Coronavirus Death Thread

[Boydy]

Ah I’m only joking. You used to go through phases where every post on this read like the headline and first paragraph of a Daily Mail story. You’ve flattened the curve though.

Flattened the curve of the neighbour's skull and is feasting on the goo inside.

[Yevrah]

Flattened the curve of the neighbour's skull and is feasting on the goo inside.

My neighbours on both sides are having people round left, right and centre now.

Got a guilty look from one of the guests over the fence yesterday. If only they knew....

[Jimmy Floyd]

The three year old downstairs rang on my doorbell before running away on Sunday, as three year olds do (let's call it 'lockdown ginger'). A few minutes later the doorbell rang again and it was the family lining up at a 2m distance to apologise for her intransigence: dad, mum, three year old on bike, uncle smoking a fag, aunt, older women who I presume was grandma... the whole fucking works chilling together for Sunday dinner. Arseholes.

[Waffdon]

Someone I know had the police round his house on Friday getting a ‘warning’ for visiting a Prostitute’s house at the start of Lockdown. Police and the Anti Social team had been watching the house or something.

Worst thing is he only got a blowjob.

[Don]

The SAGE papers released this morning and Vallance's responses to the Commons conmittee are insightful stuff.

[Yevrah]

The SAGE papers released this morning and Vallance's responses to the Commons conmittee are insightful stuff.

Admitting some things should have been done differently is interesting. They're caving on face masks too.

[Don]

I'm not sure 'caving' is the healthy description. Just sounds like what 7om was saying, they can't give conclusions without sufficient evidence as is the beauty of SCIENCE and fact is the evidence isn't there yet to go in hard and fast, erections-in-hand. I really disagree with people attributing blame to scientists, least of all ordinary people with no significant scientific (nor insider) knowledge.

[Kikó]

Someone I know had the police round his house on Friday getting a ‘warning’ for visiting a Prostitute’s house at the start of Lockdown. Police and the Anti Social team had been watching the house or something.

Worst thing is he only got a blowjob.

Yeah, that's the worst thing.

[ScousePig]

Someone I know had the police round his house on Friday getting a ‘warning’ for visiting a Prostitute’s house at the start of Lockdown. Police and the Anti Social team had been watching the house or something.

Worst thing is he only got a blowjob.

This reads a bit 'asking for a friend'.

[Yevrah]

I'm not sure 'caving' is the healthy description. Just sounds like what 7om was saying, they can't give conclusions without sufficient evidence as is the beauty of SCIENCE and fact is the evidence isn't there yet to go in hard and fast, erections-in-hand. I really disagree with people attributing blame to scientists, least of all ordinary people with no significant scientific (nor insider) knowledge.

That isn't the beauty of science while in a pandemic, it's a significant problem.

One also doesn't need insider knowledge when you can see what other countries are doing. The use of face masks is spreading across Europe like the disease itself and I still haven't seen a coherent explanation for why we should be behaving any differently.

[Yevrah]

In any walk of life one needs to make decisions without all of the information available. It's just another thing I don't think our scientists should be exempt from doing while we wait around for conclusive, copper bottomed proof.

[Baz]

Sounds like furlough’s changing.

[Yevrah]

Sounds like furlough’s changing.

How and where have you seen that?

Pull the plug on Furlough and our unemployment goes through the roof.

[Baz]

How and where have you seen that?

Pull the plug on Furlough and our unemployment goes through the roof.

The Treasury will lower it to 60% and encourage people to work part time or to find another job in an attempt to get the economy going.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/rishi-sunak-furlough-plans-coronavirus-a4432181.html

[Yevrah]

Interesting.

60% is a halfway house that doesn't really benefit anyone other than those that don't need to work anyway.

The only thing that will properly get the economy going is ridding the UK of the virus or just behaving as if it isn't there.

[SvN]

I am really intrigued to see what they do with it. We haven't had any meaningful enquiries for new work since lockdown started, so once the furloughed people come back, they'll run out of work very soon unless that changes.

[Waffdon]

This reads a bit 'asking for a friend'.

My missus is stunning. When Tinder exists, I really do not understand how people need to pay for sex.

[Yevrah]

I am really intrigued to see what they do with it. We haven't had any meaningful enquiries for new work since lockdown started, so once the furloughed people come back, they'll run out of work very soon unless that changes.

Where I get to is that unless you want millions more unemployed people, furlough has to continue while any significant distancing measures are still in place.

[Kikó]

Ah it's because we're all feckless wasters who are taking advantage of the generosity. Get out there and work! [/bam]

But also stay at home and don't go within 2 meters and don't visit your grandma.

[Don]

That isn't the beauty of science while in a pandemic, it's a significant problem.

One also doesn't need insider knowledge when you can see what other countries are doing. The use of face masks is spreading across Europe like the disease itself and I still haven't seen a coherent explanation for why we should be behaving any differently.

Pretty sure it's been covered on here. Beside minor issues with people's inability to source and use masks of adequate quality in a correct manner, there's also the point regarding making people think they're invincible and leading to negative outcomes.


In any walk of life one needs to make decisions without all of the information available. It's just another thing I don't think our scientists should be exempt from doing while we wait around for conclusive, copper bottomed proof.

You seem to be conflating scientista with decision-makers which is why you end up losing your rag with the holy bastion that is science.

If you want certainties go to politicians and religious leaders cause that dumb shit has no place in science.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Masks are at best a 'might as well' rather than a game changer. I have ten I nicked from work to account for the event we are forced to wear them, but I don't see the point. Far Eastern people love them because they absolutely can't get enough of dehumanising themselves and submitting to authority.

[Andy]

The Treasury will lower it to 60% and encourage people to work part time or to find another job in an attempt to get the economy going.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/rishi-sunak-furlough-plans-coronavirus-a4432181.html

Hopefully I'll be back working before they drop it to 60%.

I know work wise we had a massive backlog before all of this, it's going to be bonkers when we do get back to work.

80% of our work is in peoples houses or flats. No idea when it will be deemed safe for us to work even with measures in place.

[Boydy]

Taz has followed the 'I fucking love science' facebook page and thinks he's a scientist now.

:rolleyes:

[Don]

Oi, Boyd, carry on with your 2.5k a month, you chump.

[Yevrah]

there's also the point regarding making people think they're invincible and leading to negative outcomes.


And what exactly is that based on? It seems an assertion that's just as credible as stating they do work, albeit in a limited fashion.



You seem to be conflating scientista with decision-makers which is why you end up losing your rag with the holy bastion that is science.

If you want certainties go to politicians and religious leaders cause that dumb shit has no place in science.

By THE SCIENCE, of course I mean the decision makers. How can people not deduce that? I've obviously no issue with science in and of itself, anyone who does is a moron, my issue is with people.

[Yevrah]

Masks are at best a 'might as well' rather than a game changer. I have ten I nicked from work to account for the event we are forced to wear them, but I don't see the point. Far Eastern people love them because they absolutely can't get enough of dehumanising themselves and submitting to authority.

They've also been dealing with pandemics for ages and on all available evidence they're dealing with this far better than the west, so I'll take a bit of dehumanisation if it means seeing the back of this piece of shit virus a bit quicker.

[Yevrah]

Case in point, on THE SCIENCE, go back to the opening press conference with Boris and Whallance, all saying we'll be guided by the science. Well that's all well and good if the science is abundantly clear, but when it obviously won't be during a novel virus pandemic you need to get out from hiding behind those block capitals, work with what is available and make some bloody decisions.

I've been sat (working before you start Bam) in my front room today, which faces the street, and lockdown may as well be over for the ludicrous numbers of groups and cars going by. That's a direct result of a lack of leadership and a coherent plan, which actual science can't sort on its own.

[Boydy]

I went to the shop this morning before starting work for fresh bread and milk and although it's still nowhere near normal rush hour traffic, it does seem like the roads are getting busier. The shop seemed busier too and there were quite a few tradesmen looking types in at that time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

My commute is still very quiet but that is almost entirely driven by schools being closed. School traffic seems to be about 5 times heavier than work traffic in my area.

[Adramelch]

Masks are at best a 'might as well' rather than a game changer. I have ten I nicked from work to account for the event we are forced to wear them, but I don't see the point. Far Eastern people love them because they absolutely can't get enough of dehumanising themselves and submitting to authority.

We are being forced to wear them here in France in certain situations when the lockdown will be lifted (obligatory in public transports, hairdressers etc and stores have the right to not let you in if you don't have one), but admittedly they've done a great job with making them available.

[Lewis]

It's all our gear. You've got Breton shirt nonces on little bikes wearing the UKIP-branded masks we ordered.

[Magic]

My commute is still very quiet but that is almost entirely driven by schools being closed. School traffic seems to be about 5 times heavier than work traffic in my area.

Nailed on, it's like the school holidays more than anything else.

[Baz]

1257634177643577346

Ridiculous he has a little NHS Heroes badge on his lapel nowadays.

[phonics]

He was quite obviously Chris Grayling 2.0 before the election. I'm amazed he's still in position, must know where Boris' bodies are buried.

[Boydy]

That breaking news thing along the bottom says 'asymptotic health workers'.

[Lewis]

She's clearly wrong on the quantifiable points, which is presumably why the flange tweeting about it has chosen to frame it as him responding solely to what she said about what people think, which he wasn't doing.

[Giggles]

The cabinet maker and car mechanic near my work are flat out working away since this morning. Must have missed that announcement.

[Disco]

Lots of places opening up a bit more this week, we technically never closed and we're bringing some people back.

[Jimmy Floyd]

After a few weeks of thinking about it, I reckon having carried on working in the usual way throughout this will make me mentally tougher than approximately everyone who's been on the furlough scheme. Definite signs in the whatsapp group from my own furloughed colleagues that the initial period of disappointment at being dropped is over, and they're now enjoying living the life of riley on 80% pay.

When people get dragged in off that they'll be mentally scarred for months.

[Lofty]

Or when they get hit for another 20% reduction and it becomes clear they might not be getting their jobs back.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Get fucked Italy.

[Yevrah]

It's quite amazing how we've overtaken Italy, been obvious for days/weeks that we were going to and nobody gives a shit.

Imagine how bad it would have been if we'd had generations living on top of each other.

[niko_cee]

Isn't the answer to that either we do or probably about the same (as that speculation was maybe wrong).

Given France think they had a case in late December I'm not sure how you can make outcome based judgments, other than the extent to which countries were lucky or unlucky in terms of that initial spread. Most big nations seem to fall into the unlucky category.

[Shindig]

It's quite bizarre. I figured the open borders might have arsed us but Europe was equally wide open.

[Giggles]

https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0505/1136477-covid19-coronavirus-europe/

There's a lad in work swears blind him and his Mrs had this in November, and wasn't it Spikey had suspicions too?

[Spikey M]

https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0505/1136477-covid19-coronavirus-europe/

There's a lad in work swears blind him and his Mrs had this in November, and wasn't it Spikey had suspicions too?

Me and my mrs had 'the Flu' over Christmas and New Year. Awful cough, could barely move for exhaustion. It was awful. The mrs then went on to have pneumonia and needed 2 lung x-rays and 4 different antibiotics (across 2 courses). The dr at the time commented that it was odd for it to be spread across both lungs. I suspect had she had it a month or so later she would have been hospitalised as a precaution atleast. She couldn't walk more than a few meters at a time.

We'll probably never know if it was this. But it was shit whatever it was and it ticks the right boxes. Problem is, so does the Flu.

[Yevrah]

Isn't the answer to that either we do or probably about the same (as that speculation was maybe wrong).

Given France think they had a case in late December I'm not sure how you can make outcome based judgments, other than the extent to which countries were lucky or unlucky in terms of that initial spread. Most big nations seem to fall into the unlucky category.

You can make a judgement based on when we initially locked down, which as I said at the time was too late. We all know how it spreads exponentially, so the death toll would be lower, perhaps a lot lower if we hadn't pissed around for a week, perhaps two.

[Giggles]

Me and my mrs had 'the Flu' over Christmas and New Year. Awful cough, could barely move for exhaustion. It was awful. The mrs then went on to have pneumonia and needed 2 lung x-rays and 4 different antibiotics (across 2 courses). The dr at the time commented that it was odd for it to be spread across both lungs. I suspect had she had it a month or so later she would have been hospitalised as a precaution atleast. She couldn't walk more than a few meters at a time.

We'll probably never know if it was this. But it was shit whatever it was and it ticks the right boxes. Problem is, so does the Flu.

December would have still been at the ebola stage of "God it's bad but at least it'll never come here" type thinking across Europe too wasn't it?

[Adramelch]

I mean, you're still behind Italy and Spain in relative numbers. If something is worrying is that you're still getting much more cases daily and it's not down to more testing.

[Spikey M]

December would have still been at the ebola stage of "God it's bad but at least it'll never come here" type thinking across Europe too wasn't it?

I don't think it was even widely known about until maybe mid January, was it?

[Lewis]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/05/exclusive-government-scientist-neil-ferguson-resigns-breaking/

Fair play.

[Spoonsky]

He's got a bit of Daniel Craig 007 about him. In looks and behavior :cool:

[Alex]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/05/exclusive-government-scientist-neil-ferguson-resigns-breaking/

Fair play.

Aye, you've got to give him his due, he's done well for himself there. Fair play indeed.

I bet this has been a tough old time for the extra-marital affair crowd, you know.

[Offshore Toon]

If you Google her name and look at the other pictures of her it makes a bit more sense.

[Giggles]

Yikes.

[Luca]

It’s like Yev said. We shouldn’t always put our faith in the ‘infallible SCIENTISTS’ and their Staats.

[Luca]

That being said, doxxing the other person is not on, whatever it is you think about adultery.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What's the social distancing equivalent to car keys in a bowl?

Private Zoom codes in a whatsapp group?

[Giggles]

Doxxing?

[Gray Fox]

Doxxing?

Finding out peoples private information. Real name, address, place of work etc and then publishing it.

[Giggles]

Ah right. She deserves that.

[phonics]

1257864336682385409

America.

[Baz]

Theresa May sticking her oar in now. Genuinely managed to forget about her existence for a bit.

https://media1.giphy.com/media/1zjQiLGfgb10nc7Wou/source.gif

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't get the twitter screaming and crying among supposedly intelligent people about Neil Ferguson's thing being a SMOKESCREEN to hide the fact that UK deaths have overtaken Italian ones.

a) it hasn't hidden that;
b) that is in any case a meaningless statistic;
c) the supposed architect of lockdown breaking his own rules for sex at a time when law-abiding people have not been allowed to see family, partners and friends for weeks is a disgrace and should be reported on.

[Yevrah]

I mean, she's right.

Perhaps a bit premature to have expected international co-operation to have happened already, but it has to very soon be part of how we get out of this.

[Don]

Anyone payin any attention to the COVID death numbers at this stage is a drooling mess.

All deaths in six months time or stfu.

[Yevrah]

Anyone payin any attention to the COVID death numbers at this stage is a drooling mess.

All deaths in six months time or stfu.

What a nonsense. And why 6 months?

[Magic]

I love all these rent-an-opinion scientists wading in like they're the top authorities. Cunts. Make the most of the temporary relevance lads.

[phonics]

Lol it’s taken them how long to get to 100k (which they've so far managed to hit once?) and Boris turns up saying ‘Don’t worry we’ll have 200k by the end of this month. ‘

He’s so trumpian with his absolute desperation to announce a round number that sounds big and then make excuses for not hitting it later.

[Don]

What a nonsense. And why 6 months?

The six months is just a stab in the dark tbf but definitely needs a significant span of time.

Given the differences in testing, reporting, etc, making yesterday a Super Tuesday duel between UK and Italy was retarded given it's based off the COVID death figure. Not sure if excess 'All Deaths' data is available for Italy or other countries like it is from the ONS but that's the only form of death data that should be trusted and used to compare countries. COVID deaths, tests, cases, etc al pointless.

[Yevrah]

The six months is just a stab in the dark tbf but definitely needs a significant span of time.

Given the differences in testing, reporting, etc, making yesterday a Super Tuesday duel between UK and Italy was retarded given it's based off the COVID death figure. Not sure if excess 'All Deaths' data is available for Italy or other countries like it is from the ONS but that's the only form of death data that should be trusted and used to compare countries. COVID deaths, tests, cases, etc al pointless.

This is the old, you can't compare deaths between countries shtick that you seem to have fallen for hook line and sinker. Which the government and our wanker senior scientists claim is the case, solely because every measure at the moment makes us look a bit shit at best, despite themselves laughably putting up a country death comparison chart at most of the briefings I've seen.

I admit, it's not perfect, but to claim it's pointless is to be drinking the Kool-Aid. One just needs to remove incomparable and treat the rest with caution.

Another one to add to the list of free passes given to THE SCIENCE vs. every other walk of life though.

[Yevrah]

And even if you couldn't compare now, what are we actually doing that will make the numbers look any better in x months time? Promising we'll hit another meaningless (on its own), and soon to be manipulated target, by the end of May?

[niko_cee]

The ONS are usually at least a quarter behind in those stats, the Q4 2019 ones came out in early March I think, so it'll be the end of the summer, if not the end of the year before they become available for the period to now.

[Lewis]

I think the point is that in six months everybody will be about as shit as each other, rather than that we expect to have won by then.

[Yevrah]

I think the point is that in six months everybody will be about as shit as each other, rather than that we expect to have won by then.

Which is a nonsense point. Some (comparable) countries will have clearly handled this better than others by the time it's all over.

[Lewis]

And most haven't.

[Yevrah]

And most haven't.

Why should we not expect to be in the some? Particularly when we seemingly had ample warning.

[Don]

I couldn't care less what the politicians are doing to cover their own arses or for optics' sake. Intelligent use of statistics is my kool-aid and was the foundation to my relentless barrage of donnings I handed out on here in the football threads over the years.

This is a very clear explanation by a competent SCIENTIST who seems to have plagiarised the early work of John Arne and I and which was cited by Vallance yesterday:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/30/coronavirus-deaths-how-does-britain-compare-with-other-countries

[Yevrah]

Another example of poor.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52558759

Why are our airports putting measures in place that should have been government mandated and exist the world over already?

[Yevrah]

I couldn't care less what the politicians are doing to cover their own arses or for optics' sake. Intelligent use of statistics is my kool-aid and was the foundation to my relentless barrage of donnings I handed out on here in the football threads over the years.

This is a very clear explanation by a competent SCIENTIST who seems to have plagiarised the early work of John Arne and I and which was cited by Vallance yesterday:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/30/coronavirus-deaths-how-does-britain-compare-with-other-countries

I'll have a read in the hope that'll offer a new perspective on the nonsense I've already read on this.

In the meantime, Daniel Sturridge says hi.

[Lewis]

Why should we not expect to be in the some? Particularly when we seemingly had ample warning.

Why should we? We're doing probably alright, all things considered, and it still might come out in the wash - six months, a year from now - that a lot of this was pointless anyway. I'm still predicating this on the belief that confining the entire country to their houses in late-February was a non-starter though, so if you think that was a goer then you're obviously going to think it was botched from the off.

[Don]

Wait a sec, Sturridge was my greatest achievement. I mean point to your Balotellis and Taraabts but don't start repainting the Sturridge years. Many a great lives were lost on that battlefield.

[Lewis]

Germany had a Fitness Advantage with its fragmented health system.

[Don]

:D

lll

[John]

Wait a sec, Sturridge was my greatest achievement. I mean point to your Balotellis and Taraabts but don't start repainting the Sturridge years. Many a great lives were lost on that battlefield.

Sturridge has been an embarrassment for longer than he was good so if he's your success story you should stay quiet.

[Don]

Come on, man.

https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/GOAL/1b/c5/ronaldinho-barcelona_1slsxexo4gn5z1m0cln77mlj3h.jpg?t=1008903 53&quality=60&w=1200&h=800

[Shindig]

Germany had a Fitness Advantage with its fragmented health system.

Allowing the Bundesliga to return when there's a second division side with 10 positives is a great move.

[Lewis]

I went out for a mooch at about five-ish, and the front was the busiest I've seen it since all this started. Nobody seems to care about you getting close to them now either, where as when it started people would have a MELTDOWN if you walked past them.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The behavioural scientists are dining on oysters and champagne.

[Waffdon]

Still fairly quiet here, though Tesco was queued right back at 8 which was odd. Presume folk getting the bevy in for the good weather tomorrow and bank holiday.

Is that the reason the announcement is on Sunday rather than Thursday? To stop folk going mad on Friday/this weekend?

[Yevrah]

The behavioural scientists are dining on oysters and champagne.

They wouldn't be if the message from the government was stronger. That it isn't just makes me think they're fine with lockdown being broken as a matter of course now.

[Boydy]

They want to be able to blame people, not themselves.

[Lewis]

True. I haven't heard anything about staying in or anything.

[Yevrah]

True. I haven't heard anything about staying in or anything.

The impetus has gone from the government's message and they've done nothing to get it back.

[Lewis]

I haven't noticed any let up in the adverts about staying inside. There has been a general shift on the back of being beyond the peak of it towards wanting to know how and when we open back up, but if anything the government have been overly-cautious about that. Or is that the reason; if we had a proper schedule in place for the pubs re-opening we would all observe it religiously?

I think more likely is that we're supposedly past the worst of it, so people are thinking well I haven't died of it, so I'll just squeeze past people in shops rather than do another lap of the whole building like a knobhead.

[Yevrah]

The adverts weren't what created the impetus. It was things like Boris speaking directly to people and the police being arsed. Maybe the media have got bored covering it, but people breaking lockdown doesn't even seem to be a story at the moment.

Maybe there's no issue in that, and it's all part of the plan, but if you run things this loosely good luck getting everyone back inside again should we actually need to.

[Shindig]

We're not posting the kind of numbers that would inspire any confidence in an ease of lockdown.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We don't have either the state apparatus or the national will to be as authoritarian about things as you seem to want. The rest of the time it's our greatest strength.

[Yevrah]

We're not posting the kind of numbers that would inspire any confidence in an ease of lockdown.

But that's my point, there has been an ease of lockdown without actual approval. People and businesses have lost the fear and are doing more and more shit.

[Boydy]

The adverts weren't what created the impetus. It was things like Boris speaking directly to people and the police being arsed. Maybe the media have got bored covering it, but people breaking lockdown doesn't even seem to be a story at the moment.


Except when it's the government's scientific advisor on the same day we become the country with the highest death toll in Europe.

:sherlock:

[Yevrah]

We don't have either the state apparatus or the national will to be as authoritarian about things as you seem to want. The rest of the time it's our greatest strength.

Agreed. At this point I'm not even sure there's any point staying indoors any more. But, if that's the case then tell us rather than just letting everyone meander out of lockdown. Would also be nice to know what the plan is as well. What, for example, is the point of aiming for 200,000 tests by the end of the month. What are we going to do with those results?

[Shindig]

The 200,000 tests target was to have that kind of capacity rather than tests carried out. It makes me wonder what their plan is. Are they looking to do a nationwide big test at some point?

[Jimmy Floyd]

There isn't a plan. They're just hoping the death numbers will go down soon and taking it from there.

The problem they have on the comms front is that there is only one good communicator in the cabinet (the PM) and he is basically a lazy fuck who can't be arsed with any of this. He needs to be doing at least weekly addresses in the mould of the one he did to start lockdown on 23 March - at least he does now he isn't on his deathbed any longer.

The bloody Queen has done as many useful communications as the whole government combined.

[Yevrah]

There isn't a plan. They're just hoping the death numbers will go down soon and taking it from there.

The death numbers have gone down and have been going down for a while. They were always going to go down with a lockdown imposed. I can't see that there's a plan either and that concerns me.

Does it not concern you?

[Baz]

I went the shop before and you wouldn’t know anything was off, let alone a GLOBAL PANDEMIC.

People have stopped caring.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The death numbers have gone down and have been going down for a while. They were always going to go down with a lockdown imposed. I can't see that there's a plan either and that concerns me.

Does it not concern you?

I mean, I don't have a plan either, so not really. The bit that concerns me is the longer term effects than anything that's happening at the moment. It would be nice to see some better communciation and decisiveness, but the way the media works in this country they are petrified of doing anything because (regardless of its merits) it will get torn to bits in seconds and/or eaten in a storm of whataboutery.

For example, let's say they decided to let hairdressers reopen on Monday with strict social distancing rules and masks being worn by all parties. You'd get one side screaming 'MY KIDS ARE NOT GUINEA PIGS' and another side screaming 'WHAT ABOUT NAIL BARS AND WHAT ABOUT MY TANNING SALON WE CAN SOCIALLY DISTANCE THIS GOVERNMENT WANTS ME TO STARVE'. The current media culture is set up for more or less anything they do to be a total failure and bloodbath - but they don't help themselves at all, either.

[Yevrah]

I mean, I don't have a plan either, so not really. The bit that concerns me is the longer term effects than anything that's happening at the moment. It would be nice to see some better communciation and decisiveness, but the way the media works in this country they are petrified of doing anything because (regardless of its merits) it will get torn to bits in seconds and/or eaten in a storm of whataboutery.

You're not paid to have a plan, but given the options to get out of this are pretty clear it shouldn't be hard to formulate one. Particularly if that's all you're being paid to do at the moment.

And your comments on comms are so telling. If we don't get this right and get out of it as soon as is possible it's going to fuck our economy so hard and while it may not seem like it at the moment, that's going to screw each and every one of us in some way shape or form for years.

What we've done so far just isn't good enough and it staggers me that people, let alone intelligent people like yourself seem so blase about the government's handling of it, even going so far as to actually defend it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm not particularly defending the government's handling of it, I just don't think any other conceivable government would have been able to do any better. Let's say for the sake of argument that Keir Starmer was PM, we had gone into lockdown 1 week earlier and 5,000 fewer people had died as a result. Where would we be then? In exactly the same place we are now, but with a different set of people screaming on Twitter and 5,000 families still having a much loved relative they couldn't see. We'd still be around Italian/Spanish/French numbers and therefore 'one of the worst hit countries in the world'. Away from those 5,000 families, everything would be exactly the same.

[Boydy]

The current media culture is set up for more or less anything they do to be a total failure and bloodbath

:lol:

[Jimmy Floyd]

I see you took the trouble to edit out the bit after the dash where I mitigated that statement, you could be a sub on the Daily Scream yourself.

[Boydy]

I don't see how that bit mitigates it.

[Boydy]

When Piers Morgan has been the best "journalist" at holding the government to account, we're in serious trouble.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Because a combination of things creates a vicious circle - rubbish media (some laughable tubthumpers, others joyless cynics, all of them desperate for clicks and cash in a dying industry) and rubbish government feed into each other and together create a public discourse that doesn't work.

To think that we're in this position because Robert Jenrick is a bit useless is hardly true. I can guarantee you that if Labour were in charge, it would be the same story except Twitter would be the laughable tubthumpers and the Telegraph would be the joyless cynics.

[Yevrah]

Boyd maybe different, but I'm not being partisan about this. I wanted the Tories to win the election ahead of Labour and I'm glad they did, but that doesn't mean I can't call the gov't out on their shit now they're in power, of which to my mind there's been a lot.

That Corbyn would undoubtedly be fisting this harder is an irrelevance to me, much like the man himself.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Exactly, which is my point. Without ripping up the entire system that we have and having some sort of Chinese authoritarianism - which nobody wants - I don't think there's a decisively better way of handling this that I have seen outlined. Whichever path we took, we would still be sat here now in lockdown with a killer virus on the loose and huge economic upheaval afoot.

As such I believe that constructive 'Here's what we should do tomorrow', rather than 'It's a DISGRACE what happened a month ago' is the correct way to criticise the government in this instance. And given that very, very few people have an informed opinion about what we should do tomorrow - unlike the disgrace option, which any loudmouth prick can do - there should be a lot more shutting up and getting on with each doing what we can.

[Boydy]

Am I reading different posts here? What are you 'exactly'-ing? Yev isn't agreeing with you.

[Boydy]

Yev's been better at critiquing the government on here than most of the people whose job it actually is.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm exactly-ing back on him, using his post to 'agree' that it doesn't particularly matter who's in charge. If J-Corbz was in power doing the same stuff as Boris's government right now, I'd be tearing into him and you (Boydy) would be making the exact same arguments I'm making to 'defend' him. This is the world we live in.

They would also have the same scientific advisors, unless Seamus Milne knows some better ones.

[Boydy]

If my granny had wheels, she'd have been a bike.

[Boydy]

Also, it's not really important what you or me would be saying. You can bet the Times, the Telegraph, the Sun, Kuenssberg, Peston etc etc would all be far more critical.

[Yevrah]

Exactly, which is my point. Without ripping up the entire system that we have and having some sort of Chinese authoritarianism - which nobody wants - I don't think there's a decisively better way of handling this that I have seen outlined. Whichever path we took, we would still be sat here now in lockdown with a killer virus on the loose and huge economic upheaval afoot.

As such I believe that constructive 'Here's what we should do tomorrow', rather than 'It's a DISGRACE what happened a month ago' is the correct way to criticise the government in this instance. And given that very, very few people have an informed opinion about what we should do tomorrow - unlike the disgrace option, which any loudmouth prick can do - there should be a lot more shutting up and getting on with each doing what we can.

I'm not just bothered about what happened a month or two ago, the whole thing seems rudderless. We set a target of testing 100,000 people, we don't meet it. The goalposts are moved to number of tests rather than people tested and we achieve it for a day, with possibly more manipulation, then miss it thereafter. No matter. We'll just promise to hit 200,000 a day by the end of this month. To what end? Who he fuck knows, but it's a good soundbite. This is just one example, from today alone.

What should happen tomorrow is a plan should be unveiled as to what the next steps are, with estimated timescales attached to each. What absolutely shouldn't happen is people meandering out of lockdown of their own accord because they've decided it doesn't matter any more, which is what we have now.

If it was just a bad start because some wankers were frothing at the gash to give herd immunity a go then I could overlook that. It's not. We're seemingly drifting aimlessly and people are doing their own shit as a result. It's not cool, not cool at all.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Also, it's not really important what you or me would be saying. You can bet the Times, the Telegraph, the Sun, Kuenssberg, Peston etc etc would all be far more critical.

Of course they would (although I don't accept the Laura Kuenssberg conspiracy theories), and the Mirror/Guardian/Twitterati would be much less critical. You should see the opinion polling on this stuff if you haven't already, opinions regarding the government's handling of this are entirely predictable by party political lines.

All of which points to what I'm saying - that all the Westminster balls is a pointless smokescreen and what's actually important is how well individuals, companies, society at large etc adapt to the challenges that have already come from this, and the further ones that are going to come our way. Whether Alok Sharma 'has a plan' is really neither here nor there.

[Shindig]

What's worse is this is all the MPs will discuss from morning til night. The testing is something that winds me up. Fuck this "Well, you can arrange a test if you feel unwell." mentality. Turn out at workplaces, swab them, move on to the next. Use that capacity and often and you get a much better idea of where the infections are. Track and trace, as well.

It's a logistical nightmare but so many countries have been able to mobilise.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm not just bothered about what happened a month or two ago, the whole thing seems rudderless. We set a target of testing 100,000 people, we don't meet it. The goalposts are moved to number of tests rather than people tested and we achieve it for a day, with possibly more manipulation, then miss it thereafter. No matter. We'll just promise to hit 200,000 a day by the end of this month. To what end? Who he fuck knows, but it's a good soundbite. This is just one example, from today alone.

What should happen tomorrow is a plan should be unveiled as to what the next steps are, with estimated timescales attached to each. What absolutely shouldn't happen is people meandering out of lockdown of their own accord because they've decided it doesn't matter any more, which is what we have now.

If it was just a bad start because some wankers were frothing at the gash to give herd immunity a go then I could overlook that. It's not. We're seemingly drifting aimlessly and people are doing their own shit as a result. It's not cool, not cool at all.

The numbers of tests is just media management (as all big round numbers are), i.e. pointless smokescreen.

This government doesn't believe in lockdown, didn't at the start and still doesn't because they are fundamentally old school liberal in their outlook, to a much greater degree than (say) Macron is in France. The one exception to this seems to be our old friend Mr Cummings, who seems to be a zealous lockdown fan at odds with Boris's freedom-loving nature.

The only way we can stop the meandering is if the PM gets on TV and keeping ramming home the message in the way they love doing in elections: strong and stable, Get Brexit Done. They've even got a good slogan to use: Stay (at) home, save lives is perfect. He just clearly doesn't want to do it, doesn't want to be telling people what to do all the time and that's where he has misjudged the situation - sending out Matt Hancock to flap and sweat reassures no one.

Rishi Sunak is actually a very good communicator as well but he has a different and specific job to do.

[Spoonsky]

Why have so few Germans died?

[Boydy]

1258159759498383360

Forgot the actual tweet text, I don't care about that. Why are papers running this stuff on their front pages when nothing's been announced yet? Where's it coming from?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Apparently there are very strong rumours/hints/reports that Boris will announce that stuff on Sunday.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52530518

BBC are also running something.

[Lewis]

There looks about ten pounds difference in those Adele pictures, and she looks better in the heavier one. Call it off now love.

[Lewis]

Cases/deaths keep falling under new rules - 'Why didn't we do this sooner/when will we go further?'
Cases deaths don't fall under new rules - 'Why didn't we do this later/when do you intend to go further?'

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why have so few Germans died?

Their biggest nine cities combined are smaller than London.

That and they follow rules.

[Shindig]

It also helps their leader is an actual scientist.

[Spikey M]

Their biggest nine cities combined are smaller than London.

The RAF the hero's again.

[Queenslander]

Bloke in South Australia has tested positive after 40 days in isolation.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-07/sa-ends-coronavirus-free-streak-with-new-case/12225130?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf233673665&utm_campaign=fb_abc_news&utm_source=m.facebook.com&sf233673665=1

[Shindig]

Isolation with caveats.

[Boydy]

What's he doing emigrating in his 70s?

[Shindig]

Yeah, it's daft to retire that late when you've only got another 15-20 years at life.

[John Arne]

Following 3 weeks of no new community transmission cases, the Government just a announced next phase of ending lockdown.
All non-essential businesses can now open, and kids no longer required to wear masks at school.

[Queenslander]

Following 3 weeks of no new community transmission cases, the Government just a announced next phase of ending lockdown.
All non-essential businesses can now open, and kids no longer required to wear masks at school.

:cool:

[Boydy]

1258202995847761920

[John Arne]

Following 3 weeks of no new community transmission cases, the Government just a announced next phase of ending lockdown.
All non-essential businesses can now open, and kids no longer required to wear masks at school.

Oh, and the price of petrol has fallen on it's arse. 11,750 dong a litre... It's costing me about $2 to fill up my bike for the week.

[John Arne]

1258202995847761920

I thought the lockdown was being largely abided by? Has it been that much different to other countries?

[Andy]

We have just had a weak as piss lockdown compared to other countries.

[Jimmy Floyd]

People have largely abided by it (at least in my observation), but we never got to the Spain/Italy/France stage where you literally weren't allowed to leave the house. We've always been able to go out for exercise, and there's no real enforcement of it unless people really take the piss. Businesses have never been forced to close either, apart from things like pubs/restaurants/shops which are gathering places by nature.

The whole tone of it has been much more liberal than other countries I think. Boris just hates denying people freedom, utterly hates it.

[Manc]

The opening of outlets will guarantee a second wave.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Tories still being consistently at 50 points in the polls tickles me (latest one out today has 50-31). Even I would have thought they would be taking a hit from this, but no.

[Yevrah]

Labour tanked themselves by giving that moron free reign for nearly 5 years. It'll take a while to recover from that.

[Luke Emia]

The opening of outlets will guarantee a second wave.

You'd imagine that they are banking on being able to control it though now that we are out of the winter. Potentially this is where the point of trying to get some kind of herd immunity in place over the next few months when the hospitals I would imagine are generally a bit quieter anyway. Coupled with the app and the other shit they have on the go I'd imagine it's about trying to control any major outbreaks and take it from there.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If you take out mass drinking, the existence of sport, and add in a general fear of hospitals, then I should imagine they'll practically be twiddling their thumbs over the summer months.

[Andy]

I'm sure theres a lot of hospital visits cancelled over the last few months that will be rearranged asap.

[Don]

I don't know what I'm lolling at more this morning on twitter, the disgusting fatty union trying to undermine Adele's achievements or the #keepthelockdown lefty wankers.

ICU capacity means bring on the freedoms baby. If anything, we were slow to act given nurses were doing TikTok challenges out of boredom for weeks.

[Boydy]

400,000 PPE gowns from Turkey are useless.

[niko_cee]

I'm fascinated as to how you can get a single use gown so badly wrong. Have they accidentally coated them in coronavirus or something?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Anyone who (like me) has attempted to source goods from Turkey will not be in the least bit surprised, either by the administrative nightmare extracting them from Anatolia, or by the fact that they turned out to be total crap.

[Yevrah]

Why do we keep spending money on shite? Do those procuring have shares in these companies?

[Kikó]

I think John has strong opinions about Turkey.

[Yevrah]

ICU capacity means bring on the freedoms baby. If anything, we were slow to act given nurses were doing TikTok challenges out of boredom for weeks.

We should absolutely be relaxing things in some form or other now. It will lead to more death, but overall it's the right thing to be doing.

[Magic]

My toothache has returned with a vengeance after only one week. On horse killing antibiotics now. Fuck this lockdown.

[John]

I think John has strong opinions about Turkey.

My problem was a Turkish man trying to source what he considered goods from here, not the other way around.

That and the whole place smelling like a kennel.

[Lofty]

Why do we keep spending money on shite? Do those procuring have shares in these companies?

I think there are a lack of decent specialists in touch with the real world in the civil service who are being ordered around by people (ministers) who know fuck all. Like when a prominent politician tried to give my department a bollocking until our top man blinded him with science exposing him as a blithering idiot unable to comprehend the scale of the issues faced.

[Magic]

Contrary Sturgeon has bottled it just to undermine the UK Govt. Prick.

[Shindig]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52556488

Face tattoos, man. Dead giveaway.

[Lewis]

She's alright her.

[Magic]

Imagine how many times she's been sexually assaulted with tattoos like that.

[Shindig]

Josie, also not her real name, is living roadside with her family, including 18 young children, in caravans in London.

They're probably not all hers ....

[Spoonsky]

1258159759498383360

Forgot the actual tweet text, I don't care about that. Why are papers running this stuff on their front pages when nothing's been announced yet? Where's it coming from?

I have to say I've been pretty shocked at how irresponsible your tabloids are.

[Spikey M]

Considering this shit is targeting 90% of their readership demographic it's just plain strange.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I have to say I've been pretty shocked at how irresponsible your tabloids are.

They exist in a moral vacuum populated only by themselves (hence their outraged gnashing of teeth whenever they get pulled in for anything). That said, they're always far closer to the real public mood than things like Twitter are.

[Shindig]

I thought media kinda shapes the public mood rather than the other way round?

[Spoonsky]

That's why it's irresponsible. The goal of a newspaper isn't to reflect the public mood, it's to inform people.

I mean they're actively encouraging people to go out there ffs.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The goal of a newspaper is to sell newspapers.

[Lofty]

I know a load of tits are having a little party down the stables tonight, can only cross my fingers the rozzers stumble upon them and mass fine them all.

[phonics]

1258429154476920833

They're definitely going to hit 200k by the end of the month though. Boris thinks you are a fucking moron.

[niko_cee]

something something capacity something something

[Shindig]

Again, they said 200k CAPACITY. As in the means the to 200k tests.

[Adramelch]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52579482

Title: Paris restrictions to stay as France reopens
First sentence: Measures to curb the spread of coronavirus will be kept in place in Paris when the lockdown is eased in other parts of France, its PM says.
The truth: In Paris and the four adjoining regions - Ile-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Grand Est Bourgogne-Franche-Comte - which comprise the red zone, public parks and gardens will stay shut.

Journalism. :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Edouard Philippe is pushing for a place in my top ten Frenchest Frenchmen ever. I bet he's fiddled a few agricultural subsidies in his time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I know it's trendy to defend footballers because they are just working class lads made good etc etc and all that bullshit, but Kyle Walker can get to absolute fuck.

[Shindig]

Sheffield, as well. One of the most infected places you could visit. :D

[Yevrah]

I know it's trendy to defend footballers because they are just working class lads made good etc etc and all that bullshit, but Kyle Walker can get to absolute fuck.

Just seen what he's come out with.

Can be filed in the same bin as Rooney's "think of the YTS lads" drivel.

[Yevrah]

Rofl that he's played the mental health card and I'd love to see the context he's hinting at that justifies breaking lockdown to hold a foursome.

[Luke Emia]

Yep Kyle Walker is an absolute fucking idiot. No the press shouldn't be following him around. But, what in the actual fuck is he thinking?

[Manc]

Pep drove him to it. Just look at the state of John.

[Boydy]

What's Kyle Walker done?

[Shindig]

Broke quarantine again to see his parents in Sheffield.

[Jimmy Floyd]

And then posted four screenshots of moaning that it's unfair because he's been 'harassed', his family are going through a 'tough time' (because he previously broke lockdown for a sex party) and basically why shouldn't he see them and hug his sister.

[phonics]

The person who's been put in charge of contact tracing had to step down from her last job because of a massive data breach serious enough that her leadership was described as 'utter ignorance as a lesson to us all'. She happens to be married to a Conservative MP.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38824570

Boris thinks you are a fucking moron.

[Lewis]

This whole app business sounds stupid to me. From the very idea of it to the government trying to make itself one.

[Don]

From how little the tory on QT had seemingly been briefed on it given he hadn't a clue, I'd imagine it's not actually being given any serious weight. And good cause like fuck is take-up of that shit going to be enough for it to be successful.

[Luke Emia]

This whole app business sounds stupid to me. From the very idea of it to the government trying to make itself one.

Yep blew my mind that the NHS felt they could build something better than Apple or Google. I get the idea that it can be used in conjunction with better testing and tracing to manage things but it’s far from a magic bullet on its own.

[Vercetti]

Someone (admittedly an oddball) told me that this app, allegedly, has nothing in place to stop plebs logging symptoms for lols, potentially leading to issues with other people getting false warnings?

Surely not, and it only alerts people if someone they've been in contact with actually tests positive?

Otherwise, lol.

[Magic]

Don't see the problem with Walker myself. Good lad. Mental health is far more important than some gammon BREXITEER cunts dying from a cold.

[Shindig]

When's the last time you saw your kid?

[Baz]

The person who's been put in charge of contact tracing had to step down from her last job because of a massive data breach serious enough that her leadership was described as 'utter ignorance as a lesson to us all'. She happens to be married to a Conservative MP.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38824570.
This doesn’t surprise me.

[Disco]

The inevitable nepotism of government should surprise no-one.

[Magic]

When's the last time you saw your kid?

Wed.

[Yevrah]

I'm not sure what more needs to happen for it to be universally accepted that we're fisting this.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think everyone knows we're fisting it, they're just not all OUTRAGED about the fact that we're fisting it.

[Yevrah]

I think everyone knows we're fisting it, they're just not all OUTRAGED about the fact that we're fisting it.

Why would they not be though? Why are you not? This is our lives for the foreseeable future we're talking about and almost everything I'm reading is an unmitigated disaster.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think British state and society is not in a condition to be able to do a lot better. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses of their setup. Handling pandemics is a weak spot for us, because we're a very liberal society oriented towards personal freedom. On most other counts we do alright. We could be German and opening up earlier, sure, and have fewer deaths, but then we'd have to eat pickled cabbage all the time and have a completely infantile sense of humour. It's just how it is.

On the other hand, we never had looting, never confined people to their houses 24/7, never dragged people out of their houses, and are also not doing what the US are doing and opening up way too early because they have zero interest in any kind of social safety net.

'It is what it is,' as Harry Kane would say, and I sense that is the mood of a large proportion of the population.

[phonics]

I just rolled my eyes so hard I think I've permanently damaged my eye sight.

[Lewis]

Did you find anything back there?

[Lewis]

It's very busy out there, and nobody is quite six feet apart in these little street parties I've spied. Let's just BIG BANG everything back open on Sunday and have a punt.

[Yevrah]

I think British state and society is not in a condition to be able to do a lot better. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses of their setup. Handling pandemics is a weak spot for us, because we're a very liberal society oriented towards personal freedom. On most other counts we do alright. We could be German and opening up earlier, sure, and have fewer deaths, but then we'd have to eat pickled cabbage all the time and have a completely infantile sense of humour. It's just how it is.

On the other hand, we never had looting, never confined people to their houses 24/7, never dragged people out of their houses, and are also not doing what the US are doing and opening up way too early because they have zero interest in any kind of social safety net.

'It is what it is,' as Harry Kane would say, and I sense that is the mood of a large proportion of the population.

This is all well and good, but it doesn't take into account how people will feel when this drags on longer than it needs to because of our government's incompetence and the impact that will have. There's only so much goodwill anyone gets.

It also completely ignores the things we've presided over that have been outright fuck ups, or are fuck ups waiting to happen, that have nothing to do with our society. Ordering dodgy tests I get, albeit I called the idea we'd be testing people for antibodies within days/weeks as bullshit, but how in the fuck do you order and pay for 400,000 gowns that don't work or appoint a head of contact tracing that was so bad as a director of a business its share price rose by 6% when she announced her departure.

It pains me to say it, as you're normally bang on with most things, but I think you're being blinded by your support of the Tories in normal times, which, like with people's hatred of them, shouldn't count for anything at the moment.

[Don]

Had a kickabout with two mates just now. Fuck the NHS.

[Lofty]

Had to go to B&Q today to address the shower leak problem. Massive queues at 8am. Was fairly quiet and organised indoors, which was inconvenient for me in the end as when I tried to retrieve the last pack of large tiles matching my batch number from under the shelves and the effort resulted in me releasing probably the largest fart ever recorded in a B&Q store.

[Spoonsky]

This is all well and good, but it doesn't take into account how people will feel when this drags on longer than it needs to because of our government's incompetence and the impact that will have. There's only so much goodwill anyone gets.

It also completely ignores the things we've presided over that have been outright fuck ups, or are fuck ups waiting to happen, that have nothing to do with our society. Ordering dodgy tests I get, albeit I called the idea we'd be testing people for antibodies within days/weeks as bullshit, but how in the fuck do you order and pay for 400,000 gowns that don't work or appoint a head of contact tracing that was so bad as a director of a business its share price rose by 6% when she announced her departure.

It pains me to say it, as you're normally bang on with most things, but I think you're being blinded by your support of the Tories in normal times, which, like with people's hatred of them, shouldn't count for anything at the moment.

You simply don't understand Yev. British citizens aren't dying because of government mishandling things - they're dying because of their freedom.

And Germany is a police state now because the people eat different food. You might have missed that one too.

[Lewis]

I had never heard of this baroness woman until today, but she seems ideal with her varied (if not entirely amazing) private sector experience and NHS Improvement involvement. She Knows the Club, to coin a phrase.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is all well and good, but it doesn't take into account how people will feel when this drags on longer than it needs to because of our government's incompetence and the impact that will have. There's only so much goodwill anyone gets.

It also completely ignores the things we've presided over that have been outright fuck ups, or are fuck ups waiting to happen, that have nothing to do with our society. Ordering dodgy tests I get, albeit I called the idea we'd be testing people for antibodies within days/weeks as bullshit, but how in the fuck do you order and pay for 400,000 gowns that don't work or appoint a head of contact tracing that was so bad as a director of a business its share price rose by 6% when she announced her departure.

It pains me to say it, as you're normally bang on with most things, but I think you're being blinded by your support of the Tories in normal times, which, like with people's hatred of them, shouldn't count for anything at the moment.

The only thing I'm blinded by is possibly the fact that I haven't had a living grandparent for more than 20 years and so have long since forgotten what it's like to be attached to a vulnerable person. I couldn't give a stuff who is in government, and if we are surprised that public sector procurement is incompetent then we shouldn't be, it was ever thus. We have a particular political and social culture that is very much every man for himself, and that just doesn't respond well to a pandemic at all.

Hell, I think there's a very good case for suspending normal politics and having Labour and jock nats in the cabinet to get a broader spectrum of how to resolve this.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I also just went for my hour walk and everyone has given up, there are VE Day street parties everywhere and loads and loads of extended family home visits. In fact my next door neighbour's having one right now with three generations in the garden on top of each other.

People's refusal to follow rules pisses me off far more than pencil pushers in Whitehall being useless.

[Spikey M]

The only thing I'm blinded by is possibly the fact that I haven't had a living grandparent for more than 20 years and so have long since forgotten what it's like to be attached to a vulnerable person. I couldn't give a stuff who is in government, and if we are surprised that public sector procurement is incompetent then we shouldn't be, it was ever thus. We have a particular political and social culture that is very much every man for himself, and that just doesn't respond well to a pandemic at all.

Hell, I think there's a very good case for suspending normal politics and having Labour and jock nats in the cabinet to get a broader spectrum of how to resolve this.

Or just put Dominic Cummings in charge.

[Vercetti]

I also just went for my hour walk and everyone has given up, there are VE Day street parties everywhere and loads and loads of extended family home visits. In fact my next door neighbour's having one right now with three generations in the garden on top of each other.

People's refusal to follow rules pisses me off far more than pencil pushers in Whitehall being useless.

Yeah, I've just been for a stroll to the local shop, and there are multiple generations pitched up in a neighbours front garden.

The chav mountain bike groups are also getting back to the usual levels. Flaunting the fact that Spikey can't have them evicted for another couple of months, yet, I suppose.

[Shindig]

Our roads were busier and it's generally looking like Joe Public has packed it in. This is one of those scenarios where you're only as good as your people.

[Yevrah]

If extending the lockdown is what's needed it needs Boris to get on the tv again and tell people what's what, then back it up with police intervention if necessary. Apparently as Jim said he can't be arsed to do that though.

We all saw how shit people were when they were left to their own devices when this kicked off, we've not heard anything of substance from the government for weeks now, so what did you expect to happen?

[Lewis]

I can hear a party down the street singing Angels, so get the Royal Air Force in if necessary.

[Shindig]

"And through it all,
she increases infection ..."

[Magic]

Almost back to normal. :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

If extending the lockdown is what's needed it needs Boris to get on the tv again and tell people what's what, then back it up with police intervention if necessary. Apparently as Jim said he can't be arsed to do that though.

We all saw how shit people were when they were left to their own devices when this kicked off, we've not heard anything of substance from the government for weeks now, so what did you expect to happen?

The comms are absolutely terrible, probably because they're trying to run them like election comms i.e. avoid unnecessary mistakes and gaffes.

This needs something altogether different which is proactive and clear communication, even if what is said then needs to be updated or changed a week hence.

[Lewis]

My mother seems to know what is going on and what has been expected of her, when she normally can't even watch a film without asking me demented questions, so I suspect the 'comms' have been fine for everyone not extremely online. It strikes me as another thing for media wankers to comfort zone in on due to them actually having some understanding of it.

[Yevrah]

Given the outdoor activity over the last week they clearly haven't been fine.

[Boydy]

1258791081262698499

All the media in this country needs dismantled.

[Lewis]

Yeah, because they can see the death numbers falling, they have their employers and the media wittering about us getting back to 'normal', and they're all fucking bored of it. Other than whatever that briefing the other day was about, the government has spent the past few weeks refusing to timetable anything, constantly saying that they need to be certain and all the rest of it, and the media has been moaning like fuck about it. What would you have been doing differently this week (and don't say you wouldn't have started from here)?

I suspect this sort of 'soft' breakdown of the rules isn't actually a bad thing if it blurs into a few relaxations over the coming week[s]. If everyone starts tentatively flouting restrictions now then there will be less incentive to suddenly start doing things when they are formally relaxed. I'll wait to see what the trusty behavioural scientists thought on that one.

[Adramelch]

1258791081262698499

All the media in this country needs dismantled.

That's a great combination of a factually accurate yet highly misleading title. :D

[Yevrah]

Yeah, because they can see the death numbers falling, they have their employers and the media wittering about us getting back to 'normal', and they're all fucking bored of it. Other than whatever that briefing the other day was about, the government has spent the past few weeks refusing to timetable anything, constantly saying that they need to be certain and all the rest of it, and the media has been moaning like fuck about it. What would you have been doing differently this week (and don't say you wouldn't have started from here)?

If I thought it was still important to be locked down I'd have made that clear via direct addresses from Boris and increased police bothering. If it wasn't important to still be locked down, I'd have relaxed it. It really is that simple and I don't know why people are struggling so much with this. Instead they've done nothing of the sort, helping instead to create some of the media chaos by continually briefing them off the record.

Factoring a tolerance into the rules, treating this like underage drinking or speeding is fucking retarded. It's crossed my mind that that's what they're doing too, but it'll only once again punish those who are following the rules as laid out and create merry havoc when there's a wider realisation that's what's happening.

[Spikey M]

1258791081262698499

All the media in this country needs dismantled.

:D fuck sake
Giggles will love that.

[Lewis]

There have been government ministers on the telly every single day at five o'clock saying it's too early to talk about opening up, too early, too early... Your nan is still at risk. The PROTECT THE NHS adverts are still rolling round the clock. Anyone likely to continue adhering to the rules knows what they still are. People have just stopped caring, as was inevitable.

[ScousePig]

My mother seems to know what is going on and what has been expected of her, when she normally can't even watch a film without asking me demented questions, so I suspect the 'comms' have been fine for everyone not extremely online. It strikes me as another thing for media wankers to comfort zone in on due to them actually having some understanding of it.

Speaking of mums and Coronavirus, my mum told me today that the results of the tests being done aren't really being used in hospitals, as they're simply not accurate. They're using x-rays to determine the virus.

Is this common knowledge/obvious/am I a bit thick?

[Jimmy Floyd]

On the police bothering bit, there aren't enough of them these days to deal with most crime, never mind going around enforcing curfews like we're in east Berlin.

Theresa May can take the blame for that.

[Yevrah]

There have been government ministers on the telly every single day at five o'clock saying it's too early to talk about opening up, too early, too early... Your nan is still at risk. The PROTECT THE NHS adverts are still rolling round the clock. Anyone likely to continue adhering to the rules knows what they still are. People have just stopped caring, as was inevitable.

Of course it was inevitable, which is why what I said above needed to be done, should have been done if it's important we're all still locked down. People don't give a shit about deputy cunt appearing or an advert they've seen a million times. Get Boris back on and get the police to start publicly taking names again.

I don't know if you're being deliberately dense or your hard on for all things Tory has reached your brain, but this is such hard work.

[Yevrah]

Oh and DON'T brief the media that we're all going to be outside come Monday either.

[Yevrah]

On the police bothering bit, there aren't enough of them these days to deal with most crime, never mind going around enforcing curfews like we're in east Berlin.

Theresa May can take the blame for that.

They were doing fine at the start.

Reading your and Lewis' posts I wonder why anyone ever bothers doing anything.

Nazi's have a bigger army than us, have steamrolled Europe and communicate under an impenetrable code? It is what it is.
Phil Scolari shits it up at Chelsea? Leave him there, it is what it is.
Pandemic disrupting society more than anything has for 70 years? It is...

[Jimmy Floyd]

Some of the briefings might have been good old fashioned leaks. Editors have responsibilities as well.

[Lewis]

It can't be inevitable that bored people would flout the rules and that this could also have been prevented by more Boris Johnson interventions. Do you think the fifteen people down the street drinking four feet away from each other are under the impression, having not seen a Prime Ministerial speech all week, that the guidance has changed? No. They just don't care anymore, and seeing as the distancing hasn't been dependent on active policing throughout (let's not forget how they did their best to lose any goodwill people might have felt early on) to have them suddenly start cranking it up would have required further official restrictions, which would risk tipping people into further non-compliance/would have been pointless.

[niko_cee]

Jersey have been doing antibody tests and seem to think the total number of cases they've had is about 10 times the ones they've reported (c.3,300 v c.300) which is quite interesting. If that's anywhere near right then the UK must be almost at 'herd immunity levels' by now.

[Yevrah]

And I don't even say these things as someone who definitely thinks the lockdown should continue, but the current state of inertia is neither helping the medical cause nor the economic one. So shit needs to be sorted out.

[Yevrah]

It can't be inevitable that bored people would flout the rules and that this could also have been prevented by more Boris Johnson interventions. Do you think the fifteen people down the street drinking four feet away from each other are under the impression, having not seen a Prime Ministerial speech all week, that the guidance has changed? No. They just don't care anymore, and seeing as the distancing hasn't been dependent on active policing throughout (let's not forget how they did their best to lose any goodwill people might have felt early on) to have them suddenly start cranking it up would have required further official restrictions, which would risk tipping people into further non-compliance/would have been pointless.

Let's just do nothing then. Problem solved.

[Lewis]

You are the only person who is approaching this as all or nothing.

[Yevrah]

You are the only person who is approaching this as all or nothing.

I'd prefer to think half-arsed or not half-arsed, with no surprise that I think we're in the camp of the former.

If you want to change a culture, which effectively is what lockdown was seeking to achieve, albeit temporarily, you can't just do so by a standing order of Dominic Raab and Chris Whitty adverts. It needs constant reinforcement, from the top, with the approach changing to suit current circumstances. Ours hasn't, it's got stale, which is partly why people don't care anymore.

[Magic]

Anyone else seen the TikTok from NW Ambulance? :D

[Waffdon]

Michael Jackson is dead

[Magic]

Michael Jackson is dead

:(

[Spikey M]

It sounds there's a bad dose of the Flu going around in China.

[Disco]

Nothing will come of it.

[Giggles]

I think British state and society is not in a condition to be able to do a lot better. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses of their setup. Handling pandemics is a weak spot for us, because we're a very liberal society oriented towards personal freedom. On most other counts we do alright. We could be German and opening up earlier, sure, and have fewer deaths, but then we'd have to eat pickled cabbage all the time and have a completely infantile sense of humour. It's just how it is.

On the other hand, we never had looting, never confined people to their houses 24/7, never dragged people out of their houses, and are also not doing what the US are doing and opening up way too early because they have zero interest in any kind of social safety net.

'It is what it is,' as Harry Kane would say, and I sense that is the mood of a large proportion of the population.

Can laws not be passed for skulls to be smashed though? You’d think in an emergency time they could.

[Giggles]

Laws and not these piddly “advisories “. I’d love to see the cops here beating people back into their homes.

[Boydy]

But Bowis loves fweedom :(

[Giggles]

But Bowis loves fweedom :(

Only from the EU. He needs to break knees.

[Kikó]

Basically if it spikes again, it was because we fucked about flouting the rules. If it doesn't, it was a masterstroke to relax the lock down.

I think we're pretty much at the end of social distancing in line with furlough ending. The old don't care, if we kill them then it's our fault but pensions will be saved.

[Spikey M]

There is a load of memes floating about of Twitter like the below:

1255963087905206272?s=19

And they are really fucking stupid. Yes lad, the economy is important. Stay Home, Protect our NHS is great, but 'stay home' is easily replaced by 'pay taxes'. A country with no cunt working for (potentially) years is not a country that can sustain a National Health Service. The economy struggling has a direct correlation with people dying and our economy hasn't been this bad since, I dunno, WW2?

[Kikó]

The economy is a social construct we've created to make sense of the world.