Latest news with #DavidByrne
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Byrne Is Done With Mansplaining on ‘She Explains Things to Me'
David Byrne has shared his new song 'She Explains Things to Me,' the latest single from the former Talking Heads frontman's upcoming album Who Is The Sky? The sweeping track was inspired in part by Rebecca Solnit's 2014 collection Men Explain Things to Me, with the titular essay providing a scathing look at male arrogance and how conversations between men and women go awry. More from Rolling Stone David Byrne's New Album Is 'A Chance to Be the Mythical Creature We All Harbor Inside' Watch Olivia Rodrigo Burn Down the House With David Byrne at Gov Ball Hear David Byrne and Devo's Long-Unheard Collaboration 'Empire' 'Many times I have marveled at how a friend (usually a female friend) seems to clock what is going on in a film between characters way before I do,' Byrne said of the single in a statement. 'Sometimes I understand poetry, but sometimes I need help. Though inspired by the Solnit book Men Explain Things to Me, there is a huge difference — mansplaining is usually unasked for, in this case I am the one asking.' Bynre shared the first single and opening track 'Everybody Laughs' from Who Is the Sky? last month. The album marks his first since 2018's LP-turned-Broadway show-turned-HBO film American Utopia. It arrives Sept. 5 and features contributions from Hayley Williams, St. Vincent, and the Smile drummer Tom Skinner. Byrne previously said in a statement that Who Is the Sky? is 'a chance to be the mythical creature we all harbor inside. A chance to step into another reality. A chance to transcend and escape from the prison of our 'selves.'' He added, 'At my age, at least for me, there's a 'don't give a shit about what people think' attitude that kicks in. I can step outside my comfort zone with the knowledge that I kind of know who I am by now and sort of know what I'm doing. That said, every new set of songs, every song even, is a new adventure. There's always a bit of, 'how do I work this?' I've found that not every collaboration works, but often when they do, it's because I'm able to clearly impart what it is I'm trying to do. They hopefully get that, and as a result, we're now joined together heading to the same unknown place.' Byrne will support the record with a lengthy North American tour this fall that will feature — like his American Utopia gigs — a mobile 13-piece band. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
New York Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
An Instagram Poet With Hints of Interesting Darkness
A REBELLION OF CARE: Poems and Essays, by David Gate Last spring I became fascinated by a David Gate poem called 'Like Every Selfie.' As I was reading it I kept hearing music, at least in my mind. Pretty soon I realized I was hearing the sound of early Talking Heads, particularly the perky/menacing lyrics of songs like 'Don't Worry About the Government' and 'The Big Country.' Suddenly it was easy for me to imagine David Byrne shouting and jerkily dancing his way through 'Like Every Selfie,' with its exhortations to appreciate your friends while they are still here — 'Praise their haircuts' and 'Love their tattoos,' etc. This is how the poem ends: Don't wait for the eulogiesTo speak out loudThat your friends are preciousAnd they make you feel proud Yes to friendship: I suspect we all agree with that sentiment. As Byrne once put it, 'My friends are important.' But was I reading 'Like Every Selfie' the right way? By absorbing it as if it were a lost Talking Heads track, I began to wonder whether I was granting 'Like Every Selfie' extra layers — layers of ironic detachment, social critique, strangeness and humor — that the poem itself could not pretend to contain. This experience happened again and again as I plunged into 'A Rebellion of Care,' Gate's debut collection of poems and essays. I had questions of context, questions of tone. I kept asking, 'How are we supposed to interact with this?' I should cut to the chase here and point out that Gate is an Instagram poet. He is part of a movement of verse-posters who have achieved fame on social media — in part because they don't write like the poets of the literary and academic establishment. Radical simplicity and therapeutic bromides are the coin of the realm among the Instagram poets, which means that they — like Rod McKuen, the Yung Pueblo of the 1970s — are easy to make fun of. In 'A Rebellion of Care,' a compendium of his hits, Gate's poems make statements that you can't imagine disagreeing with. The title of the poem usually tells you what's about to go down, as in 'Stay Weird' ('Make your corner of this planet/as weird as you want to'), and 'Flower Power' ('What a world it is that insists/a man, such as I am, can never/appreciate a marigold'), and 'Friendship Will Save Us' ('Friendship is what will save us/so fall deeply in love with your friends'). Sometimes the poems come across like Influencer Beatitudes, sagely guiding us on how to live out loud … on social media. 'Never stop spamming the timeline,' Gate writes, 'with all the things that you love/if you live in a beautiful place/show me.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Sunday World
11-07-2025
- Sunday World
Supergrass witness Jonathan Dowdall's former home is sold
The house on Dublin's Navan Road was placed on the market last month with a price tag of €795,000 A sold sign has now appeared in the front garden Some of the features of the Dublin home Johnathan Dowdall and his former home in Dublin The stunning €795,000 house on Navan Road, Dublin, had initially been placed on the market in June 2024 and appeared to have been sold. However, it reappeared on the market in April with the same asking price as before. It now appears to have sold once again with a sign appearing in the front garden, as a new owner is set to take over the four bed four-bed family home. It has been described as 'wonderfully presented' and in turnkey condition. 'The south facing garden is beautifully landscaped, featuring a large fishpond, an oriental inspired haven perfect for entertaining or a relaxing escape. Johnathan Dowdall and his former home in Dublin News in 90 Seconds - July 11th An advert for the house describes it as having a spacious hallway with marble tiles throughout, a large and cosy living room with an open fireplace. 'The kitchen has been extended, boasting plenty of natural light and additional worktop space, perfect for all of your culinary needs. 'A spacious garage provides secure parking for your vehicles and additional storage space, along with a home office space or can be used as an additional living room. Each of the four bedrooms has built-in wardrobes, and the attic has been converted into a multi-purpose living space. It also comes with double glazed windows, gas fired central heating and crucially for the former Sinn Fein councillor turned mobster, a large cobble lock driveway with security gates. The luxurious home, which is on sale for a bargain price, featured heavily in the murder trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. In particular, the back garden fish-pond, where gardai searched for firearms following the 2016 Regency Hotel slaying of David Byrne. The airy kitchen is the location where Dowdall blindfolded innocent man Alex Hurley who he believed was trying to con him out of a motorcycle he was selling. Hurley was then dragged to the garage where he was water-boarded and threatened during an eight-hour torture session. Dowdall and his father Patrick later admitted at the Special Criminal Court to falsely imprisoning and threatening to kill Alexander Hurley in January 2015, before being jailed for 12 and eight years respectively. Jonathan Dowdall is nearing the end of his prison sentence for his role in the murder of David Byrne in February 2016 and is set to join the Witness Protection Programme when he is released. The sale of the home will fund his new life and relocation which will see him set up in a foreign country with the same means he had while living in Ireland. Some of the features of the Dublin home The Dubliner was originally due to go on trial alongside Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch for the murder of David Byrne, but the charge was dropped when he pleaded guilty to facilitating the killing and agreed to testify against his former co-accused. Dowdall gave evidence during the murder trial at the Special Criminal Court, which saw Hutch walk free when he was found not guilty. Ms Justice Burns dismissed Dowdall's credibility as a witness in her lengthy judgement, saying 'he acted out of self-interest' and the court was 'not prepared to act on his statement alone'. Dowdall was sentenced to four years in prison for facilitating the murder the day before Hutch's trial began in 2022.
RTÉ News
07-07-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Group of staff at Shanahan's on the Green left short nearly €35,000
A group of staff at Dublin restaurant Shanahan's on the Green were left short nearly €35,000 when it shut abruptly last year, a tribunal has found. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has heard multiple statutory complaints from former employees of its operator, JMS International Holdings since the closure of the prominent restaurant and has made awards to six workers to date. There had been a promise to staff that Shanahan's would get back in business and pay what it owed to the workers, a waiter told the tribunal last month. "These plans never came into fruition," he said. In each case, the workers - who include chefs, front-of-house staff and the company's long-standing bookkeeper - have told the employment tribunal the company failed to pay them any wages for their last week at work. Six workers, each with more than a decade's service, gave evidence to WRC adjudication officers that they received no notice of termination in circumstances where they were entitled to six to eight weeks each. Waiting staff said that as well as being denied their last week's wages and other statutory entitlements, they were also left without their tips when the restaurant closed. The tribunal heard that when tips and service charges were accounted for, some senior waiters at Shanahans were making €1,000 a week or more while working full-time hours. 'He didn't tell us anything' "It was left to the manager to inform us what was happening, he didn't tell us anything. The company shut down; I was left a week without pay – there was also unpaid tips and service charges," waiter David Byrne told the WRC last month. Mr Byrne, who had only started four weeks before the closure, said Shanahan's "shut down quite quickly". "We were told the Sunday night, and from there, it was just shut down. We were emailed, we were told everything would be sorted out, that he had plans to open up again and get everyone paid. These plans never came into fruition." Mr Byrne was due no statutory redundancy or notice pay due to his short service, but said he had not been paid for three shifts in his last week in the employment. Adjudication officer Conor Stokes found the restaurant's management breached the Payment of Wages Act 1991 by failing to pay Mr Byrne the €360 he was owed for working three dinner shifts. Mr Stokes also found Mr Byrne's split of the service charges for that week, €74.80, along with €47.63 in tips, was not paid out in a further breach of the Payment of Wages Act on the part of the restaurant. The total awarded to Mr Byrne was €684.93. Left 'in the lurch' The restaurant was coming up on its 25th anniversary when staff were informed that it had ceased trading. Five workers have secured orders for statutory notice on the basis of working there over a decade. Waiter Luke Carragher was awarded €3,300 for unpaid wages and holiday pay. Paul Harte, another waiter, an employee of Shanahan's since 2006, won €9,855, comprising a week's gross pay and eight weeks' notice. Assistant manager Angelo Lamberti, who was earning €1,200 a week, including tips and gratuities, won €5,280 for unpaid notice pay, wages and holiday entitlements. Chef Piotr Fraszczyk won €5,950 and bookkeeper Kathleen Friel won €9,855 on the same basis. The total awards made against JMS International Holdings by the WRC to date now stand at €34,992.93. The restaurant's management has not attended any of the cases decided by the WRC to date. One of the longest-serving staff is chef Gheorge Danescu, whose case was also heard last adjudicator Penelope McGrath told him: "I have met a number of your colleagues at this stage. You were all let go without any explanation in October of last year. It was a difficult situation, undoubtedly." "19 years," Mr Danescu said, adding: "They've been like a family." "I can see from the tone of the emails he [the owner] sent that he had a good rapport with his staff, but he did leave you in the lurch," Ms McGrath said. She noted that there was an email from the owner "stating that Revenue had frozen the bank accounts and he was going to go back to the States and attempt to raise funds". "You were given no notice, because that was effectively your last day of work," she added. The WRC's decision on Mr Danescu's complaints has yet to be published. The chef's wife asked Ms McGrath at the hearing: "Who's going to pay the money?" Ms McGrath said: "Some monies can be claimed through the social insurance fund. You need to talk to your colleagues; I can't give you legal advice [but] it's not without hope." "It won't be from the respondent. The status of the respondent would be known to the [Department of Social Protection]," she added.
The Journal
04-07-2025
- The Journal
Analysis: MV Matthew seizure was a major success ... but Irish appetite for cocaine remains
THERE IS LITTLE doubt that the taking of the MV Matthew was a huge success story for Irish law enforcement agencies and the Irish military – it was the proof of a concept that had been promised by state agencies for decades. The operation that led to the capture of the vessel, along with its haul of cocaine worth some €157 million, came about through sharing of information among a raft of Irish and international law enforcement and military agencies. It demonstrated how, when it comes to large-scale crackdowns on drug trafficking, the haphazard approach of old, hoping that touts will inform the gardaí is now a lottery of the past. Operation Piano – as the operation was called – was as sophisticated as it can be, with an international web of agencies all working together. The success of the operation, as those working in the drug policy sector explain in further detail later in this piece, must however be balanced against the reality that the demand for cocaine is apparently as high as ever. Supply is also keeping up with that demand too – a point underscored by the fact that the street price of a bag of cocaine has not wavered from the standard €80 in recent years. Earlier today, eight men from Ukraine, Britain and Iran, were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 20 years to 13 and a half years. All were relative bit players in a much larger drama and, speaking after the sentencing, gardaí have vowed to continue their investigation to bring to justice those who directed the operation across the globe. The road to successes like today's has been a long one for gardaí, customs and the military – incremental modernisation, although on a slow drip basis, has come to fruition in the fight against organised crime. The birth of the Joint Task Force in which all of the agencies named above work as a group in largescale drugs interdictions is key. No competing agencies, everyone pulling in the same direction. Often it takes a disaster to move State agencies forward. In many respects the failure to stop the Regency Hotel murder of Kinahan lieutenant David Byrne by members of the Hutch gang was a key catalyst. The resulting feud between the Kinahans and the Hutches enough to bring State cheque books out of locked safes. This was the moment of realisation for those who control policy and funding to wake up to the reality that they could not fund policing on the cheap. The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB), empowered and adequately financed in the wake of that incident is also key. One of the senior officers leading the operation went back to college in its wake and studied a masters in the law of the sea. This is not just about the experience of dealing myopically with criminals in Ireland – the police fighting this are educating themselves to a high standard and linking up with other like-minded professionals across the globe. The European and UK-backed initiative of MAOC-N based Lisbon, Portugal is key to their analysing of the minute movements of suspect ships. The agency was set up almost two decades ago specifically to tackle illicit drug trafficking on the seas around Europe. The Defence Forces has a long history of successful seabourne interdictions – arresting IRA gun runners and drug gangs. But the difference with Operation Piano was the truly joint operational nature of it. Many moving parts, all advancing in the same direction. There were years, for instance, of perfecting flying experience for Irish Air Corps pilots, with their expert personnel taking learnings from international partners at training and airshow events abroad. But the elephant in the room must get a mention too. The reality is the Air Corps and Navy are struggling with poor resourcing and a staffing crisis. The men and women of the Defence Forces achieved their side of the tale in spite of those funding shortfalls. The Journal has got unprecedented access to the elite Army Ranger Win g in the past as they practiced the very mission and manoeuvres they used to take the MV Matthew. But they too have been on a journey, now with better kit, tactics and a professional structure of enablers and support that rivals special forces units abroad. Acting as a buttress, behind it all, the State has instituted robust legislation to fight organised crime. The 2016 Criminal Justice Act carried with it sections around the prosecution of people for facilitating and participating in the activities of crime gangs. For the sailors, air crew, special forces operators and law enforcement officers this was a professional triumph – a moment they have spent their professional lives building towards. Advertisement A Ranger Wing operator approaches a cargo ship in an exercise off the East Coast. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces The burden of policy Often there is a pejorative public discourse that takes the work of those managing the counter narcotics operations as something to be sneered at. Social media posts and public pronouncements by supposed experts speak about those endeavours as pointless. The gardaí and international law enforcement officers we spoke to have said that they see their efforts being about dealing with the international criminals who are profiting from the sale and supply of drugs such as cocaine. For them it is not a war on drugs but a war on organised crime. All say that their view is that the MV Matthew is just one step forward in a strategy to make Ireland as unattractive as possible for the cartels and to make sure they land their contraband elsewhere. The more Operation Pianos that are successful the better for that strategy and there has been substantial success. Several people remain before the courts after operations in Foynes, Wexford and west Cork. The difficulty is that is a long term strategy. The price of a bag of coke, generally around €80 has not dropped. Seizures are occuring on a regular basis across the State in communities both big and small, urban and rural. Many experts, both here and abroad, are advocating for a more nuanced approach. That organised crime groups would continue to be targeted but that their customers, when confronted by the State, would be offered a chance to avoid a criminal conviction in return for participation in a dissuasion system. The Journal has visited such a system in Portugal . Ireland is considering a similar approach. Some of those ideas have already arrived here and the services are beginning to move to a more holistic medical approach. Tony Duffin, formerly of Dublin's Ana Liffey Project and now a consultant working in drug policy, said the broad issue is that reports from European agencies show that more people than ever are using cocaine. Duffin, who worked with people suffering with addiction issues on the streets of Dublin, said that the recreational use of cocaine powder is one issue. He said the use of crack cocaine by heroin addicts to make a powerful concoction known as a 'speedball' is another. Duffin said drug dealers are reducing the price of these drugs to capture the custom of more of those vulnerable drug users. 'The price of cocaine powder is stable but the crack cocaine price fluctuated – not because of a shift in supply but because of the business model,' he said. 'The guards and customs are working really, really hard. No one is slacking here. It's just that it's in the face of a multi billion dollar industry. 'It's a complex issue. There's no silver bullet. There's no simple answer or simple explanation. 'It requires quite a complex response in many ways, although, really, at the end of the day, the health education approach is simply moving the response to drug use to the health side of the house, rather than the criminal justice side of the house,' he added. Duffin said the general accepted success rate of drugs captures is between one and ten percent for the shipments captured – that is at least 90% of drugs shipped to Ireland get through. Garda sources we spoke to believe the figures is somewhere around 5% for the shipments they catch. The MV Matthew berthed in Cobh, Co Cork. Niall O'Connor / The Journal Niall O'Connor / The Journal / The Journal Regardless of the policy side of the house the Joint Task Force has had further success this week. On Wednesday the initiative saw a huge capture of half a tonne or €31m worth of cocaine by gardaí, assisted by the Defence Forces and Customs. The hope is, among those involved in the operations here and abroad, that the more big shows they succeed on, the more likely it is that the problem will move elsewhere and away from Ireland. The issue is that the recreational appetite for the white powder will still remain. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
