I hope adverse publicity doesn’t impact on wellbeing of (alleged) bosom pals
According to Micheál Martin, “We are on the final stretch of this terrible journey”! Well folks, perhaps An Taoiseach is a fan of what’s known as ‘the illusory truth effect,’ whereby, if he repeats something over and over again, we (the poor sods who’ve been ‘#holdingfirm’ for the past year) will believe it. Not happening!
How do I know? According to a report in the Irish Independent, the people are far from happy with the way in which Micheál and pals have handled/spun this pandemic, with a Kantar/Sunday Independent poll revealing, ‘the public mood has dramatically shifted in the fight against Covid’. In short, we refuse to be brainwashed.
Mind you, it does appear that not all of us are suffering equally – either financially or emotionally – and not all of us are sticking to the rules. Call me jealous, but I’m referring to a particular incident involving two ladies (both of whom are reported to be of ‘modest means’) who got themselves into a bit of bother for allegedly refusing to quarantine upon their return from big-budget hotspot Dubai, apparently travelling there to have boob jobs!
Not only would I sell my soul for a brow wax and a haircut, but, as a woman of slight build, who has to push the girls together in order to make one sizeable one, I’m ashamed to say I’d probably sell my first-born to get my boobs enhanced. And, in a bid to raise the funds to travel to exotic Dubai to undergo said procedure, I’d definitely have to sell my second-born to raise the cash to pay for the flight, the accommodation and the poor surgeon who’d literally have to make mountains out of my molehills!
Then again, maybe it’s not jealousy (oh it sooo is). Maybe I just hold myself to a different standard – a higher one – and, like the majority of us, chose to stick to the rules, believing that in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, when people are dying, having Nicki Minaj’s double-E mammaries is not a necessary medical procedure, rather it’s a vanity one.
At the time of writing, it remained unclear as to whether the pair did actually undergo the cosmetic procedure, with some reports saying they had, some saying they had not. It’s also alleged that their families/friends had a whip-round for the trip. However, let me be clear: if someone is ill, or for example, has undergone a mastectomy, then of course travelling for breast augmentation is not only necessary, but essential for the recipient’s health and wellbeing.
Now while I know these two ladies have had their fair share of knockers (terrible pun), it’s not my intention to be one of them. It was reported that upon their return, the bosom buddies, having spent all of their ‘modest means’ in their quest for enhanced mammaries, ‘did not have the funds for the quarantine fees’. Bless them. My heart just bleeds. You hang in there girls, while me and my small-boobed sisters set up a GoFundMe page!
Seriously folks, you’d have to wonder how some people cope. I mean the weight of societal pressure must have been so substantial on these two financially-challenged cosmetic tourists, denting their self-image to such an extent they felt compelled to ignore our health guidelines and (boob job or no boob job) hop on a plane to Dubai. I really do hope the adverse publicity this pair’s plight has generated doesn’t negatively impact on their wellbeing. Indeed, when their ordeal is finally over, I pray that they will, in time, learn to love themselves and their shiny new boobs – if they got them!
If not, then I’ve got no doubt we’ll see the alluring ladies popping out, I mean popping up, on a reality show near you! They could grab the opportunity to engage in a high profile showmance with some lowbrow personality, make a fast, buck-peddling, teeth-whitening gel, fake tan, hair extensions or indeed, bum-lift procedures to match their boobs, before disappearing forever into obscurity. Oh yes readers, envy – thy name is most definitely Miriam!
Bratach na hÉireann is synonymous with our Irish national identity
According to a recent poll (carried out by the Irish Sun) only ‘a quarter of TDs and Senators would be unwilling to lose the tricolour and national anthem as part of efforts to achieve a united Ireland’. That’s pretty low readers… or is it? How do you feel?
Now, as a proud Irish woman, I’m all for a united Ireland and hope I live to see this historic day, should it happen. However, even though retaining our tricolour and national anthem – our precious Amhrán na bhFiann – is viewed as a red-line issue for some, I’m afraid that beautiful as it is, Danny Boy (allegedly suggested by one TD as a ‘possible replacement’) won’t cut it for me.
It’s my passionate belief that our flag, Bratach na hÉireann, has been synonymous with our Irish national identity since the day it was raised above the GPO by the Irish Citizen Army, Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican Brotherhood on that fateful Easter Monday, April 21st 1916 – and it should not be changed!
While I appreciate there must be an element of give and take, for me, the tricolour, consisting of green and orange (representing both ‘traditions’ on our island), and the white in the middle (symbolising) peace), is not only beautiful, but inclusive, moving and a relevant symbol promoting unity. I can imagine that discussions around a proposed new flag and a new national anthem in a bid to unite our country will be a difficult topic for many (myself included).
However readers, in the interest of moving forward and promoting peace and harmony for all who live on our island, let me stress that I sincerely hope a debate around such issues won’t derail or overshadow any positive progress being made.
No jab – No job! No way!
We all know that the vaccine roll-out will be the most direct route to reopening Ireland. However, this initiative could (and is) leading to a number of issues that are currently causing controversy among both employees and employers alike, with some bosses allegedly supporting mandatory vaccination for workers.
With that in mind, just how far can bosses go in order to insist their employees are fully vaccinated? Can they pressurise workers to the point of intimidation, using a ‘no job, no jab,’ policy? Indeed, for example, could frontline workers, medical staff, cabin crew, and retail or transport workers, etc., be forced to get the vaccine as a requirement to continue in their roles?
It’s a sticky subject folks. Our government are spinning the message that having everyone vaccinated will be central to getting our country back on track. However (given this enforced lengthy lockdown), even though it may not seem like it, the fact remains that we still live in a democratic republic, where every one of us retains bodily autonomy.
So, what does that mean? I’m no legal eagle, but it’s my view that mandatory vaccinations in this country will bring huge implications into play in regards to our human rights, our constitutional rights and our employment rights. I don’t know about you readers, but from where I’m standing, this latest Covid-related complication has unfair dismissal and discrimination written all over it… back and front!
