Brian O'Halloran
@playingwithdust.bsky.social
Die hard Cruyffian. Ex astrophysicist. QPR devotee, for my multiple sins. Single parent.
Pinned
Time for a (re) introduction for my new followers! I'm Brian, a fallen astrophysicist living on the Copper Coast in Waterford, Ireland. Most of my feed will be photos of this gorgeous part of the world, plus my astrophotography.
Oh, plus terrible football takes.
Oh, plus terrible football takes.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
German is a great language
January 3, 2026 at 9:13 PM
German is a great language
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
FIFA Peace Prize Winner displaces Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Trump on María Corina Machado: "I think it'd be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn't have the support or the respect within the country. She's a very nice woman but she doesn't have the respect."
January 3, 2026 at 7:41 PM
FIFA Peace Prize Winner displaces Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Well, it was either all this or another black person in a Star Wars movie
January 3, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Well, it was either all this or another black person in a Star Wars movie
Apt, today
“Well, we must face a new reality. No more carefree days of chasing squirrels, running through the park, or howling at the moon. On the other hand, no more ‘Fetch the stick, boy,
fetch the stick.’”
fetch the stick.’”
January 3, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Apt, today
The other peak of the post-1945 world order was the Ajax performance in the 1972 European Cup.
January 3, 2026 at 1:32 PM
The other peak of the post-1945 world order was the Ajax performance in the 1972 European Cup.
Lookit, 1999 was the peak of the post-1945 world order.
1999 will go down in history as the year of the Vengaboys. From the Irish charts this week then: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlv6...
Vengaboys - Up & Down
YouTube video by Vengaboys
www.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Lookit, 1999 was the peak of the post-1945 world order.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
There's a non-zero chance he thinks that they've captured Mamdani
January 3, 2026 at 10:58 AM
There's a non-zero chance he thinks that they've captured Mamdani
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Among the many reasons you don’t kidnap a foreign head of state at gunpoint even if you have the capability, is that it sparks consequences you can neither control nor anticipate.
January 3, 2026 at 10:27 AM
Among the many reasons you don’t kidnap a foreign head of state at gunpoint even if you have the capability, is that it sparks consequences you can neither control nor anticipate.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Two images, one taken near perihelion, and again near aphelion showing the difference in apparent size (about 3% difference between them). A fixed optical system (Seestar 50) means the image scale is constant.
January 3, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Two images, one taken near perihelion, and again near aphelion showing the difference in apparent size (about 3% difference between them). A fixed optical system (Seestar 50) means the image scale is constant.
Loving the plot of Narcos:Kerry.
the world's gone so crazy that I'd completely forgotten til reminded this week of the main Kerry news last year, that my mum's cleaner's cousin's step-son was now Number Two of the Sinaloa drug cartel
all roads lead back to the Kingdom
all roads lead back to the Kingdom
January 3, 2026 at 11:22 AM
Loving the plot of Narcos:Kerry.
This is going to be a larger scale version of the Libyan catastrophe, isn't it
Plausible worst case scenario with Venezuela in four steps:
1. Rubio and Venezuelan exiles sell the idea of decapitation strikes against Maduro to Trump as the one big thing that solves Venezuela, cartels and Cuba for the US.
1. Rubio and Venezuelan exiles sell the idea of decapitation strikes against Maduro to Trump as the one big thing that solves Venezuela, cartels and Cuba for the US.
January 3, 2026 at 11:17 AM
This is going to be a larger scale version of the Libyan catastrophe, isn't it
I'm fully expecting Waterford County Council to launch their invasion of Ferrybank and South Kilkenny now within hours.
In all seriousness what's to stop Putin or any other despotic nutcase from doing exactly the same thing to the leader of another country they don't like? Just a completely lawless world
January 3, 2026 at 10:29 AM
I'm fully expecting Waterford County Council to launch their invasion of Ferrybank and South Kilkenny now within hours.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
A defining moment for Europe. If it endorses/fails to condemn this flagrant breach of international law, it will have surrendered its core justification for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
JUST IN: Trump says the U.S. has captured Maduro and his wife and flown them out of the country.
January 3, 2026 at 10:17 AM
A defining moment for Europe. If it endorses/fails to condemn this flagrant breach of international law, it will have surrendered its core justification for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
This is the first time in history that a County Clare hotelier has kidnapped the leader of another country
January 3, 2026 at 10:05 AM
This is the first time in history that a County Clare hotelier has kidnapped the leader of another country
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
It’s a dark night when you look at the news and are forced to admit that you no longer believe in the power of the FIFA peace prize
January 3, 2026 at 7:06 AM
It’s a dark night when you look at the news and are forced to admit that you no longer believe in the power of the FIFA peace prize
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Kind of surprised by those who are arguing that this is all a distraction from the Epstein Files. If we learnt nothing else from the X stuff yesterday, none of these people care.
January 3, 2026 at 9:58 AM
Kind of surprised by those who are arguing that this is all a distraction from the Epstein Files. If we learnt nothing else from the X stuff yesterday, none of these people care.
So they've just kidnapped another head of state.
January 3, 2026 at 9:37 AM
So they've just kidnapped another head of state.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
A system which cannot impose consequences for the most egregious breaches (stealing everything, trying to violently overturn an election) is a system which incentivises its own destruction.
January 3, 2026 at 9:29 AM
A system which cannot impose consequences for the most egregious breaches (stealing everything, trying to violently overturn an election) is a system which incentivises its own destruction.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
It’s said that you should never meet your heroes, but 36 years after the Liverpool manager sat by Sean Luckett’s hospital bed, he got to thank the club’s greatest ally
I’m the ‘miracle’ woken from a coma by Kenny Dalglish after Hillsborough. And now I’ve met him again
It’s said that you should never meet your heroes, but 36 years after the Liverpool manager sat by my hospital bed, I got to thank our greatest ally
www.theguardian.com
January 3, 2026 at 9:00 AM
It’s said that you should never meet your heroes, but 36 years after the Liverpool manager sat by Sean Luckett’s hospital bed, he got to thank the club’s greatest ally
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Imelda Keenan, originally from Mountmellick in Co Laois, was last seen in Waterford city on Monday 3 January 1994 rte.ie/b/1551287
Renewed appeal for woman missing for 32 years
A renewed appeal for information has been issued in relation to a woman who has been missing for 32 years.
rte.ie
January 3, 2026 at 9:11 AM
Imelda Keenan, originally from Mountmellick in Co Laois, was last seen in Waterford city on Monday 3 January 1994 rte.ie/b/1551287
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
For those of us who’ve lived thru many rounds of US military adventures, they clearly think their blueprint here is Grenada in 1983. Otoh Venezuela isn’t a tiny island without military or financial muscle, so I wonder. Also, I hope all their helicopters crash.
Attack and a dozen transport helicopters see flying at low altitudes across Caracas, the transport helis have a capacity of up to 400 US invaders. US paratroopers are reported to have landed at Maduro’s residence and are fighting Venezuelan defence forces. #VenezuelaInvasion
January 3, 2026 at 9:19 AM
For those of us who’ve lived thru many rounds of US military adventures, they clearly think their blueprint here is Grenada in 1983. Otoh Venezuela isn’t a tiny island without military or financial muscle, so I wonder. Also, I hope all their helicopters crash.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Rob Schneider has sold monorails to Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook, and by gum it put them on the map!
The "lost the rest of my barbershop quartet" guy thinks it's his politics that keep the roles away
January 3, 2026 at 8:06 AM
Rob Schneider has sold monorails to Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook, and by gum it put them on the map!
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
You're heating your home sparingly this freezing weekend because all the expensive natural gas is being burned on-site by data centres to produce child sexual abuse materials
January 2, 2026 at 9:47 PM
You're heating your home sparingly this freezing weekend because all the expensive natural gas is being burned on-site by data centres to produce child sexual abuse materials
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Save the date!
Comhaltas in Britain is holding their Annual Convention on 21 & 22 February at the Conforti Centre, Coatbridge – and they want you to help shape it!
👇
https://ow.ly/uqH550XFGiL
Alongside the Provincial AGM, there'll be workshops, presentations + networking
Comhaltas in Britain is holding their Annual Convention on 21 & 22 February at the Conforti Centre, Coatbridge – and they want you to help shape it!
👇
https://ow.ly/uqH550XFGiL
Alongside the Provincial AGM, there'll be workshops, presentations + networking
January 2, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Save the date!
Comhaltas in Britain is holding their Annual Convention on 21 & 22 February at the Conforti Centre, Coatbridge – and they want you to help shape it!
👇
https://ow.ly/uqH550XFGiL
Alongside the Provincial AGM, there'll be workshops, presentations + networking
Comhaltas in Britain is holding their Annual Convention on 21 & 22 February at the Conforti Centre, Coatbridge – and they want you to help shape it!
👇
https://ow.ly/uqH550XFGiL
Alongside the Provincial AGM, there'll be workshops, presentations + networking