Sisters four-year-old Isobel and two-and-a-half year old Sylvia Jefferies from Wimbledon, England, enjoy some Halloween fun during Telling Tall and Tiny Tales at The Ark in Temple Bar today.

Mark Stedman Photocall/Ireland

THINGS WE LEARNED

#JOBSWATCH: It’s been a bad day for job losses with eircom looking at losing 2,000 workers by the middle of next year, JJB Sports closing with the loss of 101 jobs in Dublin, Dundalk and Limerick and An Post sending out distress signals for its employees. Revenues at  eircom, which successfully exited examinership earlier this year, fell by 10 per cent to €1.515 billion in the year to the end of June 2012.

#ERIN GALLAGHER: The funeral of Donegal teenager Erin Gallagher took place today. The 13-year-old girl was found dead on Saturday after posting messages on the internet lashing out at people who had bullied her through a website.

#MENTAL HEALTH: Una Butler, whose husband took his own life in 2010 after killing their two daughters, has called for changes in how the health services deal with patients.

#SANDY: The Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie has postponed Halloween until next Monday, as the state struggles to recover from Hurricane Sandy.

#PREMIUMS: Say hello to more expensive insurance premiums, if you’re a young female driver at least. Justice Minister Alan Shatter has confirmed that insurers will not be allowed to take the gender of people into account when calculating premiums and benefits.

#PAYING A PREMIUM: Insurers have demanded that disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong repay $12 million in bonuses. It warned that it may take legal action against the Texan.

THINGS WE LOVED

• Zooooooooooooooooom. They are about the fastest thing to hit Dublin streets since we sent the Vikings packing back on to their longboats at Clontarf. Segways, ridden by specially-trained Gardaí, will soon become a common site in the capital. Able to reach top speeds of 19km/h, they should be able to outrun most pedestrians ambling about at an average 5km/h. The Gardaí have not fallen off of them yet.

Garda David Campbell and Garda Dabhach Dineen with members of the public on Grafton Street

Sasko Lazarov Photocall/Ireland

• Some Americans actually move here, a recent post on Reddit would suggest. But what do they really think of us? Besides being confused by some words such as ‘fag’, they seem to actually like it here. Even if they can’t be “touchy feely” with the dour lot of us.

THINGS WE SHARED

• Photos of the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. 40 people have lost their lives in the US, with damage seen throughout New York, New Jersey and across New England.

• They’re a little late with their tribute to the megalomaniacal (we can say that now, yea?) Korean singer’s world dominating mega hit, but this take from the MIT Korean Student’s association is among the best in the mouth synching department. Check out the nice tribute to your dad dancing at your 21st birthday party at  1.44 in. Oh, and there’s Noam Chomsky drinking a cup of Joe or something.

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