Karl McDonald
@karlusss.bsky.social
For if I triumph I must make men mad. Occasional columnist
Like to see Guehi centre backing.
February 8, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Like to see Guehi centre backing.
You have to expect this when jestergooning I think. Can't embark on a period of jestergooning at the club without a strategy for something like this happening
we gotta open the schools…or close down the schools. not sure. yikes
February 7, 2026 at 9:51 PM
You have to expect this when jestergooning I think. Can't embark on a period of jestergooning at the club without a strategy for something like this happening
Would once again like to invite Wales to join a union of equals with Ireland and potentially Scotland depending on how they are feeling.
February 7, 2026 at 5:52 PM
Would once again like to invite Wales to join a union of equals with Ireland and potentially Scotland depending on how they are feeling.
One of the major issues with growing older is that you are no longer surprised by events in the Winter Olympics. Woman skiing slowly with a rifle on her shoulder? Seen it before. Skeleton? Seen it before.
February 7, 2026 at 3:41 PM
One of the major issues with growing older is that you are no longer surprised by events in the Winter Olympics. Woman skiing slowly with a rifle on her shoulder? Seen it before. Skeleton? Seen it before.
Uncritically in favour of any megainfrastructure benefiting Ireland that Britain is willing to pay for.
February 7, 2026 at 12:16 AM
Uncritically in favour of any megainfrastructure benefiting Ireland that Britain is willing to pay for.
Many years of practice booing a specific midfielder who left their club for a rival club as the ball gets passed to him over and over again during patient buildup play.
The Italian audience's ability to rapidly switch from cheering for the American team's entrance to booing JD Vance is honestly pretty impressive. Turned on a dime, and again the moment Vance was off screen
February 6, 2026 at 10:27 PM
Many years of practice booing a specific midfielder who left their club for a rival club as the ball gets passed to him over and over again during patient buildup play.
Reposted by Karl McDonald
Just saw a post with George Clinton citing the Beatles as his favorite band, which reminded me of this quote he once gave me
February 6, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Just saw a post with George Clinton citing the Beatles as his favorite band, which reminded me of this quote he once gave me
Coincidentally I am reading a Saramago book at the moment that opens at a polling station in Portugal during heavy rain. Things only go south from there.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
Calls to postpone presidential election as Storm Leonardo lashes Portugal and Spain
Portugal’s far-right Chega party has said vote should be delayed as state of calamity declared in 69 areas
www.theguardian.com
February 6, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Coincidentally I am reading a Saramago book at the moment that opens at a polling station in Portugal during heavy rain. Things only go south from there.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
You can listen to the earliest recorded sean nós, from An Rinn in 1905 and captured on wax cylinders, online.
www.itma.ie/playlists/he...
www.itma.ie/playlists/he...
ITMA — ITMA Henebry Cylinder Recordings 1, 1905
Championing the value and relevance of Irish traditional music
www.itma.ie
February 6, 2026 at 12:41 PM
You can listen to the earliest recorded sean nós, from An Rinn in 1905 and captured on wax cylinders, online.
www.itma.ie/playlists/he...
www.itma.ie/playlists/he...
Someone pointed out that while everything else is down suddenly, WD40 is doing great. Never gonna not need WD40!
February 5, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Someone pointed out that while everything else is down suddenly, WD40 is doing great. Never gonna not need WD40!
Reposted by Karl McDonald
Má thuiginn tú Gaeilge agus tá tú ag lorg podchraoladh nach mothann cosúil le hobair bhaile, táim ag baint an-sult ar fad as Dúchas ó Raidio Rí-Rá. Ag plé leis an mbéaloideas go ndáiríre ach greannmhar freisin (actually greannmhar not Gaeilge-greannmhar)
February 5, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Má thuiginn tú Gaeilge agus tá tú ag lorg podchraoladh nach mothann cosúil le hobair bhaile, táim ag baint an-sult ar fad as Dúchas ó Raidio Rí-Rá. Ag plé leis an mbéaloideas go ndáiríre ach greannmhar freisin (actually greannmhar not Gaeilge-greannmhar)
Increasingly clear that there is a difference between a technocracy and an ascendancy of briefcase wankers. European technocrats go to college for 15 years before becoming fellows of things called like the Wiesenberg-Spontina Institute of Complex Tax Theory. They have theories.
February 5, 2026 at 11:20 AM
Increasingly clear that there is a difference between a technocracy and an ascendancy of briefcase wankers. European technocrats go to college for 15 years before becoming fellows of things called like the Wiesenberg-Spontina Institute of Complex Tax Theory. They have theories.
The approval ratings for "Al" are in
February 5, 2026 at 9:57 AM
The approval ratings for "Al" are in
Má thuiginn tú Gaeilge agus tá tú ag lorg podchraoladh nach mothann cosúil le hobair bhaile, táim ag baint an-sult ar fad as Dúchas ó Raidio Rí-Rá. Ag plé leis an mbéaloideas go ndáiríre ach greannmhar freisin (actually greannmhar not Gaeilge-greannmhar)
February 5, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Má thuiginn tú Gaeilge agus tá tú ag lorg podchraoladh nach mothann cosúil le hobair bhaile, táim ag baint an-sult ar fad as Dúchas ó Raidio Rí-Rá. Ag plé leis an mbéaloideas go ndáiríre ach greannmhar freisin (actually greannmhar not Gaeilge-greannmhar)
This is admittedly my own set of flaws but as a Dublin Bikes user who mostly cycles down one long straight road and is strongly encouraged by such benefits as "not having to carry around any stuff", it could be curtains for me.
All bicycles included in draft plan for mandatory helmets and high-vis, Department confirms irishcycle.com/2026/02/04/a...
All bicycles included in draft plan for mandatory helmets and high-vis, Department confirms
— Plan was expected to be put to the Cabinet today before it was withdrawn from the meeting of Government Ministers. A reported plan by Ireland’s Government to make the wearing of helme…
irishcycle.com
February 4, 2026 at 11:23 PM
This is admittedly my own set of flaws but as a Dublin Bikes user who mostly cycles down one long straight road and is strongly encouraged by such benefits as "not having to carry around any stuff", it could be curtains for me.
Watched Don't Look Up. Not a film of cultural merit you'd have to say.
February 3, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Watched Don't Look Up. Not a film of cultural merit you'd have to say.
Reposted by Karl McDonald
for connoisseurs of local journalism traffic farming, this is the latest frontier – you reprint ancient facts from Wikipedia and present them as news, in order to create curiosity gap headlines that appear in Google Discover / Apple News
February 2, 2026 at 2:12 PM
for connoisseurs of local journalism traffic farming, this is the latest frontier – you reprint ancient facts from Wikipedia and present them as news, in order to create curiosity gap headlines that appear in Google Discover / Apple News
Does he not have his own keyboard
Mamdani's governing style is starting to become clear: Long hours, Bloombergian deference to agency autonomy and a heavy PR focus.
On PR, Mamdani's so hands on that he has more than once taken over a keyboard in City Hall's press shop to type a statement himself.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
On PR, Mamdani's so hands on that he has more than once taken over a keyboard in City Hall's press shop to type a statement himself.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
Mamdani’s surprising spirit animal: Mike Bloomberg
The new mayor puts in long hours and is laser focused on public relations.
www.politico.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Does he not have his own keyboard
Good seam of rattlement opening up from Arsenal fans who despite being very likely to win the league are annoyed at United for winning three games in a way that the neutral does not consider brainboringly toxic. Focus on your own stuff! Take shots!
February 1, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Good seam of rattlement opening up from Arsenal fans who despite being very likely to win the league are annoyed at United for winning three games in a way that the neutral does not consider brainboringly toxic. Focus on your own stuff! Take shots!
Reposted by Karl McDonald
In the Irish language, the goldfinch is known as 'lasair choille' (pronounced 'lasser-quilla'), which means...
The Flame of the Forest! 🔥
The Flame of the Forest! 🔥
January 31, 2026 at 4:12 PM
In the Irish language, the goldfinch is known as 'lasair choille' (pronounced 'lasser-quilla'), which means...
The Flame of the Forest! 🔥
The Flame of the Forest! 🔥
Sympathetic to the view of the Maynooth academic who does the medieval Irish history podcast that focusing too much on the pre-Christian origins of 'a Brigid figure' is dismissive of the actually existing St Brigid, who was a religious leader with at least as much evidence as the rest of them.
February 1, 2026 at 11:24 AM
Sympathetic to the view of the Maynooth academic who does the medieval Irish history podcast that focusing too much on the pre-Christian origins of 'a Brigid figure' is dismissive of the actually existing St Brigid, who was a religious leader with at least as much evidence as the rest of them.
Reposted by Karl McDonald
Young people are killing the umbrella industry
January 31, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Young people are killing the umbrella industry
Reposted by Karl McDonald
January 31, 2026 at 12:54 PM
I am a man with an enormous amount of respect for Imbolc, the Old Irish spelling of the winter festival of light Imbolg, but I'm pretty sure it's not observed to the extent that hardware shops are closing for it.
January 31, 2026 at 12:17 PM
I am a man with an enormous amount of respect for Imbolc, the Old Irish spelling of the winter festival of light Imbolg, but I'm pretty sure it's not observed to the extent that hardware shops are closing for it.