John Waters has taken some serious stick for posing a seemingly impertinent question in the Irish Catholic: “What is the difference in human rights terms between a situation in which a distraught male goes in to his doctor and says that his partner is making him suicidal and that he fears that unless (the doctor) arranges to have the partner killed he will kill himself, and a situation in which a distraught female goes to her doctor and says that her unborn child is making her suicidal and that she fears that unless (the doctor) arranges...?”

Even people who consider themselves “pro-life”, he concedes, might reckon the question absurd. “And yet, if you think that an unborn child is a full human being from the moment of conception, there is…no absurdity.”
John’s logic is impeccable here. Beings with the same moral weight must surely be entitled to equal rights. All John has done is take the pro-life line to a logical conclusion.
But the vast majority of pro-lifers realise they’d be laughed off the streets if they advanced the proposition in plain terms. So they have reacted to John’s piece with a shifty silence. It’s the pro-choice side which has been scattering the article all over the internet.
John might have gone further. As pointed out here previously, an equally intriguing question arising from the belief that the foetus is the moral equal of the mother concerns assurances from pro-lifers that no woman will ever die from want of an abortion because medics will always intervene to save the woman’s life.
But why? If each has an equal right to life, why should the mother’s always prevail? Why not toss a coin? Or take it time and time about?
A follow-up feature for you there, John.

“Any information anyone is holding about the machinations of the bankers should be passed on immediately to the appropriate authorities,” said David Drumm, former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank. “Ordinary citizens who have paid the price for their ruination of the country should be able to see these people in chains.”
“Prison is too good for them,” declared Irish Nationwide boss and multimillion bonus-man Michael Fingleton. “Anybody out there with evidence of bankers’ wrong-doing come forward. The parasites who have been sucking the lifeblood from decent citizens for years should be horsewhipped, every one.”
Speaking from one his homes in Connecticut, where he has filed for bankruptcy, former billionaire property tycoon Sean Dunne said: “The greed of these money-mad individuals plunged Ireland into penury. I am appealing tonight for the cooperation of everyone with even the smallest piece of information to bring them to a harsh justice.”
Speaking to the Dundalk Democrat on June 21st, Gerry Adams appealed to anyone with information about the whereabouts of the bodies of the “Disappeared” to come forward: “I would once again appeal to anyone who have (sic.) any information…We just have to keep trying our best and keep pursuing the smallest piece of information at all…The pain of not knowing where a murdered relative has been secretly buried…is almost unbearable.”

China Dolls everywhere were broken up at the news of Slim Whitman’s death.
He was discovered, as we say, by Col. Tom Parker, but managed to escape. Elvis and Johnny Cash were to remain friends for the rest of their lives. Slim made it to 90.
The BBC obit. referred to him as “a yodeler” - then played a snatch of Frank Ifield singing “I’ll Remember You.” Nor did the presenter refer back and correct the faux pas. Nobody seems to have noticed. As sad as it was shocking.
My first thought when I heard the news was of Jimmy “China Doll” Liddy in the Rocking Chair on a Friday night, cowboy hat at a jaunty tilt and a packed house bringing the gig to a close with: “I’d rather have a doll of clay/That I could call my own/Than someone else just like you/With a heart of stone/She’ll never leave me/She’ll not deceive me/And never grieve me/My china doll”.
Trite, but lovely.

I could say something about Harry Browne’s brilliant, blistering, back-to-rock-basics book on Bono, but I won’t. No point annoying the neighbours (chortle).

The Devil gets a desperately bad press, don’t you think? If I were her, I’d sue.
You know the way people are always running at one another shouting “God is Good!” before they cut your throat? Ever heard of anybody behaving like that shouting “The Devil is Good!”
Wouldn’t sound right, would it? Just not the sort of thing you associate with the Devil.
Or take all that sexual savagery towards innocent children - has there been even the faintest suggestion of Devil-worshipper involvement?
The same can’t be said for the crowd that worships God.
Personally, I’m not up for worshipping devils or gods or anybody at all apart (this week) from Patti, Florence and Abby Oliviera.
But if I was up against the wall and had to choose between the two supernaturals, it would be the dinky Devil every time.