COVID19

[morepork]

What a fucking idiot. All that posturing bravado, then BAM!


You got de virus.

If people like that can't grasp basic hygene and the predictive power of a basic knowledge of biology, then they should fuck off and do something else.

[Mellsblue]

Bloody hell. Unsurprisingly, now the Prof has it as well. Trying to think of a witty pun but it’s eluding me.

[Galfon]

you should distance yourself from remarks like that..
Virgin Atlantic are seeking a bail-out apparently

[Digby]

I've just had 20 minutes of outstanding entertainment, I was querying why the toilet roll was vanishing at an alarming rate and it turns out my daughter has been practicing applying makeup and then removing it over and over, I was going to be cross about the loss of toilet roll but the missus was even crosser about the loss and destruction of so much of her makeup and had a full on vent

[morepork]

I've just had 20 minutes of outstanding entertainment, I was querying why the toilet roll was vanishing at an alarming rate and it turns out my daughter has been practicing applying makeup and then removing it over and over, I was going to be cross about the loss of toilet roll but the missus was even crosser about the loss and destruction of so much of her makeup and had a full on vent

I’m picturing Lloyd, the bar man in The Shining. “I had to correct her Sir”

[Mellsblue]

Worth a read:

[paddy no 11]

The paddy's go into lockdown

We have fcuk all icu beds so had to come

[Digby]

I've just had 20 minutes of outstanding entertainment, I was querying why the toilet roll was vanishing at an alarming rate and it turns out my daughter has been practicing applying makeup and then removing it over and over, I was going to be cross about the loss of toilet roll but the missus was even crosser about the loss and destruction of so much of her makeup and had a full on vent

I’m picturing Lloyd, the bar man in The Shining. “I had to correct her Sir”

I've spent several hours pondering, and assuming society does return, whether I'd have use for a crushed red velvet tux. My instinct was damn right I'd want one, but on reflection I'm not sure I'd get enough use out of it

[Son of Mathonwy]

Not sure it's all that optimistic. The current graph on the nyt link shows the UK daily growth of coronavirus death at approx 23%. I'm assuming this means daily growth rate in cumulative deaths (rather than daily deaths).

578 cumulative UK deaths yesterday means:
711 cumulative deaths today,
354,000 cumulative deaths in a month,
1,000,000 cumulative deaths in 36 days,
66,870,000 cumulative deaths in 56.3 days. That the total UK population.

Yes, I know this can't really kill more than a few percent of the population, but these numbers (whilst falling) are actually terrifying.

The actual cumulative total for 27th March came out at 759, which is a 31% daily increase. If that rate continues we hit 2.5m deaths in a month.

This is terrifying, and is even more so because, as can be seen from the cabinet's own infections, they really don't know what they're doing. We are being governed by incompetents at a time when the cost will be measured in lives.

[Digby]

If you want cabinet government there's little choice but for them to be meeting people. I think in these circumstances I'd be saying thank you for doing the job knowing there's a chance you'll be burying some of your friends/colleagues as with other front line jobs, not saying because they're getting ill they don't know what they're doing

[Donny osmond]

Not sure it's all that optimistic. The current graph on the nyt link shows the UK daily growth of coronavirus death at approx 23%. I'm assuming this means daily growth rate in cumulative deaths (rather than daily deaths).

578 cumulative UK deaths yesterday means:
711 cumulative deaths today,
354,000 cumulative deaths in a month,
1,000,000 cumulative deaths in 36 days,
66,870,000 cumulative deaths in 56.3 days. That the total UK population.

Yes, I know this can't really kill more than a few percent of the population, but these numbers (whilst falling) are actually terrifying.

The actual cumulative total for 27th March came out at 759, which is a 31% daily increase. If that rate continues we hit 2.5m deaths in a month.

This is terrifying, and is even more so because, as can be seen from the cabinet's own infections, they really don't know what they're doing. We are being governed by incompetents at a time when the cost will be measured in lives.

Mate, you appear to be losing your shit. I know these are weird and worrying times but really, I think you need to turn off the internet and read a book, lose yourself in a film, start learning a language or an instrument, anything to take your mind off it for a bit.

Anyone can catch this virus, it's got hee haw to do with their competence. The cabinet victims were probably exposed to someone who had no symptoms at all. It absolutely does not speak to their intellect or abilities that they now have symptoms.

Sent from my CPH1951 using Tapatalk

[Mellsblue]

Its interesting that the Netherlands and Sweden are being a lot more relaxed with their response than the rest of Europe. Following the path that the UK looked set to take before the Kings College model.
Not ignoring the many deaths, the fallout from this will be interesting to observe and read about in the coming years. From the success or failures of various responses through to the landing spot of the centre ground on the NHS (and other, foreign health care systems), the welfare state and the funding models for both. Let’s hope the long term response can be a sensible one rather than a politically tribal one.

[Sandydragon]

I seriously hope that we rethink a few things after this. Perhaps the realisation that you can do a lot of work remotely will means fewer car and train journeys and less pollution.

I suspect that the aftermath will be a rapid return to normal politics where the Brexiteers will be very glad that they can blame any financial disruption on the virus rather than their own ideology.

[Sandydragon]

you should distance yourself from remarks like that..
Virgin Atlantic are seeking a bail-out apparently

No. Priorities must be elsewhere at the moment.

[Sandydragon]

I've just had 20 minutes of outstanding entertainment, I was querying why the toilet roll was vanishing at an alarming rate and it turns out my daughter has been practicing applying makeup and then removing it over and over, I was going to be cross about the loss of toilet roll but the missus was even crosser about the loss and destruction of so much of her makeup and had a full on vent

I’m picturing Lloyd, the bar man in The Shining. “I had to correct her Sir”

I've spent several hours pondering, and assuming society does return, whether I'd have use for a crushed red velvet tux. My instinct was damn right I'd want one, but on reflection I'm not sure I'd get enough use out of it

Wear it for your next video conference. I’m trying to decide is a gruffalo onesie is appropriate for business video conferences or not.

[Stom]

I seriously hope that we rethink a few things after this. Perhaps the realisation that you can do a lot of work remotely will means fewer car and train journeys and less pollution.

I suspect that the aftermath will be a rapid return to normal politics where the Brexiteers will be very glad that they can blame any financial disruption on the virus rather than their own ideology.

That’s why I’m saying there needs to be a bit of an uprising.

The biggest single impact we can have on the world is to stop buying tat from China.

I would impose a transport tax on goods. Every km it travels over 1,500km adds a €0.50 tax. So goods from China suddenly cost €2,000 more... making it pointless.

While goods within the EU don’t have any extra cost

[Digby]

So after a massive economic upheaval you want to remove China from the supply chain, and do that via some form of uprising?

I'm not against the manufacture of tat being banned, and I'd be willing to include things like cheap clothing in that, but it's going to need to be thought out in a manner that doesn't sound like what you'd get from an uprising

[Mellsblue]

Seems like my hope for a non-politically tribal response was a forlorn one. You go out for your daily allowance of exercise and you’re hopes are crushed before you even get home.

[Mellsblue]

I seriously hope that we rethink a few things after this. Perhaps the realisation that you can do a lot of work remotely will means fewer car and train journeys and less pollution.

I suspect that the aftermath will be a rapid return to normal politics where the Brexiteers will be very glad that they can blame any financial disruption on the virus rather than their own ideology.

That’s why I’m saying there needs to be a bit of an uprising.

The biggest single impact we can have on the world is to stop buying tat from China.

I would impose a transport tax on goods. Every km it travels over 1,500km adds a €0.50 tax. So goods from China suddenly cost €2,000 more... making it pointless.

While goods within the EU don’t have any extra cost

You little EUer, you. You Worldexiteer. M.EU.G.A. I’d agree that the world might and should change after this but putting up barriers seems the exact opposite of the lesson we should learn.

[Stom]

I seriously hope that we rethink a few things after this. Perhaps the realisation that you can do a lot of work remotely will means fewer car and train journeys and less pollution.

I suspect that the aftermath will be a rapid return to normal politics where the Brexiteers will be very glad that they can blame any financial disruption on the virus rather than their own ideology.

That’s why I’m saying there needs to be a bit of an uprising.

The biggest single impact we can have on the world is to stop buying tat from China.

I would impose a transport tax on goods. Every km it travels over 1,500km adds a €0.50 tax. So goods from China suddenly cost €2,000 more... making it pointless.

While goods within the EU don’t have any extra cost

You little EUer, you. You Worldexiteer. M.EU.G.A. I’d agree that the world might and should change after this but putting up barriers seems the exact opposite of the lesson we should learn.

Why is it barriers? You can still trade information freely. You just can’t pollute the planet so carelessly whole decimating local industry.

Globalization is something that should work for the many, not the few.

[Digby]

If it's working for China and not the US and the EU is it not working for the many?

[Mellsblue]

That’s why I’m saying there needs to be a bit of an uprising.

The biggest single impact we can have on the world is to stop buying tat from China.

I would impose a transport tax on goods. Every km it travels over 1,500km adds a €0.50 tax. So goods from China suddenly cost €2,000 more... making it pointless.

While goods within the EU don’t have any extra cost

You little EUer, you. You Worldexiteer. M.EU.G.A. I’d agree that the world might and should change after this but putting up barriers seems the exact opposite of the lesson we should learn.

Why is it barriers? You can still trade information freely. You just can’t pollute the planet so carelessly whole decimating local industry.

Globalization is something that should work for the many, not the few.

It’s a tariff, ie a barrier. You can call it a green tax but it’s still a tariff/barrier. I’m all for lowering everyone’s carbon footprint and moving away from a model of buying cheap short term goods but, IMO, this is completely the wrong way to do it.

[Stom]

You little EUer, you. You Worldexiteer. M.EU.G.A. I’d agree that the world might and should change after this but putting up barriers seems the exact opposite of the lesson we should learn.

Why is it barriers? You can still trade information freely. You just can’t pollute the planet so carelessly whole decimating local industry.

Globalization is something that should work for the many, not the few.

It’s a tariff, ie a barrier. You can call it a green tax but it’s still a tariff/barrier. I’m all for lowering everyone’s carbon footprint and moving away from a model of buying cheap short term goods but, IMO, this is completely the wrong way to do it.

Why?

How do you get massive behavioral change?

Did telling people smoking was bad get them to quit? Or did banning it?
Did giving people transport options get them to ditch the car? Or did adding a tariff?

I’m all for proving alternatives as a first solution, but there’s no way for European companies to compete... and that’s because it’s not a level playing field.

It’s like freight.

Lorry drivers should be paid at least minimum wage in the country of destination, not of Romania or Bulgaria. That would open the market up for river and canal freight.

Canal freight is not succeeding because of a market imbalance. Correct that and you have a solution.

You can freight something by ship all the way from one end of Europe to the other. You don’t need polluting trucks.

You can’t force China to improve workers rights and pay, and you can’t just force people to stop buying stuff from China. So you need to balance the system.

Maybe that means certain luxuries get more expensive because companies can no longer freight goods back and forth between the US and China, but I think that’s a price worth paying.

[Digby]

Canal freight isn't working in the UK 'cause we have rubbish infrastructure, partly tbf because we were so quick off the mark building such a network

[Digby]

Also why are we singling out China on the trade front, why not Singapore, India, Brazil, Nigeria...?