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Brian Higgins will be in the middle today.

Don't know the man from Adam but there's not much in Brian.

The Donaghadee melt down is great reading

Another one for you's folks,  that if you stamp your card in the south for 10 years your entitled to a full pension on retirement. I've heard this on the sites many a time but never had anyone actually confirm its right.

Apollo 11 moon landing 54 years yesterday

Or on this day 54 years ago the biggest con ever staged happened. 

Worked on quite a few large site's across the water up till about 2020, regular random piss tests carried out on a Monday or Tuesday after a bank holiday weekend. Fail the test automatic off site and banded by  the main contractor from any of there sites for 6 months.

I can only imagine Siptu's or CIF's reaction if the construction industry here decided to implement it.

I went to UUJ in the late 90s but dropped out after first year. Two years ago I decided to get the degree as I wanted to get off the site's and into consultancy or a government job(In the South) but no matter how much practical knowledge and experience I had the lack of qualifications stood in my way.

I've now two years completed and going into final year in September as a part time student in the University of Ulster and I'm furious with UU. Paying 6500 a year and you cant get a response to emails, you have to send 3-4 more mails to get an answer. You struggle to get meetings with staff, lectures are cancelled last minute. I know when I was 18 these things wouldn't have bothered me as it would have been the parents money, but at 44 year old spending my own money I'm disgusted with what they're providing.

The past year as a part time student I had 6 hours of lectures on a Monday, the lads on the same course full time only had 3 hrs on a Thursday more than me. Nothing on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday so when I look at these young ones renting digs in Belfast for that is crazy. I know if I had young ones I wouldn't be pushing them for a full time degree at uni having a birds eye view of it as a mature student. There's so may better options such as apprenticeships with degrees. 

3 big games in Croke Park in a year, 2 semi finals and a club final and Glass has went awol in all of them.

Once your man Steele's case come up and the family take a fortune of MEA council and the lad from last night sues Belfast council then you might see council's taking a stand on allowing there property been used.

MEA were to have an urgent behind closed doors meeting in May about bonfire's on their properties but it was adjourned to the autumn.

Would cooperate manslaughter laws apply against the council in the Steele's case?

Would the biggest show in the country's star made the front page of the Sun ?

Do Alliance members/voters engage in the Order Order parades and stuff anymore? Or Ulster Rugby type followers. Much of it seems more loyalist and working class in nature?

The OO is different in character in country parts and in Belfast. In many country parts a few oul fellows get together a few times a year and in most cases do not cause any great trouble to anyone, not least because they have to live there all year round. in Belfast it lets the sectarian slums take over the main streets, but the educated classes have less and less to do with it.

Don't be fooled. Let's remember that those singing about Michaela McAreavey in that band hall were not from Belfast's slums but indeed from God fearing South Derry.

Yeah some places in Armagh are ferociously anti-Irish/Catholic. The area stretching from Portadown-Armagh-Markethill-Tandragee is fairly staunch.

There is a village called Richhill it's a stop on the Belfast-Cavan/Monaghan bus route. It's in that area I think?

It seemed like a staunch loyalist enclave, there was UVF flags on main Street I think and Soldier F. Not a place that seemed like stopping for a pint in lol

And Richhill would be quite an affluent village, a lot of police officers and solicitors/barristers live in it.

The Gaa social episode with Brian canavan was very interesting. He talked a lot about this and the cross community relationships in his community. What you say is like what he says. It varies greatly from place to place. I imagine all it takes is a few eejits on either side to sour these relations.

I was thinking of that in my example, and previous comment by Tony Fearon, Presumably if there was a non confrontational approach in the local lodge then that is reflected in their leadership over time, a son takes over from his father on the committee or whatever. You'd have some places in Fermanagh with civil relations and while the likes of Kilkeel is not good, there could be other places in South Down where this was not the case.

You'll find relationships are good when in areas were they're in a minority and generally in them areas the nationalists let them get on with it. I drove into a small parade last Sunday in South Armagh about two miles from my house. I didn't even know it was on, two cops held me for 10 mins till it walked passed, they stopped at a memorial said a few prayers played about 3 tunes and back into there cars and away.

In areas where they can still lord it over the pesky fenians you find the tensions.

Hopefully Ger Canning is caught with his hand in the cookie jar too and we get a clear out.

It was on the 6-1 news

This could be like the CIA training and arming Bin Laden in the 80's. 2030 having to fight the Wagner Group.

Is it a case of better the devil you know?

Dee Forbes, director general of RTE, was suspended by the board of RTE last Wednesday. We can only presume it's because of these payments. Unbelievable stuff really. Tubridy is now finished as a tv personality, his only hope is to join FF and run for office.

He's far from finished, he'll do a Wogan and BBC will snap him up. He'll help Norton do the Eurovision and in 12 months will be talking about the UK entry as we.