Coronavirus

[Bjornebye]

16 minutes ago, Rico1304 said:

 

You can't post actual facts Rico. The Laurence Fox brigade don't like the truth it messes with their moisturiser. 

[Mudface]

39 minutes ago, Rico1304 said:

 

If that doesn't end the debate, then the cumulative deaths and relative economic performances should do-

 

 

 

[SasaS]

Is debate only about Sweden vs. Norway and Finland, or do you allow other examples of neighbouring countries?

[Strontium]

1 hour ago, SasaS said:

Is debate only about Sweden vs. Norway and Finland, or do you allow other examples of neighbouring countries?

 

No, you're allowed to compare Sweden to anyone, so long as they have a lower death rate.

[SasaS]

I am finding lockdown vs. no lockdown debates increasingly pointless without talking about specific measures. What is a lockdown anymore anyway? After about 15 months of this, I would say there are three areas you need to focus on, where most infections take place, family/friends gatherings, public transport and workplace. Harassing people in public parks seems pointless, as is not allowing nonessential shops or having curfews. Remember when Spain locked all the children inside at the beginning? Shops were regularly disinfecting the inventory.

 

 

[TheHowieLama]

1 hour ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

No, you're allowed to compare Sweden to anyone, so long as they have a lower death rate.

Luckily that keeps your options pretty much open.

[Bjornebye]

 

 

 

 

[Stickman]

Fucking hell the questions to Johnson at the Downing St briefing from ITV and that twat Tom Newton Dunn....”oh Prime Minister who will you hug first “ ......”and who will you shake hands with the longest” 

When you listen to the media in this country then you can kind of forgive those two guys from Hartlepool 

[Bjornebye]

14 minutes ago, Stickman said:

Fucking hell the questions to Johnson at the Downing St briefing from ITV and that twat Tom Newton Dunn....”oh Prime Minister who will you hug first “ ......”and who will you shake hands with the longest” 

When you listen to the media in this country then you can kind of forgive those two guys from Hartlepool 

Has bum fluff asked him his favourite colour yet? 

[Bjornebye]

Zero covid deaths reported today. Superb news. 

[Strontium]

6 hours ago, SasaS said:

Harassing people in public parks seems pointless, as is not allowing nonessential shops or having curfews.

 

I hate that term "non-essential". Putting aside for one moment the ridiculous idea that things like clothes are non-essential in a country where you'll be arrested if you don't wear any, we're talking about businesses that employ millions of people. I'd say those jobs were pretty fricking essential to the people who rely on them.

 

Moreover, these "non-essential" things like cinemas, art galleries, pubs, clubs, sporting venues, gymnasiums, leisure centres etc etc are some of the things that give value to a life and make it more than a mere existence.

 

If the one thing that comes out of this is that people have a fresh appreciation of the difference between living and existing, then so much the better. This past year, we have been existing. We have certainly not been living.

[Bjornebye]

1 minute ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

If the one thing that comes out of this is that people have a fresh appreciation of the difference between living and existing, then so much the better. This past year, we have been existing. We have certainly not been living.

128 thousand people in the Uk won't live ever again due to this pandemic. 

[johnsusername]

3 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

128 thousand people in the Uk won't live ever again due to this pandemic. 

I think if you asked them all though they'd say their deaths were worth it so the rest of us could go to the Odeon to see Trolls: World Tour last summer. You can't put a price on that life essential.

[Jairzinho]

22 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

128 thousand people in the Uk won't live ever again due to this pandemic. 

I haven't been to an art gallery all year, mate. 

[Rico1304]

33 minutes ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

I hate that term "non-essential". Putting aside for one moment the ridiculous idea that things like clothes are non-essential in a country where you'll be arrested if you don't wear any, we're talking about businesses that employ millions of people. I'd say those jobs were pretty fricking essential to the people who rely on them.

 

Moreover, these "non-essential" things like cinemas, art galleries, pubs, clubs, sporting venues, gymnasiums, leisure centres etc etc are some of the things that give value to a life and make it more than a mere existence.

 

If the one thing that comes out of this is that people have a fresh appreciation of the difference between living and existing, then so much the better. This past year, we have been existing. We have certainly not been living.

For thousands upon thousands of years our ancestors did the same thing day in day out.  In constant fear of starvation, disease and violent death. Unable to read, write or understand even the basics of the world and the universe. 
 

We’ve been asked to stay in for a year, with access to every word ever written, every film or tv show ever made. With food from all over the world being delivered to our doorsteps.  Existing my fucking arse. 

[Strontium]

Just now, Rico1304 said:

For thousands upon thousands of years our ancestors did the same thing day in day out.  In constant fear of starvation, disease and violent death. Unable to read, write or understand even the basics of the world and the universe. 
 

We’ve been asked to stay in for a year, with access to every word ever written, every film or tv show ever made. With food from all over the world being delivered to our doorsteps.  Existing my fucking arse. 

 

A gilded cage is still a cage.

[Megadrive Man]

41 minutes ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

I hate that term "non-essential". Putting aside for one moment the ridiculous idea that things like clothes are non-essential in a country where you'll be arrested if you don't wear any,

It's times like this I wish there was some sort of internet based business with a delivery service that could deliver clothes. 

 

You are right though that the last 12 months has been more of an existence than living experience. If we had locked down quicker and harder in March last year and done the same again in September we would have been in a much better situation. The late, half arsed locked down approach is the main reason to blame for this. 

[Rico1304]

3 minutes ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

A gilded cage is still a cage.

A bit of fucking perspective is required every now and again.  I’d say even in your ‘cage’ you have had a better life than about a billion people. 

[SasaS]

If you look at all European countries, not one big country managed to avoid relatively high death toll and Norway and Finland are basically the only outliers overall. Yet measures and their timing varied a lot from country to country.

[Curly]

 

4 hours ago, Stickman said:

Fucking hell the questions to Johnson at the Downing St briefing from ITV and that twat Tom Newton Dunn....”oh Prime Minister who will you hug first “ ......”and who will you shake hands with the longest” 

When you listen to the media in this country then you can kind of forgive those two guys from Hartlepool 

Exactly. That Kuenssberg article on the bbc today about the labour leadership shake up was fucking irksome to say the least

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Rico1304 said:

For thousands upon thousands of years our ancestors did the same thing day in day out.  In constant fear of starvation, disease and violent death. Unable to read, write or understand even the basics of the world and the universe. 
 

We’ve been asked to stay in for a year, with access to every word ever written, every film or tv show ever made. With food from all over the world being delivered to our doorsteps.  Existing my fucking arse. 

Absolutely right.

[Juniper]

3 hours ago, Rico1304 said:

For thousands upon thousands of years our ancestors did the same thing day in day out.  In constant fear of starvation, disease and violent death. Unable to read, write or understand even the basics of the world and the universe. 
 

We’ve been asked to stay in for a year, with access to every word ever written, every film or tv show ever made. With food from all over the world being delivered to our doorsteps.  Existing my fucking arse. 

If you're in a privileged position, yeah. for people that can work from home that have a disposable income, plus a nice house and garden.

 

I doubt the people with a small income, not able to work from home / working shifts living in small flats or bedsits would agree that it’s been alright though, or would even really care how their lives are better than people many moons ago. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

One of the worst things in all of this is the Royal mail, wheres my fucking 45mm bolt and through sleeve fixings! I've no handle on the upstairs shitter... fucking covid damn Royal mail.

[Bruce Spanner]

The promise: “I can certainly say we will do that within this session,” Johnson told the Commons on Tuesday, after Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey asked when the probe would be set up. “I do believe it’s essential that we have a full, proper public inquiry into the COVID pandemic.”

 

Demands begin: His answer sparked immediate requests from the Conservative backbenches, with Tory MP Dan Poulter, the vice chair of the APPG on coronavirus, last night insisting the COVID toll on care home residents and staff must be included in the probe. “The devil will be in the detail, and we look forward to the government setting out the timeline, remit and structure for this crucial public inquiry,” he said.

 

Could he even … In a blog for the Spectator last night, ITV Political Editor Robert Peston said Johnson will ask Cabinet ministers to approve the terms of a probe this morning — and “there could be an announcement shortly afterwards.” Indeed, Playbook hears Johnson has a COVID-O meeting booked in at 9 a.m. If Peston is right, the Commons statement could be the moment to get ahead of the game. Downing Street aides studiously avoided commenting last night.

 

Benefits for Boris: Peston notes that the “full, proper public inquiry” promised by the PM means a judge-led probe with witnesses, which would have little chance of reporting until after the next election. Sounds highly cynical but equally sensible, from Johnson’s perspective. Some in Whitehall have long expected a probe would be faster, however, carried out by MPs or the National Audit Office to get it over with. “No one sees a judge getting involved,” one Whitehall official told Playbook last night. There might not be long to find out.

 

The motive: Peston hears Johnson wants to look as though he’s taking the initiative before former Downing Street aide Dominic Cummings gives evidence in two weeks to the joint health and science committee about pandemic mishandling. Cummings has indicated he’ll take no prisoners during the hearing, so it could be sensible for Johnson to lessen the impact of the event by creating a more official probe and playing down the significance of the existing one.

 

Old holding line: In April, the government said “an inquiry now is not appropriate” because “the very people who would need to give evidence to an inquiry are working round the clock.” At the time, it was “not anticipated that the government’s workload will ease in the coming months,” but the Peston blog suggests views could be shifting. Experts have argued a probe should be set up as soon as possible, with hearings to begin in September, and with the COVID light now seemingly at the end of the tunnel (barring perhaps a crippling mutation), that kind of timetable doesn’t look unreasonable. The question is whether the PM agrees.

[littletedwest]

Just had my first vaccine (pfizer) was hoping turn into a chimpanzee but nothing so far