried on to page 2 under the heading "Neary was let down by state".

Read More »

Life in the Archive

Mostly, you post something and unless its a particular bugbear, you just glide off onto other things and forget all about it. However, the rest of the world sometimes likes to hang about in what you might consider your sleepy backwaters.

Read More »

Seanad Phone Tap Bill Debate

I’ve discussed this previously here and here. The Seanad Debate on Thursday touched on some of the issues I mentioned regarding the Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Bill. The core portion of the debate from a Digital Rights point of view comes after the 12 o’clock mark.

Read More »