I seem to recall some TV programme years ago which did a 'Britain's favourite meals' thing, and they made sure all different curries got counted seperately, to make sure 'curry' or 'indian curry' did not win.
It’s welsh, supposed to be nice. It crops up a few times in the welsh heats of great British menu
The photo of it though actually looks like an oatcake.
I see the knowledge of Wales on here is on a par with Scotland. Most never been beyond the M25 and would not recognise anything Welsh or Scottish even if it hit them on the kisser.
I've been doing some reading recently and was surprised to learn that Welsh nationalism used to be far "worse" than it is now; there were arson attacks on English owned properties in the late 1970s and early 1980s
Old joke:
"Come home to a real fire.
Buy a cottage in Wales"
That's a sketch on Not the Nine O Clock News, based on a British Gas advert for flame effect Gas Fires.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives won a resounding victory in a state election in eastern Germany on Sunday, in a boost to Armin Laschet, who hopes to succeed her in September's national election.
An exit poll from the Saxony-Anhalt election for public broadcaster MDR had the Christian Democrats (CDU) on 36%, up more than 6 points on five years ago, and far ahead of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), who were on 22.5%, slightly down on the previous election.
Laschet, a centrist, was seen as having made an uncertain start to his election campaign and had faced calls to chart a more right-wing course to win back voters disenchanted by 16 years of compromises under Merkel.
"We have won the election," Saxony-Anhalt state premier Reiner Haseloff said after the exit polls came out. "A great majority of our citizens have said we don't want to be associated with the AfD. And for that I'm grateful."
He and other conservatives hailed the result as a tailwind for them ahead of the federal election.
"This will give us a boost for Berlin," national conservative caucus leader Ralph Brinkhaus said. "It is a victory for Armin Laschet."
The results were disappointing for most other parties, with the Greens, who are running a close second to the conservatives nationally, only in the single digits in the regional election.
"Sure, we'd like to have done better," said their candidate for chancellor, Annalena Baerbock. The Greens are traditionally weaker in less urban eastern Germany, which is more reliant on the carbon-intensive industries that the Greens hope to phase out.
Baerbock said the conservatives had benefited from voters rallying to the incumbent out of a desire to thwart the far-right, who had been as little as one point behind the conservatives in some opinion polls. . . .
Carsten Nickel, an analyst at consultancy Teneo, said the state election result was a "much-needed boost for Laschet just as the Bundestag campaign is about to heat up".
The pro-business Free Democrats were another winner, re-entering parliament after their vote share climbed back above the 5% threshold needed to win seats.
The Social Democrats, junior partners in Merkel's ruling coalition, had a disappointing night, with their forecast vote share of 8% showing they were unable to capitalise on the popularity of Olaf Scholz, who is finance minister and their candidate for chancellor.
Haseloff conceded that forming a state government could be tricky. His ally, state legislator Siegfried Borgwardt, said the party would not join forces with the AfD or the far-left Linke, but he would not commit to any other scenarios at this stage.
Good result for the CDU who are now back in the driving seat to lead another Coalition after September's election, poor result for the Greens and AfD.
Though the CDU score will have been boosted by some centre left voters lending their vote to the CDU to beat the AfD
Greens went in with 5 seats in Landtag, and emerge with the same. So status quo ante bellum. Saxony-Anhalt is NOT good natural turf for the Greens.
So a good result for Laschet, but hardly a disaster for Baerbock. And encouraging for the FDP in its quest to break the 5% threshold nationally, as they did locally this Sunday.
Continued doldrums for SDP, and deflation for die Linke, who methinks are in jeopardy of falling below 5% federally in September (though they'll likely still win some constituency seats)
People are deliberately putting off being vaccinated, prioritising their mini break to their relatives in the countryside etc.
This was seen in a "gap" in the bookings for this week, according to someone I spoke to about this - people choosing bookings before and after the half term.
The recent, quite stable, average vaccination rate is just above 1% of the adult population per day.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
1967: England 2-3 Scotland
Happily football doesn't have the concept of a lineal champion!
I don't think that was the view the Scots took...
Italy are current champions. England were indeed champions by beating West Germany in 1966
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
World in Motion was a much better Footy song in any case!
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives won a resounding victory in a state election in eastern Germany on Sunday, in a boost to Armin Laschet, who hopes to succeed her in September's national election.
An exit poll from the Saxony-Anhalt election for public broadcaster MDR had the Christian Democrats (CDU) on 36%, up more than 6 points on five years ago, and far ahead of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), who were on 22.5%, slightly down on the previous election.
Laschet, a centrist, was seen as having made an uncertain start to his election campaign and had faced calls to chart a more right-wing course to win back voters disenchanted by 16 years of compromises under Merkel.
"We have won the election," Saxony-Anhalt state premier Reiner Haseloff said after the exit polls came out. "A great majority of our citizens have said we don't want to be associated with the AfD. And for that I'm grateful."
He and other conservatives hailed the result as a tailwind for them ahead of the federal election.
"This will give us a boost for Berlin," national conservative caucus leader Ralph Brinkhaus said. "It is a victory for Armin Laschet."
The results were disappointing for most other parties, with the Greens, who are running a close second to the conservatives nationally, only in the single digits in the regional election.
"Sure, we'd like to have done better," said their candidate for chancellor, Annalena Baerbock. The Greens are traditionally weaker in less urban eastern Germany, which is more reliant on the carbon-intensive industries that the Greens hope to phase out.
Baerbock said the conservatives had benefited from voters rallying to the incumbent out of a desire to thwart the far-right, who had been as little as one point behind the conservatives in some opinion polls. . . .
Carsten Nickel, an analyst at consultancy Teneo, said the state election result was a "much-needed boost for Laschet just as the Bundestag campaign is about to heat up".
The pro-business Free Democrats were another winner, re-entering parliament after their vote share climbed back above the 5% threshold needed to win seats.
The Social Democrats, junior partners in Merkel's ruling coalition, had a disappointing night, with their forecast vote share of 8% showing they were unable to capitalise on the popularity of Olaf Scholz, who is finance minister and their candidate for chancellor.
Haseloff conceded that forming a state government could be tricky. His ally, state legislator Siegfried Borgwardt, said the party would not join forces with the AfD or the far-left Linke, but he would not commit to any other scenarios at this stage.
Good result for the CDU who are now back in the driving seat to lead another Coalition after September's election, poor result for the Greens and AfD.
Though the CDU score will have been boosted by some centre left voters lending their vote to the CDU to beat the AfD
Greens went in with 5 seats in Landtag, and emerge with the same. So status quo ante bellum. Saxony-Anhalt is NOT good natural turf for the Greens.
So a good result for Laschet, but hardly a disaster for Baerbock. And encouraging for the FDP in its quest to break the 5% threshold nationally, as they did locally this Sunday.
Continued doldrums for SDP, and deflation for die Linke, who methinks are in jeopardy of falling below 5% federally in September (though they'll likely still win some constituency seats)
Comment on Europe Elects on Saxony Anhalt after the exit poll projection of CDU first followed by AfD 'It's Germany's Hartlepool. Full of racist chavs.'
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
I think your Alexa has got confused and posted your shopping list.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
I have always thought that Wizzard hadn't thought through "I wish it could be Christmas every day".
How is anyone supposed to buy presents for example?
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
I have always thought that Wizzard hadn't thought through "I wish it could be Christmas every day".
How is anyone supposed to buy presents for example?
Months of lockdown should have abused them of that notion by now....
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
I always took that as blue RAF uniforms, or plane coloured blue as seen from below.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of Lilibet Diana! The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Saw that in West Virginia - which was early leader in vaxxing but has fallen behind thanks to Putinism - is has vax lottery featuring guns and pickups as prizes.
Am NOT knocking this, it's smart strategy on part of Gov Justice, who is (now) a Republican but NOT an idiot.
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
Hey, us twitchers can dream....
'Swallows' wouldn't have scanned as well as 'blue birds' because the two words are stretched over quite a long period - swaaaa....lows. Doesn't work. Not saying the original lyric isn't silly.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
Hey, us twitchers can dream....
Saw a golden eagle over the Paps of Jura this afternoon.
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
Beats Muttonbird!
NZ food has kind of stayed static.
When I left NZ 20 years ago, I’d say the average standard was better than here. I’d now say the U.K. has gone past NZ.
The national dish is either fish & chips, or the meat pie. Both are utterly ubiquitous.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
There's a real bifurcation going on: in the North East and the West Coast, vaccination rates are high and lots of people are continuing to get vaccinated.
In the Deep South, vaccination has virtually come to a halt. If you look at the percentage of people over 18 who've had at least one shot, then you get to the low 40s in Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, etc.
And that hides some crazy differentials. So, while big urban areas have decent uptake, out in the boondocks, vaccination rates are utterly appalling. Winston County, Alabama (which may not be the worst, it's just the one I found) is at just 16% of those ages 18+.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
Hey, us twitchers can dream....
'Swallows' wouldn't have scanned as well as 'blue birds' because the two words are stretched over quite a long period - swaaaa....lows. Doesn't work. Not saying the original lyric isn't silly.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink.
Eh? Our population is expected to keep growing through 2050, by which time we could have the largest population in Europe, excluding Russia.
Due to ageing and poor assumptions on immigration.
I think the assumptions on immigration are, if anything, an underestimate. And how old people are is irrelevant to the total population, which is what you said would shrink.
Immigration is an interesting one. Because if your population pyramid inverts then you become a place that's very unattractive for young people to live.
Ever greater percentages of young peoples' paychecks are sequestered to pay for the oldies, and that means - as with both Italy and Japan - you end up with net emigration of the young and the talented.
Which is why those immigration numbers are a fantasy. Young people won't come to the UK to pay 50% of their wages to pay for old people who pissed away all their money.
Which takes me back to the original point of helicopter money to have kids and get married. Something like £50k paid over 10 years for a kid and £20k over 5 years to get married for your first three kids and first marriage.
The French tax system (mention by RCS) is one of the best ideas - transferable tax allowances, for parents and children.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
Hey, us twitchers can dream....
'Swallows' wouldn't have scanned as well as 'blue birds' because the two words are stretched over quite a long period - swaaaa....lows. Doesn't work. Not saying the original lyric isn't silly.
1. The bluebird is a symbol of hope, love, and renewal and is also a part of many Native American legends. The Bluebird is actually a bird that symbolizes the essence of life and beauty. Dreaming of bluebirds often represents happiness, joy, fulfillment, hope, prosperity, and good luck.
2. Swallows opens up the frankly terrifying risks as to whether you are talking about African or European swallows....
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
World in Motion was a much better Footy song in any case!
Ah, but Vindaloo by Fat Les
My favourite piece of writing I have ever produced was on this subject. Definitley TLDR, but my conclusion was Life of Riley by the Lightning Seeds. Not technically a football song per se, but used for Goal of the Month on Match of the Day for so long that it has become one.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
There's a real bifurcation going on: in the North East and the West Coast, vaccination rates are high and lots of people are continuing to get vaccinated.
In the Deep South, vaccination has virtually come to a halt. If you look at the percentage of people over 18 who've had at least one shot, then you get to the low 40s in Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, etc.
And that hides some crazy differentials. So, while big urban areas have decent uptake, out in the boondocks, vaccination rates are utterly appalling. Winston County, Alabama (which may not be the worst, it's just the one I found) is at just 16% of those ages 18+.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
Hey, us twitchers can dream....
'Swallows' wouldn't have scanned as well as 'blue birds' because the two words are stretched over quite a long period - swaaaa....lows. Doesn't work. Not saying the original lyric isn't silly.
1. The bluebird is a symbol of hope, love, and renewal and is also a part of many Native American legends. The Bluebird is actually a bird that symbolizes the essence of life and beauty. Dreaming of bluebirds often represents happiness, joy, fulfillment, hope, prosperity, and good luck.
2. Swallows opens up the frankly terrifying risks as to whether you are talking about African or European swallows....
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
There's a real bifurcation going on: in the North East and the West Coast, vaccination rates are high and lots of people are continuing to get vaccinated.
In the Deep South, vaccination has virtually come to a halt. If you look at the percentage of people over 18 who've had at least one shot, then you get to the low 40s in Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, etc.
And that hides some crazy differentials. So, while big urban areas have decent uptake, out in the boondocks, vaccination rates are utterly appalling. Winston County, Alabama (which may not be the worst, it's just the one I found) is at just 16% of those ages 18+.
It may be just coincidence, but Winston County was (pre-1960s) the most Republican county in Alabama, famed as the "Free State of Winston" for it's pro-unionist stand during AND after the Civil War. BTW this is mentioned in "To Kill a Mockingbird".
"From the beginning of the war . . . Winston County's inhabitants were strongly Unionist. Christopher Sheats, a 22-year old Winston County schoolteacher and ardent Unionist, was elected by an overwhelming majority to represent the county at Alabama's secession convention. There, he refused to sign the secession ordinance. His Unionism later led to his expulsion from the state legislature and his imprisonment for some time under charges of treason.
In the first months after secession, many Winston Unionists formed home guard companies to defend themselves against Confederates. In addition, Unionists elected as officers in many of the county's militia units refused to take the oath of office, preventing them from drilling and entering Confederate service."
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
I have always thought that Wizzard hadn't thought through "I wish it could be Christmas every day".
How is anyone supposed to buy presents for example?
Well if you are going to get all pedantic about it, surely Christmas Day starts with people already having presents to give, so there is no need to go shopping for them.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
Hey, us twitchers can dream....
Saw a golden eagle over the Paps of Jura this afternoon.
Grrrr! (At seeing the Paps, not the Golden Eagle). Ages since I climbed Beinn an Oir.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
Which implies it is still down to supply.
You might as well say that the reason the whole population wasn't vaccinated in January was down to 'supply'. A major limitation is clearly the refusal to revise the advice on AZ.
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
Which implies it is still down to supply.
You might as well say that the reason the whole population wasn't vaccinated in January was down to 'supply'. A major limitation is clearly the refusal to revise the advice on AZ.
Well it's true, isn't it? If people want it, but can't get it, the issue must be on the supply side. What advice are you referring to?
But we are going to pick a bloke who was banned for racism instead.
FFS...Former England captain Michael Vaughan told BBC Sport: "He has got to go away, learn and educate himself - and become a better person for it.
10 years ago he sent these tweets, when by all accounts he acted like a total twat. I am not sure if he hasn't changed in the meantime he ever will, and by all accounts that is exactly what he has done. He was sacked for his general behaviour and since rebuilt his career.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
Production rates. In a documentary that was done on the vaccine supply chain setup, one of the key people was asked if they should try to double production - he said no, the system as a whole was quite fragile, depending on many interacting factors.
I rather doubt we are going to get to 95% overall - though it would be nice.
I am betting on a ceiling of 87% overall, I think.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
Which implies it is still down to supply.
Or it could be down to (insufficient) organisation.
I thought we were supposed to be very well supplied by June?
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink.
Eh? Our population is expected to keep growing through 2050, by which time we could have the largest population in Europe, excluding Russia.
Due to ageing and poor assumptions on immigration.
I think the assumptions on immigration are, if anything, an underestimate. And how old people are is irrelevant to the total population, which is what you said would shrink.
Immigration is an interesting one. Because if your population pyramid inverts then you become a place that's very unattractive for young people to live.
Ever greater percentages of young peoples' paychecks are sequestered to pay for the oldies, and that means - as with both Italy and Japan - you end up with net emigration of the young and the talented.
I think that your tip for a year of net emigration has probably come true.
I think though that the combination of global warming and employment opportunities will keep migration from Africa going, indeed accelerating over the next couple of decades.
Given Africa's birth rate I don't see how its emigration cannot accelerate.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
There's a real bifurcation going on: in the North East and the West Coast, vaccination rates are high and lots of people are continuing to get vaccinated.
In the Deep South, vaccination has virtually come to a halt. If you look at the percentage of people over 18 who've had at least one shot, then you get to the low 40s in Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, etc.
And that hides some crazy differentials. So, while big urban areas have decent uptake, out in the boondocks, vaccination rates are utterly appalling. Winston County, Alabama (which may not be the worst, it's just the one I found) is at just 16% of those ages 18+.
Which suggests that covid will become an endemic form of death in the USA.
With some politicians looking to use it for electoral purposes.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
Which implies it is still down to supply.
Or it could be down to (insufficient) organisation.
I thought we were supposed to be very well supplied by June?
I think it's far more likely that it's on the supply side. There aren't tens of millions of doses sitting waiting to be administered.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
Hey, us twitchers can dream....
Saw a golden eagle over the Paps of Jura this afternoon.
Grrrr! (At seeing the Paps, not the Golden Eagle). Ages since I climbed Beinn an Oir.
The guide book says it's all bog on the way in, and scree thereafter. Looks nice though.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink.
Eh? Our population is expected to keep growing through 2050, by which time we could have the largest population in Europe, excluding Russia.
Due to ageing and poor assumptions on immigration.
I think the assumptions on immigration are, if anything, an underestimate. And how old people are is irrelevant to the total population, which is what you said would shrink.
Immigration is an interesting one. Because if your population pyramid inverts then you become a place that's very unattractive for young people to live.
Ever greater percentages of young peoples' paychecks are sequestered to pay for the oldies, and that means - as with both Italy and Japan - you end up with net emigration of the young and the talented.
Which is why those immigration numbers are a fantasy. Young people won't come to the UK to pay 50% of their wages to pay for old people who pissed away all their money.
Which takes me back to the original point of helicopter money to have kids and get married. Something like £50k paid over 10 years for a kid and £20k over 5 years to get married for your first three kids and first marriage.
The problem with helicopter money is that there is a significant portion of the population who'll take their £50k, blow it, and then be left with a kid and no job.
Much better to give it via tax breaks if you ask me.
Much more important than the name of some offspring, I reckon England cricket has taken a turn for the worse today. If I was at Lords I'd be pretty pissed off and maybe booing. A very generous declaration from NZ, but no effort by England to get the runs before shutting up shop. They could have sought to rotate the strike for the first 30 overs or so, then had a dash, before defending if wickets were lost. You don't need big hitters to get a target of less than 4 an over.
My other major complaint is the over rate in all form of cricket these days. When I was a lad, 20 overs an hour was the norm. Not this constant fiddling with the field, and drinks breaks. Poor value for money now.
Edit - I shall of course withdraw all this if England score 140 off the last 20 overs. Likely chance.
This was perhaps the most depressing England batting display I've seen:
Admittedly, four of the wickets should have been no balls.
There was little or no risk in the Karachi match - there were always going to be able to go off for the light if they lost wickets.
I was thinking of the second Test at Manchester. Saqlain Mushtaq bowled several no balls that even Mohammed Asif would have blinked at, all of them missed by the umpire and four of which took wickets.
Congratulations, and that name is just trying a bit too hard.
It'd be like me declaring a fatwa and launching a intifada against this site and calling my next son Mike Robert TSE Royale.
Short price for the first criticism of choice of name!
Yeah, but I mean COME ON.
"Lilibet" Diana?
I wish the kid all the best, but it's nauseating.
Absolutely, because no parent has ever named their sprog after family members.
I mean the Queen has the same name as her mother.
Nice idea from them, but I don’t like nicknames as the official name for kids really. Elizabeth known as ‘Lilibet’ would have been nicer, but then again maybe that’s just me being old fashioned.
Who cares what the Queen is called in private? Who cares what anyone is called in private? The determination to peek inside one family’s life is completely bizarre.
I've always felt that M'lud with a doff of the cap was acceptable to the 'My Lord' I usually would require.
Harry really needs to stop this crap or do a DNA test.
The obsession with one family you have never met is beyond bizarre.
When you say obsession then you'd suggest I've posted about them before I presume?
Try to find an example.
Turns out there are none. Hang your head.
It'd have been so easy to apologise, but you choose to run away. @Anabobazina - shabby.
I was having dinner! My post was in the general - the obsession with a single family that few have ever met is indeed bizarre. I find royalism strangely creepy.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
Which implies it is still down to supply.
Or it could be down to (insufficient) organisation.
I thought we were supposed to be very well supplied by June?
I think it's far more likely that it's on the supply side. There aren't tens of millions of doses sitting waiting to be administered.
Every person I have talked to throughout the vaccination campaign, who is involved in it, said that there was more capacity to deliver vaccines than vaccines to deliver. This was apparently a deliberate decision in the way it was structured.
Remember that we are in the less than optimal scenario on vaccines - they were supposed to be produced in even larger volumes and earlier. Due to the surge in India, we didn't get additional supplies through our investment in COVAX etc. etc.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
Which implies it is still down to supply.
Or it could be down to (insufficient) organisation.
I thought we were supposed to be very well supplied by June?
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
If in Texas, Florida, Georgia, life is back to normal I'm not surprised. People have probably lost interest. Hong Kong flu 1968-69 was almost certainly a worse disease for fatality rate than this one and life went on as normal although a vaccine did become available. I doubt it ever got to 50-60% of the population.
Because all vaccine producers are now indemnified, governments pay for vaccine injuries. In the UK, medical treatment for the side-effects will be free under the NHS. For other losses you'll have to sue the government (good luck with that). In the USA it's worse because medical treatment isn't free at the point of use and if you lose your job you may lose your insurance cover.
However, in the UK it's insane to vaccinate healthy people under ~30-40 who appear to be at more risk from the vaccine than the virus. For virus risks, see https://www.qcovid.org.
UK Column has tried to list vaccine risks and side-effects as per the Yellow Card reporting system. The govt. gives a very good impression of desperately wanting to cover them up.
But we are going to pick a bloke who was banned for racism instead.
FFS...Former England captain Michael Vaughan told BBC Sport: "He has got to go away, learn and educate himself - and become a better person for it.
10 years ago he sent these tweets, when by all accounts he acted like a total twat. I am not sure if he hasn't changed in the meantime he ever will, and by all accounts that is exactly what he has done. He was sacked for his general behaviour and since rebuilt his career.
Well quite. If he made the tweets 10 years ago, and hasn't done anything similar since (assuming he hasn't) then it's a bit difficult to understand what he is supposed to do about it. And does seem evidence in itself that he isn't the same person now as he was then. How can he "go away and educate himself" on issues he has already educated himself about?
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
If in Texas, Florida, Georgia, life is back to normal I'm not surprised. People have probably lost interest. Hong Kong flu 1968-69 was almost certainly a worse disease for fatality rate than this one and life went on as normal although a vaccine did become available. I doubt it ever got to 50-60% of the population.
Because all vaccine producers are now indemnified, governments pay for vaccine injuries. In the UK, medical treatment for the side-effects will be free under the NHS. For other losses you'll have to sue the government (good luck with that). In the USA it's worse because medical treatment isn't free at the point of use and if you lose your job you may lose your insurance cover.
However, in the UK it's insane to vaccinate healthy people under ~30-40 who appear to be at more risk from the vaccine than the virus. For virus risks, see https://www.qcovid.org.
UK Column has tried to list vaccine risks and side-effects as per the Yellow Card reporting system. The govt. gives a very good impression of desperately wanting to cover them up.
Isn't there like a factor of ten difference in the fatality rate between the Hong Kong flu and covid?
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
Production rates. In a documentary that was done on the vaccine supply chain setup, one of the key people was asked if they should try to double production - he said no, the system as a whole was quite fragile, depending on many interacting factors.
I rather doubt we are going to get to 95% overall - though it would be nice.
I am betting on a ceiling of 87% overall, I think.
What are you using as the denominator for the UK adult population though. The NIMS, ONS, "ourworldindata", worldometers, UN all have differing numbers. Unhelpfully the ONS and NIMS data is dividided 16+ and nothing doing about the numbers of 16/17 yr olds.
But we are going to pick a bloke who was banned for racism instead.
FFS...Former England captain Michael Vaughan told BBC Sport: "He has got to go away, learn and educate himself - and become a better person for it.
10 years ago he sent these tweets, when by all accounts he acted like a total twat. I am not sure if he hasn't changed in the meantime he ever will, and by all accounts that is exactly what he has done. He was sacked for his general behaviour and since rebuilt his career.
Well quite. If he made the tweets 10 years ago, and hasn't done anything similar since (assuming he hasn't) then it's a bit difficult to understand what he is supposed to do about it. And does seem evidence in itself that he isn't the same person now as he was then. How can he "go away and educate himself" on issues he has already educated himself about?
He has been found to have a heretical past. Since he doesn't have an official indulgence, he has been excommunicated. An Inquisition will decide how much self flagellation and hair shirting is required.
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
An excellent list. I salute you
Many still mock, in far flung lands, but Britain has a great wealth of native food and drink, from London dry gin (the gin and tonic!) to a perfect Stilton
I have a theory that we feel unnecessarily self conscious about our food because we are neighbours to Spain, Italy and France, three of the greatest cuisines in the world. We compare ourselves and feel inadequate (wrongly, especially now), but that is our psychological inheritance
You can see the same in reverse. French people are still self-conscious about their popular music. They deem it as inadequate, but theirs, and this is in part because they are neighbours to the UK, which has (until recently) probably had the best popular music in the world, bar maybe America
British music is not what it was, nor is French food and wine
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
Beats Muttonbird!
NZ food has kind of stayed static.
When I left NZ 20 years ago, I’d say the average standard was better than here. I’d now say the U.K. has gone past NZ.
The national dish is either fish & chips, or the meat pie. Both are utterly ubiquitous.
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
Quite probably - the max take-up issue will be the next critical issue, around the world.
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
And yet, it's still disappointing we haven't been able to up the vaccination rate. Most of my nephews and nieces are still waiting for their first jab, and very keen to have it.
Production rates. In a documentary that was done on the vaccine supply chain setup, one of the key people was asked if they should try to double production - he said no, the system as a whole was quite fragile, depending on many interacting factors.
I rather doubt we are going to get to 95% overall - though it would be nice.
I am betting on a ceiling of 87% overall, I think.
What are you using as the denominator for the UK adult population though. The NIMS, ONS, "ourworldindata", worldometers, UN all have differing numbers. Unhelpfully the ONS and NIMS data is dividided 16+ and nothing doing about the numbers of 16/17 yr olds.
NIMS mostly - it is fairly easy to look at the proportion of 16 and 17 years olds in the population (using full ONS 2019, say) and create a multiplication factor to guesstimate the 18+ numbers
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
Hey, us twitchers can dream....
Saw a golden eagle over the Paps of Jura this afternoon.
Grrrr! (At seeing the Paps, not the Golden Eagle). Ages since I climbed Beinn an Oir.
The guide book says it's all bog on the way in, and scree thereafter. Looks nice though.
Normal for a Scottish hill! There's a very extensive view though.
There's a hill race (normally at the end of May) that does all 3 Paps. Pretty tough going I'd have thought, although the record is some ridiculous time like 3 hours.
Devilled kidneys. Eccles cakes. Pheasant and bread sauce. Pork scratchings. Smoked haddock. Maldon oysters and Maldon salt. Bacon(!). Gooseberry fool. Buttered parsnips. Hot chocolate. Hot mustard. Staffordshire oatcakes. Indian Pale Ale. Pea and ham hock soup. Marmite. Piccalilli. Barnsley chop with honeyed carrots. Strawberries and cream. Ginger beer.
Beats Muttonbird!
NZ food has kind of stayed static.
When I left NZ 20 years ago, I’d say the average standard was better than here. I’d now say the U.K. has gone past NZ.
The national dish is either fish & chips, or the meat pie. Both are utterly ubiquitous.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink. One of the best ideas was to give couples ¥5m to have babies and ¥2m each to get married. Helicopter money to help drive population growth rather than endless money printing to fight deflation in a country where there are fewer people spending money every year. I think we're all going to need to look at odd schemes like this in the next decade or so.
Surely the simplest solution is to subsidise alcohol and bars for those in their early 20s, combined with making contraceptives harder to acquire.
That's also a good idea. Lower the drinking age to 16, more Suntory adverts and raise the age of getting condoms to 21. Instant baby boom.
Tax allowances based on your family might be a good idea (Done in France I think). We do need a higher birth rate here in the UK.
Er... why?
I think on this issue the UK is actually in the Goldilocks zone and can worry about other things like Brexit and the fact that the Euro 96 song containing the exasperated worlds of "30 years of hurt" is now "55 years of hurt" and will be 56 next year unless Southgate changes course. Also how do we win the Eurovision ever again?
Silly lyric. How were the four years between 1966 and 1970 'years of hurt' when we were reigning world champions?
Should have been '26 years of hurt'.
You have ruined it for me now. I will only be able to be thinking that when it plays.
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover must have the silliest lyrics ever.
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
I have always thought that Wizzard hadn't thought through "I wish it could be Christmas every day".
How is anyone supposed to buy presents for example?
Cheddar Cheese, Apple Crumble, Coronation Chicken, Mrs King’s Pork Pies, Roast Beef and Horseradish Sandwiches, Stilton, Cumberland Sausage, Marmalade, Dover Sole, Clotted Cream and Jam Scones, Haggis, Stout, Rhubarb and Custard, Chips, Chips, Chips, Bakewell Tart etc etc etc etc
Obviously we cannot compete with French, Italian and Japanese which are all God Tier.
It is still not possible to dine “serendipitously” outside of London, like it is in France.
Good list, but I'm not sure how much you've travelled outside of London recently?
The food in Hampshire is very good to phenomenal in most places - it has to be, or they'd close - and that's also the case in Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.
I wonder if there's a strange symbiosis going on here with the smoking ban and change in attitudes to drink-driving here - good food is almost the only way rural hostelries can now survive.
Local knowledge helps. It is fairly easy to eat badly and expensively in most of England, and well at more reasonable places nearby.
A lot depends on what you consider good food. Nearly everything in the header is unhealthy, full of fat, refined carbs and hardly any vegetables. While pretty much all can be part of a healthy diet, in practice they are mostly part of a nutritional wasteland of a diet.
Saturated fat, e.g. cheese & butter from grass-fed animals, is in reasonable amounts extremely good for health. It raises HDL cholesterol = a good thing. The French and Swiss have the highest sat. fat consumption in Europe, I think and statistically have good health.
The UK and US govts and medical professions have given people the opposite advice for >40 years - the so-called 'food pyramid'. The UK has an apparent epidemic - one is tempted to say 'pandemic' - of type 2 diabetes.
The Anglosphere, with semi-junk food diets, has appalling overweight and obesity figures. Western Europe (i.e. other than the UK) and the Far East do quite well.
Yes, and the Dutch have a traditional diet that on the face of it is full of saturated fat and carbs. They make up for it by doing a lot of cycling so are amongst the slimmest of Europeans.
So it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you exercise is what you're saying?
It certainly makes a great difference to weight.
The calorie intake of the average Briton is lower than in the Sixties, yet we are as a nation much fatter. The exercise of daily life is the big difference.
The thin people that you see with junk food are the Deliveroo cyclists...
The other thing is presumably central heating. We no longer need to keep warm in the winter.
What you need is a house where you get ice on the inside of windows during winter......
I remember it well , we were tough in those days, lots of basic food , but had loads of exercise and did miles every day.
Had a great afternoon with some friends about 20 of us crammed into a tiny garden and dining room. One subject that came up was Japan (with a few of us working for various Japanese companies this isn't out of the ordinary) and their constant fight with deflation. Something that we're going to struggle with in 10-15 years as the population starts to shrink.
Eh? Our population is expected to keep growing through 2050, by which time we could have the largest population in Europe, excluding Russia.
Due to ageing and poor assumptions on immigration.
I think the assumptions on immigration are, if anything, an underestimate. And how old people are is irrelevant to the total population, which is what you said would shrink.
Immigration is an interesting one. Because if your population pyramid inverts then you become a place that's very unattractive for young people to live.
Ever greater percentages of young peoples' paychecks are sequestered to pay for the oldies, and that means - as with both Italy and Japan - you end up with net emigration of the young and the talented.
Which is why those immigration numbers are a fantasy. Young people won't come to the UK to pay 50% of their wages to pay for old people who pissed away all their money.
Which takes me back to the original point of helicopter money to have kids and get married. Something like £50k paid over 10 years for a kid and £20k over 5 years to get married for your first three kids and first marriage.
The problem with helicopter money is that there is a significant portion of the population who'll take their £50k, blow it, and then be left with a kid and no job.
Much better to give it via tax breaks if you ask me.
True, but you still get the kids which is the end goal, especially in a country like Japan which is never going to be open to immigration and needs for more people to actually get married and then have 2 or more kids in the very short term.
Apologies for raising the W-word on what appears to have otherwise been an evening free from the war-on-Woke but this article from Friday's Guardian got me thinking and is, I feel, well worth a read.
The paradox it highlights is that Britain is a fundamentally conservative country, usually run by Conservative govenments, and yet over the past 70 years social attitudes have tranformed dramatically in a most un-conservative direction. Maybe it doesn't really matter what hue of government we elect?
The collapse in the US vaccination rate is quite extraordinary. In many (Southern) states, vaccination has ground to a complete halt.
Yes, I noticed that too. The US seems to be at 50% 1st dose and 41% two doses. Is it running into a maximum take-up percentage of say 50-60%?
If in Texas, Florida, Georgia, life is back to normal I'm not surprised. People have probably lost interest. Hong Kong flu 1968-69 was almost certainly a worse disease for fatality rate than this one and life went on as normal although a vaccine did become available. I doubt it ever got to 50-60% of the population.
Because all vaccine producers are now indemnified, governments pay for vaccine injuries. In the UK, medical treatment for the side-effects will be free under the NHS. For other losses you'll have to sue the government (good luck with that). In the USA it's worse because medical treatment isn't free at the point of use and if you lose your job you may lose your insurance cover.
However, in the UK it's insane to vaccinate healthy people under ~30-40 who appear to be at more risk from the vaccine than the virus. For virus risks, see https://www.qcovid.org.
UK Column has tried to list vaccine risks and side-effects as per the Yellow Card reporting system. The govt. gives a very good impression of desperately wanting to cover them up.
Isn't there like a factor of ten difference in the fatality rate between the Hong Kong flu and covid?
The Case Fatality Rate for Hong Kong Flu is estimated by the WHO to be < 0.2%
The Infection Fatality Rate for Covid must be greater than 0.56% since that is the population death rate in Peru, and it's unlikely that the whole population there has been infected.
The Case Fatality Rate for Covid is likely about twice that of the Infection Fatality Rate, because of the large number of asymptomatic infections.
So, yes, there is an order of magnitude difference in the fatality rate of Covid and Hong Kong flu. It's also worth pointing out that the R value for Hong Kong flu was estimated as 1.8, which means it would have spread much more slowly than Covid, which is another factor that makes Covid more dangerous.
Comments
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=966889406716055
They burned 200 cottages over 10 years and it was about preserving the language.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meibion_Glyndŵr
Saxony-Anhalt is NOT good natural turf for the Greens.
So a good result for Laschet, but hardly a disaster for Baerbock. And encouraging for the FDP in its quest to break the 5% threshold nationally, as they did locally this Sunday.
Continued doldrums for SDP, and deflation for die Linke, who methinks are in jeopardy of falling below 5% federally in September (though they'll likely still win some constituency seats)
This was seen in a "gap" in the bookings for this week, according to someone I spoke to about this - people choosing bookings before and after the half term.
The recent, quite stable, average vaccination rate is just above 1% of the adult population per day.
Italy are current champions. England were indeed champions by beating West Germany in 1966
Why did no one explain to the lyricist Nat Burton that we don't have bluebirds in Europe? Swallows would have scanned just as well.
https://twitter.com/JimCam73/status/1401605014934654986?s=20
How is anyone supposed to buy presents for example?
Lilibet is Her Majesty’s 11th great-grandchild.
https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1401614927236841474?s=20
Incidentally, the UK will pass the US in terms of highest percentage of population vaccinated next week.
It is worth noting that at the current rate of progress in the UK - first doses 0.35% of population, second 0.68% - we reach 95% of the adult population at the end of July.
Am NOT knocking this, it's smart strategy on part of Gov Justice, who is (now) a Republican but NOT an idiot.
When I left NZ 20 years ago, I’d say the average standard was better than here. I’d now say the U.K. has gone past NZ.
The national dish is either fish & chips, or the meat pie. Both are utterly ubiquitous.
In the Deep South, vaccination has virtually come to a halt. If you look at the percentage of people over 18 who've had at least one shot, then you get to the low 40s in Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, etc.
And that hides some crazy differentials. So, while big urban areas have decent uptake, out in the boondocks, vaccination rates are utterly appalling. Winston County, Alabama (which may not be the worst, it's just the one I found) is at just 16% of those ages 18+.
2. Swallows opens up the frankly terrifying risks as to whether you are talking about African or European swallows....
FT UK: Chip shortage to last another year.....
or perhaps they don't mean those type of chips, as that really would lead to riots in the streets.
And that video. THAT is the football that today's man in his forties fell in love with:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCm3bS6wXvk
Card shortage for EU we have all of them
Free State of Winston
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1850
"From the beginning of the war . . . Winston County's inhabitants were strongly Unionist. Christopher Sheats, a 22-year old Winston County schoolteacher and ardent Unionist, was elected by an overwhelming majority to represent the county at Alabama's secession convention. There, he refused to sign the secession ordinance. His Unionism later led to his expulsion from the state legislature and his imprisonment for some time under charges of treason.
In the first months after secession, many Winston Unionists formed home guard companies to defend themselves against Confederates. In addition, Unionists elected as officers in many of the county's militia units refused to take the oath of office, preventing them from drilling and entering Confederate service."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/06/06/joe-biden-pledges-affirm-special-relationship-heads-britain/
*gets coat*
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/57379184
But we are going to pick a bloke who was banned for racism instead.
FFS...Former England captain Michael Vaughan told BBC Sport: "He has got to go away, learn and educate himself - and become a better person for it.
10 years ago he sent these tweets, when by all accounts he acted like a total twat. I am not sure if he hasn't changed in the meantime he ever will, and by all accounts that is exactly what he has done. He was sacked for his general behaviour and since rebuilt his career.
I rather doubt we are going to get to 95% overall - though it would be nice.
I am betting on a ceiling of 87% overall, I think.
I thought we were supposed to be very well supplied by June?
Where they go is another matter.
With some politicians looking to use it for electoral purposes.
Vera Lynn: The White Cliffs of Dover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqtaoz4QFX8
Much better to give it via tax breaks if you ask me.
Covid hospitalisations could exceed January without action says Epidemiologist
https://www.channel4.com/news/covid-hospitalisations-could-exceed-january-without-action-says-epidemiologist
Cardiff City fan?
Remember that we are in the less than optimal scenario on vaccines - they were supposed to be produced in even larger volumes and earlier. Due to the surge in India, we didn't get additional supplies through our investment in COVAX etc. etc.
Certainly plenty available near me.
Because all vaccine producers are now indemnified, governments pay for vaccine injuries. In the UK, medical treatment for the side-effects will be free under the NHS. For other losses you'll have to sue the government (good luck with that). In the USA it's worse because medical treatment isn't free at the point of use and if you lose your job you may lose your insurance cover.
However, in the UK it's insane to vaccinate healthy people under ~30-40 who appear to be at more risk from the vaccine than the virus. For virus risks, see https://www.qcovid.org.
UK Column has tried to list vaccine risks and side-effects as per the Yellow Card reporting system. The govt. gives a very good impression of desperately wanting to cover them up.
It does rather puzzle me that virally implanted mRNA is fine and dandy, vaccine mRNA a poisonous plot.
still in lockdown
Many still mock, in far flung lands, but Britain has a great wealth of native food and drink, from London dry gin (the gin and tonic!) to a perfect Stilton
I have a theory that we feel unnecessarily self conscious about our food because we are neighbours to Spain, Italy and France, three of the greatest cuisines in the world. We compare ourselves and feel inadequate (wrongly, especially now), but that is our psychological inheritance
You can see the same in reverse. French people are still self-conscious about their popular music. They deem it as inadequate, but theirs, and this is in part because they are neighbours to the UK, which has (until recently) probably had the best popular music in the world, bar maybe America
British music is not what it was, nor is French food and wine
The Muttonbirds also produced 1.5 good albums,
There's a hill race (normally at the end of May) that does all 3 Paps. Pretty tough going I'd have thought, although the record is some ridiculous time like 3 hours.
Keep an eye out for the Sea Eagles too.
Hard to do if you don't subscribe. And frankly, I can't believe today's Telegraph is worth parting with actual real money.
See the other dips in the chart too. UK figures are really affected by Bank Holidays for some reason.
The paradox it highlights is that Britain is a fundamentally conservative country, usually run by Conservative govenments, and yet over the past 70 years social attitudes have tranformed dramatically in a most un-conservative direction. Maybe it doesn't really matter what hue of government we elect?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/04/history-conservatives-social-change-britain
The Infection Fatality Rate for Covid must be greater than 0.56% since that is the population death rate in Peru, and it's unlikely that the whole population there has been infected.
The Case Fatality Rate for Covid is likely about twice that of the Infection Fatality Rate, because of the large number of asymptomatic infections.
So, yes, there is an order of magnitude difference in the fatality rate of Covid and Hong Kong flu. It's also worth pointing out that the R value for Hong Kong flu was estimated as 1.8, which means it would have spread much more slowly than Covid, which is another factor that makes Covid more dangerous.