Bloody CORONA VIRUS?

[morrag]

Nope BG thats not me....

[JayJay]

I think it's utter madness. Even before these groups were acting irresponsibly, we had so many people packed on beaches or in the New Forest or in parks. That's one of the reasons our road decided to stop the Thursday applause because people were risking their health by doing the above but then clapping for the key workers who've been risking their health/lives to look after us and keep the UK going. Hypocrisy. Plus even worse, a lot of those down the beaches etc were getting paid regardless, while the NHS and key workers were slogging away for similar pay!

These Black Lives Matter demonstrations here are not helping anyway. They won't make any difference to what is happening in America and even there, a lot of black people are saying the outcry about the recent police related deaths is just hypocrisy, because black people don't get up in arms when black people kill black people and that happens a lot more than police related deaths. They also point out the irony of those demonstrating/rioting/looting causing more damage to property belonging to black people, so exactly how are they proving BLM when they are not respecting them themselves?

It has been quite interesting hearing well known (and not so well known) black Americans speaking out about the whole thing. A lot of them aren't impressed with white people either, acting like they fully understand. Too many people are jumping on this bandwagon to push their own agenda or demonstrate their 'woke' social awareness, whether they are or not. I think they're scared they'll be perceived as being on the 'wrong' side if they don't speak out or change their avatar to reflect BLM. A lot of those who are most outspoken are Democrats. It's also quite interesting that it was the Democrats who supported slavery and it was the early Republicans (Lincoln was their 1st President) who brought about its abolition. That doesn't get mentioned much.

I think it's right the policeman involved in the recent death should be prosecuted, as surely kneeling on someone's neck should be something that should never happen, in any country, even if the person being restrained is a criminal. My father was a policeman and I have family in the police now and the majority of the police do a fantastic job in difficult circumstances but there is no room for thugs in the police (regardless of what colour they are) and those that choose this career as a way of domineering others should be sacked as soon as they show their true colours (preferably, they never get accepted in the first place).

Like you Bobbi, I try not to watch the news - even before BLM demonstrations or even Covid-19. One, it's too depressing and nowadays you just don't know what is really true or what slant has been placed on the 'facts'. 

[Manky Monkey]

I agree with you entirely JJ.
I try to keep this forum non political but it's hard to avoid the craziness in the world at the moment.
Kneeling on a suspect's neck is apparently a regulation Police manoeuvre in the States -continuing that hold until the person dies hopefully isn't.
Many American Police forces' training programmes take as little as 8 weeks. 2 months from first applying for the job, to walking around the streets with a gun. So I guess a "wrong 'un" must slip through the process quite easily.
I have friends in the Bronx, (one of the 5 New York boroughs). The wife has taken the kids & gone to stay with friends upstate while the husband stays to defend their home. Shops & businesses were being looted 2 streets away from them last time I spoke to him. Amazingly, they're Trump supporters.
When the President has to hide in a bunker from his own people -sorry, when he decides he ought to "inspect" the bunker, maybe there's something wrong.
Apparently the Twitter brigade are denouncing anyone who shops in Sainsburys as an anti black fascist now because the slave trader statue that was toppled in Bristol at the weekend, (did you see the film of protestors jumping on it, screaming, as if they thought it was a real person?!), is being removed & placed in a museum owned by the Sainsbury family.
I truly loathe the human race.

[stinkey]

Harsh as it seems guys..I was hoping that the covid 19 virus was going to be the CULLING process this planet needs?  Unfortunately it would have been taking the good with the bad?
At least it stopped the violent protests and political BS for a while, but now it's back to normal and I am pretty sure it's going to escalate very fast now..so start stocking up( in a responsible manner of course ?) Your food supplies 😨

[morrag]

The World is now indeed truely nuts!! Today the episode of Fawlty Towers, with "....don't mention the.....",which was voted the the best series EVER! by the BBC viewers in 2000, was pulled by....yep, by the BBC! go figure, the thought police have won people. For those that haven't, read Orwells "1984", for those that have....read it again!....it's arrived, Morrag.

[Manky Monkey]

I was planning to return to New York in a couple of weeks time. No planes flying & all sorts of border controls so I can't go, but it's just as well as I'd have found myself in the middle of the race riots.
My life at the moment consists of going to work, going to my garage & going to sleep.

[BikerGran]

The World is now indeed truely nuts!! Today the episode of Fawlty Towers, with "....don't mention the.....",which was voted the the best series EVER! by the BBC viewers in 2000, was pulled by....yep, by the BBC! go figure, the thought police have won people. For those that haven't, read Orwells "1984", for those that have....read it again!....it's arrived, Morrag.

It was UKTV who pulled that episode.  They said it was in order to 'review' the episode.  It's believed that they are negotiating with the BBC who have a copy of that episode without the references to niggers and another racial slur I've forgotten.  The 'don't mention the war' bit will remain, that's not racial.

[JayJay]

Since the panic level about Covid-19 has reduced a bit I sent for some masks and a visor. I figured if it's coming back at some point I had better be more prepared. I bought 50 masks for just under a tenner and they arrived in a couple of days in a sealed bag. The top has a metal strip so you can mould it around the bridge of your nose. My Mum paid £1.65 each for some masks from her local chemist about a month ago. She says they are exactly the same. Bit of a difference in price! I think others are thinking of doing the same as me because since my order arrived the delivery date has jumped 2 months. Hopefully I'll never need them and if that's the case then that's fine by me.

I wore one today as I had to take some stuff to my children. I even got to hold my new grandson. I probably shouldn't have but I'm counting him as my bubble! Only the 4th time I've seen him and only the 2nd time I've held him and he's nearly 5 months old! As he was premature (and only 3lb 10ozs) he was in an incubator so it was purely look but don't touch. Fortunately, he was at least born before the hospitals were inundated.

Not trying to be political Andy just saying how I feel. All the demonstrations at the moment RE BLM or even the 'Stop the Lockdown' ones going on around the world are driving me crackers. Either people don't care about their health or they must just think they are immune. I just think all the hospital workers must wonder why they bothered putting their lives on the line, why they stayed away from their families and why they worked their socks off. If I was one of them I would feel like saying to those who get infected because they didn't social distance 'Sod you, I'm not treating you. You did this to yourself'. Obviously our NHS staff are very dedicated and wouldn't withhold treatment but all these large groups mingling as they are, must surely be causing a lot of resentment.

Meanwhile the press are either saying the UK lockdown was too late or there shouldn't even have been a lockdown or the Gvt should be getting everyone back to work or it's not safe for people to go back to work! Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Could the Gvt's actions in regards to Covid-19 been improved, definitely but I'm sick of the point scoring by people who didn't have to make those decisions. Why not just concentrate on improving things for everybody? It would be great if the media found a more positive focus. Lift our spirits not make us more demoralised. Funnily enough on the Guardian website today I was reading about the anti lockdown demonstrations in the US. The Guardian were highlighting the fact that medical workers in their scrubs were making a point of how stupid these people were by standing in a line (social distanced and masked) to remind the other demonstrators why lockdown was needed. Because those demonstrating about lockdown were mainly Trump supporters, the Guardian were pointing out the lunacy of demonstrating without taking into account social distancing measures etc but when it comes to the BLM demonstrations, no such point is made. At least be consistent. Personally, I'm peed off with both groups (not the medical workers). I just can't believe how irresponsible they all are.

As for BLM, knee jerk responses during a pandemic to a situation that will still be relevant once this is over should be nipped in the bud. Once the pandemic is truly over then people can peacefully demonstrate as much as they want. I'm pretty sure racism in all its forms will be around for a while yet. In fact, I think I can pretty much predict that the behaviour of some demonstrators, the acts of vandalism and the inflammatory speeches will rile up a lot of people who probably wouldn't have given the subject much thought before. I know a lot of people, including me, are already upset that someone had the gall to say Churchill was as bad as Hitler! As someone pointed out, there would be a lot of us either dead or living in a Nazi hell if Hitler had won the war and had his Aryan Race. Churchill was one of the reasons that didn't take place.

Like I said, not trying to be political just really fed up of everything in the world at the moment and just trying to articulate the way I feel. I would like the world to see less vitriol and for its population to apply more common sense.

Stay safe everyone.

BTW if you like Michael McIntyre and you fancy a smile then watch this:

https://youtu.be/LEr_84HJbgk

[morrag]

Michael McIntyre. if he was a statue I'd pull him down!!

[BikerGran]

Wot he said!   ^^^^^^^^^^

[stinkey]

Yes I'd pull his statue down too 😁..JJ I always enjoy reading your posts because you obviously take your time in writing down your thoughts and you have a lot to say, and often in big words 😁,I know that you are just venting and getting it off your chest, but I wouldn't worry about any of it, you cannot do a thing to stop it in any case?
The modern world has grasped this technology of communication and instead of bringing us together it's causing divisions..unfortunately if the people using it are to stupid to realize they are being manipulated for whatever reasons then that's their problem..if you don't go to silly demonstrations etc,you won't get attacked or catch a disease, just concentrate on your new grandchild, because he makes you happy..the world he's going to inherit will be far different to ours..regardless of anything us old codgers say or do?  Yes watching the TV will evoke strong emotions in us all, but you know what since we moved into our house in Spain we cannot receive UK TV only Netflix or Amazon..and I don't miss it especially the poxy news channels..I came here for my health and I'm glad to say its improved tremendously unlike my Spanish 🤣 and fingers crossed next year we will have a lovely furnished townhouse for any of you guys to come out to stay, Mates Rates for Monkees of course 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿😎

[Manky Monkey]

 
I agree -I havn't owned a TV for years, but seem to know more about current World events than most of my mates who spend their evenings glued to the box.
I lodge with a little old lady who watches daytime TV every day & worries about all sorts of stuff. I often ask if any of it's ever directly affected her life -it never does. Just enjoy your own little corner of it all & try to ignore the rest.

[BikerGran]

The TV is never off in our house as Mike is an addict.  He mostly watches old war films and even more ancient westerns that he probably watched last week but has forgotten.  But he does watch every news bulletin and Corona update, fortunately I'm so used to ignoring it that it mostly goes over my head, or there's always something that needs doing elsewhere.
My philosophy is exactly what Stinkey said, it won't make any difference if I do or don't watch it!

[Tony oily bike]

Here're a couple of interesting articles (from the BBC website) relating to our amazing NHS staff


Coronavirus: NHS staff 'need similar support to soldiers'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52938923

The mental health crisis looming in ICU
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53022212

[JayJay]

Morrag, you meanie. Funny though. 

Yes Stinkey, I am more likely to use ten words when four will do. Even my texts are like formal letters, as I cannot bring myself to use abbreviations.  Glad you're feeling healthier in your new home.

Terrible about Reading Forbury Gardens stabbings. A Libyan asylum seeker has been named as the suspect in  the attack. Victims were just enjoying the sun. 

I was up early this morning to watch the Summer solstice sunrise live online. Stonehenge was closed this Summer solstice due to Covid-19 (but re-opening 5th July I think it said). Bit disappointing, firstly there was no sun to rise at that time (well not visible) and the camera wasn't focused on the Heel Stone anyway. As I was up, I then joined those watching the Summer solstice annular solar eclipse online. Not visible to us otherwise. It does not coincide very often. The next time it does, it will be June 21st 2039.

I eventually saw the ring of fire in Sirsa, India. Very beautiful but fleeting. Lasted only seconds. Here's a screenshot I took just as it happened. The moon only blocked 99.4% of the sun, hence the solar ring. Even more fascinating was a computer simulation of the moon's umbra crossing speedily over the Earth. Its size and shape changed as it did so. 

I feel a Johnny Cash song coming on ... 🙂

Stay safe all. JJ