Into the dog-days of Summer. The sun is still warm but we’re into cloudy, showery weather as Autumn fast approaches. Our walk up the hill was pleasant apart from twice being rained on. But I’m still in shorts and sandals. We cannot grumble about the weather. I seem to have been in shorts and sandals all year. We started the year in Brazil and came back with a month of cold before May took us into the heat. June, July and August have been a bit up and down but we’ve had four months of good weather. It has certainly made dealing with this virus a lot easier. We’ve been outside a lot and going for long walks.
Today has been good. I’ve been for another 10K walk, played some Pirates and rewritten ten pages. I’m now watching the cricket with a beer. All good stuff.
They think Johnson is on holiday. No-one’s sure. It’s hard to tell the difference. Meanwhile, his cabinet are incompetently working their way through crisis after crisis. Our infection rate is going up again – 1033 new cases – with places like Leeds looking to go back into lockdown. With schools meant to be going back in two weeks time, we’re running short of time to bring in strategies for how it can be carried out safely. With Dido Harding in charge of the new Health response (yes – the one who made a balls-up on Track and Trace) I’m sure everything will go brilliantly.
Never have we had such a bunch of incompetent twats. No doubt they’ll carry on dishing out contracts to their mates as the need arises.
Nobody in the country is sure what the rules are anymore. Is it two metres or one metre? Who has to wear masks and where? A lot of people have given up bothering.
In the States people are still following Trump’s daft example – social distancing is an infringement of rights, facemasks are a commie plot – if in doubt, buy a gun. He’s still peddling untested cures and trying to make out that it’ll be over soon. Sorry Trumpy, the WHO estimates two years. With another 49,743 cases and 1113 deaths (perhaps a number of people wished they had socially distanced) and the rate going up still is looks like you don’t know what you are talking about.
In Brazil, the other populist twerp is looking at another 30,355 cases and 1054 deaths.
The question you have to ask is how long is it going to take before these idiotic leaders start taking it seriously and showing some real leadership. I don’t think they are capable of it!
So I’m completing my 151st day of isolation by watching a bit more cricket!
Take care everybody – and remember – never vote for a populist fool. They are all mouth and not a clue. (maybe Johnson will be back off holiday next week? – how will we tell?)
Stay safe!
Well Opher, here Down South the weather is the same – random periods of clouds, rain and sunshine, and neither warm nor cold. April not August, methinks.
10K walks are now back on the agenda for me, as the heel is healed (no pun intended). It took about a month. But I haven’t taken any such walks yet. I have a lot of (paper) reading and reviewing to do; necessary for my next project. I can’t usually do it in the park, because of too much wind. So, I’ve been driving to pleasant spots, and doing the reviewing in the back seat of my car. It’s a really nice workspace, as long as you don’t need the Internet! And I’ve been taking a walk (maximum 3K) when the weather relents. Today, I did try to do the work in the park, and watch village cricket at the same time; but twice I had to retreat to the car.
As to masks, I am a conscientious objector. My attitude is “If they want me to do ‘my’ bit, they should have damn well done their bit.” For example, by screening all incoming international passengers for COVID from March onwards. I have no more respect for Johnson and co than you have. Nor would “the other lot” have done any better. Would they? So, why should I obey any of them?
The upshot of the mask rule is that I am now boycotting Waitrose’s, where I had a bad experience on the day the idiocy was brought in. Sainsbury’s and the Co-op, fortunately, both have more mature attitudes. If their staff can’t do their jobs properly with masks on – and they can’t – how can you enforce mask-wearing on customers?
As to “never vote for a populist fool,” I’d say never vote for any politician; right, left, centre or anything else. 97% of them (heh, heh) are psychopaths.
Glad to hear that your heel has healed! Walking is good!
Your covid report was excellent.
As for politicians – I think there’s a range of abilities and commitment. Too many lie and cheat and are only in it for the money and power. I don’t know how we get around that. But, in my experience, Tory and populists are the worst of all!
I hope your next project is global warming!
Opher, thanks.
But I already did the global warming bit, in my submission to the “de-carbonizing transport” consultation. Here it is: https://thelibertarianalliance.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/respcon-200731.pdf (You’ll probably need to paste the link into your browser; WordPress is more than a bit iffy with links to PDFs.)
No, my next project is a little bit of ethical philosophy. Not a very popular subject these days. But rather important!
I’ll check that out Neil. Cheers.