Christmas with Covid brought the best Christmas gift I have ever received

4.45 pm on Christmas Eve. We are all gathered in the kitchen.  We are staring fixedly, anxiously at the Antigen test card. I think it’s called a lateral flow test. I have set the timer on my mobile phone for 15 minutes.  I am waiting. But I’m not cool. I’m sneaking glances at the card… Continue reading Christmas with Covid brought the best Christmas gift I have ever received

3 million deaths from Covid but no increase in suicide rate-but the deniers will hardly care

I don’t suppose the Covid/anti mask/anti vaccine deniers will be influenced by the global death toll from coronavirus reaching three million on Saturday. Yes, three million, as reported by the Johns Hopkins University in the United States. It was ‘only’ two million in January 2021. And it is thought the number could be higher on… Continue reading 3 million deaths from Covid but no increase in suicide rate-but the deniers will hardly care

Conspiracies and parallel worlds, alternative facts and opinions-wishing facts into existence is a serious problem now

Do you know someone, a friend or family member perhaps, who appears to be occupying a parallel universe when it comes to conspiracy theories generally, and covid-19 conspiracies in particular? The Ryan Tubridy radio show received an email from an individual last week telling Ryan of a family member who sees conspiracy everywhere. The writer… Continue reading Conspiracies and parallel worlds, alternative facts and opinions-wishing facts into existence is a serious problem now

Misinformation, masks, and conspiracy theories

Misinformation is rampant today, especially around the Covid 19 pandemic. And it poses a problem for our society, although it is impossible to quantify the magnitude of the problem. The wide range of social media platforms makes it easy to disseminate misinformation, conspiracy theories, hate filled views, and downright lies. To what extent the people… Continue reading Misinformation, masks, and conspiracy theories

Witnessing wills from the car and spraying the €50 notes

I traveled out from my office yesterday, with my trusty secretary, to witness the signing of wills for a couple who are cocooning at home as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. And it was a surreal experience, one I never imagined I would witness. We drove through the entrance to the property at… Continue reading Witnessing wills from the car and spraying the €50 notes

Spare a Thought for the Publicans

Imagine being a publican at the moment. Imagine you are in a sparsely populated rural area and there is a couple of generations of the same family working in, and trying to extract a living from, a pub. Things are tough enough to begin with, especially since the drink driving laws have tightened up in… Continue reading Spare a Thought for the Publicans

The COVID-19 Lockdown-a Good Time For Stillness and Some Focused Thinking?

The Covid-19 pandemic is causing gut wrenching fear for a large number of business owners-the type of fear that most of them will never have encountered before, nor contemplated as a real possibility. But it’s here now. The most frightening aspects for many are They have no control whatsoever over their circumstances or trading conditions-most… Continue reading The COVID-19 Lockdown-a Good Time For Stillness and Some Focused Thinking?

Coronavirus/COVID-19-the Debilitating Impact on Our Ordinary, Boring Lives

It all started with the cancellation of the Ryanair flights. We had a weekend away in Venice booked and paid for and I was looking forward to it with great enthusiasm. That went by the wayside with the worsening COVID-19 situation. Then the other realisations kicked in and began to bite in our everyday lives.… Continue reading Coronavirus/COVID-19-the Debilitating Impact on Our Ordinary, Boring Lives