2-Speed Crossword
CRYPTIC CLUES
Across
1. Lioness has had a bath, losing nothing but habitual purity (11)
Animal you and I take east (3)
Pull ten if in abundance (9)
Quick to take a beer about four (5) Don’t quite tremble: manuscript reveals signs (7)
Whirl round, sending youth leader into fireplace (6)
6 that can be mapped, perhaps? (6) Am scion of a secret society (7) Counterfeit vehicle to go back in (5) Coming to the point, as it were (9)
You and I take nothing in, alas (3) Source of water with the significance of having good intentions (4-7)
9. 10. 11. 13. 14. 16. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
Choose either the quick or cryptic clues – answers are the same.
Down
2. Be supine, but not truthfully (3)
3. A politician in drink is quite enough (5)
4. Gave sly look at Communist on sheltered side (6)
Distinguished lack of furniture (7)
Sing about frequently making things less hard (9)
Drive mad taking in extent of disorder (11) Parsimonious and apparently prepared to fight (5-6)
Never rise when held back (2,7)
Can take sword for fencing made of silver paper (7)
Writer cries out about blockhead (6) Started embargo going round for example (5)
At present on the way up, having been victorious (3) 5. 6. 7. 8. 12. 15. 17. 19. 21.
THE Simpsons first aired in December 1989 and, by the end of its first season was one of the hottest shows on TV.
In the summer of 1990 rumours began circulating that ‘King Of Pop’ Michael Jackson would write a song for Bart on a forthcoming Simpsons offshoot album.
In fact, Jackson - a superfan of the animated show - was already on board, having called the producers one night offering to write Bart ‘ a number one single’ and do a guest spot on the show.
The resulting ‘ Do The Bartman’, an infectious slice of new jack swing, was included as the first track on ‘ The Simpsons Sing The Blues’ album, released in December 1990.
‘Do The Bartman’ was not released a single in the US but in the UK it spent three weeks at number one and went on to become the fifth best-selling single of 1991.
In Ireland the song dominated the charts through February and March, spending nine weeks at the top. Only nine singles have ever managed a longer run at number one in the Irish charts.
‘Do The Bartman’ was performed by voice of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright. Michael Jackson provided backing vocals but was not credited for this contribution as he was under contract to Epic Records. It later transpired that he also co-wrote and co-produced the track (with co-writer Bryan Loren).
The extent of Jackson’s writing input is unclear. Simpsons creator Matt Groening has repeatedly stated Michael Jackson wrote the song, but when selling the publishing and songwriting rights for ‘ Do The Bartman’ in 2015, Bryan Loren disputed those claims.
‘I am the sole writer of the song. It was his idea to call the song, ‘Do The Bartman’. And, he did insist I include his name in the lyric. Hence, ‘If you can do the Bart, you’re bad like Michael Jackson.’ And so, obviously, he was involved. Perhaps this tidbit of info is not as sensational as saying MJ co-wrote the song, but I assure you, he did not.’
In reaching No. 1 on the UK charts, Bart Simpson joined a select club of chart-topping animated characters who have scaled single or album chart heights. Other members include Teletubbies Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa and Po, Mr Blobby, The Archies, Bob The Builder, The Tweenies, The Wombles and The Muppets.
CHURCH of Ireland curate Reverend Conor O’ Reilly has appealed for churches to remain closed over Easter, to protect the health of parishioners and avoid the mistakes that were made in the reopening of the country before Christmas. Reverend O’ Reilly of the Wexford and Kilscoran Union of Parishes based in the Rectory in Killinick, was prompted to write a letter to the Irish Times in response to the ongoing lobbying of Government for churches to be reopened in time for Easter, one of the most important times of the year in the christian calendar.
‘It would appear that little has been learned from what happened in the lead-up to Christmas 2020, when reopening various sectors of society had such disastrous consequences in the post-Christmas period’, he said.
‘Now is not the time to be lobbying for reopening. Rather this is the time for the exercising of pastoral responsibility and not giving people false hope by reopening prematurely.
‘The message of Easter will resonate throughout our land without needlessly risking people’s health and safety. It is my sincere hope that Church of Ireland bishops will not engage in any similar lobbying.’
Reverend O’ Reilly who has been based in Killinick since 2018, said he appreciates the sense of frustration that clergy and parishioners are experiencing at the closure of churches but in his view, it is a very necessary step in the interests of public health.
‘At this time, health and safety have to be placed above all other considerations. Self sacrifice is part of the Gospel message. If we have to sacrifice public worship for a period of time, so be it.
‘Everyone has had to make sacrifices during the past year and churches are no different. I would say that churches should lead by example in terms of helping to suppress the virus’.
‘People miss public workship. I fully understand that. I miss it myself’, said Reverend O’ Reilly who conducts a service online every Sunday morning at 9.30 a.m. from the rectory in Killinick.
While local people are unable to attend a Sunday morning service, the online facility has allowed people from further afield, including the UK and the US, to tune in to the service.
He also makes an assembly video once a week for the children of St. Iberius national school in Wexford town and while he misses face to face interaction with the students, he has received positive feedback from the remote sessions.
‘I would hope people would see where I am coming from. I don’t want any parishioner to be put at risk. I do appreciate that some people don’t have access to technology or the know-how. I am very conscious of that. We are in the situation we are in and we are doing our best to reach out to people..’
Reverend O’Reilly said churches were caught off guard by the first Covid-19 lockdown last March and many were not in a position to have Easter services online but this year will be different.
‘We are more prepared and more tech-savvy. The past year has been a learning curve for clergy and parishioners.’
‘I strongly believe churches should stay closed. No-one wants to go back to public workship more than I do, but not until sufficient numbers have been vaccinated.’
He said the demographic of those who attend churches would be quite high and that is one of the concerns. ‘You have to be cognisant of the wellbeing of parishioners. It’s a difficult decision to make but it’s to protect people’s health’.
Reverend O’ Reilly said that when churches were allowed to reopen after the first lockdown, protocols such as social distancing were put in place and they worked well. There were no reported incidences of Covid from a church service in the Wexford and Kilscoran Union.
But when the reopening happened in December, he became concerned. ‘My gut was telling me that it was not a good idea and come January, we were going to have problems’.