Last night.

Tuam campaigner Breeda Murphy, adoptee and activist Eunan Duffy and lawyer Frank Brehany, whose father was a Tuam adoptee, discuss GDPR, birth mothers and the ‘right of agency’.

This is the 14th in a series of shows with Breeda and Eunan looking at all aspects of the Mother and Baby Home Commission of Investigation report. They can be viewed here.


The votes are in

Last week, with a Suez-choking €20 voucher redeemable at any Currys PC World store on offer, I asked you for your favourite song about ships or whose lyrics reference ships.

You answered in your dozens.

But there could be only one winner.

Third Place:

The Ship Song by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Capernosity & Function writes:

“No competition. This was the first dance at my wedding. I don’t normally go for ballads, but this was, and is, exceptional.”

Joint Third:

Widow’s Walk by The Stars Of Heaven

Otis Blue writes:

‘Watching the Mail Boat and the harbour Madonna glow, I thought of the times I was glad to go…’

“Bonus points for featuring on the Holyhead EP which also featured the instrumental song Before Holyhead….”

Runner-up:

The Lonesome Boatman by Finbar Furey

Papi writes:

“One of the most amazing, hauntingly beautiful songs ever. Hairs-on-your-neck time.”

Winner:

Into The Mystic by Van Morrison

Unreal writes:

‘And when that foghorn blows
You know I will be coming home.’

“One of the greatest songs ever written.”

Nick says: Thanks all.

Last week: Win Nick’s PC Voucher

Behold: one of the most spectacular shots yet of red sprite lightning. To wit:

Recent research has shown that following a powerful positive cloud-to-ground lightning strike, red sprites may start as 100-meter balls of ionised air that shoot down from about 80-km high at 10 percent the speed of light. They are quickly followed by a group of upward streaking ionised balls. The featured image was taken earlier this year from Las Campanas observatory in Chile over the Andes Mountains in Argentina. Red sprites take only a fraction of a second to occur and are best seen when powerful thunderstorms are visible from the side.

Let’s look a little closer, shall we?

Previously: No Sprite Is Safe

(Image: Yuri Beletsky (Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory, TWAN)

apod

One of many episodes of the 1988-1993 Channel 4 show ‘The Secret Life Of Machines’ remastered and upscaled for YouTube by their original creator and presenter Tim Hunkin, who adds new commentary at the end.

Prepare to be unexpectedly fascinated by the ganky old Hoovers of yore.

kottke

A judge has given the Belgian State 30 days to provide a sound legal basis for covid restrictions

This afternoon.

The Belgian State has been ordered to lift “all coronavirus measures” within 30 days, as the legal basis for them is insufficient, a Brussels court ruled.

Via The Brussels Times:

The League for Human Rights had filed the lawsuit several weeks ago and challenged Belgium’s system of implementing the measures using Ministerial Decrees, which means it is done without any input from parliament.

The judge gave the Belgian State 30 days to provide a sound legal basis, or face a penalty of €5,000 per day that this period is exceeded, with a maximum limit of €200,000, reports Le Soir.

The current coronavirus measures are based on the Civil Safety Act of 2007, which enable the State to react quickly in “exceptional circumstances,” but the judge has now ruled that these laws cannot serve as a basis for the Ministerial Decrees.

Belgium must lift ‘all Covid-19 measures’ within 30 days, Brussels court rules (The Brussels Times)

Meanwhile…

Gulp.

This afternoon.

Finally.

*steps on guitar pedal*

My Bloody Valentine’s Full Catalog Finally Available on Streaming Services (COS)

Sarah Burmanje (left) – Brand Manager, Lindt Ireland and John Doyle, Head of Portering Services and Ambassador, Temple Street Children’s Hospital

This morning.

Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Dublin.

Lia Stokes writes:

Continuing an annual tradition, the team at Lindt Ireland dedicated their Easter to raising funds for the Children’s Health Foundation, despite the challenges presented by Covid 19.

Lindt Ireland donated €40k worth of limited-edition Lindt GOLD BUNNY Hunt Packs to the Foundation with 100% of proceeds from each sale going directly to the charity.

A number of Hunt Packs were gifted to frontline workers in Dublin’s children’s hospitals, as well as to children and families in the hospitals. This year, the initiative by Lindt Ireland has raised over €20,000 to date.

In fairneNOMNOMNOM

Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Earlier: Rabbit Food

Health chiefs defend vaccination priority change amid anger from various groups (Irish Examiner)

Meanwhile…

Um.

Previously: Mass Delusion

RollingNews

Meanwhile…

Ah here.

Broadsheet.ie