There was a collective sinking of hearts throughout these islands this week. Worries about coronavirus figures have caused a reversal in our efforts to get back to some kind of normality.. The Blonde Buffoon appeared on our TV screens in a glum mood emphasising words like "must", "should", "death" and "sorry". Of course, not one "sorry" was related to his blundering leadership.
Partly for blogging posterity, let me relate the latest coronavirus figures for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Yesterday there were a further 6634 cases and 40 new deaths. The figures are clearly starting to rise back up as in France and Spain. Total figures for our country so far - 416,363 known cases, 41,902 deaths. Deaths per million citizens equals 616.
In comparison, here are the overall figures for Florida, USA - 693,040 cases, 13,795 deaths making the deaths per million rate 642.
Having followed the statistics from the start of this ****ing pandemic, I have become very suspicious about calculating procedures in different countries. There should be a consistency of approach but there clearly isn't. In any case, how on earth would authorities gather accurate numbers in Malawi say or Bolivia? And what about Putin's Russia? They claim to have had 1,136,948 cases but only 20,046 deaths. Could there possibly be political influence in the reporting of Russia's figures? Surely not!
Anyway, I went down to the local pub last night to chat with Bert and Steve. There weren't many customers in and we had the tap room to ourselves. It was table service only and you had to be out of the pub by The Blonde Buffoon's 10pm closure time. If not sitting at a table you have to put a mask on. So depressing to be heading back in time and there's Christmas up ahead. What will it be like this year?
University students are being told to stay in their rooms and it is mooted that they won't be allowed to travel to their family homes for Christmas. Jobs are disappearing down a black hole - hundreds of them. This ****ing thing goes on and on. I am bloody sick of it. Aaaaaargh!
But on a happier note, our lovely son Ian and his mate Henry appeared live on Britain's most famous children's TV show last night - "Blue Peter". It was a "green" edition of the show - filmed in Manchester. They cooked two vegan dishes from their new recipe book and the only other guest on the show was the great David Attenborough though his piece was filmed at an earlier time. Ian and Henry both received green "Blue Peter" badges before heading back to London by train - first class seats courtesy of the BBC.
Can you see Ian's "Blue Peter" badge?
Congratulations to the Bosh lads for getting a green Blue Peter badge.
ReplyDeleteThe ten o'clock pub curfew sounds mad. People will go out earlier and have parties when the pubs close. Where are young people supposed to go? They like to stay up to all hours. It's what young people do. Then they stay in bed all day until they are woken to the sound of the Hoover. I was young many moons a go.
Not all young people led a life of drunken debauchery like you Northsider! Some of us were up with the lark studying Herodotus or Joseph Conrad.
Delete...buying stereos, drinking Student Union subsidised beer? How would any one meet girls and talk to them sober😊.
ReplyDeleteIn the library, you waited for them to drop pencils or bookmarks, then you went over and in a husky whisper said, "Excuse me, I believe you have dropped this. Oh, I see you are studying Conrad! Perhaps you would like to come back to my room for coffee and we will chat about 'The Heart of Darkness'?"
DeleteSuppose it's a change from "Would like to come to my room see my etchings?"
ReplyDeleteI visited Joseph Conrad's grave in Canterbury last August. I seem to have a new hobby visiting famous graves,
I will visit yours when you have kicked the bucket. Be sure to let Mrs Northsider know that she can contact me via blog comments. I will bring a bunch of sedum.
DeleteDo you think the blonde buffoon will smirk off into the sunset once he's "got Brexit done" and completed the task that people allegedly voted him in for? Or do you think he'll stay on to sort out the mess that will follow.
ReplyDeleteThe Blonde Buffoon has always hated hard work. It was true at Eton and Oxford and it is true today. He likes to "wing it". He'll be off like **** off a shovel.
DeleteWell, at least YOUR blonde buffoon is trying to do something besides lie and hide the true figures while holding super spreader events where only the weak who hate freedom wear a mask. (Their words, not mine.)
ReplyDeleteWe're all sick of it and we're going to be sick of it unless we get sick with it and die.
It's a different world now and that's the way it is.
Congratulations to your son! Would you EVER have predicted this work and success for Ian? "Yep. My son is going to grow up to write fabulously popular vegan cookbooks for which he will garner fame and fortune!"
No. I would have never predicted that Mary. By the way our Buffoon is worse than your Buffoon because he is more sly. At least your Buffoon's buffoonery is easy to identify. It is indeed a different world.
DeleteThe school and university situation is a deliberate calculated risk taken by the national decision makers. Daughter will also be taking a calculated risk when she comes home from university and gives it to the rest of us. But more importantly, do you have a Blue Peter Badge and what was it for? Let me guess. Was it presented to you by Valerie Singleton and the famous Yorkshireman John Wallace Bottomley for your excellent impression of Petra the mongrel?
ReplyDeleteMy gold Blue Peter badge was for services to mankind. As I am not a boastful person, my humility prevents me from explaining the reasons in full.
DeleteCan't tell you, YPm how relieved I am that you have come back to us with figures. Only the other day I wondered whether I'd put you off rattling us with same.
ReplyDeleteI am not into the detail. Mostly because I don't believe a word of it. Let's say, for sake of argument, that I drop dead at four am this coming morning. Will they test me whether I was a Trojan horse for the virus? And why would they waste a precious test on a dead body? So many questions, so few answers. For all they know the Man with the Scythe got my postcode wrong and fell me by accident.
I get your frustration. This is a time dividends are paid to those who believe in God. The almighty father who will punish us (and the innocent) for sins we didn't even know we committed. Beating us into submission. Putting the fear of daylight or hell or whatever into us. Boris Johnson being one of his instrument.
Talking of Johnson, and don't quote me on this, this morning I found myself expressing some sympathy for him. To put it another way: If he were my younger brother I'd feel sorry for him. Then I'd have words. Words to the effect that it's one thing to be five years old and have the AMBITION to be Prime Minister, another to be able to be one in times of crisis. And let's remember one thing: It's not just Covid any longer. Oh no, the nation and its press has woken up to the double whammy of briefly forgotten Brexit and its ugly consequences rearing its ugly head. Who'll sing Happy New Year this coming Big Ben?
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Father Christmas will sing "Auld Lang Syne" this Christmastime - if he exists. I am hatching a song called "Get Brexit Done" but what rhymes with "done"? I wish that it rhymed with "shit" and "bollocks".
DeleteLa-la-la-la-la-la
Strolling in the sunshine, off to have some fun
A clown is singing to the crowd "Get Brexit Done"
Cummings is behind him, pulling all the strings
When Monsieur Barnier appears and coughs before he sings
Oh Get Brexit Done! Get Brexit Done!
I am off to eat a currant bun
Let's Get Brexit Done!
The Bosh Boys look great and their talents just keep taking them higher and higher!
ReplyDeleteThe whole Covid thing is awful. It keeps getting worse here and the coming winter is a real concern. I am trying to stock up on some things in preparation for what could be a difficult season. We kept thinking it wouldn't last more than a few months and then maybe at the worst a year. I'm afraid it will be bad much longer even if there is a vaccine. It will take a long time to get enough people vaccinated to make a difference overall. Your title is correct. It is depressing.
The more this goes on the more I doubt that there will ever be an effective vaccine to destroy COVID 19. This just increases the gloom.
DeleteThe pandemic has people exhausted. they are tired of staying in. They long to get out and be free. I can stay in. I know what it's all about.
ReplyDeleteI think we all know what it is about. That's why it's so depressing.
DeleteFor some reason didn't watch Blue Peter;), did not even know that it still went on but the boys look great. Yorkshire Covid figures are up but it is due to the big towns mainly. The nearest to me York is also climbing but then it has a university. I find it difficult to blame the young and their fun, but it is this complicated network of relationships we have with family, friends and colleagues.
ReplyDeleteI'm not blaming the young at all. If anybody's to blame it is The Blonde Buffoon, Tony "Half Hour" Hancock and their dilatory approach to everything.
Delete