Poetry – Wash Your Hands!!

Posted on by Opher

Wash Your Hands!!

We’ve had to face the Black Death

And the smallpox too

And cholera put us

Permanently on the loo.

Now we’ve got corona

But it’s alright

Johnson will tell us what to do!

Wash your hands!

                Wash your hands!

That’s what the government say!

                If you wash your hands

The virus will go away!

Johnson and Trump just care

About the economy.

Cos money’s more important

Than the likes of you and me!

Wash your hands!

                Wash your hands!

That’s what the government say!

                If you wash your hands

The virus will go away!

But they’ve cancelled all the checks

So we haven’t got a clue

Of where the virus is

And what we all should do.

Wash your hands!

                Wash your hands!

That’s what the government say!

                If you wash your hands

The virus will go away!

I guess you reap what you have sown

You voted the bastards in.

They’ve dismantled our health systems

And thrown them in the bin.

Wash your hands!

                Wash your hands!

That’s what the government say!

                If you wash your hands

The virus will go away!

So forget all your fake news

And bring the experts back.

Let’s put our faith in science

And give those fools the sack!

Wash your hands!

                Wash your hands!

That’s what the government say!

                If you wash your hands

The virus will go away!

15.3.2020

Instead of continuing to test and follow up contacts the government quickly moved over to a policy of herd immunity. We were told to distance and wash our hands.

There is nothing wrong in distancing and washing hands. That is not the point. There is something wrong in giving up on testing and following up.

It seemed that, unlike in Germany, South Korea, China and Vietnam, we were prepared to let it loose into the community.

One has to ask the question:

A lack of preparation?

A lack of testing kits?

A lack of personnel?

Where were the contingency plans? The stockpiles? The awareness?

The best they can come up with is to wash your hands! It’s a pathetic response that has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Poetry – That’s OK with me!

Posted on by Opher

That’s OK with me!

We can’t go outside now

And there’s no football on TV

But I’ve got loads of bogroll

So that’s OK with me!

I’m eating up my pasta

With baked beans for my tea.

I’ve got three thousand sanitizers

So that’s OK with me!

I wash my hands a thousand times

So what will be will be

So long as it just affects other people

That’s OK with me!

They are letting us all catch it

To give herd immunity

So I’m staying outside the herd

And that’s OK with me!

Opher – 15.3.2020

The mentality of the general public is something to see. I’ve never seen such rabid panic. OK – it’s a minority but it sure looks crazy to me!

Stocking up is one thing but this smacks of something more. The media is fuelling the madness by telling everyone of the shortages.

It’s every man for himself!! Who cares about everyone else?

While the other side of town the volunteers are selflessly helping everyone else! The two sides of human nature are on display.

From the look of things it reflects the politics!

Today’s Music to keep me SSsSSAaaaAnnNNEEe in Isolation – Lifemask

Posted on by Opher

Roy at the peak of his brilliance. Wish he was still performing and thrilling us with his intelligent observations.

The greatest song ever written -so imaginative and ambitious.

The Corona Diaries – Day 717

Posted on by Opher

A sunny day in Yorkshire! Didn’t feel too cold either!! We went for a walk up my hill – a nice clear view over to the sea. Long-tailed tits flew around in the hedgerows, a vole scurried in the grass on the verge, the kestrel was hovering low over the field and all the snowdrops were out in sweeping banks of white.

Ain’t nature wonderful???

In the afternoon we went into Beverley to see Belfast. Greatly enjoyed it! Just made me sad to see just how stupid human beings really are – the politics and religion – completely barmy.

Goodbye free Ireland – try again soon.

Meanwhile, out in Coronaland our mad clown is trying out his populist manual to deflect from his lies and stupidity, his law-breaking and parties. He’s promising to end all corona restrictions a month earlier. Personally, I think that basing these decisions on proper scientific evidence is maybe preferable to basing it on whether or not it will help Boris Johnson survive.

Today, there was a photo released showing Johnson at his work meeting with champagne and tinsel. The MET were forced to add this to their list for investigation.

Dick is proving to be a dick. She only acts when her boss pulls the strings.

Unbelievably Johnson is brazening it out. With a popularity rating of 29% (morons who still think he’s doing a good job) at least 71% of the population have woken up to what a complete arse they’ve put in power.

If only Starmer had what it takes to kick the useless bastard into touch. Labour should be 30 points clear instead of 10! The complete mess this bunch of useless turds have made of everything. It’s like shooting dead ducks from two feet. Why isn’t Starmer going for the jugular?? Johnson is easy meat. The man is an incompetent lying clown.

Time to bring in Andy Burnham and blow them out the water!!

So yesterday there were another 66,634 cases with 316 deaths on the day that Johnson (for the sake of his own skin) announced that ALL restrictions would be lifted. Does that level really suggest everything is over?? Sounds more like a political stunt to me. Is everyone happy with 316 deaths a day?

I see today that Starmer was cleared by the police from his beer and working meal. No laws were broken – unlike with our sorry excuse for a leader!! We’ll see how guilty Johnson comes out from all the 17 parties that took place at his gaffe!!

I also see that there are different ways of calculating the covid data. What do you know?? The government has it’s own way, or at least Johnson does. He claimed in parliament that crime was 14% down when it was really 14% up. He claimed 6 times that employment was higher than before the pandemic when it isn’t. You can’t trust a word the liar says!!

What has happened to the Conservative Party?? It’s become Trump mark 2.

Stay safe – we’re living in a banana republic. Orwell was just wrong about the date!! Truth is untruth!!

Today’s Music to keep me SsSSSsAaAAANNnnnNeEe in isolation – The Doors – Waiting For the Sun

Posted on by Opher

I couldn’t get the song out of my head, found myself singing it out loud (which was distressing for all those around me) so I thought I’d better play the album and get it out of my system.

Great music – shame about the video for Hello I love You

The Corona Diaries – day 716

Posted on by Opher

Cold, drizzly and dreary here in Yorkshire – mirroring the political landscape!!

Today I’ve been in all day. I may go for a walk after my Energy Supplier and I have concluded our conversation. As I write I am on hold. They do want to help me but their advisors are busy! I’ve been listening to this dreadful music for thirty minutes so far!! I might need an extra-long walk to cool down following this one.

Before I started on this call I was listening to Family and doing the editing on my Beefheart book. The great news is that I completed the editing. The book is finished!! I sent it off to the publishers! I can get on with my life! I can find time to walk regularly and read!! I can start writing some fiction!! Yipppeeeee!!!

That euphoria soon melted away when I started to call my energy supplier to sort out the mess – and it is a mess!!

I’ve got a simple solution. Stop all this farce of different profiteering suppliers and nationalise gas and electricity!!! This is not working!! It’s just putting money in the pockets of wealthy people!! The whole thing is a bloody nuisance!!

My mood was not made better!! I finally got through and immediately got cut off and have to start again!!! A whole bloody half hour of listening to inane muzak down the drain – never to be regained!!

Meanwhile, out in Coronaland, it’s all turning very nasty. Johnson is in a corner, desperate to hang on to power. He doesn’t care. The man has no honour. He’ll do anything. He will lie, threat and bribe. What he won’t ever do is admit when he’s made a mistake, told a huge lie; he won’t ever say sorry. That’s because he’s not sorry. He’s a total shit.

In desperation the incompetent twat has been swatting up on the Donald Trump book of dirty tricks. He’s using that as his tool in trade. It’s something he’s done throughout – you know – tell lies, never admit anything, spread untrue stories, make exaggerated claims, muddy the waters, undermine the true, cast doubt on experts, rubbish the media.

So Johnson reads up on the far-right conspiracy blogs and selects Jimmy Saville as the focus. He thinks that he can deflect attention from his own stupidities, law-breaking and lying by trying to tarnish Starmer with the Jimmy Saville paedophile claims. Even though Starmer had nothing to do with the Saville case, and knew nothing of it, Johnson knows the mud will stick. By stirring up the nutcases he’ll cause a furore which will act as a smokescreen for himself.

This is a standard Trump ploy. He activated white supremacists and neonazi groups in the same way.

This use of division and hate was used very effectively in the Brexit campaign with all the terror of Islamic terrorism, the fear of immigrants and those 7 million Turks. It’s the lowest of the low.

These campaigns radicalise right-wing neo-nazi groups. It put racist attacks through the roof. It caused the murder of innocent Muslims and it resulted in the killing of Jo Cox.

Now this lying greedy man is trying the same stunt. This time he’s holding up the spectre of paedophiles!! It’s an evil policy!! I hope it all backfires on him!!

It’s already resulted in Starmer being attacked. It’s a tactic that creates danger for MPs and politicians of all persuasions.

There is nothing he won’t stoop to!!

I hope there are enough Tories left, after they ejected all the reasonable one, to rebel against this pernicious extremism. The populist extreme nationalist wing has taken over the Tory Party. It’s up to true Tories to take it back from these nutcases.

We’re getting more like America every day!!

So yesterday there were another 64,322 new cases with another 45 deaths. According to the ONS there have now been a total of 182,136 deaths.

It’s going down slowly!! However, it seems that deer are infected with it now and that could allow the virus to evolve.

We have Johnson talking up his achievements and claiming there are going to be 4 million new hospitals and their putting billions into dealing with the backlog of medical needs.

The sum being put in is actually a third of what they wasted on PPE contracts and funding firms that didn’t exist – billions that they are just carelessly writing off. It’s about a tenth of what Brexit is costing us each and every year!!

Johnson is a spreader of fake news and exaggerations!! He lies!!

At present we are still in this pandemic. People are dying and millions have long covid. 1 in 10 teachers are off with covid.

When will we ever get a good honest government??

Stay safe!! It’s in the sewer!!

Today’s Music To Keep me SSSssSAaaaaNNnnnee in Isolation – Family

Posted on by Opher

I used to see these guys live quite a lot. They were great. Unfortunately, I don’t think they were quite as good on their albums.

The Corona Diaries – Day 715

Posted on by Opher

A cold day – sunny morning and cold afternoon. I went out shopping this morning. Good to see that everybody still has their masks on.

We had friends around for a meal. The one topic of conversation was Boris Johnson and how long he was going to hang on.

The consensus was that he’d hold on til the grim end. He’ll probably still be governing from a prison cell!! Do a better job too! He won’t be sloshed on £180 a bottle wine or eating those free banquets. It’d be healthier for both him and the country!!

All four of us thought it would be best for him to stay as prime minister. We can put up with two more years of utter chaos, inequality, austerity, sleaze and corruption if it means we can rid ourselves of these arrogant Tories for a generation or two!!

The longer the clown is in power the more damage he does to them!

Rory Stewart was right (I hate to agree with even a moderate Tory) – it isn’t the Tory party anymore; it has morphed into a Populist party with fascist overtones.

Just imagine if we end up with a fascist Tory Party and a fascist Trump GOP????? It would be world domination!! They’d probably want to start world war 3 with China or Russia – probably both!!

That wouldn’t work well. There’s a long list of countries who have kicked our arses all ready – Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Iraq – none of whom were world powers. I think the only places the warmongers have succeeded in have been San Salvador and the Falklands.

England could conceivably hold its own with the Isle of Wight (unless they had an alliance with the Isle of Mann and attacked us from two sides).

I think too many people are utterly deluded. They still think we have an empire. They need to learn their history. When we did have an empire all the tremendous wealth we plundered went straight into the coffers of the same people who have been profiteering during Brexit and Covid. Ordinary people were simply used as cheap cannon fodder or lived in slums while the Eton boys played polo.

An incredible 33% still support this bunch of useless profiteering toffs. They doff their caps and know their place. Boris – such a nice chap – a good laugh. NO NO NO. Boris Johnson is an overprivileged entitled millionaire who is taking everyone for a ride – just like Cameron before him – remember Greenswill!! These people are in it for the money. Power is the way to get more money. We’re all in it together???? You must be joking!! They are walking off with millions taking us for mugs.

I’m surprised the Cayman Islands still float!!

Where was I???

Oh yes – keep digging Johnson!! We’re rooting for you!! Blunder, bluster and lie!! The Tory Party needs to sink a lot further yet!!

So yesterday There were possibly 57,623 new cases – who knows?? There were 45 deaths though tomorrow that’ll probably go up!!

Are we nearing a herd immunity?? Is Omicron very mild indeed??

I know of quite a few with it now!! Only one really serious and he caught it a year and a half ago!

There is a substantial risk of a heart attack in the year after catching covid!!

Stay safe.

Today’s Music to keep me SsSSssAAaaANnnneee in Isolation – Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention – Absolutely Free

Posted on by Opher

I need a dose of plastic people to stop me becoming plastic!!

The Corona Diaries – Day 713

Posted on by Opher

A cold day with a bit of drizzle. These are hard times for nature. The early warm spells have brought the season forward. The plants bud and are caught out by cold snaps. Everything is thrown out of synch. The flowers open before pollinators have emerged. Predators emerge before prey. It messes all the timing up. The result is chaos. Global warming is creating havoc in the world of plants and animals. We’ll see if it can change quickly enough.

Today I largely stayed in – watched the rugby and edited. On page 178 of the Beefheart book. I’m getting there!!

It’s been good to play some Davey Graham. Such a brilliant guitarist. Too much heroin. It stopped him from achieving what he was capable of. Our loss.

Meanwhile, out in Coronaland the situation is becoming laughable. Our resident clown is desperately trying to hang on to power. The rats are already jumping ship, his ministers are breaking ranks and speaking out against him, the letters are flying in, the cake knives are out and the smiley-faced usurpers are denying they are interested while positioning themselves.

This is a dead man walking but the lobotomized fool can’t quite see it. He still thinks that he’ll scrape through and everyone will forget. The polls will straighten up and he’ll be popular again.

Ain’t gonna happen. Once people see through you the bubble has burst. It’s like a segment of the public has awoken from hypnosis. The fingers have been clicked. I don’t think the clown will be able to put them under again.

There are three ways this can go:

He can stumble on, ignoring everything, and continue to do damage to his party and all around him until something finally delivers the coup de grace.

He can resign and put everyone out of their agony.

He can wait to be voted out with a vote of no confidence and suffer the humiliation of being told he’s a useless cretin who is now a liability.

We’ve got the MET report, Sue Green’s unredacted report, The May elections, the reality of Brexit, the cost of living crisis, the tax rises, inflation, price rises, the energy crisis, further blunders, the covid report and revelations. It’s a question of time. Even a competent person would struggle and Johnson is far from competent.

The clown is hoping that he can scrape through this, survive the MET and Gray, get on the front foot with an amazing new set of initiatives, regain his popularity, not make any more blunders and emerge into the sunny uplands.

About as much chance of that as Brexit and Levelling up working – and that’s never going to happen!

I hope he staggers on lying and lying and lying, dragging the Tories further into the mire until he does for them all.

Who do I want to see succeed him? Rees-Mogg of course! He’s the most obnoxious, smarmy profiteer. Surely nobody in their right minds would vote for him.

Mind you, Gove, Sunak, Patel, Doris and Truss would give him a run for his money. If I was betting I’d say Sunak will get it. They think he’s popular. But will the public really take to someone who, with wealth of around £430 million is richer than the Queen? Would they think that he could possibly relate to poor people or have their interests at heart? I don’t think so. Too smarmy by half.

This is the heartless bastard who cut universal credit while doing a multimillion-pound renovation of his luxury mansions. A true Tory man of the people.

I shall watch the ensuing knifings and intrigue with interest. The sooner we rid ourselves of the whole bunch of these corrupt Tory profiteers the better.

British people have a class problem – we keep voting these self-serving elite into power. It’s time we learnt our lesson!!

So yesterday there were 82,053 new cases with 254 deaths. Is it coming down? Who knows? It’s anybody’s guess!’

Reinfections are increasing with people going down with one variant after another. The booster programme is stalling because partygate has removed all confidence. Omicron variant BA.2 is storming the world and is even more contagious.

Don’t worry, Downing Street is highly organised, our PM is focussed and all is well!!

Stay safe!! (You’re on your own – they are playing politics – if they’re playing at all!!)