I can't say I particularly like the bloke, but Tim Martin of Wetherspoons was unfairly maligned over his 'Go work at Tesco' remarks. He's just saying that he will completely understand if anyone decides to do that and will give them first preference if they decide to re-join Wetherspoons again.
You mean the media twisted his words? I am shocked.
Noticing an interesting correlation between people who hate Owen Jones and poor reading comprehension
There is a bit of that, yes. Ah well. The river of debate flows and we move on.
I'm worried about Trump btw. I do hope this crisis doesn't perversely help him in the election. I can see how it might. Just as slagging off Johnson becomes an act of treachery here - We Are At War! - the same could happen over there.
I'd have thought that the FTSE was up because the data from Italy tentatively seems to show that lockdowns are going to be effective, and Britain has just put a lockdown in place.
Yes, that and I think the UK's measures have already had some success compared to Italy when they did the soft lockdown for two days. The question is what happens afterwards. How do we open the border for US travel when the US won't have taken it's medicine and do we ever open the border to Africa or the developing world in general?
I can't say I particularly like the bloke, but Tim Martin of Wetherspoons was unfairly maligned over his 'Go work at Tesco' remarks. He's just saying that he will completely understand if anyone decides to do that and will give them first preference if they decide to re-join Wetherspoons again.
He could, you know, pay the wages of their staff until the Government’s payments come in?
I can't say I particularly like the bloke, but Tim Martin of Wetherspoons was unfairly maligned over his 'Go work at Tesco' remarks. He's just saying that he will completely understand if anyone decides to do that and will give them first preference if they decide to re-join Wetherspoons again.
He could, you know, pay the wages of their staff until the Government’s payments come in?
I'd have thought that the FTSE was up because the data from Italy tentatively seems to show that lockdowns are going to be effective, and Britain has just put a lockdown in place.
Yes, that and I think the UK's measures have already had some success compared to Italy when they did the soft lockdown for two days. The question is what happens afterwards. How do we open the border for US travel when the US won't have taken it's medicine and do we ever open the border to Africa or the developing world in general?
Hey Max just saw you had a lurgy - hope it is clearing up.
Sky news continually seeks opinions from nearly always former this that and the other and the quality of the journalism is poor. Indeed the BBC are much better to be fair
When this is over we need a public enquiry into the behaviour and contribution journalists provided in our real time of need
The government sent my mother, who has been dead for 4 years, a letter telling her to self-isolate due to her condition...
Interestingly, at the press conference, they said that the letters were being sent using multiple data sets and some people might get several. Presumably sending letters to dead people is considered less bad than missing a few.
The interesting bit is not what happens now, but what happens afterwards. It’s hard to see how we go back to where we were domestically and internationally. How the aftermath is handled is what will truly define this government. We are all going to be paying more tax - but who will pay and how much, will services be cut at the same time? What role will the state have in controlling our infrastructure? Internationally, can we still do business with an increasingly crazed Trump presiding over an increasingly divided US, is China a country we can ever trust, will the EU and UK find common cause as they deal with these two challenges, could that see both sides become more realistic as they negotiate an FTA? And so on and so on. Currently, the government has very few choices. It is doing what has to be done. Looking at Trump and the other populists, we should be grateful for that, of course. However, once the crisis has past there are going to be huge calls to make where there are plenty of choices. That’s when we’ll find out more.
China must be made to change. Their domestic environmental, sanitary and hygiene regulation is appalling.
That isn't about revenge; it's about avoiding a future repetition.
SARS, Bird Flu/H5N1.. Covid-19. There's far too much of a pattern there.
Enough. I won't be buying anything Made in China unless they change.
Money will be the only language they understand.
China is integral to so many supply chains in so many industries. Huawei is going to be central to our 5G infrastructure. It’s going to be impossible to avoid. But we need to see it for what it is. No-one should think The Chinese government has any interest in mind but its own.
Given your last sentence maybe we urgently need to rethink making Huawei “central to our 5G infrastructure”.
I have to admit my view of humanity has taken a bit of a hit over the last couple of days. My whole philosophy and that which drives my political views is that as a rule the vast majority of people are okay. Good people just trying to do their best and not hurt those around them. They have an innate wisdom which informs their decisions and Government's purpose should be to advise, help and do the big bits that individuals and collectives can't do on their own rather than to 'rule'.
As I say the reaction to the necessary actions and advise being given by the Government along with the political points scoring from some sections has given that world view a good kicking. In the end I still believe it is the right way to view things but I need to rebuild my faith in humanity a bit.
My view is that the guidelines and rules being passed down by the Government are clear, timely and obvious. There is a combination of genuine stupidity, wilful ignorance for political point scoring and arrogant disregard from a small minority that is making this more of a problem than it should be. It is a sad indictment of a small part of our society today.
If it's any consolation, I think t'was ever thus. Evolution has made humanity this way. We are hard wired for a proportion of us to be right wing, left wing, stupid, stubborn, contrarian, ignorant, selfless, caring, etc, etc. There'll be good evolutionary reasons I suspect for having all these traits innate in humanity.
What is irritating is when you are arguing with someone who's views are different to yours, and you are both convinced of being correct and logical and can't understand why someone holds equally passionately views that are opposite to your own. A good example of this would be Brexit!
TfL disabled the online form to get a refund on travel cards - previously you could login in to your account, request a refund via online form. They replaced this with a phone line. This either doesn't work due to overload or makes you wait for multiple hours in a queue.
It seems quite clear that they are trying to slow down/stop people getting refunds on season tickets.
I have to admit my view of humanity has taken a bit of a hit over the last couple of days. My whole philosophy and that which drives my political views is that as a rule the vast majority of people are okay. Good people just trying to do their best and not hurt those around them. They have an innate wisdom which informs their decisions and Government's purpose should be to advise, help and do the big bits that individuals and collectives can't do on their own rather than to 'rule'.
As I say the reaction to the necessary actions and advise being given by the Government along with the political points scoring from some sections has given that world view a good kicking. In the end I still believe it is the right way to view things but I need to rebuild my faith in humanity a bit.
My view is that the guidelines and rules being passed down by the Government are clear, timely and obvious. There is a combination of genuine stupidity, wilful ignorance for political point scoring and arrogant disregard from a small minority that is making this more of a problem than it should be. It is a sad indictment of a small part of our society today.
If it's any consolation, I think t'was ever thus. Evolution has made humanity this way. We are hard wired for a proportion of us to be right wing, left wing, stupid, stubborn, contrarian, ignorant, selfless, caring, etc, etc. There'll be good evolutionary reasons I suspect for having all these traits innate in humanity.
What is irritating is when you are arguing with someone who's views are different to yours, and you are both convinced of being correct and logical and can't understand why someone holds equally passionately views that are opposite to your own. A good example of this would be Brexit!
Try not to let it get you down...
FWIW I don`t think Brexit is a good example. Emotion ruled - not logic.
"Two supermarket vans were destroyed in “sickening” arson attacks in Bristol and police riot vans were called out soon after Boris Johnson announced the new restrictions.
The delivery vans were destroyed in the attack outside an Iceland store in Arnside Road, Southmead, on Monday night.
Richard Walker, managing director of the retailer, said:
At a time when home delivery is literally a lifeline for some vulnerable people, this is sickening.
In a statement, Iceland said police riot vans were called out and youths threw missiles at the police as they tried to disperse them. Later in the evening, the two home delivery vans were set alight and the fire brigade attended to put out the fire.
The vans will both have to be written off. We believe this to be an act of mindless vandalism rather than a targeted attack on Iceland.
Our entire van fleet is running at absolutely full capacity at the moment, and it is shocking and distressing that anyone would act so callously to put vehicles out of service at precisely the time when they are most needed to deliver food to the most vulnerable people in our society."
In Kent someone also drilled holes in ambulance tires .......
TfL disabled the online form to get a refund on travel cards - previously you could login in to your account, request a refund via online form. They replaced this with a phone line. This either doesn't work due to overload or makes you wait for multiple hours in a queue.
It seems quite clear that they are trying to slow down/stop people getting refunds on season tickets.
In the grand scheme of things priority ranking 7,034,642,456
I have to admit my view of humanity has taken a bit of a hit over the last couple of days. My whole philosophy and that which drives my political views is that as a rule the vast majority of people are okay. Good people just trying to do their best and not hurt those around them. They have an innate wisdom which informs their decisions and Government's purpose should be to advise, help and do the big bits that individuals and collectives can't do on their own rather than to 'rule'.
As I say the reaction to the necessary actions and advise being given by the Government along with the political points scoring from some sections has given that world view a good kicking. In the end I still believe it is the right way to view things but I need to rebuild my faith in humanity a bit.
My view is that the guidelines and rules being passed down by the Government are clear, timely and obvious. There is a combination of genuine stupidity, wilful ignorance for political point scoring and arrogant disregard from a small minority that is making this more of a problem than it should be. It is a sad indictment of a small part of our society today.
If it's any consolation, I think t'was ever thus. Evolution has made humanity this way. We are hard wired for a proportion of us to be right wing, left wing, stupid, stubborn, contrarian, ignorant, selfless, caring, etc, etc. There'll be good evolutionary reasons I suspect for having all these traits innate in humanity.
What is irritating is when you are arguing with someone who's views are different to yours, and you are both convinced of being correct and logical and can't understand why someone holds equally passionately views that are opposite to your own. A good example of this would be Brexit!
Try not to let it get you down...
FWIW I don`t think Brexit is a good example. Emotion ruled - not logic.
Read Orwell's "Notes on Nationalism" - brilliant writing on emotion in politics.
TfL disabled the online form to get a refund on travel cards - previously you could login in to your account, request a refund via online form. They replaced this with a phone line. This either doesn't work due to overload or makes you wait for multiple hours in a queue.
It seems quite clear that they are trying to slow down/stop people getting refunds on season tickets.
In the grand scheme of things priority ranking 7,034,642,456
One above the people complaining about when they are going to get their cruise refund and two above the handful of people still asking about their holiday plans in April
TfL disabled the online form to get a refund on travel cards - previously you could login in to your account, request a refund via online form. They replaced this with a phone line. This either doesn't work due to overload or makes you wait for multiple hours in a queue.
It seems quite clear that they are trying to slow down/stop people getting refunds on season tickets.
In the grand scheme of things priority ranking 7,034,642,456
One above the people complaining about when they are going to get their cruise refund and two above the handful of people still asking about their holiday plans in April
My mate was bloody ill from covid19 on his cruise.. there is no escaping people on a cruise.. def OFF the bucket list
I don't trust Boris at least half the time, but imagine the opportunity this would be for the likes of McDonnell and Milne to create a permanent socialist state.
Now that Johnson has had a sniff of being Britain Pinochet he is not easily going to relinquish those powers.
Since we're going full totalitär, BJ should get our lads kitted out like the Chilean army.
The spirit of the times demands something a little more... imperial.
On one occasion I was taking my morning coffee in Place Des Allemand in Trujillo, Peru.
I heard a crunch-crunch... turned my head to see the School marching practise...
They teach marching in the schools - and being inspired by Fredrick the Great, it's all goose step.
So I sat there as the girls and boys (separate formations) crunched past. Deeply weird - kept expecting someone to start singing the Panzerlied.
They teach marching in British schools too, though only the posh ones that most of the government and half the opposition attended. CCF or OTC or whatever it is called now.
CCF. I was worried when grandson 2 joined in his 2nd or 3rd year. However he only lasted about a year, then he got interested in golf.
You know something is a bit odd about your school if your reaction to seeing a student with a (functional) rifle is to tell them off for holding it incorrectly...
On 25 July 1953 the school's Combined Cadet Force armoury was raided by the Irish Republican Army (1922–69), making off with 8 Bren guns, 12 Sten guns, an anti-tank gun, a mortar and 109 rifles. Their van was stopped by a police patrol and Cathal Goulding, Sean Stephenson, later known as Seán Mac Stíofáin and Manus Canning each received 8 years in prison
Jesus, an anti-tank gun.
In If, a favourite of my adolescent years, the finale depends on the rebels finding a secret stash of arms in the school cellar. Looks like all they had to do was turn up for OTC.
My CCF armoury had a Boyes 0.55 anti-tank rifle in it. Complete with ammo. The master in charge politely explained that every year someone asked too fire it. And every year he didn't let them.
For those who don't know - it's basically a normal rifle that has got magnified by 3x. Quite good for hunting mammoths, railway trains and..... small, light tanks.
What a softy, everyone knows smashed collar bones are character forming.
One wonders about the efficacy of those weapons, though the Germans & Soviets also had their own versions also so I guess they had their uses.
You'd want to check out the Forgotten Weapons youtube channel. He fires a lot of these oddball weapons. The answer is generally they perform better than you might expect but the practicality of actually using one makes them pretty wank.
I love Spoons. Great choice of beers at great prices. Decent food. An order at your table app.
Tim Martin though. What a [censored to not upset the mods]
+1
As a customer offering, I used to enjoy Weatherspoons. As soon as Martin started popping up on the media opining about Brexit and the rest, I stopped going there.
Absolutely bloody typical that tosser Owen Jones making a party political point when the nation is in crisis.
Divide here between the more refined PB Tories (who get and quite like the comment) and the others who do not.
So given you are in the former camp - you are! - I am taking this comment of yours with a mountain of NaCl.
You've got to learn to see beyond the politics of this. You and the hard left as typified by Jones.
No, you are the one who is failing to see beyond the politics of this. Other people are rising above it. Including Jones. That's the whole point. But you just saw a comment by someone whose politics you disagreed with, didn't bother to read it, and called him a tosser.
I have to admit my view of humanity has taken a bit of a hit over the last couple of days. My whole philosophy and that which drives my political views is that as a rule the vast majority of people are okay. Good people just trying to do their best and not hurt those around them. They have an innate wisdom which informs their decisions and Government's purpose should be to advise, help and do the big bits that individuals and collectives can't do on their own rather than to 'rule'.
As I say the reaction to the necessary actions and advise being given by the Government along with the political points scoring from some sections has given that world view a good kicking. In the end I still believe it is the right way to view things but I need to rebuild my faith in humanity a bit.
My view is that the guidelines and rules being passed down by the Government are clear, timely and obvious. There is a combination of genuine stupidity, wilful ignorance for political point scoring and arrogant disregard from a small minority that is making this more of a problem than it should be. It is a sad indictment of a small part of our society today.
In your first paragraph you outline the libertarian ideology. Faith in humanity also resides on the left of the spectrum.
For deep ecologists, humans are just another animal species - save that the post agricultural revolution iteration is systematically trashing the planet. Views like this will come more to the fore in the next few weeks and months - and have already been tentatively touched on by a couple of posters here in the last few days.
This could end up being a game-changer as far as protecting the planet from our species is concerned.
Olympics is officially off. Abe has asked for a one year postponement.
Which does not change very much if a vaccine has not been found by next summer, it will likely still be the same as this summer ie the latest Covid 19 peak wave has passed but Covid 19 is still around
One thing for sure is that the NHS is in no danger of privatisation. In the aftermath of this, it will be elevated to pseudo-religious status, even more than it was before.
To others on the "extremely vulnerable" list - I'm now getting spammed by extra text messages that basically are cut-down excerpts from the website. Much more clearly written the first text we all got. Might be handy for those (primarily) older people who have a non-smart mobile phone or simply haven't got the hang of the internet yet. For the even older age group, without a mobile at all, are they getting automated voice messages to their landlines?
One thing for sure is that the NHS is in no danger of privatisation. In the aftermath of this, it will be elevated to pseudo-religious status, even more than it was before.
Which is probably a bad thing. What will it end up like if you can't criticise it?
I love Spoons. Great choice of beers at great prices. Decent food. An order at your table app.
Tim Martin though. What a [censored to not upset the mods]
+1
As a customer offering, I used to enjoy Weatherspoons. As soon as Martin started popping up on the media opining about Brexit and the rest, I stopped going there.
I couldn`t go into a Weatherspoons without feeling physically sick. I`d be hoping that no-one saw me.
(Please can we all stop familiarising the product by saying "Spoons"?)
To others on the "extremely vulnerable" list - I'm now getting spammed by extra text messages that basically are cut-down excerpts from the website. Much more clearly written the first text we all got. Might be handy for those (primarily) older people who have a non-smart mobile phone or simply haven't got the hang of the internet yet. For the even older age group, without a mobile at all, are they getting automated voice messages to their landlines?
Working from my office (which is upstairs) I have just seen the children's playground behind my house being locked up.
This will be about as effective as a chocolate kettle, as the fence is only waist high and a fairly athletic chihuahua would clear it. However, I suppose the message is the key thing.
They have been padlocked in Berlin for 10 days now. It's clearly not to ensure that nobody gets in, but rather to make it blatantly obvious that the playground is out of bounds. Do not Enter.
This question is about how to renovate old fruit trees, which still give some crop, such that they are a 'reachable' size (which probably means 10ft or so). What needs to be done, and when?
There are some buds beginning to emerge. These are a mixture of apples and pears.
One thing for sure is that the NHS is in no danger of privatisation. In the aftermath of this, it will be elevated to pseudo-religious status, even more than it was before.
Or we could move to the German public health insurance system
One thing for sure is that the NHS is in no danger of privatisation. In the aftermath of this, it will be elevated to pseudo-religious status, even more than it was before.
Which is probably a bad thing. What will it end up like if you can't criticise it?
It depends really. If everyone is on the same page that we must have a national health service, and there’s no underlying distrust that privatization is just around the corner, maybe we can have some grown up conversations?
Is there a worse journalist on the media than Kay Burley
Full of her own importance, asking idiotic questions including trying to get Gove to admit hundreds of thousands could die
Perhaps it would help things if Mr Gove stated that hundreds of thousands could die... "That is what we are trying to avoid - stay in your homes..." etc.
It is handing out half-hearted statements and fuzzy guidance that confuses people.
One thing for sure is that the NHS is in no danger of privatisation. In the aftermath of this, it will be elevated to pseudo-religious status, even more than it was before.
Or we could move to the German public health insurance system
Never going to happen. Especially not after this. Can you imagine a war in the media of the government against NHS staff? How will that go?
I've just been sent the video from Tim Martin to the staff, it's not as bad as the letter makes out. However, the end result is that the staff are getting sacked and they don't know when they will get paid for March.
One thing for sure is that the NHS is in no danger of privatisation. In the aftermath of this, it will be elevated to pseudo-religious status, even more than it was before.
Or we could move to the German public health insurance system
Never going to happen. Especially not after this. Can you imagine a war in the media of the government against NHS staff? How will that go?
even if the German system has a far lower death toll ?
This is not good. We are going to need more clarity on what essential working is and on what help will be given to the self-employed and zero hours workers. People getting up this early and heading to work are not metropolitan avocado eaters or good time Charlies. They are people who have no choice currently.
How do you know they're not all key workers? You can't tell from just their faces what work people are going to, especially if they're getting changed into uniforms on site and not on the commute (as I know some have been told to do to reduce risk of transmission from transport onto clothes).
If you slash the frequency of trains you will end up cramming the key workers onto a few trains. Not a smart move!
Why would they all be key workers ? There is a large economy that exists outside shops and key workers
Why wouldn't they all be key workers?
There is a large economy that exists within key workers. Train transport numbers are said to be down 80%, the pictures from the train concorses shows them to be empty - yet the trains are packed. Why are the trains packed when passenger numbers are down 80% and concorses are empty? Possibly because the number of trains made available to those key workers have been slashed.
Put on the number of trains you'd normally have (subject to availability of train drivers) and trains would be largely empty based on the 80% reduction in passengers. It doesn't help reducing passengers by 80% if you reduce trains by 80% too!
Timpsons will surely be open; they're all key workers.
One thing for sure is that the NHS is in no danger of privatisation. In the aftermath of this, it will be elevated to pseudo-religious status, even more than it was before.
Which is probably a bad thing. What will it end up like if you can't criticise it?
It depends really. If everyone is on the same page that we must have a national health service, and there’s no underlying distrust that privatization is just around the corner, maybe we can have some grown up conversations?
I wonder which side is responsible for propagating that fear of privitisation?
Forget bog roll, there is a global shortage of yeast for home bread making. Can't buy it from the supermarkets, none on Amazon and on ebay it's only available from China or Turkey!
I like eating, me. I've been baking my own bread for 40 years or so (these days gluten free), four loaves at a time, so I have a stash. I add lots of seeds: baking your own allows one to customise. Delicious toasted with Marmite.
I would be interested in your GF bread recipe if you care to post it up here
Do you know, I have no fixed recipe. I even measure quantities by eye governed by experience. I suppose it's a bit analogous to how birds make nests. Obviously it involves yeast, salt, Dove's Farm flour (usually) egg-whites whipped (sometimes), sugar or honey, mixed seeds (making it rise less, but tasty), xanthan gum, and considerable manual dexterity. I use old-fashioned bread tins made from folded sheet metal. I mix it all in a circular plastic dedicated washing-up bowl, keeping some warm water in the kettle to fine-tune the mix. Use a wooden spoon to separate the dough into loaves with a liberal sprinklings of fresh flour on your hands to shape the loaves. Any such flour left in the bowl can be used to make fritters or pancakes the next day, so there is no waste. Lacking gluten, the dough is somewhat sticky---hence the liberal use of dusting flour---and your hands will be a mess. As I'm tactile I don't mind. At age 18 a personality test indicated a 90 percent rating to be a surgeon, but my bedside manner would have been diabolical.
TfL disabled the online form to get a refund on travel cards - previously you could login in to your account, request a refund via online form. They replaced this with a phone line. This either doesn't work due to overload or makes you wait for multiple hours in a queue.
It seems quite clear that they are trying to slow down/stop people getting refunds on season tickets.
In the grand scheme of things priority ranking 7,034,642,456
To others on the "extremely vulnerable" list - I'm now getting spammed by extra text messages that basically are cut-down excerpts from the website. Much more clearly written the first text we all got. Might be handy for those (primarily) older people who have a non-smart mobile phone or simply haven't got the hang of the internet yet. For the even older age group, without a mobile at all, are they getting automated voice messages to their landlines?
They should all be getting letters.
Should do - but mine hasn't arrived yet, at least. My hospital care team were very on the ball about emailing me last week though.
Journalists constantly sniping at the prime minister are going to become very unpopular very quickly.
We’re in a war. Boris is a war time leader. They are nearly always popular.
The psychology is obvious. You are a fearful citizen and you want to believe you are led by someone clever and resourceful, so that becomes your perception of him. In addition, criticisms start to feel like disloyalty, even treachery.
One thing for sure is that the NHS is in no danger of privatisation. In the aftermath of this, it will be elevated to pseudo-religious status, even more than it was before.
Which is probably a bad thing. What will it end up like if you can't criticise it?
It depends really. If everyone is on the same page that we must have a national health service, and there’s no underlying distrust that privatization is just around the corner, maybe we can have some grown up conversations?
It will be a cold day in hell when, going into an election, the Labour party doesn't use the "24 hours to save the NHS" slogan.
I'm about to walk down to the gate and back. That's my limit.
I'll go again later to shut the gate.
Then tomorrow I'll go again to put the bin out.
The weather is so shit here I’m passing on my trip to the supermarket some people down on the Mar Menor are having to deal with flooding yet again on top of everything else.
To others on the "extremely vulnerable" list - I'm now getting spammed by extra text messages that basically are cut-down excerpts from the website. Much more clearly written the first text we all got. Might be handy for those (primarily) older people who have a non-smart mobile phone or simply haven't got the hang of the internet yet. For the even older age group, without a mobile at all, are they getting automated voice messages to their landlines?
They should all be getting letters.
Should do - but mine hasn't arrived yet, at least. My hospital care team were very on the ball about emailing me last week though.
Some have mentioned they or others they know have received them, so it sounds as like they are in the process of being distributed.
I've just been sent the video from Tim Martin to the staff, it's not as bad as the letter makes out. However, the end result is that the staff are getting sacked and they don't know when they will get paid for March.
Martin actually even said Wetherspoons would take the wage subsidy but given potential delays in payment and the fact it only paid 80% of wages all he said was workers could get a job at Tescos instead in the meantime and still be prioritised for rehiring once Wetherspoons reopened
I have to admit my view of humanity has taken a bit of a hit over the last couple of days. My whole philosophy and that which drives my political views is that as a rule the vast majority of people are okay. Good people just trying to do their best and not hurt those around them. They have an innate wisdom which informs their decisions and Government's purpose should be to advise, help and do the big bits that individuals and collectives can't do on their own rather than to 'rule'.
As I say the reaction to the necessary actions and advise being given by the Government along with the political points scoring from some sections has given that world view a good kicking. In the end I still believe it is the right way to view things but I need to rebuild my faith in humanity a bit.
My view is that the guidelines and rules being passed down by the Government are clear, timely and obvious. There is a combination of genuine stupidity, wilful ignorance for political point scoring and arrogant disregard from a small minority that is making this more of a problem than it should be. It is a sad indictment of a small part of our society today.
I'm disappointed by a lot of the people on Twitter, there are some terribly judgemental twats (do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do attention seekers who love being self-righteous), and those who filter everything through their political bias. But out on the street and in work, I've seen most people behaving really well. In my street, all the edlderly neighbours have been looked after by us younger lot.
I took this virus pretty seriously from the start because of reading the stuff on here. Last Monday I started taking it ten times as seriously even though here in Wales we are still a week or so behind London - I know of nobody so far who has had the virus. 10 days ago we made sure we isolated my mother-in-law, who is not in the best of health.
But on Saturday I was one of those who took the dog to the beach. It was a pretty isolated beach with only a handful of people on it. I followed the advice of the chief medical adviser who on Friday said explicitly to exercise outdoors. People were behaving impeccably. Afterwards, I felt like a criminal!
Those photos of people crammed into Hackney were a different story to those of mountains and beaches. Younger people must generally think that if they stay away from old people, then they are happy to get the disease as long as it doesn't afflict anyone else. Obviously, it doesn't quite work like that but I wouldn't necessarily say that people on the streers are bad people, and dertainly not 'scum' as Sandy Rentool states.
I hope this virus doesn't make us more illiberal and less tolerant of our fellow humans. The authoritarian lefties and misanthropic twat brigade on Twitter would love that and it's the last thing we need.
I've just been sent the video from Tim Martin to the staff, it's not as bad as the letter makes out. However, the end result is that the staff are getting sacked and they don't know when they will get paid for March.
Martin actually even said Wetherspoons would take the wage subsidy but given potential delays in payment and the fact it only paid 80% of wages all he said was workers could get a job at Tescos instead in the meantime and still be prioritised for rehiring once Wetherspoons reopened
You missed the part where he sacked them all, despite the fact he could have kept them on at zero cost with the government subsidy.
One thing for sure is that the NHS is in no danger of privatisation. In the aftermath of this, it will be elevated to pseudo-religious status, even more than it was before.
Or we could move to the German public health insurance system
Never going to happen. Especially not after this. Can you imagine a war in the media of the government against NHS staff? How will that go?
It is not a war against NHS staff, just changing the healthcare funding model to that of a country with one of the lowest Covid 19 death rates
One thing for sure is that the NHS is in no danger of privatisation. In the aftermath of this, it will be elevated to pseudo-religious status, even more than it was before.
Or we could move to the German public health insurance system
Never going to happen. Especially not after this. Can you imagine a war in the media of the government against NHS staff? How will that go?
This is one reason I though that Brexit was inevitable - at a later date. The plenary plans for a European Health Service are there. It will not be the NHS model - no one else in Europe uses that structure. So at some point, it would keep the NHS as it is, or move to the European model.
Comments
I'm worried about Trump btw. I do hope this crisis doesn't perversely help him in the election. I can see how it might. Just as slagging off Johnson becomes an act of treachery here - We Are At War! - the same could happen over there.
The students of French seem to be more persistent.
So given you are in the former camp - you are! - I am taking this comment of yours with a mountain of NaCl.
Would be a shock if it's anything other than worst daily increase so far in new cases and deaths.
Is it just me that's unlucky I know 2 confirmed sufferers in Sheffield and 1 in Derbyshire.Theres only been about 100 recorded in both areas.
Oh well doors locked
When this is over we need a public enquiry into the behaviour and contribution journalists provided in our real time of need
Limited choice of subject at the moment then. Wanking and eating pringles?
What is irritating is when you are arguing with someone who's views are different to yours, and you are both convinced of being correct and logical and can't understand why someone holds equally passionately views that are opposite to your own. A good example of this would be Brexit!
Try not to let it get you down...
TfL disabled the online form to get a refund on travel cards - previously you could login in to your account, request a refund via online form. They replaced this with a phone line. This either doesn't work due to overload or makes you wait for multiple hours in a queue.
It seems quite clear that they are trying to slow down/stop people getting refunds on season tickets.
Before the dementia took a really firm hold of dad he would ring my brother or I up and ask where mum was (dead for 2 years).
It hurt every time
Yet Trumpy is on the news saying the US may open for business in a fortnight
Tim Martin though. What a [censored to not upset the mods]
"Two supermarket vans were destroyed in “sickening” arson attacks in Bristol and police riot vans were called out soon after Boris Johnson announced the new restrictions.
The delivery vans were destroyed in the attack outside an Iceland store in Arnside Road, Southmead, on Monday night.
Richard Walker, managing director of the retailer, said:
At a time when home delivery is literally a lifeline for some vulnerable people, this is sickening.
In a statement, Iceland said police riot vans were called out and youths threw missiles at the police as they tried to disperse them. Later in the evening, the two home delivery vans were set alight and the fire brigade attended to put out the fire.
The vans will both have to be written off. We believe this to be an act of mindless vandalism rather than a targeted attack on Iceland.
Our entire van fleet is running at absolutely full capacity at the moment, and it is shocking and distressing that anyone would act so callously to put vehicles out of service at precisely the time when they are most needed to deliver food to the most vulnerable people in our society."
In Kent someone also drilled holes in ambulance tires .......
Fuckers
priority ranking 7,034,642,456
https://twitter.com/politicshome/status/1242428450587193344?s=20
I've reviewed and adjusted our media plan. How odd that vastly bigger companies haven't done the same.
#wepulltogether
As a customer offering, I used to enjoy Weatherspoons. As soon as Martin started popping up on the media opining about Brexit and the rest, I stopped going there.
For deep ecologists, humans are just another animal species - save that the post agricultural revolution iteration is systematically trashing the planet. Views like this will come more to the fore in the next few weeks and months - and have already been tentatively touched on by a couple of posters here in the last few days.
This could end up being a game-changer as far as protecting the planet from our species is concerned.
I'll go again later to shut the gate.
Then tomorrow I'll go again to put the bin out.
(Please can we all stop familiarising the product by saying "Spoons"?)
I`ve just put on my slippers and next I`ll scratch my arse.
Morning, Miss Cyclefree.
This question is about how to renovate old fruit trees, which still give some crop, such that they are a 'reachable' size (which probably means 10ft or so). What needs to be done, and when?
There are some buds beginning to emerge. These are a mixture of apples and pears.
Thanks.
https://twitter.com/mattwardman/status/1242423442911252480
https://twitter.com/mattwardman/status/1242433554065350656
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ET35VTEXkAIL99h?format=jpg&name=small
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ET35Y_TXkAM4z6H?format=jpg&name=small
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ET4CpUgXsAARa99?format=jpg&name=900x900
Why wouldnt we want to learn from that ?
Stealing @Sunil_Prasannan jokes without attribution
I took this virus pretty seriously from the start because of reading the stuff on here. Last Monday I started taking it ten times as seriously even though here in Wales we are still a week or so behind London - I know of nobody so far who has had the virus. 10 days ago we made sure we isolated my mother-in-law, who is not in the best of health.
But on Saturday I was one of those who took the dog to the beach. It was a pretty isolated beach with only a handful of people on it. I followed the advice of the chief medical adviser who on Friday said explicitly to exercise outdoors. People were behaving impeccably. Afterwards, I felt like a criminal!
Those photos of people crammed into Hackney were a different story to those of mountains and beaches. Younger people must generally think that if they stay away from old people, then they are happy to get the disease as long as it doesn't afflict anyone else. Obviously, it doesn't quite work like that but I wouldn't necessarily say that people on the streers are bad people, and dertainly not 'scum' as Sandy Rentool states.
I hope this virus doesn't make us more illiberal and less tolerant of our fellow humans. The authoritarian lefties and misanthropic twat brigade on Twitter would love that and it's the last thing we need.