In all my years as a writer, I've written many book reviews. But I've never before reviewed a book that uses one of my photographs as its cover. I'm talking about The Book of Migrations: Some Passages in Ireland, by Rebecca Solnit, which has been a joy to read, and an honour to become connected with. I was unaware of Solnit's work until May 24th of this year, when I read her insightful article the Strauss-Kahn affair, colonisation and the IMF: Worlds Collide in a Luxury Suite. That afternoon, I received an email from Bob Bhamra, of Verso Books, asking me if he could use my image of the Burren for a new editon of The Book of Migrations. Serendipity. We cut a deal.

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Guest writer Oliver Bayliss, gives us his unique take on the London and UK riots which have engulfed the country for the last four days.

No, it turns out that modern polar bears have carried a particular sequence of DNA via the female line - mitochondria, which they share with prehistoric Irish brown bears - this DNA is absent from other species of brown bear alive today. The international research, published in Current Biology suggests that the two species crossed paths during colder period in Irish prehistory, allowing the two breeds to cross paths. Even today, modern brown bears can interbreed with polar beards, despite physical differences between the species.

By Pieter van de Park
Amsterdam, June 22nd 2011 -- Authorities are investigating after well-known superhero Spiderman was found face down in an Amsterdam Canal this morning. A man, yet to be named, but said to be the proprietor of local 'coffee shop' The Green Goblin, is currently being questioned. Unconfirmed reports of an all-night skunk binge are thought to have led to the American superhero's demise.

Quantum Suicide is a scientific thought experiment. The scientist sits in front of a gun that is set up to either trigger or misfire, depending on the decay of a radioactive atom. With each run of the experiment, there is a 50% chance the gun will trigger. Under the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, the gun will eventually kill the scientist. But if the 'many-worlds' interpretation is correct, then at each run of the experiment there will be a universe in which the scientist lives, and another in which he dies. The scientist can only ever be conscious of the world in which he LIVES, and so never seems to die. This leads to the fanciful speculation that the many-worlds interpretation implies all conscious beings are immortal.
(Imagine the scientist, realizing he cannot die, stepping outside the lab and seeing for the first time what is worthwhile about existence).

Listen to the song on soundcloud.

Buy the download on bandcamp, if inclined. The other songs from Fables for Another Time can be bought there too.

Best of all, buy the Fables for Another Time CD on dacianos.com.

If you dare, read all about the creepy Blather.net connection to the Dacianos cover photo.

Archaeological batshttery, mumbo jumbo misinformation and outright lunacy based on fringe interpretations of a couple of websites and five minutes research by ill informed amateur web 'journalists'?

It must be Friday, so.

It takes a quare and rare thing to confound the likes of us here at Blather HQ, but every now and then, we get a right doozie. Like this report of Irish prehistoric art turning up in Georgia, USA.

Read more: Read more in the Belly Telly while details of the auction can be found here.

From launch.is

"Bitcoin is a P2P currency that could topple governments, destabilize economies and create uncontrollable global bazaars for contraband."

I saw these lads on Tuesday night in Scala, London backing up Bell X1. They stole the show. They'll probably despise me for saying it, but they instantly reminded me of a young Police. Catchy tunes, feet-shuffling rhythm sections, superb vocals.

This is 'Soon They Will Come'. And yes, that does appear to be Aiden 'Mayor Carcetti' Gillen at the start of the video.

[DUBLIN] On Tuesday, an elderly British woman became the first inhabitant of the British Isles to visit Ireland in nearly a century. Her expedition included an army of security guards, short, fat dogs and the British 'Prime Minister' (similar to our Taoiseach). The British Isles are a small archipelago that lie to the east of the Irish mainland. The woman, who appeared to have borrowed her outfit from Iris was said (via a translator) to have been amused by the 'very odd accent' of the inhabitants.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny was asked to comment, but was stopped from doing so by several members of Seal Team Six who cited a a British Court-ordered superinjunction which prevents him from mentioning the woman by name.

His own political party, Fine Gael, are said to be enamoured with the idea and are considering lodging their own superinjunction against him saying 'anything at all in public' during the coming weeks.

It's from Russia. It's on Youtube. It couldn't possibly be a fake.

The Jurassic Park theme. Just really, really slowly. Thanks to a piece of software called Paulstretch. It stretches things.

Image from UK Air Ministry Flickr stream, CC licence. Colour sketch of a 'spaceship' creating crop circles, 1998.

The world of banking and high finance explained in 30 minutes of animation. It's all about the Federal Reserve, kids. So. Fear-mongering nonsense? Prescient and brilliant activism? Anti-Semitic nonsense? Heroic use of modern communication channels to get the message out? Or just timely satire? You decide.

[Dublin] Government sources have revealed that a cabinet decision reached late last night, will result in the cancellation of this years St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Ireland. Blather.net understands that all parades, parties and festivities will be banned, and anyone found in breach will be liable to substantial fines, custodial sentences and/or deportation. The new Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny, is expected to make the controversial announcement within the next 24 hours; thought to be directly related to Ireland's ongoing financial crisis.

The long held and longer respected Irish nocturnal tradition of body snatching is alive and well in the 21st century, it seems. Sort of. Kinda. We're not exactly sure if it officially counts though, if you leave the body back. Kinda. Sort of.

Reports reaching Blather HQ today indicate a corpse has been mysteriously (and illegally) exhumed and reburied in a separate grave under cover of darkness in Co. Limerick in recent times. Limerick (Old Irish: Liabh mé de féic alóne; take mó bhállet) is no stranger to nefarious after-hours activity, but even by its own standards, this counts as a strange one.

No exhumation order was sought, nor were official graveyard authorities present at the 'removal'. It all just kind of happened by itself.

At night. In the dark. With nobody watching.

According to Irish law, a priest, a guard (Police officer) and an environmental officer must be present at any exhumation.

I wonder which one of them does the digging?

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Image from Flickr Commons, used under a CC Licence

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Image from UK Air Ministry Flickr stream, CC licence.. UK Air Ministry UFO Sightings Chart, 1969.

Image from Flickr Commons, CC licence. Artwork sent to the UK Air Ministry depicting UFO sighting experienced by a member of the public, 1975.

Following their historic victory over England in the Cricket World Cup, the entire Irish nation is this afternoon finally waking up to scenes of wanton carnage and drunken devastation following forty eight hours of unprecedented national celebrations. In what is being hailed as 'The Final Victory Against the Sassanach' (from Old Irish: meaning 'West Kraut'), many citizens are calling on the authorities to declare a national holiday in honour of 'Our Brave Fenian Boys' who snapped victory from the jaws of defeat whilst simultaneously ending 800 Years of English Obsession (TM).

From Open Minds TV.

Some remarkable footage from the Mitchell and Kenyon collection, shot in the Wexford Bull Ring in 1902.

Another slice of fried conspiracy theory gold from Mitchell and Webb, this time looking at the plot to murder Diana, Princess of Wales.

Enda Kenny, Ireland's next premier, is rumoured to be considering bequeathing the entire territory of County Louth to the British Crown. Anonymous Blather sources deep within the Fine Gael mothership suggest the ceding of the county is being seriously considered as 'a timely and appropriate gift to Her Majesty', Queen Elizabeth II, current reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, who is due to make a historic visit to the Republic of Ireland later this year.

When it comes to lampooning conspiracy theories, you can't get much better than Mitchell and Webb.

[DUBLIN] Surprise, dismay and even 'bewilderment' reported as newly elected Sinn Fein TDs discover that the Republic of Ireland is a mostly functioning state and not the 'backward, famine-riddled, priest-ridden, dung-heap of in-bred mucksavages' they were expecting.

[LOUTH] Just days after being elected TD for Louth, Baron Von Gerry Adams has been criticised for "forgetting his roots", after he allegedly failed to make any mention of hunger striker Bobby Adams in a 30-minute period. Mr Adams' reported lapse occurred during a nationally-broadcast press conference, during a prolonged speech about economics.

Dear Constituent,

Good morning. A fine Election Day to you. How are you? Did you sleep? You did? Excellent. Me? Ha. I haven't slept in four days. I haven't eaten solids for six. I can't even remember the last time I had a bowel movement. It may have been two weeks ago, in an Abrakestabra at 3 a.m. I'm not entirely sure. Anyway. The only reason I'm still physically standing is because of an unholy cocktail of billy whizz sulphate, dexys, benzos, amyl nitrate, cocaine and Lucozade sport. But do you hear me complain? You do in yer fuck.

An absolutely hilarious video from Alex Jones, who calls out Glenn Beck for re-cycling his conspiracy theories and adding more paranoia. Pot meet kettle. Kettle meet pot.

Dear Mr. O'Gill,

Many thanks for your letter, which I received last Monday. As you know, I made a campaign promise to personally answer all manifesto related enquiries received; something which I very much regret in recent days. Your 735 page document, with its associated laminated maps, brochures, and cellophane wrapped 'sample products' has not, I'm afraid, given me any reason to change my mind. With the election almost upon us and time being of the essence, I fear this must only be a cursory reply to some of your 'suggestions'.