Cathy
@cathyby.bsky.social
"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Benjamin Franklin
Header description with alt-text: https://bsky.app/profile/cathyby.bsky.social/post/3m6s24wtixc27
#SpéirGorm
Header description with alt-text: https://bsky.app/profile/cathyby.bsky.social/post/3m6s24wtixc27
#SpéirGorm
Reposted by Cathy
Storm Bram visits Carnlough on Tuesday afternoon.
📸 Lauren Doherty
📸 Lauren Doherty
December 9, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Storm Bram visits Carnlough on Tuesday afternoon.
📸 Lauren Doherty
📸 Lauren Doherty
Reposted by Cathy
Storm Bram | This afternoon in Carrickfergus.
📸 Rab Huxley
📸 Rab Huxley
December 9, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Storm Bram | This afternoon in Carrickfergus.
📸 Rab Huxley
📸 Rab Huxley
Reposted by Cathy
Lots of wave action at Omeath slip today and similar pounding on the other side at Warrenpoint. #StormBram #CarlingfordLough #Ireland
December 9, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Lots of wave action at Omeath slip today and similar pounding on the other side at Warrenpoint. #StormBram #CarlingfordLough #Ireland
Reposted by Cathy
December 9, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Replace "year" with "quarter".
December 9, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Replace "year" with "quarter".
Reposted by Cathy
🧵
The French city of Lyon is dropping #Microsoft software in favor of #opensource alternatives. It doesn't want to depend on proprietary, closed-source software, and it doesn't want to depend on *American* software. It doesn't want "potential [US] governmental surveillance." […]
Original post on fediscience.org
fediscience.org
December 9, 2025 at 3:18 PM
🧵
Reposted by Cathy
Birds absolutely tearing into the feeders – they know they'll soon have to hunker down for the day, without the possibility of further feeding. Mostly chaffinches, great tits, and blue tits, plus a robin and the odd goldfinch. Stay safe, little ones! #StormBram
December 9, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Birds absolutely tearing into the feeders – they know they'll soon have to hunker down for the day, without the possibility of further feeding. Mostly chaffinches, great tits, and blue tits, plus a robin and the odd goldfinch. Stay safe, little ones! #StormBram
Reposted by Cathy
Reposted by Cathy
Reposted by Cathy
yeah, what if the government, I mean Costco had a group plan
Rand Paul on his healthcare plan: "What if you could join Costco? Costco has 44m members and if one person negotiated for all 44 and they bought a group plan like Toyota or General Motors does, they would be the largest collective entity in the country. They would drive prices down by sheer might."
December 9, 2025 at 1:14 PM
yeah, what if the government, I mean Costco had a group plan
Reposted by Cathy
The absurdity of this aside.
Something I’ve noticed about new right types is they like to assert that whatever they believe is normal, the consensus etc (evidence be damned) as though that would somehow make it correct
Something I’ve noticed about new right types is they like to assert that whatever they believe is normal, the consensus etc (evidence be damned) as though that would somehow make it correct
How little self-awareness can one have?
Musk is a South African immigrant
Musk is a South African immigrant
December 8, 2025 at 12:26 PM
The absurdity of this aside.
Something I’ve noticed about new right types is they like to assert that whatever they believe is normal, the consensus etc (evidence be damned) as though that would somehow make it correct
Something I’ve noticed about new right types is they like to assert that whatever they believe is normal, the consensus etc (evidence be damned) as though that would somehow make it correct
Reposted by Cathy
Possibly the most self-destructive reaction towards the US antagonism against the EU is by national leaders offering national partnerships.
This is exactly the kind of avenue for the US/Trump to split Europe and reign over smaller European countries.
This is exactly the kind of avenue for the US/Trump to split Europe and reign over smaller European countries.
December 9, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Possibly the most self-destructive reaction towards the US antagonism against the EU is by national leaders offering national partnerships.
This is exactly the kind of avenue for the US/Trump to split Europe and reign over smaller European countries.
This is exactly the kind of avenue for the US/Trump to split Europe and reign over smaller European countries.
Reposted by Cathy
I don't think it was ever realistic to think that Russia wd be so defeated that the Ukrainian flag wd fly over the Kremlin. But we need to avoid a truce that merely gives Putin time to prepare his next assault - which is what Trump’s proposals wd do.
European and American politicians who want a World War II victory for Ukraine must commit to WWII levels of commitment. Otherwise the end will probably look more like a 19th century style compromise. jstribune.com/gvosdev-defi...
Defining an Acceptable Outcome to the Russo-Ukraine War – The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune
Essays – Nikolas Gvosdev discusses alternative ways that modern wars end in the context of the Russo-Ukraine war.
jstribune.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:38 AM
I don't think it was ever realistic to think that Russia wd be so defeated that the Ukrainian flag wd fly over the Kremlin. But we need to avoid a truce that merely gives Putin time to prepare his next assault - which is what Trump’s proposals wd do.
Reposted by Cathy
This is how the Irish government will try and sell mandatory online ID to the public;
"Do you think your privacy is more important than protecting children online? Why don't you want to keep kids safe from online predators?"
As if there is a binary choice, your privacy or child safety.
"Do you think your privacy is more important than protecting children online? Why don't you want to keep kids safe from online predators?"
As if there is a binary choice, your privacy or child safety.
Mr O’Donovan said the Public Services Card “floundered because some interest groups outside of the House, interested more in privacy than other issues, got their way”. Funny way to characterise something which the independent regulator found illegal, imposing a €550,000 fine on the state.
Plan to verify people’s ages on line with Government ID a ‘disproportionate response’
Civil liberty and digital privacy campaigners question legal basis for proposed digital wallets
www.irishtimes.com
December 9, 2025 at 12:27 PM
This is how the Irish government will try and sell mandatory online ID to the public;
"Do you think your privacy is more important than protecting children online? Why don't you want to keep kids safe from online predators?"
As if there is a binary choice, your privacy or child safety.
"Do you think your privacy is more important than protecting children online? Why don't you want to keep kids safe from online predators?"
As if there is a binary choice, your privacy or child safety.
Reposted by Cathy
The latest Kenova report details how MI5 prevented Stakeknife investigations, but we continue to see claims of "lawfare" being used against the UK in conflict legacy cases. The manifest failings in many Troubles investigations is what is driving current legal actions:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
MI5 tried to cover up truth over 'Stakeknife' spy in IRA, report says
Freddie Scappaticci was linked to 14 murders and 15 abductions; he worked in a ruthless IRA unit known as the
www.bbc.co.uk
December 9, 2025 at 11:37 AM
The latest Kenova report details how MI5 prevented Stakeknife investigations, but we continue to see claims of "lawfare" being used against the UK in conflict legacy cases. The manifest failings in many Troubles investigations is what is driving current legal actions:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
Reposted by Cathy
Slightly wild here on the Copper Coast. And the worst is yet to come. #Waterford #StormBram
December 9, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Slightly wild here on the Copper Coast. And the worst is yet to come. #Waterford #StormBram
Reposted by Cathy
Several reports of trees coming down, first photo near Tullamore and second one near Tullow. Expect some power and broadband outages.
December 9, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Several reports of trees coming down, first photo near Tullamore and second one near Tullow. Expect some power and broadband outages.
The Gilded Age-ing of Vegas.
Spectacular ethnography of What's Going On In America Right Now
Everyone Inside America’s Most Flailing Destination City Has a Theory for What’s Wrong. Now I Have My Own.
It defines the American experience like no other. People are no longer buying.
slate.com
December 9, 2025 at 11:18 AM
The Gilded Age-ing of Vegas.
Reposted by Cathy
The notion that Europeans live in a repressive anti-free-speech hellscape because Twitter got fined is so funny to me.
I feel like all those LA residents who kept being told by dumb fucks in states halfway across the country that their city was a lawless flaming apocalypse that needed liberation.
I feel like all those LA residents who kept being told by dumb fucks in states halfway across the country that their city was a lawless flaming apocalypse that needed liberation.
December 9, 2025 at 10:02 AM
The notion that Europeans live in a repressive anti-free-speech hellscape because Twitter got fined is so funny to me.
I feel like all those LA residents who kept being told by dumb fucks in states halfway across the country that their city was a lawless flaming apocalypse that needed liberation.
I feel like all those LA residents who kept being told by dumb fucks in states halfway across the country that their city was a lawless flaming apocalypse that needed liberation.
Reposted by Cathy
It was only posted to Twitter, so I grabbed it before it (hopefully) gets deleted.
December 9, 2025 at 9:27 AM
It was only posted to Twitter, so I grabbed it before it (hopefully) gets deleted.
Reposted by Cathy
🏗️ 🇮🇪 “Construction Activity in Ireland has now decreased in each of the past seven months”
“faster pace of contraction in November.. weakness in activity levels across commercial, residential & civil engineering being the weakest performing sub-sector”
www.pmi.spglobal.com/Public/Home/...
“faster pace of contraction in November.. weakness in activity levels across commercial, residential & civil engineering being the weakest performing sub-sector”
www.pmi.spglobal.com/Public/Home/...
December 9, 2025 at 9:52 AM
🏗️ 🇮🇪 “Construction Activity in Ireland has now decreased in each of the past seven months”
“faster pace of contraction in November.. weakness in activity levels across commercial, residential & civil engineering being the weakest performing sub-sector”
www.pmi.spglobal.com/Public/Home/...
“faster pace of contraction in November.. weakness in activity levels across commercial, residential & civil engineering being the weakest performing sub-sector”
www.pmi.spglobal.com/Public/Home/...
Reposted by Cathy
ONE of the protect women & Children folks. I remember getting an email from someone saying he was on a rant about me a while back
December 9, 2025 at 9:18 AM
ONE of the protect women & Children folks. I remember getting an email from someone saying he was on a rant about me a while back
Reposted by Cathy
Called it! As in, the entire country did, months ago.
"Gareth Sheridan went to Tucker Carlson's Christmas party" is already crazy, but "Gareth Sheridan took a photo with the world's most famous antisemitic conspiracy theorist, then voluntarily posted it on the Internet" is blowing my fucking mind
December 9, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Called it! As in, the entire country did, months ago.
Reposted by Cathy
This is a particularly lovely one for those of us who actually enjoy a bit of winter night sky.
An illustrated line from the Prayer Of St. Brendan The Navigator, who is said to have travelled from County Kerry in Ireland to America a thousand years before Columbus made his journey. Trust in the darkness. 🌌
Prints available here: www.ciaraioch.com/artprints/p/...
Prints available here: www.ciaraioch.com/artprints/p/...
December 9, 2025 at 8:19 AM
This is a particularly lovely one for those of us who actually enjoy a bit of winter night sky.