Author Archives: Bodger

“Infected children are potential “reservoirs” for the evolution of new variants as well as potential spreaders of current variants Kids with COVID-19, even if asymptomatic, are infectious and can harbor SARS-CoV-2 variants. Variants could potentially impact both the severity of the disease and the efficacy of vaccines, as we are seeing with the Delta variant. When we cultured the live virus, we found a wide variety of genetic variants. New variants have the potential to be more contagious and also make kids sicker.”

Lael Yonker, pediatric pulmonologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital

Children could be dangerous carriers of virus (Harvard Gazette)

Um.

A number of readers, many of them beloved friends of the site, have received the above message.

We are very sorry. We haven’t the foggiest who is behind it. Cyber messers of some nature.

UPDATE: Only three commenters are ‘banned’ from Broadsheet: Memes, Zuppy and Charger (all of whom sneak back in regularly, the rascals).

Apologies all.

Any excuse

Then Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen with then US Secretary of State Colin Powell at the State Department in Washington, DC. in November 2002

This afternoon.

The death of the former US secretary of state, Colin Powell, who, using faulty data and intelligence, made the case at the UN for the Iraqi invasion,’from complications from Covid-19 ‘ at 84 has been announced.

Via The Guardian:

Powell, a retired four-star general who was a key figure in the build up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and who served as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff in the early 1990s, had been treated for Covid at Walter Reed national medical center in Bethesda, Maryland. He was fully vaccinated against coronavirus.

Colin Powell, former US secretary of state, dies at 84 of Covid complications (The Guardian)

Photocall Ireland

Louise Bayliss

Staying In Wednesday?

‘Misneach Lousie Bayliss’ on TG4 from Midas Productions.

While whistleblowers are protected by the 2014 Protected Disclosures Act, what about those who spoke out before any protection existed?

Linda ni Ghriofa writes:

In December 2011, Louise Bayliss, a single mother of two from Dublin, was working as an advocate for patients at various psychiatric hospitals around Dublin. For Louise this position with Irish Advocacy Network was a career she had dreamed of, having just completed a Masters in Equality Studies in UCD.

Just before Christmas, Louise visited St Brendan’s Hospital, Grangegorman. The visit was uplifting, the patients, whom she described as being like a family, were excited and preparing for Christmas.

Louise was then informed by the staff that the female patients in open Ward 3B, many of whom had minor mental health issues, would be moved to the ‘locked unit’ for the Christmas period due to staffing issues.

Louise then visited the locked unit, Unit O, to see how the moved patients would be accommodated. She was appalled by the conditions. The plan was to add beds where there was insufficient space, and remove the existing patients personal lockers, their only personal space, to make room for more patients over the Christmas period.

After doing all she could within her position to change this decision, she understood that nothing would be done in time to prevent the move. She was a single parent and couldn’t afford to lose her job and her income. Yet she saw no other option than to blow the whistle.

The following day after attending a protest outside the Dáil against damaging cuts to Lone Parents Allowance outlined in the 2012 Budget, Louise appeared on Joe Duffy’s Liveline radio show and spoke about what she had learned the day before about the treatment of the vulnerable female patients in St. Brendan’s.

In doing so her life changed forever as she risked her career and her and her family’s financial security.

In the weeks that followed Louise’s story made headlines. The female patients were moved and she was dismissed, reinstated on a training contract, and never again set foot in a psychiatric hospital.

Misneach – Louise Bayliss on Wednesday at 9.30pm on TG4.

Brendan Kennelly in 2004

This afternoon.

Further to the death of poet Brendan Kennelly…

“For many Irish people, Brendan was Trinity, and through his public engagement, his argument-inspiring poetry and just the sheer force of his personality, he placed the College in the centre of national debates about memory, history and the importance of the arts and literature in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

“His lectures were electrifying; even in the 1990s, when I came to Trinity, it was an extraordinary experience as a first year to have to try to squeeze yourself into even a large lecture hall, to find it packed full of not just students of English Literature, but academics from other disciplines, members of the public, and even tourists, who had all made it their business to witness a lecture from someone who possessed not just a personal charisma, but could communicate an infectious love for literature that was enviable.”

Professor Jarlath Killeen, TCD Head of the School of English

A great teacher and a warm presence on campus – Trinity pays tribute to Brendan Kennelly (TCD)

RollingNews

Yesterday.

Smithfield, Dublin 7.

Anyone?

Thanks Przemyslaw Zbieron

UPDATE:

This morning.

Artist Alan Butler (centre), Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland (right) and Sculpture Dublin Programme Director Karen Downey at the official launch of Alan’s ‘Smithfield Utah’ as part of the Dublin City Council Sculpture Dublin initiative.

Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

This morning’s irish Daily Mail

‘...the screw will be turned on vaccine draft-dodgers as ministers warn that 300,000 unvaccinated people cannot hold the country to ransom without any consequences.…’

Gulp.

We prefer ‘conscientious objector’.

*scarpers*

Earlier: Derek Mooney: This Week’s Reopening Must Go Ahead