Enda o Dowd

I'm not an economist but seems worrying that the whole US economy is seven companies in a trenchcoat, passing the same $20 up and down

Bari Weiss introduced herself to CBS News staff today on the network's 9AM call, saying she wants to "win," which requires restoring trust to CBS. She also said she was excited for staff to get to know the Free Press, and ended her remarks by saying: "Let's do the fucking news."

Eight years ago in Palestine.

A small fire at the front of the bookshop was started last night after rubbish bags that were awaiting collection were set on fire. The guards don’t have reason at this time to believe it was a targeted attack. Thankfully the damage was limited and everyone is safe. We are open for business as usual

Yea, I don’t know. I’m biased against big tech so quick to share doom stories.

But I was totally wrong about bitcoin and again and again the world has shown that just because something doesn’t make sense to me doesn’t mean it won’t succeed.

In a way, then, America has become one big bet on AI. Outside of the AI plays, even European stock markets have been outperforming the US this decade, and now that gap is starting to spread. So far in 2025, every major sector from utilities and industrials to healthcare and banks has fared better in the rest of the world than in the US. What that suggests is that AI better deliver for the US, or its economy and markets will lose the one leg they are now standing on.

Lot of interesting bits in this on the US economy exposure to A.I.

www.ft.com/content/6cc8...

Greta Thunberg has arrived in Greece following her deportation from Israel,
after the Gaza aid flotilla was intercepted
#GlobalSumudFlotilla
She said:
“I could talk for a very,very long time about our mistreatment and abuses in our imprisonment.
Trust me, but that is not the story.”
#Athens airport

Goody-bag merch from Tory Conference branded "When Labour negotiates Britian loses" and signed "Kemi Badenoch".

It helps to be able to spell the country you say only you are competent enough to run.

‘Really shocking’: Independent Dublin bookstore damaged in arson attack Books Upstairs manager hopes to partially open the D’Olier Street store later on Monday

Really awful news. The best bookshop in dublin. Website still up - booksupstairs.ie

www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/20...

Calamity for Fianna Fáil as Jim Gavin drops out of the presidential race

Good irish times podcast on the FF presidential disaster

pca.st/episode/8c1c...

Opinion | Someone Tipped Me Off About a Crypto Story. What I Found Was Crazy.

Very interesting story on Georgia’s elections, billionaires, crypto and kidnapping (gift link)

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/o...

Asked Jim Gavin today how he anticipated turning his campaign around given the questions about whether it was wise to run.

His answer: “It’s not even halftime.” ⬇️

With a 2+% margin of error.

50:50 race

Per the Sunday Independent poll earlier: Humphreys would have taken 60% of Gavin’s first preferences, Connolly 24%, the remainder non-transferrable.

Reworking the poll accordingly:

Catherine Connolly 36
Heather Humphreys 32
Undecided 33

#aras25

Breaking: Jim Gavin withdraws from Presidential Election.

From the AdamCurtis community on Reddit: Adam Curtis Dior Spring-Summer 2026 show Explore this post and more from the AdamCurtis community

Adam Curtis intro video to the Dior show in Paris.

I think he’s an interesting editor

www.reddit.com/r/AdamCurtis...

The divergence between China & UK’s economy over the last 25 years is stark

Today's opinion poll merely shows how close this Áras race actually is Giving the Google Sheets treatment to the Sunday Times/Ireland Thinks poll

Gavan Reilly has interesting analysis on the presidential poll

open.substack.com/pub/gavreill...

The report on Greta’s treatment chimes with Peter Theils quotes on her earlier in the year.

These people seemed consumed and driven paranoid by a 22 year old activist.

It’s kind of feels reminiscent of Nixons final years.

The AI Money Vortex OpenAI is worth $500 billion now. What are its investors getting back?

In case you need another data point concerning the AI bubble:
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

#RUNEUAI

Sam Bankman-Fried and the multibillion-dollar drama over FTX’s ruins In exclusive prison interviews, the convicted crypto king is still fighting to control the narrative ahead of a high-stakes appeal.

Next month, Sam Bankman-Fried will appeal his conviction.

We interviewed him in prison about the rise and ruin of FTX and what has become one the biggest bankruptcies in US history.

Israel accused of detaining Greta Thunberg in infested cell and making her hold flags Activist tells Swedish officials she has been subjected to harsh treatment, including insufficient food and water

““They dragged little Greta [Thunberg] by her hair before our eyes, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did everything imaginable to her, as a warning to others,” the Turkish activist ErsinÇelik, a participant in the Sumud flotilla, told Anadolu news agency.”+

Blurry photo of the back of two men’s head and a red thing between them. Somewhere in the red thing is the rapper Billy Woods

Billy woods was magnificent in dublin. Really peerless. There’s nothing effortless about what he does but that’s the product

Where next for the conservative right after Maria Steen’s failed presidential bid? There seems to be little hope of her heralding a revival of social conservatism given that her political cohort isn’t even comfortable calling itself ‘conservative’

Steen was presented almost like "an idea whose time has come," but some analysis suggests she might represent a moment that's already passed. I took a deep dive into where the Irish conservative right goes next, after Maria Steen’s failed presidential bid

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

At a Conspiracy Conference in Rural Ireland, Charlie Kirk Was the Star The increasingly tight links between far-right groups in the US and Europe were on full display at the Rebels Across the Pond conference in Ireland. The star of the show? Charlie Kirk.

Fear And Loathing In...Boyle

I travelled to a tiny town in north west Ireland to attend a conspiracy conference that brought together figures from the US and Irish far-right communities.

The uniting force at this conference? Charlie Kirk

www.wired.com/story/conspi...

Manchán Magan: writer and documentary maker dies aged 55 Author spoke of terminal illness in recent radio interview, saying he did not feel despair

Manchán Magan: writer and documentary maker dies aged 55

Awful news. I only met the guy a handful of times but he was funny, no pretensions, a lovely guy.

Manchán was also a great broadcaster in how he brought his personality to the job instead of becoming a broadcaster type.

Áras campaigns: Jim Gavin and Catherine Connolly out on manoeuvres in Roscommon and Dublin Voters react to first TV debate with comments on the performances of presidential election candidates

I love these canvas reports around elections in ireland.

Harry McGee is one of the best at them.

Áras campaigns: Jim Gavin and Catherine Connolly out on manoeuvres in Roscommon and Dublin

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Really liked Marianne Keatings & Laura McMorrow’s exhibition in the RHA. Running until Oct 26th.

Croatia and Cyprus feature the lowest shares of urbanites that pay more than 40% of their income for housing. In Greece and Denmark heaps of people spend a huge chunk of their income on housing. Source: buff.ly/P7hgMvb