76 thoughts on “Thursday’s Papers

      1. Cú Chulainn

        I don’t think it would be completely one sided.. the psycho gulls have a clear advantage, what with the whole flying thing.. but a leaping rat is a scary sight and formidable opponent.. ultimately there is only one thing for it.. The Star will have to investigate and let us know..

          1. Cú Chulainn

            In open ground the psycho gulls definitely have a clear advantage.. but what if the battle was closer to a gutter ? Psycho or not, I wouldn’t fancy a gulls chances if he put his beak down a rat infested drain.. add some fallen ice cream in the mix and you’ve a real fight on your hands..

    1. Charger Salmons

      Thanks Kate.
      Your positivity and good cheer amidst a sea of gloomsters and cribbers has always been welcome.

  1. Steph Pinker

    Every Christmas we’re breast-fed Norman Rockwell type ideology and fantasy through various types of commercialisation and the perfect family scenario – maybe BS could ask its readers to submit more real and imaginative versions of how Christmas will *actually* be for them this year (2020) through paintings, stories, video, CGI, photoshop, stage plays (in the sitting room), living alone and being lonely – or not – through Zoom/Skype etc., the list is endless, as is imagination.

    There is no such entity as Santy – even if he exists he has to be fat, white, intelligent, heavily-bearded, belligerent (but loving), an animal whisperer, veterinarian, GP, carpenter, toy and tool maker, nondenominational equal-opportunities time-traveller, an advocate of all workers’ Unions (elves included) and peoples’ rights, freedom fighter, eco-warrior, movember hipster, stand-up comedian, sit-down counsellor, big ‘n cuddly yet small enough to fit down a chimney (with a very high metabolic rate,) small feet, a big sack and no allergies or political affiliations.

    It would be very interesting to see and read how this past year has affected BS readers’ lives – good or bad; it’s the honest expression of thoughts, feelings, fears and experiences which can make a difference to others.

      1. Charger Salmons

        Indeed.
        If there’s no Santy who is going to deliver a goal or a win for Ireland ?
        Will no-one think of the kiddies ?

        #IrelandNil

      2. Toby

        I take comfort in the fact that we are not depending on footballers’ kindness to feed our kiddies this winter.

          1. Toby

            Touch a nerve did I? Not a nice look to be depending on a 23 year old from a background of racism and poverty, to feed your kids.

            Then again for a country built on slavery and colonialism- this was inevitable.

            Cruel Britannia.

          2. Charger Salmons

            Background of racism and poverty ?
            Marcus Rashford has been on the books of Manchester United since he was 8 years old.
            Do you get ALL your news from An Phoblacht ?

          3. Toby

            OOh, it stings when a young black man shames a former empire that used his people as slaves. Doesn’t it?

            Its almost like when a bunch of poor Irishmen shamed your armed forces with passion and guile. Twice. Ouch.

            But carry on old bean. Stiff upper lip and all that.

          4. Charger Salmons

            The UK parliament currently has 63 MPs from BAME backgrounds.
            The Dail has more TDs who wear flat caps in the chamber than come from minority backgrounds.
            Up your game Michael Collins.

          5. Toby

            The reason you have so many BAME politicians is because you had to let so many BAME people in after colonising, brutalising and dehumanising them over centuries. naturally they are going to vote for one of their own instead of one their former slavemasters. They’re not stupid you know!

            Thankfully the Irish humiliated you and set the agenda for other countries to wriggle from your white knuckled grip.

            Now, your Union is collapsing. And BoJo is in quarantine. Again.

            I shouldn’t snigger.

          6. Charger Salmons

            You do know that BAME MPs are not just for BAME constituents ?
            Ask your school teacher if you don’t believe me …

          7. Toby

            You shunned Meghan – the first BAME in the Royal Family

            You embraced Dickie Mountbatten- (he liked them fresh)

            Actions speak louder than words,

    1. Janet, dreams of a steamed clootie

      I thought I’d get out of cooking, but I can’t bring myself to leave them to their own devices, I have heard horror story suggestions so I’m going to compromise with cooking at mine in peace and quiet and delivery,
      would it be a crime to do a few things that freeze well in advance ?

      1. goldenbrown

        any chance you might be a Xmas Dinner control freak like me?

        I used to recite to myself never again grrr…next year it’s definitely a hotel….

        of course that never happened and so over the years I developed a strategy. the kitchen has become my own fort with moat for the day. I get to drink what I want, eat what I want, watch or listen to what I want. as long as I come up with the goods for 4pm everyone leaves me to fupp alone and does as I say. it’s just the best.

        1. Janet, dreams of a steamed clootie

          That read like looking in the mirror :)
          I am going to try let it go a bit this year, the French contingent won’t be flying in obvs, so a duck instead of individual Wellington,
          no need for the amuse bouche or cheese plate, no one will give a danny what the wine is ( and I can’t have any…boo/ hiss ) the clootie will be steamed,
          I’m just worried it will all be a bit miserable, the Mother is threatening no tree etc so the only part I can try make special is the lunch.

          1. Janet, dreams of a steamed clootie

            PS there is NOTHING worse than people ” helping ” or stirring your sauces ;)

          2. goldenbrown

            any unsolicited interference in sauce making or other aspects IS the worst

            I assume you deal with such errors using an iron fist?

          3. Charger Salmons

            You’re right Janet.
            Lady Charger is lethal with a ladle if I go anywhere near her work station.
            I have one job on Christmas Day and that’s to freshen her glass on a regular basis.
            And skin up.
            Okay, that’s two jobs but I’m pretty good at multi-tasking.
            This year we’d planned on Dickenson Bay in Antigua but as you’d expect everything is a bit up in the air at the moment.

    2. millie

      This will be our first year spending Christmas at home. We usually go to my family or his – whoever makes the more compelling guilt trip – but this year we put the foot down and we’re staying put. I’m looking forward to Christmas so much because of it.

      1. Janet, dreams of a steamed clootie

        aw that sounds nice Mills, I hope you have a lovely day, the little fellas first too :)

      2. v AKA Frilly Keane

        Once you start doing Christmas your own way Mill
        You’ll never budge

        Go all out girl

        btw, I have you pencilled in for the BS.tv Christmas PantoVid. Jimmy is directing, Neil is producing. Ping me on the twitter for the etcs
        No excuses

        Same for you Janie
        We’re expecting great stuff from the Malahide Broadsheet Society

        1. millie

          Here, V, did you hear about Luis from GBBO passing away from cancer last week? Just saw this morning. Very sad altogether. Much too young to go.

          1. Janet, dreams of a steamed clootie

            Hermine gone ! I thought she would win, I think the messy baker should have gone if not just because she triggers all my tidy twitches

          2. v AKA Frilly Keane

            yeah, got the notice on the day
            I didn’t share it as he wasn’t featured in any of the Bake’Sheets here

            I suppose their SUTC Bake Off in the new year will do a memorial montage
            Hopefully
            anyway

            On Patisserie Week there
            Hermine had to go
            In fairness

            Hate to see her go, she was capable of winning outright

            Nonetheless, its proof again, that the Judging is unimpeachable
            They judged according to the bake in front of them
            Everytime
            nothing else mattered
            zero influence or bias

  2. GiggidyGoo

    FGs ‘blank cheque’ economics is costing us dearly. BAM and the NCH cost doubles/trebles. Not to mention FGs paymaster’s Broadband etc. etc.

  3. SOQ

    Really interesting and positive paper highlighted by Professor Karol Sikora @ProfKarolSikora on T Cell immunity. Not peer reviewed as yet but draws a definite link being T Cell immunity and previous coronavirus infections.

    T cell immunity was found in people who had COVID-19, but also those who didn’t. Probably from other coronaviruses. Crucially, both had protection.

    https://twitter.com/ProfKarolSikora/status/1329124829690277888

    If this is true and they can develop a cheap and accurate T Cell test- then it is game over for the whole vaccine gold rush.

    1. Cian

      Why is it “game over for the vaccine gold rush”?
      The last 9 months has shown that there are millions (55 million and counting) that are susceptible to covid.
      There aren’t sufficient people with TCell immunity to provide any form of herd immunity We still need a vaccine..

      What a cheap and accurate T Cell test will do is reduce the number of people that would need the vaccine. This means the vaccine cat be targeted at those that need it, and more people can be protected quicker. This is a good thing.

      1. SOQ

        There aren’t sufficient people with TCell immunity to provide any form of herd immunity

        You have absolutely no way of knowing this. Sunetra Gupta estimates that between previous exposure and cross immunity, 80% of the population are already immune.

        Even if that is an over estimate, most people will reasonably want to know if they have a T cell response or not before taking a fast tracked vaccine- that blows a big hole in the fear bubble.

        1. Cian

          I do know it.

          If there were sufficient numbers with T-Cell immunity we wouldn’t have see the exponential cases and deaths and second waves.

          Belgium is having a second wave (of cases AND deaths).
          Their 1st wave peaked at 282 daily deaths. their 2nd wave is over 200 daily deaths. (both 7-day averages)

          Italy: 1st wave peaked at 809 daily deaths, their 2nd wave is at 609 daily death (and rising)

          UK 1st wave peaked at 943, 2nd wave now at 425.

          1. SOQ

            Firstly those figures rose slowly so they are not exponential and in relation to ‘cases’- we know that the more tests the more ‘cases’ They are well within a 20% or one in 5 of the population being susceptible.

            If cross immunity does not exist then why are the sickness levels of shop and supermarket workers, who have been exposed much more than most, not way higher than the average?

            As I said- if this T Cell test becomes available – it is an absolute game changer- why would you want a vaccine when you are already immune?

          2. Cian

            Firstly, exponential growth has nothing to do with speed. Numbers can grow exponentially slowly.

            Secondly, when I talk about cases I do realise that it isn’t fair to compare total number of positives now Vs April. But is fair to look at trends (e.g. number of positive cases in UK went from ~1,000 in August to ~25,000 now. This is a massive)

            Thirdly, you totally ignored all the deaths I mentioned in the second wave. Will you acknowledge these? These are real deaths. This level of death will impact the seasonal excess deaths.

            Last point, we are in agreement: I originally said “What a cheap and accurate T Cell test will do is reduce the number of people that would need the vaccine. This means the vaccine can be targeted at those that need it, and more people can be protected quicker. This is a good thing.” you said “As I said- if this T Cell test becomes available – it is an absolute game changer- why would you want a vaccine when you are already immune?” I think these are saying the same thing.

          3. Nigel

            ‘If cross immunity does not exist then why are the sickness levels of shop and supermarket workers, who have been exposed much more than most, not way higher than the average?’

            Masks and social distancing and hand-washing and plastic screens work.

          4. SOQ

            We current have 32 people in hospital today and this time around, to my knowledge, it has not gone above 35- where exactly is your “exponential rise”?

            As for fatalities there is no noticeable difference in the UK for October so are you claiming that Ireland will be any different? If so- why?

            @Nigel- there was no masks of social distancing or plastic partitions last March / April.

          5. Cian

            @SOQ
            D’uh. Ireland has been in level 5 lockdown for the last 3 weeks;

            The UK *has* excess deaths:

            – The number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 6 November 2020 (Week 45) was 11,812; this was 925 more deaths than in Week 44.

            – In Week 45, the number of deaths registered was 14.3% above the five-year average (1,481 deaths higher).

            – Of the deaths registered in Week 45, 1,937 mentioned “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, accounting for 16.4% of all deaths in England and Wales; this is an increase of 558 deaths compared with Week 44 (when there were 1,379 deaths involving COVID-19, accounting for 12.7% of all deaths).

            https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/weekending6november2020

  4. Junkface

    Every week it looks like Boris Johnson is in more trouble. I really think he will be fired and then Brexit will go down in a flaming mess, followed by future application from the UK to rejoin the EU. They have no plan, they never had a plan, they don’t know what they are doing.

    1. Charger Salmons

      Fired by whom ?
      Parliamentary democracy is not an episode of The Apprentice.
      And of course they have a plan.It’s called Brexit and it has already happened.
      Don’t you follow the news ?

      1. Junkface

        Well yes, I meant forced to resign. The new corruption revelations might be a step too far for many people in the UK. You say Brexit is happening but none of their negotiations are going very well. Trading will be far less valuable, and with Biden as President, they will be paying close attention to any attempts to harm the Good Friday agreement. So Boris may have to back track on some of his positions, or what they thought was progress. Also, I don’t know of a single economist who has said Brexit is feasible, let alone more profitable to the UK economy.

    2. ReproBertie

      But by leaving the EU they get to claim back the fishing rights that they were disputing with Iceland in the Cod Wars! The fishing industry is 0.1% of the UK economy so clearly it’s a hill worth dying on. Once they have kicked the EU boats out of their waters (Take that Iceland!) they can catch all the fish and sell them to their good friends in the EU.

  5. Johnny

    reported that rent fell 25%,I think its closer to 50%,you don’t normally walk away for 25%.

    “Blanchardstown Centre is a dominant 1.2 million square foot retail complex comprising over 180 leading stores, together with numerous restaurants and leisure facilities, including a 9-screen cinema. There is capacity for an additional 1.6 million square feet of development potential (across retail, residential, office and leisure uses) further bolstering the site’s position as a Major Town Centre”

    https://www.blackstone.com/press-releases/article/blackstone-acquires-blanchardstown-centre/

    it’s one hell of a FEE machine and currently managed by BS’s own platform-Multi.

    “In August 2019, works started on a 5,000-sq.m-plus reconfiguration and extension of the centre, comprising eight retail units including Aldi an JD Sports, both of which will be flagship units”

    they say they invested 50 million in improvements recently.

    https://multi.eu/portfolio/blanchardstown-centre-ireland/

    its a ‘foreclosure’ or deed in lieu’s so ‘valuers’ will try discount it as non reflective of the ‘market’ which is usual load of rubbish,this is the market.

    this will have very significant implications across a variety of sectors, but Goldman is in no position to turn Blanch around with a dark Debs and a movie theatre,given the dominance of this center in the area,the govt needs be proactive here and force Goldman move along, they do not have the skills to pay the bills here.

  6. Charger Salmons

    Forced to resign by whom ?
    He delivered an 80-seat majority for his party less than a year ago and still commands widespread support among voters in the country.
    And he successfully Got Brexit Done which was why so many traditional Labour voters put their faith in him.
    Boris is going nowhere for a very long time.
    You need to look beyond the Irish media for your news.
    A semi-trained gibbon could do a better job of reporting than most Irish hacks.

    1. Brother Barnabas

      brexit – as sold to the british electorate – includes a trade deal with the EU (“the easiest in human history”)

      so, no, brexit isnt done – far from it

      boris made a monumental blunder when he decided to passively go along with the betrayal of cummings. with that went any real prospect of an imminent deal with the EU. boris will be gone before there’s a deal.

      1. Charger Salmons

        Brexit has happened.
        All that is occuring now is negotiations over a trade deal and Cummings had very little to do with those.
        I actually think Boris has unloaded a major problem in getting rid of Dom ( although I don’t think he will entirely disappear from involvement in the government ) as its clear that whatever skills he had in policy were not matched in man-management and communication.
        Boris is going nowehere.
        He’ll lead the Tories into the next election.
        Boris is still box office.

        1. Brother Barnabas

          the portrayal of cummings as some sort of dysfunctional bully with a rasputin-like hold on johnson was false: an orchestrated smear that achieved its objective – but introduced a new low to how many in that organisation conduct themselves.

          1. Charger Salmons

            You’re working yourself up into some righteous indignation there dearie.
            You haven’t been yourself of late and it always happens when you start taking yourself too seriously.
            The reality is you’re a nobody on a minor Irish internet forum pompously sounding off on how another country’s government runs its affairs.
            It’s not like you would have the first clue about what goes on in Downing Street.
            I think I prefer you as the lascivious letch character rather than the sanctimonious windbag, despite what your dingleberry followers tell you …

  7. Dr.Fart

    my prediction on the next big scandal: Ireland will drop the ball on rolling out vaccines. it’ll be fraught with error, delays, under-ordering, admin problems, contract scandals, the whole lot. there is not ONE thing the gov can do well, and this will be no different. once again, people will lose their lives because of their ineptitude.

  8. Shayna

    Shayna has been participating in a voluntary survey for the NI Office of Statistics over the past couple of weeks, it’s continuing over a year. I was just randomly selected. It started with a phone call questionnaire. I was paid 20 quid for that – then asked if I’d allow myself to be tested weekly for Covid over the course of a year. I said, “Sure”. I was tested – door-step kinda thing – I swabbed myself – a really unpleasant experience, it seems, if you don’t gag, you’re doing it wrong. I’ve had my results back – negative. Anyhoo, I’m being paid to take the test – 50 quid for the first one, 25 quid, thereafter. People all over the World are queuing for a test often having to pay for it, I get tested every Monday and am paid for it. Life is a lottery!

  9. Steph Pinker

    The front page of today’s Irish Times (19/11/2020) is the most overt propaganda I’ve ever seen in an Irish newspaper in my life, It’s sickening and very disturbing.

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