A bit of Zep will wake me up!!
Boris Johnson Speaking about the Corona Virus
Let the bodies pile up!!
Today’s Music to keep me SssssSAaaaaNNNnnnEEEe in Isolation – Buddy Guy – Buddy’s Baddest.
I first heard Buddy Guy on an impassioned number on the compilation album Festival of the Blues back in the mid-sixties. The man’s a genius!! Hendrix cited him as a major influence.
The Corona Diaries – Day 483
It was another really hot blaster of a day. I’m sitting here with all the windows and doors open! I love the heat but I do like to chill off in a pool! We don’t have one handy!
I met up with the guy from the council today. We had a look at the mown lane and he agreed with me that it was not right. The verges have been decimated. He seemed to know what he was talking about. Without the wild verges there are not any places for wildlife or flowers. The fields are all sprayed with insecticide and herbicide. They are green deserts. He was all in favour of rewilding. He knew that the birds and mammals needed the seed, insects and nesting places. However, he said that the council only mows a narrow strip. The bulk of this vandalism lay with the local farmers. I have to contact the Parish Council. A nice guy though. We’ll see what comes.
Meanwhile, out in the madness of Coronaland, the numbers of cases grow madly.

I sense there is now a bit of panic in Downing Street. Our populist clown recognises that he is out of step with public opinion. People are frightened. They are still wearing masks and distancing. Only the loonies and the young adults are going wild.
So we will see the nightclubs, pubs and restaurants becoming superspreaders. The numbers will rocket.
Hospital cases have already doubled in two weeks.
Scientists and world leaders are all calling this wreckless. We have 68.5% of adults double jabbed. What about the other 31.5%? What about all the under eighteens? We still have 40+% of the country unvaccinated. The 3.4 million vulnerable adults have been forced back into prison. The antivaxxers are now incredibly vulnerable. Those for whom the vaccine hasn’t worked (7%) are vulnerable.
I’m expecting an explosion of deaths and hospital cases.

The 12-15 year olds are a vulnerable group who could be getting long covid. They are looking to vaccinate.
Why did they not hold back the relaxing (apart from outdoors) until we had reached herd immunity through vaccination??
The USA has put us in the top High Risk category. We’re banned. We are considered a dangerous source of variants!
The whole country is going to become a breeding ground for variants. If we produce a variant that evades the vaccine it will have 68.5% of the adults to feed off without any competition. It’s as if we want to plunge the whole world back into the pandemic!
Nuts!!
The trouble is that our clown is a populist. He doesn’t understand science or how viruses operate. He is ignoring science and experts and only listening to the stupid right-wing Tory MPs who do not give a knack about anything other than money!!
Our buffoon has a foolish optimism, a lazy nature, a vast ignorance of science and a desire to defy all rules.
This could be the biggest disaster yet. He’s already killed 128,000; perhaps a million isn’t beyond him? If he lets a deadly variant out we could be looking at another 40 million worldwide with all the damage to trade and economies. That might not make us too popular!!
At the beginning he thought lockdown was a mistake. He was OK with it mainly killing the over 80s (they are expendable) and despite what he was told he didn’t believe the NHS would be overwhelmed.
Events taught him a lesson or two but haven’t left him any wiser or less stupid!! To a cacophony of pings, 96 more deaths (a big jump) and the NHS battening down with cancelled operations and ambulances on black alert, we’re preparing for the tempest to hit!
Good luck! Stay Safe!!!
The Corona Diaries Day 344
Pretty much a repeat of yesterday – cold, overcast, misty but not raining or windy. I was back wearing a scarf for my walk. I don’t mind. As long as I’m wrapped up. I don’t much like driving rain, gusty wind or sleet. The rest I can cope with. Over the course of my 344 days I’ve been walking in all sorts. Today was good.
I visited my adopted horse who came over to receive his carrot.
Back home I’ve have been doing a last read through my Harper book before it goes off to the publishers and I’ve started writing a new Sci-fi novel. I’ve nearly drafted out the first chapter – lots of ideas. It’s flowing.
I’ve also been playing some uplifting Coasters! A fun band!! I do like 50s R & B.
Meanwhile out in Coronaland it’s a mixed picture – mainly good though.
The new vaccines are proving exceptionally safe and remarkably successful at preventing illness and death. More even than the scientists and politicians could possibly have hope for. The death rates are now coming down so fast in the older groups who have been vaccinated that we will soon be recorded far fewer deaths than normal.
I bet this is making the antivaxxers feel really silly for believing all those rubbish conspiracy theories and not having more faith in science. I blame fools like Trump for undermining belief in science.
It is becoming more and more obvious that we will be having vaccine passports as countries are already making demands.
I have noticed a real upward note in the scientists as they see the fantastic effects of the vaccine. There is talk of getting back to normal by summer.
When the vulnerable are all vaccinated it will take the pressure off the health service. People will not be getting ill enough to require hospital treatments and the death rate will come right down. The only people at risk will be antivaxxers, those unable to have the jab for medical reasons and an unlucky small number for whom the vaccine is not effective.
It is rare for the young to get very ill.
That then poses the question – do we have to stay locked down in order to protect that minority when the bulk of those more vulnerable are choosing to put themselves at risk by refusing to be vaccinated?
I would suggest not. When all those above fifty are vaccinated I reckon we could completely open up and go back to normal.
There are only a few major obstacles:
Firstly we have the possibility of variants, such as the Brazilian strain, which might make the vaccine useless. If they were allowed to spread (now that our inept government with its lax border control has allowed them into the country) we could be in trouble. That could keep us locked down under a modified booster jab is available in Autumn.
Secondly, there might be too many antivaxxers so that the strain on health services would be too great to allow opening up.
Thirdly, vaccinated people might still be able to spread the disease (athough the evidence is mounting that this is not the case).
Let’s hope!! I want my freedom and a big dose of normality!!
Stay safe!!
The Corona Diaries Day 342
It was a fabulous day in Yorkshire – clear blue skies and warm sun. There was no wind at all. It felt very spring-like. We took a long three hour walk and had lunch on a bench in the countryside. The birds were chirping in the trees and bushes.
Unfortunately it is not going to last. Next week looks to be cold and cloudy all week. At least it’s not going to rain!!
Back home I have been listening to the early Animals and doing a bit of writing.
Meanwhile out in Coronaland our lying government continues.
I think it is worthwhile every now and again to remind ourselves of the sheer level of incompetence of our populist macho leaders.
Country | Population In millions | New cases | New deaths | Total deaths |
The USA | 328 | 62,694 | 1567 | 512,000 |
Brazil | 211 | 61,612 | 1386 | 254,000 |
The UK | 67 | 7,424 | 290 | 123,000 |
New Zealand | 5 | 4 | 0 | 26 |
Vietnam | 96 | 6 | 0 | 35 |
Australia | 26 | 5 | 0 | 909 |
Even accounting for the differences in size of population the differences are stark. Vietnam with a population one and a half times the size of the UK, a massive border and close proximity to China, has only 35 total deaths compared to the UK’s 123,000.
The three macho populist leaders – Trump, Bolsonaro and Johnson have nearly 900,000 deaths between them. They three non-populist leaders have less than 1000.
Why is that?
The reason is obvious – policies. Trump, Bolsonaro and Johnson were complacent, denied, dithered and were slow to act.
The successful countries were quick to act, decisive and quickly got outbreaks under control.
Simple.
My conclusion – macho, populist leaders are crap and should be held to accound for the massive death tolls their attitude has unleashed!!
We’re still not on top of things. Despite the vaccination programme now rolling out to the over forties, the damage has already been done!!
One thing I’m perplexed by is why are we not hearing anything much about long covid. It seems that between 10-15% of covid cases end up with long-lasting effects – brain fog, lack of energy, aches, pains, headaches, difficulty sleeping……….. Why aren’t we hearing more? Is it brain damage? Liver damage? Kidney Damage? Damage to blood vessels? Heart or lungs? We are not hearing. I’m sure people are looking into it.
So, as the vaccination rolls out – get yours as soon as you can, get yourself safe and help protect the community. As the Brazil variant starts to appear in our midst we need to keep the virus down to a minimum all over the globe to stop new variants and protect us in the future.
Stay safe!! The nigh has an end!!
The Corona Diaries – Day 320
There was a cold easterly wind today that was blowing rain into my face as I walked up my hill. Not my favourite walk!
Back home I warmed up with a cup of tea and some Elvis Presley Rock ‘n’ Roll.
I’ve been carrying out the final edit on my Roy Harper book. I’m halfway through. I have to send it in before the end of the month. I still need more photos.
Outside in Coronaland there are some interesting debates taking place. As the vaccine rolls out it brings a few things into sharper relief.
At what point do we have enough vulnerable people vaccinated before we can start to lift the lockdown?
Will we have achieved herd immunity by summer?
Will our pathetic track and trace system cope with mopping up local outbreaks?
Shouldn’t we have brought in stringent health checks and monitoring at our borders long ago (like other countries)?
When will we get our second shot?
Will the variants evolve faster than we can react to them?
How long before the vaccines no longer afford defence against the variants?
With the older generations vaccinated should they have freedom to move around freely while the younger ones have to distance and isolate? – Particularly after the young peoples’ freedom has been curtailed to protect the elderly.
Should we introduce vaccination passports to give freedom to the vaccinated or does this discriminate against the unvaccinated?
Will companies such as travel agents and airlines require proof of vaccination?
Will countries demand vaccination proof as an entry requirement?
Meanwhile, the infection rates in the UK continue to come down, as do hospital cases and deaths – but they are still high. It’s also coming down in the States – though the number of deaths 3,570 yesterday, is frightening! Perhaps they are mainly the fools who refuse to socially distance or wear masks?
I’m off to do another hour of editing before watching the rugby and then the football. I might even have a beer or two!!
Stay safe! The end is looming.
Rishi Cartoon.
Jonathan Pie on the Second Wave
John Peachey sent this through to me. Johnathan is incredible!!
(1) The Second Wave – YouTube
Poetry – Don’t be afraid of Covid
Don’t be afraid of Covid
Don’t be afraid of Covid.
Don’t let it dominate your life.
Work for America
Even if it kills your wife.
Don’t be afraid of Covid.
You’ll get the same treatment for sure
Don’t wear a mask
Covid won’t knock on your door.
Make America great.
Means more money for me.
Off your ass and work
For me and your country.
There’s two hundred and ten thousand
Deaths on my head.
Don’t take it so seriously.
You’d be better off dead.
So don’t be afraid of Covid.
Don’t distance or wash your hands.
Get the economy running
All across the land.
Don’t be afraid of Covid.
Don’t let it dominate your life.
Work for America
Even if it kills your wife.
Opher – 5.10.2020