Barry McKernan
@bmckastro.bsky.social
Astronomer, Dad, Husband, Gamer, Occasional runner, hiker, traveller, History, Crosswords, Irish in America
Brilliant! Ireland as the 1st dystopia!
The word dystopia was first coined by John Stuart Mill to describe the British governments rule in Ireland
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia
"they ought rather to be called dys-topians... what they appear to favour is too bad to be practicable."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia
"they ought rather to be called dys-topians... what they appear to favour is too bad to be practicable."
Dystopia - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
December 13, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Brilliant! Ireland as the 1st dystopia!
Honest reviews:
waterfordwhispersnews.com/2015/12/16/p...
waterfordwhispersnews.com/2015/12/16/p...
“Pure And Utter Shite”: WWN Reviews Local School Nativity Play
When we received an invitation to a nativity play at St. Bertie Ahern Primary school in Waterford city last Monday, everyone in WWN towers begged for the assignment as it was yet another chance to …
waterfordwhispersnews.com
December 13, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Honest reviews:
waterfordwhispersnews.com/2015/12/16/p...
waterfordwhispersnews.com/2015/12/16/p...
How'd you like these apples!? This is brilliant!
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/im-...
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/im-...
I’m the Ponytail Guy from Good Will Hunting, and I Can’t Enjoy Fries Anymore
Honestly, I don’t know to whom this letter is directed. God? Harvard? (I’m taking a deep, strengthening breath here) Will Hunting himself? My emplo...
www.mcsweeneys.net
December 13, 2025 at 2:18 PM
How'd you like these apples!? This is brilliant!
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/im-...
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/im-...
So interesting! I'd heard some of these stories when I was a kid. But they were a 'rural' thing- blood blessings & the old ways:
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
Why November 11th was a day for blood sacrifice rites in Ireland
Blood sacrifices involving pigs, sheep or geese were practiced in Ireland well into living memory on Martinmas
www.rte.ie
December 13, 2025 at 2:12 PM
So interesting! I'd heard some of these stories when I was a kid. But they were a 'rural' thing- blood blessings & the old ways:
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
Increasing variance. Setbacks for RenTech. Hmm. Looking choppy:
www.ft.com/content/4300...
www.ft.com/content/4300...
Inside the ‘rolling thunder’ quant crises of 2025
It’s been quite the year for systematic investors
www.ft.com
December 13, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Increasing variance. Setbacks for RenTech. Hmm. Looking choppy:
www.ft.com/content/4300...
www.ft.com/content/4300...
The Finnish lesson: Start early & show kids how mis-information works. This is literacy, mental hygiene & civil defence for the modern age:
newhumanist.org.uk/articles/6482
newhumanist.org.uk/articles/6482
Teaching when to trust
As fake news accelerates, we need to teach our children how to think critically. Finnish schools are leading the charge
newhumanist.org.uk
December 8, 2025 at 11:44 AM
The Finnish lesson: Start early & show kids how mis-information works. This is literacy, mental hygiene & civil defence for the modern age:
newhumanist.org.uk/articles/6482
newhumanist.org.uk/articles/6482
Nice quote from Sprog at the end!
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/n...
Hundreds Rally for Boy, 6, Who Was Separated From His Father by ICE
www.nytimes.com
December 8, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Nice quote from Sprog at the end!
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/n...
Jesus, this is harsh:
Roscommon – Roscommon lost contact with the outside world in 1983 so it’s hard to know who is famous there now.
Roscommon – Roscommon lost contact with the outside world in 1983 so it’s hard to know who is famous there now.
Most Famous Person From Every Irish County http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2023/11/23/most-famous-person-from-every-irish-county/
Most Famous Person From Every Irish County
A LAND synonymous with trailblazing forces in science, the arts and beyond, Ireland has been the birthplace many famous people but just who is your county's most famous person?
Antrim - Bobby Sands was born in …
waterfordwhispersnews.com
December 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Jesus, this is harsh:
Roscommon – Roscommon lost contact with the outside world in 1983 so it’s hard to know who is famous there now.
Roscommon – Roscommon lost contact with the outside world in 1983 so it’s hard to know who is famous there now.
Why is it the Onion & WWN have the most accurate headlines?
No Breakthrough In Peace Talks As Ukraine Remain Stubbornly Committed To Not Being Entirely Erased From History https://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2025/12/03/no-breakthrough-in-peace-talks-as-ukraine-remain-stubbornly-committed-to-not-being-entirely-erased-from-history/
No Breakthrough In Peace Talks As Ukraine Remain Stubbornly Committed To Not Being Entirely Erased From History
US PEACE ENVOY Jared Kushner has failed to make much progress in peace talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin aimed at ending the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with the blame being laid at the feet …
waterfordwhispersnews.com
December 7, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Why is it the Onion & WWN have the most accurate headlines?
Very good!
Mother Knew It Wasn't Son In 'Hi Mum' WhatsApp Message Scam As The Little Prick Never Texts https://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2022/12/16/mother-knew-it-wasnt-son-in-hi-mum-whatsapp-message-scam-as-the-little-prick-never-texts/
Mother Knew It Wasn’t Son In ‘Hi Mum’ WhatsApp Message Scam As The Little Prick Never Texts
THE latest fishing scam attempting to retrieve victim's financial information through a new 'Hi Mum' WhatsApp text message wasn't fooling one Irish mother this week, who stated she knew straight away it wasn't her prick …
waterfordwhispersnews.com
December 7, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Very good!
Fantastic! This is NYC!
@handsoffnyc.bsky.social is training thousands of New Yorkers on how to protect their neighbors from ICE. Today, they are currently running two trainings in Brooklyn and the Bronx, both of which hit capacity because interest was so high.
This is the way, y’all—we protect each other, and we know it.
This is the way, y’all—we protect each other, and we know it.
December 7, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Fantastic! This is NYC!
Brilliant! My wavefunction collapsed reading this!
I guess the point here, if there is one, is that Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical,” which admonished the listener to “get physical,” was a forceful restatement of her grandfather’s objection to Einstein’s reticence over the probabilistic interpretation of quantum mechanics. (5/n)
December 6, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Brilliant! My wavefunction collapsed reading this!
Today's winner!
The perfect Christmas ornament doesn't ex-
December 6, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Today's winner!
Gorgeous!
An ox-head Iron Age bowl handle from Llantrisant Fawr in Wales. Some 2000 years old and gloriously ’Celtic’ with incised tongue. Known (I believe) as ‘bovril’ the vessel was worked on by @archaedelle.bsky.social . Having seen it this week I thought it perfect for #findsfriday #archaeology #celts
December 6, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Gorgeous!
Reposted by Barry McKernan
Canada has a stake calling out Pete Hegseth's murder on the seas.
In June 1918 the hospital ship Llandovery Castle was sunk. The U boat murdered survivors in the water including 14 Canadian nurses.
Canada never forgot or forgave.
We have prosecuted war crimes ever since. Sucks to be you Pete.
In June 1918 the hospital ship Llandovery Castle was sunk. The U boat murdered survivors in the water including 14 Canadian nurses.
Canada never forgot or forgave.
We have prosecuted war crimes ever since. Sucks to be you Pete.
December 5, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Canada has a stake calling out Pete Hegseth's murder on the seas.
In June 1918 the hospital ship Llandovery Castle was sunk. The U boat murdered survivors in the water including 14 Canadian nurses.
Canada never forgot or forgave.
We have prosecuted war crimes ever since. Sucks to be you Pete.
In June 1918 the hospital ship Llandovery Castle was sunk. The U boat murdered survivors in the water including 14 Canadian nurses.
Canada never forgot or forgave.
We have prosecuted war crimes ever since. Sucks to be you Pete.
Woah, Slings & Arrows Bro.
"HORATIO
Hamlet’s best friend and the comic relief. He’ll have a crush on Ophelia, but it’s imperative she never gives him the time of day. We’ll give him an off-putting hobby that will be repulsive to women, like reading, to solve this."
"HORATIO
Hamlet’s best friend and the comic relief. He’ll have a crush on Ophelia, but it’s imperative she never gives him the time of day. We’ll give him an off-putting hobby that will be repulsive to women, like reading, to solve this."
"Hamlet might be the big man on campus, but that doesn’t mean he’s got it all figured out. This drama puts a much-needed spin on a classic by imagining a world where Hamlet is young and hot."
Casting Notice for the Unaired CW Pilot Young Hamlet
SYNOPSIS High school is no picnic for anyone, but especially if you’re one of Shakespeare’s most iconic leading men. Hamlet might be the big man on...
buff.ly
December 6, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Woah, Slings & Arrows Bro.
"HORATIO
Hamlet’s best friend and the comic relief. He’ll have a crush on Ophelia, but it’s imperative she never gives him the time of day. We’ll give him an off-putting hobby that will be repulsive to women, like reading, to solve this."
"HORATIO
Hamlet’s best friend and the comic relief. He’ll have a crush on Ophelia, but it’s imperative she never gives him the time of day. We’ll give him an off-putting hobby that will be repulsive to women, like reading, to solve this."
OMG;brill!
"The worm eating the Politician’s brain filled my heart with a viscous envy. The worm was privy to his secrets. To his raw, animal nature. It got to curl up inside his brain folds and throb with him as he tried to form thoughts. I wanted to make my home in his oversized Irish cranium."
"The worm eating the Politician’s brain filled my heart with a viscous envy. The worm was privy to his secrets. To his raw, animal nature. It got to curl up inside his brain folds and throb with him as he tried to form thoughts. I wanted to make my home in his oversized Irish cranium."
“While he watched over FaceTime, I slowly poured liquid Tylenol all over my naked body. I loved him enough to make myself autistic. He wept.”
More Excerpts from Olivia Nuzzi’s American Canto
“Forget the sex; the real scandal here is the crime against language.” — Brian Phillips, The Ringer, on Olivia Nuzzi’s new memoir, American Canto, ...
buff.ly
December 6, 2025 at 8:40 PM
OMG;brill!
"The worm eating the Politician’s brain filled my heart with a viscous envy. The worm was privy to his secrets. To his raw, animal nature. It got to curl up inside his brain folds and throb with him as he tried to form thoughts. I wanted to make my home in his oversized Irish cranium."
"The worm eating the Politician’s brain filled my heart with a viscous envy. The worm was privy to his secrets. To his raw, animal nature. It got to curl up inside his brain folds and throb with him as he tried to form thoughts. I wanted to make my home in his oversized Irish cranium."
The EU is the last experiment in post-national federations (& the arguably the first really successful one since the US; long way to go ofc). Given European history, it is essential that it continue & prosper. Only great-power nutcases would think otherwise.
Oh look. They’ve actually drawn a diagram for all the people stupid enough to need a bloody diagram.
Elon Musk and his Russian friends call for the abolishment of the EU
December 6, 2025 at 8:35 PM
The EU is the last experiment in post-national federations (& the arguably the first really successful one since the US; long way to go ofc). Given European history, it is essential that it continue & prosper. Only great-power nutcases would think otherwise.
Yep, it's equivalent to AfD or Le Front National or Reform in charge of the US, with all the bat-shittery that entails. Learn from US stupidity & do not make the same mistakes.
The Trump administration released its latest National Security Strategy--and one thing that can be said is that there is no more pretending. It’s a plan to weaken European unity, to make Europe MAGA, to force Europe to take economic dictation by the USA…. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...
The New US National Security Strategy
Trump Says Openly That the US Wants to Dominate Europe and Make it MAGA
open.substack.com
December 6, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Yep, it's equivalent to AfD or Le Front National or Reform in charge of the US, with all the bat-shittery that entails. Learn from US stupidity & do not make the same mistakes.
Yep.
It's time to start taking the Trump Administration at its word.
The Trump administration released its latest National Security Strategy--and one thing that can be said is that there is no more pretending. It’s a plan to weaken European unity, to make Europe MAGA, to force Europe to take economic dictation by the USA…. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...
December 6, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Yep.
I vaguely remember from early childhood a white bread, butter & sugar sandwich made by my grandmother. I wonder if this phenomenon is related? Sounds very Victorian tbh.
BBC piece on a typical Dutch food item I frequently consume myself:
www.bbc.com/travel/artic...
www.bbc.com/travel/artic...
The sweet Dutch sandwich that makes no sense
There's a pervasive belief in the Netherlands that this unconventional meal helps lift the national mood.
www.bbc.com
December 6, 2025 at 6:06 PM
I vaguely remember from early childhood a white bread, butter & sugar sandwich made by my grandmother. I wonder if this phenomenon is related? Sounds very Victorian tbh.
Very nice summary of what we're missing in the search for the origin of life in SPAAACE. (Basically complex molecules, not 'building blocks').
Some thoughts on the Bennu space sugars and what they mean (if anything) for the origin of life. 🔭🧪
I end with the groundbreaking conclusion that simple organic molecules are not, in fact, LEGOs. Mind-blowing, I know.
I end with the groundbreaking conclusion that simple organic molecules are not, in fact, LEGOs. Mind-blowing, I know.
What do space sugars tell us about the origin of life?
The mystery of life's origin is not a missing magic ingredient, it's a missing process.
www.reviewertoo.com
December 6, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Very nice summary of what we're missing in the search for the origin of life in SPAAACE. (Basically complex molecules, not 'building blocks').
History will judge us so harshly for this:
A bit more than >50% of the number of Japanese Americans interned during WWII.
ICE just released new detention statistics.
As of November 30, 2025, ICE was detaining 65,735 people across the United States.
www.ice.gov/detain/deten...
As of November 30, 2025, ICE was detaining 65,735 people across the United States.
www.ice.gov/detain/deten...
December 6, 2025 at 2:22 PM
History will judge us so harshly for this:
Then, there's too domesticated...
Raccoon gets drunk at a Virginia liquor store and passes out in bathroom
Raccoon gets drunk at Ashland ABC store and passes out in bathroom
Talk about a trashed panda.
www.axios.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Then, there's too domesticated...