EVEN in an age when we read much of our news on a screen, the cliché that today’s news is tomorrow’s ‘chip wrapping’ applies.

THIS week a controversy flared in the Irish media containing both of the delicious elements you need in a scandal: the alleged waste of public money and kinky sex.

THE excoriation of Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan has been a thing to behold.

FANS of Star Trek will be familiar with the Borg: a race of ruthless, emotionless automatons who tour the galaxy in square space ships enslaving planets and converting their inhabitants into even more Borg.

THERE was a survey published last week in the UK that found that Catholics don’t feel any more guilt than other religious adherents: indeed, the results were so striking that the pollsters felt bold enough to claim that Catholic guilt is a myth.

WHEN one reaches the point of drawing up a bucket list for whatever time remains on this earth, there’s usually travel or learning; sometimes adventure, sexual or otherwise.

DID you wonder how characters in the Jason Bourne movies get through airports and over frontiers without being caught?

THIS little planet of ours is hanging in the middle of a circular traffic jam of satellites: some gazing out towards the stars, some spying on al Qaeda and the Russians, but most of them ensuring that we have speedy access to Facebook and pornography.

NOT too long ago a (female) friend dared me to use the word ‘menstrual’ in this column: not so much out of juvenile playfulness but to demonstrate there are certain bodily functions which no one wants to read about or even contemplate.

SO poor old HMV.