The votes are in.

Last week, with a staggering Golden Discs voucher worth TWENTY FIve big ones on offer, I asked YOUy to name your favourite song which is also the name of the album on which it appears?

You answered in your tens.

But there could be only one winner.

3rd Place:

Television – Marquee Moon.

Liam writes:

Television “Marquee Moon” – one of the greatest guitar songs ever, containing one of the greatest guitar solos ever.Also bonus points to Television for naming their second album “Adventure” but not including the “title track” on the album (which didn’t appear until the record was re-released years later, and is actually a pretty great song)

Runner-up:

Neil Young – After the Goldrush

Leopold Gloom writes:

Neil Young’s After The Goldrush. A phenomenal, beautiful and heartbreaking song by a brilliant songwriter at the very top of his game on an album dripping with brilliant songs. Patti Smith’s version is jaw dropping as is Young’s live version I am correct about this one. There is no argument. Thom Yorke even thinks so!

Winner:

Abba – Super Trouper

Slightly Bemused writes:

For me it has to be Super Trouper by ABBA. For a period of my life when things were not well I would come home, put on the album with this as the first song, put on the headphones, and leave the world behind for 45 minutes. For many years, my dad would only let ABBA or Vicky Leandros records be played on his stereo. And as a self confessed ABBA fan, this suited me down to the ground.

But back to the song: it was the tale of still working through problems even when they seemed overpowering, that really helped me through that time. I still occasionally play it for the same reasons.

All that being said, some great tunes listed above! Except Neil Young. I can never get my head around why people like his nasal twanging. And, having met him, I realised he is a real douche in person.

Thanks all.

Last week: Win Nick’s Voucher

Golden Discs

Stop that.

Last night.

City Hall, Dublin 2

Models Simona (above left) and Katie (right) wearing design by Czech Designer Martina Navarila at The SKODA Czech Fashion Show.

SKODA cars are made in the Czech Republic and the brand teamed up with Embassy of the Czech Republic in Dublin to celebrate Czech National Day with a showcase of the country’s top design talent to an audience of over 200 people.

Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

From top: The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Alphonsus Cullinan; Myozan Kodo Kilroy, a Ireland-based Soto Zen Buddhist priest

Further to the discouragement of mindfulness and zen by the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Alphonsus Cullinan….

The Bishop has discouraged the practices of yoga and mindfulness, as they “are not of Christian origin” and are “not suitable for our parish school setting”.

He intimates that mindfulness, one of many ancient spiritual practices that originated in the Buddhist tradition, is in fact “mindlessness”, and he quotes Pope Francis, from a 2015 homily:

“You can take a million courses in spirituality. A million courses in yoga, Zen and all these things, but all of this will never be able to give you freedom”.

In his letter, the bishop displays an amazing ignorance of the yogic and Zen traditions, while he attempts to exert his ecclesiastical power over the schools, the teachers and the young pupils of Waterford.

That he feels he has the right to do this in the Ireland of 2019 reminds us that it is long since past the time when religion should be taken out of our schools, and that church influence be removed from the diverse and plural contexts of our nation’s classrooms.

Pope Francis and Bishop Cullinan conflate yoga, mindfulness and Zen, separate and ancient spiritual paths, all rich and beautiful traditions. In rolling them all together, they display a profound ignorance of their complexities and differences.

And contrary to their assertions, these spiritual paths potentially lead to the kind of freedom that cannot be accommodated by a blinkered, hierarchical view of reality.

Thankfully, there are many practising Christians who know better; and who are also aware of the rich meditative and contemplative teachings of their own tradition.

In the classrooms of Waterford, there are doubtlessly Buddhist and Hindu children. If this has crossed the bishop’s mind I do not know. If it has, his letter is disrespectful of their religious traditions.

The diverse and plural Ireland that we live in urgently needs an education system that is fit for purpose: one not dominated by one religious tradition, and where senior clerics cannot publicly disparage other faith traditions. – Yours, etc,

Oh, it’s om.

Fight!

Rev Myozan Kodo Kilroy
Teacher and Founder,
Zen Buddhism Ireland,
Dundrum,
Dublin 14.

Bishop Cullinane, Yoga and Zen (irish Times Letters)

Previously: Let us Scrap Physics

Health Minister Simon Harris; Lorraine Walsh, Stephen Teap and Vicky Phelan surrounded by some of the 221 cervical cancer patients affected by the CervicalCheck scandal outside Leinster House yesterday

Earlier this morning.

Morning Ireland‘s Audrey Carville asked Health Minister Simon Harris about the apology Taoiseach Leo Varadkar delivered in the Dáil yesterday to those affected by the CervicalCheck scandal.

Mr Varadkar had apologised for the “humiliation, the disrespect and deceit” caused to those affected.

Ms Carville also asked him about the forthcoming Patient Safety Bill.

From their discussion.

Audrey Carville: “What was deceitful about what took place?”

Simon Harris: “Quite frankly, I think the concealment of information from women. Deceit refers to having information and not telling people.”

Carville: “And do you believe that was deliberate?”

Harris: “You know what I’m actually not sure it was deliberate. It sounds to me more like a situation whereby they intended to disclose and then, as we all know, Dr Scally reports there was a complete and utter litany of failures in terms of closing that loop.

“But regardless of the deliberate nature or not, it was extremely hurtful and extremely painful…”

Carville: “But that’s what deceit is, isn’t it? It’s intent.”

Harris: “I think it often does involve intent. But, certainly, what the Taoiseach’s words yesterday were, were a reflection of how the women and their families felt. And they certainly felt deceived and I can fully understand why they did.”

Carville: “What do you believe was the most scandalous element of what took place?”

Harris: “I genuinely think the non-disclosure. I mean audit is a good thing, we should be auditing and checking and making our systems better and making our screening service better but the idea that you would set up an audit that intended to disclose and then not disclose, and then add insult to injury, and I don’t wish to open, you know, old wounds here. I know it’s been a very, very painful time for so many people.

“But people have been really, really hurt and certainly in my own statement yesterday to the Dáil, I made the point that, you know, partial information, having to be drip-fed into the public domain because all of the facts weren’t there added insult to injury and worried people well beyond the 221+ group. Women were looking to me and others for reassurance that quite frankly we weren’t in a position to give them. And so, for that, I’m very sorry.”

Carville: “So it all centred on the women not being told and as part of his speech to the Dáil yesterday, Leo Varadkar said there is no information about a patient that a patient shouldn’t know. And yet, in the Patient Safety Bill, for which we were told full, mandatory disclosure was going to be part of, you talked about it, almost as soon as the Vicky Phelan case was complete 18 months ago. There are going to be exceptions to that?”

Harris: “Well, I’m going to work with the Oireachtas to identify what those are. I mean there’s a very big difference, as I think everybody listening will appreciate, between mandatory disclosure of a serious reportable incident and between the day-to-day issues that can arise at a hospital.

“Like between maybe, you know, the food not being adequate and the like. That’s a very different situation to the very serious issues.”

Carville: “But is the option of not telling a patient about a mishap or an error – will there be that option in the Patient Safety Bill?”

Harris: “Absolutely not and I thank you for asking me the question because it’s important to give that assurance. I mean serious reportable events will refer to anytime, anything went wrong in relation to your care. Anytime there is information known about your well being that obviously has to be shared with you so we will bring, I will bring the full Patient Safety Bill to Cabinet next month…”

Apology ‘a reflection’ of how women felt – Harris (RTÉ)

Listen back in full here

Marco Dias (him off the telly!) tweetz:

My red Brompton bike was stolen from our carpark in Ranelagh yesterday morning. Oxford Lane, Dublin 6, near The Hill pub. If you see it, heard about it or see someone cycling it, please contact me! Cheers.

Anyone?

Padraic Geoghegan tweetz:

Gardaí issue appeal after large volume of Dublin Marathon official merchandise stolen in Sutton.

Anyone?

Gardaí investigate theft of Dublin Marathon merchandise (The Irish Times)

Last night.

On Saint Canice’s Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11.

Paul Guy tweetz:

It’s a sad day for Saint Canice’s Road. These mature trees, here since the 1930s are being felled tomorrow [Wednesday] by Dublin City Council. Massive loss for our road, our environment and the natural habitat trees support. Some could’ve been saved with responsible tree management.

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