The votes are in.

Last week, with an EU-friendly €25 Golden Discs voucher on offer, I asked you to name your favourite song whose title features a European city?

You answered in your dozens.

But there could only be one winner.

Third Place:

Das Ist Berlin by Marlene Dietrich

Harry writes:

‘The fabulously glamorous Marlene Dietrich. Captures Berlin beautifully.’

Runner-up:

Barcelona by Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé

Frilly Keane writes:

‘Ye’ll know it – most likely as the Barcelona Olympics (92) Grand Opener. But it was actually completed in 88 to meet the Olympic deadline. Caballé was originally invited by the Barcelona Bid Team – her home city, soon after they won the games in 87. But she immediately reached out to Freddy Mercury. And this is the result + an album. It definitely set the tone for the games. Anyone remember the diving events from Barcelona ’92? Of course Freddy never got to see the reaction as he passed in 91 But to me this is his Masterpiece. Play it at full blast.’

Winner:

Paris Match by The Style Council & Tracey Thorn

Eamonn writes:

‘By a fortuitous turn of events I was listening to Café Bleu by The Style Council only yesterday. It is as if the gods of my record collection were directing me. My choice number 1 would be this…”The gift you gave was desire – the match that started my fire”… Weller showing no fear – swapping Monkey Boots and Lonsdale tops for Penny Loafers,fine knits and galouise – Ooh La La – confusing and conflicting many acolytes – no power chords, no anger, no bite. New beginnings. And Tracey Thorn. what a voice.’

Nick says: Merci all.

Last Week: Win Nick’s Voucher

From top: Covid testing at Dublin Airport; Eamonn Kelly

There is a small percentage chance of dying from Covid-19. The exact percentage is hard to pin down because the risk is age and health related too. But when all is weighed and measured it seems to be somewhere around 1-3%. Here is a link to a study that has gone into this in tremendous detail, offering charts and graphs and all the rest relating to risk assessment.

Generally, it’s safer to be young than it is to be old – old being over 40, hah! – and it is better to be healthy rather than unhealthy. But even allowing for these generalisations there is still a risk of dying from Covid no matter what age you are or how healthy you are. In other words, there are known unknowns to be factored in when assessing risk.

For instance, no one person can know for certain how their particular metabolism will respond to the virus, regardless of what they may think or “feel” or believe about this. In a similar way as no one knows for sure how they’ll react in a crisis until they’re actually in a crisis.

A few months back it was reported in the US that a young man who had attended a so-called Covid party in order to deliberately catch the virus in the belief that this would build immunity, ended up in intensive care. Shortly before he died, he told a nurse that he had “made a mistake”.

His mistake was that while he believed that he was stronger than the virus, he simply had no way of knowing how his metabolism would react to the virus. He was not in possession of all the facts and all the risk factors, and was tricking with something that killed him.

Dosage

Another unknown is the long-term effects of the virus. It seems that people who caught the virus and recovered are still feeling the effects of the virus months afterwards. Does this mean the virus is still in their systems waiting for an opportunity to go deeper?

Related to this possibility is yet another unknown. Early in the pandemic it was thought by some experts that catching the virus may be related to dosage. This would explain why some health workers succumbed. That a lethal dosage had accumulated in their systems over time.

Might people who have already had the virus and still experience return of symptoms have within them a certain “dosage” which could be topped up by catching the virus a second time? The jury is still out on this as well.

The Stakes

The point of all this being, there is a percentage gamble when exposing yourself to the virus that could result in death. To put it another way, by not observing recommended precautions you are staking everything on winning. The odds are really good that you will win. But if you lose, you lose everything.

There is also the possibility that by not taking precautions you may pass the virus to someone who is susceptible – most likely a close friend or family member – and they may lose everything, due to your choices.

This gamble can be offset by observing recommended guidelines; wearing a mask and washing your hands, until such time as a workable vaccine is available.

The irony of all this is, if you’re the type of person who feels they are resisting an unjust government directive that you believe is infringing on your rights and freedoms, your refusal to participate in protecting yourself and the community may have the effect eventually of forcing the government to implement more stringent laws than might otherwise have been the case, laws that may restrict your rights and freedoms.

Because of the nature of the virus and its opportunistic infection capabilities this has to be a team effort. The whole world could mask up and lockdown, and it would only take one Covid dissident to undo all the good work.

Eamonn Kelly is a freelance Writer and Playwright.

Previously: Eamonn Kelly on Broadsheet

RollingNews

 

Presentation College Carlow Principal Ray Murray (above) said nothing “inappropriate, wrong or uncomfortable” was said to female students in a school assembly 

This morning.

RTE Radio One’s Morning Ireland.

Principal of Presentation College Carlow Ray Murray denied claims that girls at the school were told to stop wearing leggings or tight tracksuit bottoms as they ‘distracted male staff.

Via RTÉ:

Mr Murray said that the school’s uniform regulations “had not changed at all”, despite reports to the contrary, and he said that he is “bemused and annoyed” about some “scandalous comments” on social media, which he said were damaging to staff.

Mr Murray explained that he and other members of staff had noticed that on PE days when the students can wear PE gear that students, particularly the girls, were not following the school regulations and “it was becoming more of a fashion show” than anything else.

It was decided to hold assemblies to give students “a reminder of what the full school regulations about uniform are”.

He said the boys were not spoken to as the issue was primarily with the girls and he defended this decision, saying space was limited and also that the teaching staff did not want to embarrass the girls.

He said their PE uniform was not being worn properly, particularly instead of tracksuits some were wearing “a variety of garments, particularly leggings”.

He said no remark was made about teachers being uncomfortable with what the girls were wearing and that the notion that it was said that “girls cannot wear leggings because…” was wrong.

“If a wrong message came through, obviously we do not want that to happen and I have an open-door policy for talking to the kids”, he said.

Carlow school principal refutes claims over PE gear (RTÉ)

Yesterday.

Independent Donegal TD Thomas Pringle.

Once he raps, he can’t stop.

 

Slightly Bemused writes:

So I have no bathroom.

I went to bed all nice and cosy on Thursday last with a bathroom. Then Friday morning a very nice man turned up, and by lunchtime a new, clean, blank canvas was there, waiting for whatever was to come. At least they left me the toilet for the weekend. That was nice.

And then Tuesday morning happened. By 8:30, that was gone, and this could get awkward (and possibly messy)! At least until Friday.

This made me realise something I have known, but pushed to the back of my head. It is the little things that are important, like access to a bathroom. Amid all this talk about shared accommodation recently, this is surely one of the most basic issues. Not to mention for the homeless.

It also reminded me of a family story. When I was doing my Inter Cert (yes, I am that old) my father decided to renovate our heating system. Out came the old anthracite boiler and in went a brand spanking new range, which would not only heat but roast, cook, and I think may have been able to juggle too from all my Dad said about it.

As part of this, the hot press was moved from our bathroom into the kitchen. In the space freed up, my Dad intended to put in a shower. He even bought the tray. This was a job he would do himself, being an engineer and a consummate DIYer.

Ten years later I returned from my first overseas posting. Still no shower installation. After a chat with my Mum, we headed down to the local hardware shop and bought one of those units that you fit onto the taps of the bath. Voila! Instant shower. Just had to be careful with the spray not to wet the floor too much.

When my Dad got home and saw this, he was really quite irate and turned to my Mum and said “Stop rushing me!”

I came home the next evening to find that a set-up had been rigged to hang the showerhead, shower curtain had been installed, and all was right between him and my Mum. But roll on another ten years and they moved out to a house designed for those with special mobility issues, and still no shower installed.

In fairness, he had been doing quite a lot of other work, including in the community, and it was not laziness. It turns out that there was not enough height under the floorboards for the correct fall to allow proper drainage, and the bathtub was in the way if he raised the tray enough. As the issue was not critical, it was put on the back burner. I heard the new owners just ripped everything out and started from scratch, so no worries. Kind of like my own bathroom now.

Anyway, back to Friday. Shortly after my bathroom started appearing on the grass as it awaited the skip, my next door neighbour pops his head in: “I see the plumber has arrived” and proffers a set of keys. His spare set, and the invitation to make use of his facilities for the duration. Messy avoided.

A short while later, the neighbour on the other side popped in, and showed me where the spare key was kept, with a similar invitation. And an admonishment to close the porch door before I open the inner, or the little Jackie would get out.

I have two great neighbours, and I would not trade them for a hundred new bathrooms.

Slightly Bemused‘s column appears here every Wednesday.

Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue said he will work hard to ensure there is no Brexit ban on a wide range of foods moving between the UK and Ireland, including sausages

Now Charlie has made an appeal
To the Brits for a last minute deal
Or the Ulster fry
Could be left high and dry
With no sausages for this great meal

John Moynes

RollingNews

Broadsheet.ie