Popular entertainment under Brezhnev, from a film. Lyudmila Senchina sings words by Mark Fradkin. A nice touch is that the poet is included in the scene, as the man behind the desk to whom the singer performs.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=poP_dwXM0D8

Every single police officer and politician who has played a part in this should be named and shamed, fired and sent directly to prison.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10463833/Scathing-report-finds-extensive-failures-way-child-exploitation-tackled.html

Constitutional Treaties 1: The highlights of Magna Carta 1215.

Very useful to know.

This is what I think happened to Ireland:

Pagans roamed around the island restlessly
Druids took over
Christians amended druidism and created a decent Christian culture
Roman Catholics took over
Druids are taking over again

How long till the pagans start roaming around the island restlessly once again?

Thirty years ago, I visited a small town in County Kilkenny that had a grotto in a central square in which Mary was appearing to a kneeling St Brigid. The neon-lit text was, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
The local priest intimated that the site had been a well where Brigid was worshipped, until the church authorities declared this pagan, redubbed the main statue Mary, and installed the wee Brigid in the corner.
The local atheist called it “the Immaculate Contraption”.

That time the Dalai Lama visited Kildare Town and held up a Saint Brigid's Cross

@CatholicArena

Javid plans to remove immunisation as a condition of working in care homes, an approach that has already led to the loss of about 40,000 staff in that sector.

He told MPs: "While vaccination remains our very best line of defence, I believe it is no longer proportionate to require vaccination as a condition of deployment by statute.

"I will launch a consultation on ending vaccination as condition of deployment in health and all social care settings. Subject to the response and the will of this house, the government will revoke these regulations," he added.

NHS England immediately wrote to health service leaders to tell them: "This change in government policy means we request that employers do not serve notice of termination to employees affected by the vaccination as a condition of deployment regulations."

There is a link to the full statement here - https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-vaccines-as-a-condition-of-deployment

February 1st is the Feast of Saint Brigid of Kildare (Cill Dara, church of the oak), one of Ireland's patron saints.

Known as "the Mary of the Gael", Brigid was born in Faughart/Fochart, north of Dundalk, County Louth to Brocca, a Pictish slave who was baptised by Saint Patrick. Brigid herself was thus born into slavery.

During her childhood, it is said she performed several miracles, such as healing and feeding the poor. One account details how she gave away all of her mother's butter store, only for it to be replaced thanks to Brigid's prayers.

Dubhthach, a chieftain of Leinster, was her father. He grew aggravated with her and took her to the King of Leinster, Crimthann mac Énnai, to sell her. While he was in conversation, Brigid gave away his sword which was adorned with jewelry to a beggar so that he could barter it for food. Crimthann recognised that this was a holy child he had been delivered, and instead convinced Dubhthach to grant her freedom.

She was granted abbatial powers by either St. Mél of Ardagh at Mág Tulach, or St. Mac Caill, Bishop of Cruachu Brig Ele (Croghan in County Offaly). After this, in 468 she followed St. Mél to the Kingdom of Tethbae in the Irish interior.

In 480, she founded a monastery at Cill Dara on a pagan shrine to the Celtic goddess Brigid, with whom she shared her name. The site was under an oak tree at Drum Criadh.

Brigid founded two monastic institutions, one for both sex, and requested the assistance of St. Conláed (Conleth) to be the pastor. For centuries hereafter, Kildare was controlled by abbot-bishops and abbesses, with the Abbess of Kildare becoming the superior General of all Irish monasteries.

The Book of Armagh illuminates upon Brigid and Patrick's time in Ireland, saying:

Between St. Patrick and St. Brigid, the pillars of the Irish, there was so great a friendship of charity that they had but one heart and mind. Through him and through her, Christ performed many great works.