It’s been a tragic week around the world. While we are reading reports about Arlene Foster standing down and Boris Johnson refusing to give a answer to a straight forward question and hopeful of a relaxation on the pandemic front, India is so overcome with death and burials that in Delhi they are building pyres in car parks and burning bodies as part of their funeral rituals. On television yesterday seeing a man on his knees pleading with porters not to take away his mothers oxygen cylinder to give to some one more important was terrible to watch. Pictures from hospitals are heart breaking. Giving money is easy but will it be enough for all those thousands upon thousands of sufferers. Thankfully governments are stepping in and sending much needed equipment. There’s a lesson there. Not long ago India was reporting low numbers of infection and death but the virus crept up and overwhelmed a nation. And what about the tragedy in Israel, can you imagine being caught in a crush with hundreds of people pushing and shoving, loosing your balance, falling and being smothered underfoot? I remember being at a rugby game at Lansdown Road in Dublin and coming out of the ground I was caught in a crush, swept along away from my friends absolutely helpless to do anything about it. I was terrified I would fall because I knew there would be no hope but thankfully I was able to grab onto some poor man who steadied me up and got me to the side of the stream of people. Those 45 people who died and the others injured didn’t have any such luck. 100,000 Ultra Orthodox Jews in a small village joyfully celebrating one of Judaism’s mystical scholars but warnings of over crowding were not heeded. One man injured and in hospital told of one teenage son being dead and the other little boy missing.
Someone asked me how my God could allow such a thing to happen especially at a religious event. I think God must have been horrified that so many men and boys were allowed to gather in one area, it was obvious there could be trouble. Another man made tragedy. May God help them in their sorrow.
Tranquility In A Garden
How lovely it is to sit in the garden with your grandson and listen to a tiny blue tit stream out his song never pausing for breath. What! How then does he do it, does he hold his breath and then let rip? We tried to work it out, the pause between trills didn’t seem long enough for a breath. We were fascinated but flummoxed. But hold on a second, Anthony McGeehan will know for certain as he has been studying and photographing birds since he was a child, he writes for journals and newspapers all over the world and has written the most excellent books, a joy to read as he is a man of humour as well as great knowledge.
“Back to you soon, I am out a lot at the moment watching woodpeckers.”
Anthony has always been able to answer even the most obscure of my questions so he was the man to consult on how birds sing and breathe at the same time.
“Bird breathing is totally different from our ‘in and out’ breath. They move oxygen around the body continuously and actually have really small (proportionate to us humans) lungs! Their system is to continuously push air around the system and extract oxygen at five different stages and parts of the body. It would be like topping up using an air-line that never stops, rather than (as humans) using a two-step bellows. So, when a bird sings or vocalises, it is not actually inhaling or exhaling – it is simply blowing air through an organ called a syrinx where the air is manipulated (like playing bagpipes) to make the sound. Hence all manner of sounds can be produced by, not vocal cords, but muscle groups. So, in fact, the bird never runs out of breath and (I think) it may only get tired singing, if at all, through muscle fatigue – and nothing to do with running short of breath!”
Like Michael Caine said, not a lot of people know that!
THIS WILL ONLY HURT A LITTLE BIT
Apart from the controversy over the Astrazeneca vaccine, there are people who just won’t contemplate having the Corona virus injection. Why? Because they have a phobia about needles which is not helped by television coverage of patients who are baring their arms and we see a close up of the needle piercing the skin – it’s hard to watch. Does no one think of these things? I’m all for accurate information but I think the media in general and radio in particular has gone overboard throwing doubt on the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine. It’s hard to pin down a number of blood clot deaths, statistics seem to be all over the place but here is the World Health Organisation report:
The WHO, the medicines regulator in Europe and the UK’s own medicines regulator have all said that Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine … is safe and emphasised that the benefits continue to outweigh the risks.
The UK regulator, the MHRA, has studied 79 cases of people who developed specific types of blood clot linked to low platelet levels in the blood after receiving a first dose of the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine, 19 of whom died. Blood clots after the vaccine are extremely rare. These 79 cases of blood clots are after 20 million doses of the vaccine, which is a rate of just four in a million.
The fear of clots has to be reported but not every minute of every day, I turn on early in the morning and 5Live features it, I go to bed and they are still on about it, frequently an hour devoted to questions and answers. Maybe a dose of the football debacle will provide some light relief.
I love the way Nicola Sturgeon pronounces ‘dose’. Dozz-e singular and dozz-ies plural.
I’m worried about Piers Morgan.
He seems to be obsessed with Meghan Markle and has been very voluble about her and as he sees it, her attack on the ‘institution’ of the monarchy. I wonder about his claim that a number of royal family members have send him messages of thanks for his support. Mind you I find her latest message concerning Prince Phillip’s funeral very objectionable. Issued by her Global Press Secretary it read: ‘I can confirm that The Duchess will be watching from home as she was hopeful to be able to attend but was not cleared for travel by her physician at this stage in her pregnancy’ How convenient. The release went on to say how Harry and his grandfather ‘hold a unique connection in their shared active service – including in combat – as part of the British Armed Forces.’ It then went on to list Harry’s achievements. It was also infra dig to include a plug for the creator of the floral tribute she (or her Global Press Secretary) sent to the Chapel.
It was an emotional funeral but I only shed tears when I saw Harry and William walking away chatting to each other. Regardless of who they are, to me it’s extremely sad when such devoted brothers loose their love for each.
Another man I dislike, Jeremy Clarkson weighed in via his column in the Sun newspaper: Markle is ‘much revered by the young and the stupid who believe that her brand of simpering victimhood will one day bring down the monarchy, but it won’t.’ He argues that given everything the British monarchy has been through – “beheadings, affairs, abdications” – he is ‘fairly sure it’ll be able to weather the banal musings of a silly little cable TV actress.’ What an ignorant man.
Get over yourselves boys, a little goes a long way but , despite reports that Prince Harry is embarrassed and regretful, I fear there will be more to come, it’s rumoured that Princess Diana’s youngest son may not return to London for the unveiling of her statue and that really would put the cat amongst the pigions! Perhaps all this has forced a new look at the royals with Charles having decreed that the monarchy will be revised and modernised. I hope we don’t loose the colourful pomp and circumstance which is so entertaining to watch.
Finally. I wonder how that person or persons feel when they realise the damage they have done, apparently a campfire or a barbecue was responsible for the terrible fire on the beautiful Mourne Mountains. Perhaps they were thrilled to see the gorse take light and watched from a distance. I’m sure they didn’t take into account the little nesting birds, the insects and the wildlife screaming in pain. Perhaps they are horrified that their disregard for safety resulted in this damage but afraid to come forward and confess
And what of those brave fire fighters who risked their lives trying to stop the spread. Imagine the heat not only from the flames that were so close but underfoot too, even walking with their special boots it must have been very unpleasant as was trying to breath through the smoke. Will this be a warning to others with the summer coming up? Sadly it’s doubtful. I was at a zoom meeting from Belgium this morning and one of the others asked me about the fire. He had found a diary belonging to his late brother charting his walk through the Mournes with sketches and photos so Derek and his two nieces came to Newcastle and walked in their father’s footsteps and he said, it was wonderful. His sorrow for what has happened was very genuine. As it was for all of us. Let’s hope for happier news next week.