Sunday evening vinyl: Aoife Nessa Frances - Land of No Junction (2020). The record that both got me through lockdown *and* formed a key part of the soundtrack to finishing up my second book. To quote a very cliched saying, I could listen to her sing the phonebook.

'Environmental protection is a worthy objective. If, however, it is allowed to become obsessional, then development will stop; and we can forget about more employment since the factories and farms and services which give that employment will not set up or expand - for "environmental reasons."'

A glimpse into how environmental Concerns were seen as getting in the way of economic interests
Nally, secretary to the Irish government, in response to draft proposals for an Irish Environmental Protection Agency, in 1990. (The Irish EPA eventually came into being in 1992.)

A full day in the archives, reading about energy, US MNCS, and environmental regulation. Bliss.

Next week's history seminar here in Galway features Dr Colm Mac Gearailt on 'Irish History in Secondary Schools, 1924-69'. The seminar takes places at 4pm, Wed 24 Jan, Room G010, Hardiman Building. All welcome - in person or register for Zoom at https://forms.office.com/e/d7Bg2N2gCg

Today I learned... that Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands (The Chemical Brothers) studied history at the University of Manchester. Witness this photo of Ed Simons reading Keith Jenkins _Re-thinking History_. Photo from the new - and highly recommended - book, Paused in Cosmic Reflection.

Me: "Do you know this song?"

Five-year-old: "Yes - it's 'The Very Next Day'."

A career in writing music quizzes awaits.

A reminder, courtesy of Richard Scarry.

Got this Christmas card (made by @twisteddoodles) for my brother, who works in IT. His verdict: "genius'. I wholeheartedly agree.

Research has found that kids do better at primary school if their fathers regularly spend time with them on interactive engagement activities like reading, playing, telling stories, drawing and singing.

Yet another argument to ensure dads take their #PaternityLeave

https://business.leeds.ac.uk/download/downloads/id/476/piece-report.pdf

I enjoyed reading this. It's not only the best-titled book I've read in quite some time, but also a fascinating insight into how the world of celebrity philanthropy works.

Review of Batman Saves the Congo: How Celebrities Disrupt the Politics of Development

https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/RWMMGI2D6MTFFASDJJCK/full?target=10.1080/14662043.2023.2267237

"Much as the three Abrahamic religions lay claim to one saviour, conservatives, libertarians and classical liberals all claim Friedman."

Is the age of Milton Friedman over?
https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/12/14/is-the-age-of-milton-friedman-over
from The Economist

"Much as the three Abrahamic religions lay claim to one saviour, conservatives, libertarians and classical liberals all claim Friedman."

https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/12/14/is-the-age-of-milton-friedman-over
from The Economist

This piece - by Bathsheba Demuth - is fascinating. A really useful discussion of agency but also of the questions that non-human actors pose about temporality.

"Despite an activist birth—or perhaps because of the particular shade of that activism, steeped as it was in mainstream environmentalism’s midcentury whiteness—the field is far behind, say, environmental sociology in theorizing environmental justice."

On the Agency of Environmental History | Journal of Social History

https://academic.oup.com/jsh/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jsh/shad057/7469055?guestAccessKey=0a9e2044-12a1-417b-a857-787fc7105fdf

Sunday morning listening: Sun June. I do love a nice bit of dream pop.
https://youtu.be/aEsdRVzPdYs?feature=shared

Ah, Microsoft. Why do we keep up this charade? You tell me that I will 'create content seamlessly' on Sharepoint when we all know that I won't.

'[Mary] Robinson challenged him further, saying: “I read that your company is investing in a lot more fossil fuel in the future.” Al Jaber responded: “You’re reading your own media, which is biased and wrong. I am telling you I am the man in charge.”'

The Cop28 president is already living up to expectations...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/03/back-into-caves-cop28-president-dismisses-phase-out-of-fossil-fuels

Five year old: "I know more than you because I go to school."

Sounds about right.

Harry Clarke - The Curtain Call (1923). From the Clarke exhibition currently at the Crawford Gallery, Cork.