Callum Smith, 6, from Arklow attending the launch of the Hidden Hearing Heroes Awards 2012. (Photo: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)

THINGS WE LEARNED:

#STIMULUS: The government is spending €2.25 billion on a major series of capital projects which it hopes will help to create 13,000 construction jobs. Among the projects will be the building of new primary care facilities – with 35 towns set to compete for the 20 facilities.

#COURTS: The Supreme Court has paved the way for two of the unsuccessful bidders for Ireland’s second mobile phone licence to take legal action against the State over the awarding of the licence to Denis O’Brien’s Esat Digifone – but both O’Brien and Michael Lowry, who was communications minister at the time, have welcomed the move. Here’s their statements in full.

#REFERENDUM: It’s been two whole months since the last one – so time to prepare for another. The government has agreed to hold a referendum on a series of reforms to the courts system, which would give the Oireachtas the power to create new superior courts – and which would also give judges the ability to take a secular oath of office.

#MICHAELA The Harte and McAreavey families have rejected the apology of the Mauritian newspaper which published photographs of Michaela McAreavey’s remains after she was killed on the island 18 months ago. They say the paper made a “calculated decision to use photographs and images that no responsible media outlet would have touched”.

#VIAGRA: A Green Party councillor wants the HSE to examine how much it’s spending on Viagra, after it emerged that the HSE spent some €6.3 million on erectile dysfunction drugs in 2010. This while a Newstalk survey showed that a fifth of Irish people say they’re having more sex now than they were last year.

THINGS WE LOVED:

• It’s difficult being President of the United States and the de facto Leader of the Free World™: you can’t even go to a basketball match without people paying attention. Barack Obama appeared on the ‘kiss cam’ while they watched the US basketball team play Brazil in a pre-Olympics friendly, and here’s what happened.
• Kitten picks a fight with a Doberman. Kitten shows off ninja-esque skills to not be eaten alive. Well done Pancake.
• We’re also loving the heads on these grey-crowned cranes at Berlin Zoo. If ever a creature looked like it had fibre optic hair… (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

THINGS WE SHARED:

• We shared this, but we’re not sure why – we’re caught in two minds about whether this is amazing or awful. Yes, it’s another video about Call Me Maybe – but this one isn’t just your average mash-up. US indie duo Pomplamoose recorded this version mashing it up with the other standout hit of the year, Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know. The results are… odd.
• We definitely know why we shared this. Via TheDailyWh.at comes this so-bad-it’s-incredible version of Beyonce’s ‘Countdown’ – by a boy in a snuggie.
• A few of our office ciotógs will feel some of this pain. Buzzfeed are at it again: here’s their reminder of some of the everyday perils faced by left-handers.
• Speaking of Buzzfeed… this suggestion list for their next uber-viral articles is amazing. Nicely done, Jory John.
• Oh, Asia (and not just ‘Japan’ – thanks, commenters)! Your bizarre TV programming never fails to amuse. Here’s what happens when you wrap – I can’t even believe I’m typing this – a watermelon in too many rubber bands. (Hint: kaboom!)

(tumediacorp/Youtube)