Seen in the News

[Tizer]

These guys know how to keep their mental stability while dealing with death...
`Ghana's dancing pallbearers become Covid-19 meme' LINK

[Tripps]

On a lighter note - the trio at Number 10 briefing today included The Deputy Chief Medical Officer, one Professor Johnathon Van Tam. When I first saw him a while ago, I guessed he might be Dutch, but not so. He is of Vietnamese descent, and his full name is Jonathan Stafford Nguyen Van-Tam. There's more - his grandfather was Prime Minister of Vietnam, and another relative was a General, and leader of the Vietnamese armed forces. That's interesting isn't it?

It's just been pointed out that he was standing on a box during the conference in order to raise his height to be comparable to the other two participants. I don't really see why they felt that was necessary. Had he been a lot taller than the other two - would they have dug a hole for him to stand in?

[Stanley]

Interesting point, I suppose it all depends... remember they dug trenches for Alan Ladd's heroines.

[Tizer]

Perhaps the press photographers complained they couldn't see Van Tam?

[Stanley]

News that Virgin Atlantic is pulling out of Gatwick and BA is considering doing the same thing. Second runway anyone? I looked at the final plans and forecasts of activity this morning and reflected that all those experts laboured in vain, they didn't take into account Events Dear Boy.
Ever since Wendy alerted me I have kept an eye on Live Flight Tracker and Ringway is dead also. In contrast, East Midlands airport is handling freight and a regular service to Ireland using small planes. There seem to be services between Canada and Germany as well. Such a large proportion of economic activity lying idle. You can't help thinking that the severity of the actual recession is being kept from us. It can't go on and there is the obvious balance to be struck between economic survival and infection transmission rates. Why do I suspect that the latter is eventually going to lose out?
See THIS BBC report on the status of the Excel Nightingale facility, it appears that the other proposed centres are on hold as well. It would appear that the NHS has coped but the question that arises now is 'at what cost to future health'? So many elective and essential procedures are on hold and there appears to be a fall off in referrals for what would otherwise have been seen as essential procedures. Very worrying. I can understand why, the last place I want to be is in a hospital in present circumstances and the only thing I can see that would change my attitude is a proven vaccine. Make your own estimate of when that will be available. We live in interesting times...

[Tizer]

Whoops!...
`New Zealand coronavirus: Massive car heist under cover of lockdown' LINK
`It must have looked like the heist of their dreams. A whole yard full of well-maintained rental vehicles, all lined up, unlocked and ready to go - with the keys inside. So, under cover of New Zealand's exceptionally strict virus lockdown, a group of thieves went to work. They cut through the fence of local rental company Jucy in Auckland, lifted the gate from its hinges and began driving out the cars. New Zealand was at a virtual standstill under the coronavirus lockdown making the theft easy. In fact, so easy it was a temptation too far - and the thieves came back for a second helping. And another. A total of 97 vehicles were spirited away. Over several days on a long weekend, they drove the cars in batches from the site and down the deserted roads of Auckland..'.

[Stanley]

As I have been heard to say before, every cloud has a silver lining. The thieves must have thought all their birthdays had come at once. Car sales will be up a touch.

[Stanley]

A surprising consequence of the collapse of air travel has surfaced today. THIS is the only report I can find at the moment but BBC news reports that seizures have increased because the drug smugglers are having to send larger consignments by different routes and are suffering more discovery. Good news for us but bad news for drug users. The Law of Unintended Consequences in action!

[Marilyn]

Tizer...where are they going to go?! It is an island!
Thick heads!

[Tizer]

Maz, that puzzled me too. Perhaps they didn't think ahead! It reminds me of a wonderful holiday we had on the Isle of Wight in the 1980s in our open top MG sportscar. You could leave the car anywhere, even overnight. The only way of leaving the island was by ferry and car theft there was almost unknown.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on the restart of the housing market. I suppose I knew but hadn't recognised, that the market had been shut by the lockdown. This will be good news for so many people.
However, having heard a news item yesterday, I wonder if moves across the borders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be allowed?

[Tizer]

An unintended consequence of lockdown. Its start correlates exactly with the start of lockdown...
`'Surge' in illegal bird of prey killings since lockdown' LINK
The wildlife charity the RSPB says it has been "overrun" by reports of birds of prey being illegally killed since the lockdown started six weeks ago. Species of raptors (birds of prey) that had been targeted include hen harriers, peregrine falcons, red kites, goshawks, buzzards and a barn owl. The wildlife charity described the crimes as "orchestrated". It said the "vast majority" had connections with shooting estates, or land managed for shooting..'.

[Stanley]

I heard that report as well Tiz. One more example of the way some things are getting through under the radar as attention is devoted to nothing outside Covid infections. Unintended consequences. This is in evidence in much larger matters like Brexit negotiations, trade talks with America and a deficient Agricultural Bill being put through Parliament. Food security in respect of both quality and encouraging home production is suffering.
The eventual consequences of Covid are going to be with us for many years and the mind boggles at the interminable enquiries that are building up for the future.
I heard a commentator yesterday making some very sensible observations about the deficiencies of Central Government in practical matters. He posited one of my long term beefs, that many of our problems boil down to simple incompetence and unwillingness to devolve decision making to local resources who are much better connected to their communities and could do a better job. At the moment the hot topics are testing and contact tracing. The same mistakes that were made with supplies of PPE, that of centralising action, are acting against efficient action in both cases.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC account of the report by the Public Accounts Committee on HS2. They say that this is some of the strongest criticism they have ever made of a government policy. They say quite unequivocally that Parliament was misled by the Department of Transport. Many of us have been sceptical from the start, it appears that we may have been on strong ground.

[Tizer]

Here we are thinking we're having a bad time with the virus but some are having worse time elsewhere...
`Amphan: India and Bangladesh evacuate millions ahead of super cyclone' LINK
`India and Bangladesh are evacuating millions of people from coastal areas ahead of a super cyclone which is approaching from the Bay of Bengal. Cyclone Amphan is expected to make landfall in an area near the border of the two countries later on Wednesday. More than 20 relief teams have already been deployed, and several more are on standby, Indian officials say. The coronavirus outbreak is making it harder for officials in both countries to evacuate people in these regions. Amphan is expected to hit the coast with winds gusting up to 185km/h (115mph), forecasters say. Officials in Bangladesh fear it will be the most powerful storm since Cyclone Sidr killed about 3,500 people in 2007. Most died as a result of sea water surging in. While the storm's current wind speed is likely to reduce slightly before it makes landfall, India's weather department is predicting the surge of water caused could be as high as 10-16 feet (more than 3-5 metres)..'.

[Cathy]

Doesn’t look good for them. I hope they get the help they need.

[Stanley]

That thought occurs to me frequently Tiz when I see the reports of extreme weather. We are so lucky in the Isles!

[Tizer]

I often rant about how many modern-day business models screw up the markets and in the long run are bad for customers. This is an example...
`Man makes money buying his own pizza on DoorDash app' LINK
Note the latter part of the article: `Mr Roy said: "We found out afterward that was all the result of a 'demand test' by DoorDash. They have a test period where they scrape the restaurant's website and don't charge any fees to anyone, so they can ideally go to the restaurant with positive order data to then get the restaurant signed on to the platform. Third-party delivery platforms, as they've been built, just seem like the wrong model, but instead of testing, failing, and evolving, they've been subsidised into market dominance. You have insanely large pools of capital creating an incredibly inefficient money-losing business model." DoorDash is backed by investment giant Softbank, which this week posted a record-breaking loss of nearly $13bn. Defending the loss, chief executive Masayoshi Son reportedly compared himself to Jesus. The billionaire is said to have stated during a call with investors that Jesus was "also misunderstood"...'.

[Whyperion]

i suppose the cost indeed is cheaper than paying a market research panel, but tough if folk are ordering and not getting their orders. I can live without delivered pizza - when I was a student i was sent out to collect pizza for the flat / house share group 12 people which does make large orders feasible. Early days of pizza and I carried it in a bag, end down, ended up with a puddle of tomato and pineapple in one corner of the pizza, had to spread it back with a pallet knife.

Back in the news in india most killed in vehicle collisions I have a feeling that vehicle accidents are going to increase death and injury in the UK too as travel changes.

[Stanley]

Tiz... But according to the Chicago School the 'market' is always right. Not sure about the comparison with Jesus though.....

[Tizer]

Some clever photos and some fun photos!
`Coronavirus: Your pictures of 'the view from my window' LINK

[Stanley]

My virus pic would be a bit different Tiz. This caught my attention a couple of days ago. The shed windw from the backyard. Definitely an anti virus subject!

[Tizer]

I suppose if people are daft enough to go on to a packed beach during a virus pandemic they are also stupid enough to jump off a cliff...
`Durdle Door: Three seriously hurt 'jumping off cliff into sea'' LINK

Maz, if you read the article please don't think that all of us in Britain are behaving this way. Yes, there are photos of packed beaches and parks in the newspapers, on TV and on the Web but really it's only a tiny, tiny fraction of the UK population acting like that. The vast majority don't want to catch or spread the virus and are behaving in a commendable way!

[Stanley]

Couldn't agree with you more Tiz. I can't think of one good reason to jump off a 200ft cliff. I saw that report as well.
As I told my mates once when they tried to persuade me to go on a 'White Knuckle' ride at a steam rally. I have had my share of white knuckle and it was all free. A couple of them were sick when they came off it.... Served them right!
That's the trouble, these kids have had such limited life experience that they have no concept of risk assessment and are blinded by the need to seek thrills. Try a 500lbs bomb near miss, that will cure them. Or a bridge pillar on the motorway coming at you at 50mph, that cost me torn muscles in my back as I reacted instinctively.
It's a wonder I am still here and it affects your perceptions of life.

[Stanley]

See THIS report that Trump thinks he is the best President for blacks since Lincoln. He must have stopped taking the pills, he is hearing voices in his head again.
It strikes me that the US is giving us a very good demonstration and warning about the consequences of ignoring an underclass and adopting autocratic rule. I have warned consistently about the dangers of such tactics and the consequent erosion of the fabric of society. We should take note!