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Updated: 4.50pm
ONE US POLICE officer has been shot dead and four of his colleagues have been injured in a mass shooting in Denver, Colorado.
Large areas of Douglas County were closed off during the incident. Police in the region ordered people to leave the area.
A police spokesman confirmed that deputies responded to a domestic disturbance which resulted in shots being fired.
Five were shot with one confirmed dead. Two civilians were also shot by the suspect, who officers shot and believed to be dead and no longer a threat.
A series of tweets from their official Twitter page initially informed the public of the incident.
They read: “Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) is working an officer down call in the area of County Line Rd between Colorado Blvd and University Blvd. This is an active event, please avoid the area. A Code Red was sent out regarding this incident. Any citizens in the affected area are instructed to shelter in place, avoid windows and stay away from exterior walls.
“We have multiple deputies down, no update on their status. The scene remains active and please avoid the area.”
With reporting by the Associated Press
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For a person viewed as vulnerable Sinead ran rings around Tubs . Whether this happened by design or accident is a moot point
And got to plug her new album,how bad.
Another poem by TheJournals resident poet ‘Lauren Materson’ dedicated to her muse, well know Journal contributor ‘LittleJim’ I have heard on the grapevine that Sinead O Connor is interested in turning this into a song so fingers crossed. On a personal note, it reminds me of a weekend I spent in Leitrim many moons ago when I first met my own Little Jimmy, but that’s another story…
‘Oh little Jim, Oh little Jim’
Oh little Jim little Jim who went out to the club
He had a few drinks and a little bit if grub
On the dance floor he bumped into his mate called big Phil
Who pulled Jim aside and gave him a pill
Take this he said their bleedin great
So little Jim knocked it back and thanked his mate
Later that night Jim went home and felt happy
But he started to feel lonely and a little bit crappy
The door bell rang and made little Jim jumpy
He answered it and there was his friend lumpy
Lumpy was a giant dragon and was green and blue
He knocked on Jim’s door so he could use his loo
They ended up drinking and doing some shots
And rang around looking for some motts
But they weren’t successful so lumpy suggested they go for a fly
So little Jim climbed on lumpy back and they soared Into the sky
They flew through the clouds and Jim felt so good
But all of a sudden he was in a field and was covered in mud
He looked around looking for lumpy and realised he was indeed in the nip
Thinking about the pill it dawned on him it was all a big trip
What in god’s name are you raving about Angela??
Has she got a new album?
Angela’s been hitting the sherry all day lol
Angela
You’re tarred with the same brush!
Haha Angela you mad lady !!
I am surprising to find some people repeating the rhetoric that a person with a mental illness should not be seen or heard. Yes Sinéad has bipolar disorder: it is VERY clear that this gets her in hot water at times. That does not mean that she isn’t also intelligent and sometimes right.
If we want a society that learns how to deal with mental illness, then we need to look a person as a whole person, accepting that there are times they are ill and not clear in their thoughts, but that at other times, they are saying something that is valid and makes sense.
Our other option is to go back to the good old day of Ireland, and just mock and disregard everything a person with bipolar disorder says. I’m not a fan of that approach.
Well said, Brid.
Nor am I. I think in this case she is on the ball. It is disappointing to see that Miley Cyrus has a ‘record-breaking video’ but I disagree with the idea that any publicity is good publicity. It will come back and bite her in the ass eventually. With regards to the flashback to Sinead O’ Connor’s plea for help with her condition – I say that she was very brave to do so publicly. The stigma associated with mental health is appalling. Anyone who has the balls to ask for help should be applauded.
A public rep who refers to someone in this way and the general assumption that someone is always feeling a particular way is pathetic, and infantile. The truth is anyone with a brain can feel different ways at different times, sometimes good sometimes not, sometimes we all might need a little help. This idiot shouldn’t be in the position he is in, he should have some menial job picking potatoes or something, he is poorly informed and ignorant.
William I agree totally. He is in a position of power, supposedly to represent the people of this country and he comes out with nasty, trite rubbish like that. No wonder people with any kind of mental health issue feel they don’t get a fair go here. Whether or not a guest on the Late Late has health issues OF ANY KIND if they are not the reason they are on there, is nobody else’s business but their own. Maybe he’d like guests to pass some kind of medical to be quizzed by Ryan Tubridy
He will be picking spuds or his nose after the next election,,,,
Sinead came across as extremely intelligent and measured. She certainly ran rings around Tubridy who was desperately trying to goad her. The FG’er agreed with her stance but the comment he made was childish and unnecessary.
What’s so mad about brushes ?
The phrase originated as ‘as soft as a brush’ and the brush is the tail of a fox. This is plausible in that ‘soft’ is a northern English term for stupid, and foxes tails are in fact quite soft to the touch.
- The brushes in the expression are the boys that were employed in the 18th/19th centuries to climb inside chimneys to sweep them. The theory here, which is somewhat less plausible, is that the boys were made into idiots by being repeatedly dropped on their heads when being lowered down the chimneys.
Cool story bro
Typical of a fool like this to hold a position of ‘some’ power in society. I say any constituents of his suffering fron mental illness can take comfort in the fact that although they are ‘mad as a brush’ he’s sure that they are ‘lovely people.’ Ah sure God help us.
Maybe TDs should take a leaf out of sineads book and have the balls to say things as they are.she may be a bit out there but I like her she says things as they are and doesn’t care if its pc or not
Is that not exactly what he did?
Haha! The hypocrisy on this thread is so easy to cut through.
Hates the publicity yet is drawn to it like a moth to light. Sinead’s being very hypocritical.
No wonder people are afraid to contact mental health services when labels like “mad as a brush” are thrown around. Very inappropriate comment by that TD.
If this is mental illness …. Where is the madness? I saw a very articulate discussion about the destruction of the music industry and how women are portrayed, used and destroyed by that same industry. Well done Sinead … keep shining a light in the face of the media who $$$ from this same attitude.
I totally agree with you.
Women are used by the industry in order to profit from them.
Of course the legal training in Eire is to see all women as feeble minded/mentally ill.
It comes from patriarchal conditioning of course.
Sadly, bipolar disorder (like a lot of mental illness) is episodic. So sometimes they’ll be more coherent and stable than others. I hope no young person with bipolar disorder is seeing these messages and having second thoughts about seeking help.
It seems like they’re damned if they stay quiet about their illness and mocked if they come forward. Heartbreaking.
And long may Sinead be in good health as she appears to be. Her openness can only help remove stigma and taboo regarding mental health, and the commentators who feel threatened by her honesty we can only hope might at least learn something from the discussion she has opened.
Great post crimsonestra. @Catherine Mill, “legal training in Eire”? Will you elaborate, I’m intrigued?
Poor Sinead, it has become the norm to use her as a punchbag for everyones entertainment and it’s not right. It’s bullying and shouldn’t be tolerated.
Another FG clown just like their leader. Thankfully he is not my public representative.
Are you related to Peter?!
No Thank God.
Thought Sinead rambled on at times. She was 100% correct on Cowell and Walsh though!!
When your poor your mad . When your rich your eccentric
I say fair play to her she is an inspiration to mental health suffers she shows us that it’s ok to be a bit different and she made a lot of good points she wasn’t prepared to be a mockery I like her attitude. She was right about the prize money too it should be goin towards sick people that need help for surgery or whatever or some of the many struggling familys out there. And the industry has destroyed music it’s not music anymore it’s just computerised noise most the time
Sinead O’Connor is s huge talent and is beyond honest. I have great respect for her.
But she is more concerned and driven about the murder of materialistic rock-n-roll than actual human life in the womb.
Great singer but then for her to imply Miley Cyrus is degrading herself, or lowering standards of feminine sexuality we can just refer to Sinead’s attention seeking tweets
““My shit-uation sexually/affectionately speaking is so dire that inanimate objects are starting to look good as are inappropriate and/or unavailable men and/or inappropriate and/or unavailable fruits and vegetables. I tell you yams are looking like the winners.””
Hmmm “inanimate objects” …maybe Miley has stole her Sledgehammer boyfriend?
Or maybe only Sinead can look at inanimate objects and sexually objectify them?
Christ Peace for all, it’s always abortion with you, give it a rest!
Well done Sinead I think you came across extremely well with very valid points. Shame on that TD he should have more sense in a position of his standing. My dad has bipolar does that mean he should not be allowed voice his opinion and be out in public? There has been so much hard work done in the past few years to educate and change people’s views of people suffering with mental health. This man with comments such as he has made sets this work back years and creates a taboo around the area which people have been working hard to change. How can we encourage people who are suffering from mental health to come forward and look for help if people in our own government slag and belittle people who are suffering. He should be ashamed of himself.
So Sinead is mad because you disagree with her tatoos etc?
Sinead is different with a mind of her own. She is not afraid to be cast as a black sheep and think for herself. If that’s mad, then what are the sheeple who go along with their shepherd?
the fact that’s he’s standing over his comment signifies his lack of respect and empathy for people struggling with mental health issues .. Farrell needs to retract it and apologize to Ms. O’Connor ..
What does B. Q stand for?
Ok red thumbs at the ready….. I would use the term mad as a brush for many people I know, without that meaning they suffer mental illness. I don’t believe the phrase is meant to imply that. Just as I often “have a fit” without suffering from epilepsy.
Or, as thick as a double ditch?
Lisa, that’s a little different from deliberately directing that comment to someone publicly known to have a mental illness.
In my opinion we shouldn’t always have to choose our words depending on who they’re to. I think perhaps others considered his words more than he did. Think the PC brigade jump on things to suit the situation to be honest:
Why? Because we’re all really fragile and might do something nuts or crazy? I take more offence at Rodney Edwards’ tweet than I do at Alan Farrell’s. The former saw a neat opportunity to score a political(ly correct) point drawing far more attention to Sinead O’Connor’s mental illness issues than Farrell’s simile, which is commonly taken to imply an eccentric, far-out character and is not a derogatory slur.
Madge
A double ditch on a wet day!
But Lisa, comments like that are the reason a lot of people, especially young men, feel they’ll be stigmatised if they seek mental health services. You might see it as being overly PC, but these attitudes have a very real effect on people’s lives and that might be worth considering.
That’s your opinion Nick but I think it’s those who would make the biggest issues of mental health problems would think like that. I’d say “mad as a brush” quite innocently as most would because we see people as more than the issues they have. And let’s be honest, before all this Miley Cyrus stuff, it’s what a lot of people thought of Sinead O’Connor as she’s done some things that are unusual and for publicity reasons and not mental health issues. She’s the last person I’d want as a poster girl for mental health.
*Yawn* Did Enda send you Lisa???
Haha hilarious! Sinead O’Connor voices her opinion and “oh fair play to her” anyone else does and it’s obviously not really their opinion. But if Enda shares my opinion on this (though I’m confused as to where the proof of that is) then I guess it’ll be a first. Guess the green thumbs I got for my comments were all him lol
This smacks of Jen’s Chitter comment about homeless people and women on the IT Crowd
He hates women too :-P
After just watching this, I can’t see why anybody has a problem this message, regardless of who she is.
I do not think that Sinéad should be abolished, I think she should be reformed.
:) brilliant
denise your ignorance of mental health floors me.your lack of empathy and compassion for the many ordinary people who suffer with it infuriates me.i am not as amazing as michelle at putting my point across-good points michelle btw-but for your sake i hope it never darkens your door.there but for the grace of god go i.
You put it across just fine, Ciara. Hear, hear!
The ignorance of self-centred, condescending people like Denise is the biggest cause of stigma around mental health. Her kind of attitude makes life even more of a misery for people who already have enough of a struggle to face day-by-day.
She may have some issues.
But she is just an attention seeker.
I have no religious preference.
But when she ripped up that picture of the pope. It was just disrespectful to people of that faith and was more of an attention seeking pubilcity stunt that backfired on her.
Why? He knew about and systematically covered up the rape of children. Why should he be respected?
Facts please, where is the evidence for what you say, only media hype. Will people like you be so outspoken about Gerry Adams and his cover up of his brother and that is fact!
Issues. so have you no issues from childhood? Have you experienced abuse and sent away as a child for it?
Sinead is years ahead of her peers. She saw the pope and the Roman Catholic cult in its true colours and she spoke out when all others were too scared to say anything about the cult until years later.
Sinead is a Trail Blazer.
I would rather be mad as a brush and call things as I see them even if that causes my peers to stop and think and occasionally ridicule me or hammer me with a thousand red thumbs , that’s ok as long as you stop and think cause that’s the point…… As far as some TD making remarks … The country is in bad shape have you not got better things to be doing ! Get busy doing it what are we paying you big money for , head down get working chop chop
What’s disturbing me is the number of people who watch that festering pile of incestuous pooh that is the Late Late
Obviously RTE had no problem putting someone on The Late,Late, with mental health issues and most of you had no problem watching it!!!
It’s what reality TV is all about, allowing poor sods to look daft on front of a national audience
Exactly,all this “poor Sinead” stuff is bullshit.The majority of people tuned in,in the hope it would be great car crash TV!!!!
Brushes aren’t mad, their draft… To knock someone’s opinion like that tho is poor and doesn’t show much respect to those who wish to be different. Personally I think she is controversial but in a good way and everything that she spoke of last night was 100%. Well done Sinead, it needed to be said.
‘daft’
She makes a valid point.
Oh Arthur …
There are lots of famous people (and indeed not so famous people) with mental illness issues who’ve been open and candid about their illness and I applaud them for it but the expression mad as a brush is just that, an expression, used to describe someone who’s a bit eccentric. Sinead expressed that she was well in regard to her mental health last night and came across as articulate and made some valid points however she is still as “mad as a brush” and also as cute (cunning) as the Fox it’s attached to! While on a rant about the music industry and music being murdered in the quest for money what struck me the most was the irony of it all, as Sinead said herself at the end of the competition segment she’s not short of a few bob yet she shamelessly promoted her new upcoming album trying increase sales off the back of this controversy with Miley. To be honest I feel a bit sorry for Miley, she ignored Amanda Bynes vicious tweets about her in the past and refused to comment in interviews about her but she rightly fell into the trap Sinead set for her! Sinead took a compliment and turned it into an insulating and condescending letter under the guise of motherly guidance on the quest for attention, knowing it could blow over soon she is now trying to keep the media frenzy going by dragging Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh into it!
Couldn’t agree more Rachel, with or without any medical condition ,there is no denying O’Connor’s love of being smack centre of media and public attention. It had been a while in fairness ,she was due a tantrum
Well said Rachel. Excellent points. I think Sinead used the platform to promote her album also. She’s a clever lady and a businesswoman at the end of the day.
Spot on Rachel. Illness or no illness there’s nothing wrong with questioning her motives, and I too believe her motive was self publicity, and commercialism. And just because she may suffer from a mental illness, doesn’t mean she’s a representative of mental illness as oddly, some seem to think.
People have been saying precisely what she said about the music industry for years. People in the industry, artists, people on the street – anyone who casts a mildly observant eye over the industry sees and knows that.
It must of killed Tubridy that she didn’t engage on the Cyrus topic as he saw that as a possible promo for himself, as likely some of the US press would have picked up on it and reported it. He would have benefitted from that, including his ego.
She also has a month long US tour in November which hasn’t sold out.
Well played sinead. Well played indeed.
Anyone who appears on tv with their ex’s name written on their face is “mad as a brush”.
Denise,I would rarely comment on stuff here but your spot on about Sinead O Connor…she’s just like a selfish child looking for attention…daft as a brush BUT what really pisses me off is that she’s able to attract so much media attention with whatever stupid outburst of hers comes to mind….whilst I can actually agree with the Miley stuff, who the hell is she to be telling the rest of us re music business and exploitation…she had ONE HIT ONLY.
Yes Vinny. Who is a musican to advise or have an opinion on the music business. One hit wonder. I think that was her point. Sinead and other people who play and write music do it it for the love of music. Having a load of hits and making oodles of cash is not really the measure of sucess. Unless you are simon gowl and measure sucess is the yield of your cash cow.
What an arrogant child this FG idiot is,who in their right mind would vote for this waste of oxygen?
ahem,
I will repent
A message from FG .. probably from a taxpayer funded apple product and wifi. The glass of vino at his own expense.
Alan Farrell is a disgrace, knowing I had health problems and was in hospital before, he sarcastically told me to “get out more” on Twitter!
Diarmaid, you have to envy the guy his deluded sense of self importance. I’m sure he sees ‘getting out more’ as some kind of buzz word answer to cure all ills. Knobhead.
Your last word describes him perfectly. Google him people and his record since election. Check out his youtube channel and his “speech” to an empty house on lpt.
Why do politicians think they are immune from making such moronic comments-Hardly of any help to someone suffering from mental health problems
I’m sure if you asked Sinead O’Connor she would tell you that she’s as mad as a brush.
Its kinda sad that the general populace of the Irish twitterverse spend most of their time sitting around waiting for some PC cause to be outraged over and even sadder when it creeps out of Twitter and into The Journal.
I would construe ‘mad as a brush ‘ to mean ‘ eccentric’, which she clearly is but quite clever and talented. Nothing wrong with that at all.
For God’s sake…
It just seems to me that Sinead knows how to play the game she so despises. New album coming out so she starts a publicity generating row to get notice and great publicity for herself by writing a letter to probably the biggest star in America right now. She is not mental or mad but is very astute at generating self publicity. RTE always seem eager to give this to her. Didn’t they let her on when she was just looking for sex?
FYI her album isn’t coming out till next August!! If you think that’s her reason she’s a bit ahead of herself don’t you think? She had a valid point and she made it well, Ireland is still the land of begrudgers I see!!
Not begrudging her at all. I have no time for her because I believe she changes her views to suit her own agenda. As I said there is an album and she did plug it so job done.
I thought Sinead spoke very well, I d’nt always agree with her opinions on certain items but at the same time I enjoy listening to her. I definitely do not think Sinead has any mental issues whatsoever in fact I think she is quite able to hold any discussion on any subject with for example any politician or people in authority. Sinead can be contraversial at times, but in her favour she is a brilliant singer/song writer.
I suspect Mr Farrell voted to retain the Seanad as a fail back in 2 years time. The ultimate Mr Smitters. Whilst FG promote their less politicians I assume its aimed at the likes of him.
Classy gentleman.
It’s time someone published an English to PC/PC to English dictionary so situations like this can be avoided!
I do agree with what Sinead was saying… but I do love the Miley video. Bit of a catch 22!
Don’t mind her video Martin, or her music even, but her show on MTV turned me off. Firstly, Robin Thicke is like a drunk gran uncle at a wedding whispering inappropriate comments behind the adults backs to the young ones. “Oh you’ve really grown up, are you 12 now or thirteen. I see your wearin a bra now.” George flippin Burgess.
As for Miley’s twearking and her ‘I really dig black music and culture.’ The irony was lost on her of have a rich, privileged, white southern girl twearking with a load of black back up dancers. She may as well have woren blackface, a straw hat and half a watermelon hanging from from her neck singing, ‘Yesa Master, apicking cotton all day long’ in the chorus. With her mommy manger giving her a standing ovation delighted that the cash cow is yielding a full quota.
Are those my feet ?
She has a number 1 again.yeah I seen her coming out of the barbers yesterday. Lol
Great day for Alan – that’s 2016-2021 worked out from him
On the dole?
The practice of TDs holding Social Media accounts should be reformed Mr Kenny, as they neither have the sensitivity or Social Intelligence. Secondly you should reform your practice of covering their ignorance and constant blunders.
Mr Kenny should now reform the principle of TDs having Social Media Pages, as they neither have the sensitivity or Social Intelligence to handle them. Secondly he should reform his practice of excusing their ignorance and constant poor judgement.
Of the 2 people on the stage Sinead was by far the most lucid. Artfully side stepping tubs agenda and ran her own. As far as sanity/insanity goes she was collectively saner than rte giving a bang on better use for the €10000 prize money.
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