Brexit - "taking back control." they said. "No more unelected bureaucrats making decisions that affect us." they said. Except for one particular unelected bureaucrat, it would seem. please log in to view this image
please log in to view this image To those tweeting re #Fatima This is not something from @DCMS & I agree it was crass This was a partner campaign encouraging people from all walks of life to think about a career in cyber security. OliverDowden. I think Mr Dowden needs to get the Tippex out and remove HM Government logo.
If Donald Trump had Captained the Titanic. 1. There is no Iceberg. 2. We won't hit an iceberg. 3. I knew it was an iceberg before anyone else knew. 4. No one knows icebergs better than I do ! 5. The penguins brought the iceberg here. 6. No one could have predicted the iceberg. 7. We cannot allow an iceberg to stop our ship. 8. The crew is spreading fake news about icebergs ! 9. Some of you have to drown ! 10. I am the best captain, ask anyone !
Do you think anyone who hasn't been following the guidelines will change their tune after these new announcements?
No. There are far too many who don't believe that there should be any restrictions, including some MPs.
I think that the problem lies in the statistics Frenchie. Some European countries such as France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK are experiencing a second wave of new infections which is much larger than the first one was - yet the death figures are not showing a significant second wave. Also the percentages of those classified as serious/critical has gone down from the initial 5% to about 1% in most countries. They are not sure why this is the case - whether it is a) That those being infected now are younger (I don't believe this explanation because Germany's second wave was measurable from the first week in August and i don't think generational segregation could possible succeed for nearly 3 months). Or b) It comes down to better medicine being administered now (a theory which I'm also doubtfull about. Or c) that the virus is already mutating into a milder form (ie. just as infectious but not as deadly). The latter of these could be expected to happen with a virus, but it may be a little soon for that. As long as this confusion is there, and as long as some of the measures taken appear senseless (such as restrictions outside when it is pretty well known that the vast majority of infections occur within 4 walls) then the breeding ground is there for discontent. It's natural that people are unsettled, and some are irritated by the restrictions, but this is also a perfect breeding ground for the spread of conspiracy theories - many of which are coming from the far right.
It is very difficult to pick your way through all the reports from different well regarded sources. What I have seen is reports that the age groups in both England and France who are receiving treatment in hospital are younger than in the early days,and some are seriously ill. I have also seen that the early treatment of hospital admissions is better now, with better medications and more knowledge about when is the right time to put people on ventilators. On the mutation theory I have heard the suggestion, but nothing from any experts to add to it. Confusion has taken hold in England as the government tried to take hold of the crisis ignoring local knowledge which could have been used to spread the message. The idea that in this situation you can simply say this is what we would like you to do is far too weak a response. It has taken seven months, billions of wasted pounds, and finally Johnson said today that they want to involve the local authorities. What I do find to be a toxic mix is reducing the support of those who cannot work because of restrictions. Those people will be far more inclined I believe to say it was difficult enough to manage the first time, and now you are asking us to get by on even less. As you say this leaves people open to accepting what to most of us seem to be quite outlandish suggestions. With a nutcase across the pond coming out with his nonsense we should not overlook the fact that some message boards in England are clearly impressed with what he has to say.
The two children of a teacher at my wife's school have just been tested - 5 year old girl negative, but 9 year old boy positive. The teacher herself is awaiting her results - hopefully negative too. And at another school only five miles away from there, an early childhood worker tested positive on Friday - all the children in the school (450 enrolment) have to spend the two week holiday which started today in self-isolation. Worrying times...
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/world/europe/germany-trump-far-right.html Unfortunately conspiracy theories are blending into each other Frenchie - some of which have little to do with Covid 19. The one is serving as a 'lead in' to the other, and is being used for political purposes, which is what tends to happen during times of uncertainty. The 'mutation theory' actually has history behind it because viruses tend to mutate into forms which are easier to spread but which are less likely to kill their host. Just to add strength to that, Spanish flu, and the Asiatic and Hong Kong variants which killed so many millions last century didn't disappear - they ended up mutating into strains of seasonal flu which we still have today.
Maybe I have spent too much time with politicians, but I have become a cynic when I hear statements from them and wonder what they are actually saying. Professor Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, says Govt’s not doing enough, even with new restrictions, to combat the 2nd wave of Covid-19. With the focus on Liverpool it was made clear that the Mayor will be responsible in the future for making decisions on increasing lockdowns. This is a very fortunate way of shifting the blame when unpopular decisions have to be made away from Johnson. Several times there was an admission that the tracking system is not working still, and the local authorities knocking on doors system will now be more involved. Just think how well the local health boards could have done with just a part of that £12billion that has disappeared into the black hole of the Serco system. There is a slow shifting of blame in progress away from the government.
Corona we are going to kick you out corona you are not going to settle here. Corona we're gonna kick you out corona there's no room for you here. We will wash our hands several times during the day. We will use the mufflers to put a distance between us. We will block your way. We will block your way. We are going to block the road. You will not be able to settle here. . Corona we are going to kick you out corona you are not going to settle ......... Mankind is afraid the whole world is disturbed. We always won our fights in the past. We are going to block the road. We are going to block the road. We're gonna kick you out and You won't have time to settle down. Corona we are going to kick you out corona you are not going to settle ........... Thanks a lot cologne. This is the OFH slightly sanitized version.
Cheers Frenchie - that was quick. Maybe I can relearn French through music videos from the Ivory Coast - African French sounds even richer than the French variant !
https://www.thenational.scot/news/1...npaid-council-tax-bill-written-off/?ref=fbshr One rule for them... "DOMINIC Cummings and his family are liable to pay council tax on two properties at their North-East farm, it has emerged, but charges will NOT be backdated to when they were built. It means that years of unpaid taxes, potentially between £30,000 and £50,000, on two homes built in breach of planning laws will be written off.Instead, new charges for the properties on the outskirts of Durham will come into effect from the start of this month following an investigation by the Valuation Agency Office. Durham County Councillor John Shuttleworth said: “They should have informed them (the authorities) and it should have been checked. If it was anybody else, they would be getting charged and it would be backdated, or they would be getting taken to court. It just proves there is two sets of rules, one for them and another for everyone else. It is not right. We have to abide by the law and if we don’t you get put in prison or you get fined. They are just above it.” The houses in question are the ones he 'escaped to' whist breaking lockdown rules earlier this year.
SAGE did an extensive report and concluded on the 21st September that to avoid a major outbreak of the virus again an immediate two week lockdown of the whole country should be put in place. Starmer has said that the advise makes sense, and despite it being three weeks late it should be put into effect, possibly over the half term school holiday to minimise disruption. In a public poll 46% of those who had an opinion didn't believe that the government was being tough enough. This leaves Johnson rather isolated and from government statements it seems that there is panic over the finances. Maybe the crunch question should be, do we have a price on the head of every person that is worth paying, or should we just let them fade away? Edit: Two of government's scientific advisers tell the FT thousands of deaths - between 3,000 and as many as 107,000 - could be avoided by January if a circuit breaker lockdown is imposed over half term.
please log in to view this image It seems that the PM is residing over break ups between countries as well as regions. It is little wonder when you see leading politicians, Mayors or First Ministers answering questions, something that Johnson is incapable of doing.
UK govt is paying management consultants the equivalent of million and a half pound salaries to work on Test & Trace. Sky News have seen documents showing senior staff from Boston Consulting Group are being paid day rates of around £7k, equivalent to £1.5m on an annual basis. Universal credit for an adult (over 25): £4,918.68 a YEAR.
