The Artificial Hipsters Cross the Bridge

AFTER AN INITIAL BIT OF SILLINESS AND A NUMBER OF INTERJECTIONS ABOUT DEFENCE AND BUREAUCRACY AMONGST OTHER THINGS; CIARAN AND JIM FINALLY GET ROUND TO THE THORNY ISSUE OF THE ALMOST IDENTICAL FAILURES OF HOUSING POLICY IN IRELAND AN THE UK.

WHAT IS A SWASTIKA? WHY DO WE EXPECT POLICEMAN TO NOT ENFORCE THE LAW? ANTI JEWISH MEANS ANTISEMITIC...RIGHT OR WRONG? JK ROWLING AND THE APPALLING SCOTTISH HATE SPEECH LEGISLATION. FINALLY ABOUT 20 SECONDS OF FOOTBALL, WHY DIDN'T TOTTENHAM GET A THIRD GOAL AGAINST LUTON ? THIS EPISODE DEDICATED TO LOLLY, REGGIE AND BILLIE-ROSE.

THIS WEEK CIARAN AND JIM ARE BACK TO NORMAL SERVICE WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE CURRENT OFFERINGS OF PRINT MEDIA. DID YOU KNOW CILLIAN MURPHY WAS IN THE ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE IN A SMALL TOWN IN CORK? OR THAT A DRUNKEN WOMAN WAS FOUND IN A DEBRIS FIELD BY POLICE. ALL HUMAN LIFE IS HERE

In the third of our occasional Artilects Talks we present “ Broken Down By Age And Sex - A Life Spent in Hospitals. This is the first chapter of the memoirs of one of Jim’s former colleagues, Jack Oxford, who like him spent decades in the service of the Crown managing hospitals. This is how the NHS really works.

THIS WEEK CIARAN AND JIM LIGHTEN THE TONE A BIT WITH A COLLECTION OF THINGS WHICH GET THEIR GOAT (~GOAT...YES THATS ONE OF THEM). VERY LITTLE FOOTBALL THIS WEEK.

TODAY CIARAN GIVES US THE BENEFIT OF HIS PROFESSIONAL TOPIC OF LEADERSHIP. LISTEN AND LEARN !

WITH THREE ELECTIONS LOOMING (4 IF YOU COUNT THE EU PARLIAMENT) IN THE US, IRELAND AND BRITAIN WHAT DOES 2024 HOLD IN STORE? WE’LL LEAVE OUR LISTENERS TO DECIDE WHO CHUMP AND GRUMP ARE. ONLY A BIT OF SHORT SIGHTED CROWING FROM CIARAN ON THE FOOTBALL FRONT.

THIS WEEK WE COVER A LOT OF GROUND. STREET FURNITURE, "SATURATED FAT IS GOOD FOR YOU", RTE INCOMPETENCE PLUS POOR PRESS COVERAGE OF THE SAME. WHY ARE BRITAIN AND IRELAND MOVING LEFT WHILST THE REST OF EUROPE IS GOING THE OTHER WAY? THE CURE FOR STOMACH ULCERS, AND MORE. ALL HUMAN LIFE IS HERE.

Ciaran and Jim got a bit caught up in all the arrangements and communications for the funeral of their friend and Brother in Law, Tommy McMahon, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to publish our first Artilect. This considers why our governments are just so damned incompetent. See what you think. Its a bit shorter than the normal podcasts and it has absolutely no football. Oh yes.. Ciaran isn...

This episode is all about World War 3. Ciaran and Jim discuss if it could happen, with the focus on the Ukraine War as a possible powder keg; And are there alternatives to war. How can we avoid it ? THERE IS NO FOOTBALL THIS WEEK This episode is dedicated to TOMMY MCMAHON RIP who died on Monday 5th February 2024

This week, after a brief mention or Jurgen Klopp’s intention to resign, Ciaran and Jim look at the ethics of protest in the light of the death defying soup attack on the Mona Lisa (perhaps that should be the MonaStrone). What is permissible or verboten? How do you decide? Tied up with all that we talk about the importance of oratory and we announce our new series of ARTILECTS, which will be shorte...

This week Ciaran and Jim cover loads of topics;The joy of having needles stuck in your arm; Liverpool- schizophrenic team (only a few seconds of this); The inability of the BBC to be impartial; How to encourage public democracy; Don’t listen to the brain dead; Orwell was right; The importance of debates inside families;How to make major media conglomerates tell the truth; and more...its all good s...

THIS WEEK WE TRAWL THROUGH EXAMPLES OF GROSS MISMANAGEMENT AND THE REASONS FOR IT FOCUSSING PARTLY ON THE UK POSTAL SERVICE SCANDAL WHICH IS VERY CURRENT. WE ALSO HAVE A VERY SHORT INSERT (ABOUT 20 SECS) OF FOOTBALL; AND MOMENTS OF THE WEEK INVOLVING THE POTENTIAL TORY ELECTORAL MELTDOWN AND THE IRISH STARRING ROLE AT THE UN. APOLOGIES FOR THE SLIGHTLY IFFY SOUND ON JIM’S NEW MIKE. WONT BE USING T...

WELCOME TO OUR SECOND SEASON. With much bonhomie around Ciaran and Jim spend quite a lot of time talking about what fun they had at Christmas and the New Year before delving into a complex and heartfelt debate about whether in this year of elections the first past the post voting system is best; or whether proportional representation holds the moral high ground.

A roundup of the high points and low points of the year....not too many high points. We chastise politicians of all colours, denigrate international policy but give a big shout out to George Orwell and the GAA All Ireland winners Dublin (Football) and Limerick (Hurling). in order to lighten the tone we have retained a few bloopers at the beginning. After 26 consecutive weekly podcasts we are havin...

This week Ciaran interviews Jim about his lifelong friend Santa Claus otherwise known as Father Christmas. If you have ever had any questions about FC this is where they get answered. Please note that although this podcast is suitable for all ages it is aimed at our younger listeners so please make sure your juniors get to hear it ! This podcast is especially deciated to three of FC’s biggest fans...

There’s only 5 seconds of football this week. Ciaran and Jim meander through Christmas Tree dressing (again) starring young Reggie, Cork traffic, the Ibiza Marathon starring Lily Casey and the burgeoning career of Jack Casey in Irish/American music; before settling down to the raw meat of Immigration and the policy of cynical misdirection over Rwanda. They end up with Affpuddle, Benburb and the Ba...

This week Ciaran and Jim set off with a visit to Ikea and discover what Despondo means. We have a planning meeting to establish the best way to get lights on to (into?) a Christmas Tree. Then we have a few minutes of football mainly about Spurs and Liverpool followed by the meaty stuff, around the half hour mark, which is a discussion of the new " Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or H...

This week Ciaran and Jim disagree about Leo Varadker’s lost child comment, take a sprint through a bit of football, then attack Eastenders and mainstream telly with venom. Finishing up with an anecdote about Queen Elizabeth and more around the Meaning of Liff....what is a Berepper ?

This week Ciaran and Jim take a canter through a number of issues: how to improve the Irish National Football team...and no its not the manager; Why the Everton points deduction is only the beginning; the awfulness of the GAZA War and the breaking news of a possible pause in the fighting; The new Cold War; US Presidential matters; The drabness of the Cheltenham Festival and no...its not because Ci...

This week Ciaran and Jim truly cross the bridge with their shared versions of modern history. Passchaendale, The Blitz, Cromwell, The Famine, 1916, Lord Cameron and Suella Braverman not to mention Jim in tights..... it's all there in a reasoned manner.

Perhaps this episode should be called ‘ Cummings and Goings ’ Ciaran and Jim focus on the early failings of the venal UK COVID Inquiry. There is some lighter stuff at the beginning but no football...make the most of it!.

Apologies for late posting of this episode in which Ciaran and Jim test the notion that the community based culture of our childhoods in London and Dublin have been destroyed and cannot be replaced. there is also a little football.....

This week Ciaran and Jim take on the very difficult topic of the situation in Gaza but hopefully with a few new twists. Not lightweight in tone but it had to be done.

In this episode Jim recounts the trials and tribulations of a short trip to Berlin whilst Ciaran has some surprising revelations about Coors Lite and Palm Oil.