The Corona Diaries – Day 106

Posted on by Opher

Back at the beginning, a death toll of 126 seemed a lot. Sadly, it doesn’t now. 352 new cases yesterday (plus however many untested). I have no faith in any of the figures they are pumping out! They are all massaged.

I think Johnson’s handlers must be pulling their hair out. He is a liability. He’s a real contortionist – every time he opens his mouth he puts his foot in it! Or is this part of the government ploy to deflect criticism on to others? If I remember rightly – the ring of protection they threw around Care Homes was:

  1. No advice – apart from you’ll be alright
  2. No PPE (you don’t need it)
  3. And shoving a whole lot of elderly people with Covid 19 out of the hospitals into Care Homes to infect the inmates and kill thousands.

Now Johnson is trying to say that the thousands of deaths are nothing to do with them but was the incompetence of the Care Homes – incredible. No wonder those people are so angry.

So Jair Bolsonaro has Covid 19 – the little flu – well I hope he discovers it is more than the sniffles. If he were to die it would be poetic justice and good riddance. He is responsible for many deaths.

In the USA Trump is suffering a slump! Due to his appalling handling of both the virus and the BLM people are waking up to his incompetence. About time. The news is that he paid someone to take his exams for him because he knew he wouldn’t pass. I would believe that. His response to the slump in popularity is to move on to the attack and start using the race card. The protestors are now fascists attacking the wonderful heritage of the nation – that wonderful heritage is the slave owners, exploiters and profiteers, the racists, warmongers and callous elite. That’s OK with Trump – he’ll fire up his base. They love those confederate flags and good old days of the Ku Klux Klan.

Today I went for a walk up my hill. It was overcast but great. A kestrel hovered over our heads.  All was right with the world.

I came back, played some Traffic , cleared up after decoration, and tried to watch a bit of cricket (rain stopped play)

Here’s to more cricket tomorrow and a fairer, more equal world, rid of populists!!

Stay safe!!

The Future?? – More of the same or a better course??

Posted on by Opher

Now that Covid 19 has provided a respite from normality and given us the opportunity to look at the future it is time to reassess what sort of world we really want.

We are at the start of a huge change. When A/I really gets into its swing there will be less need for a workforce. All the jobs, skilled and unskilled, will be automated. Productivity will increase. Profits will increase. There will be less work.

We can go on the same or we can change.

If we go on the same the wealth will be accumulated into fewer and fewer pockets, the world will run out of resources, nature will be wrecked, there will be pollution, global warming, mass migrations, wars, gross inequality, mass poverty, violence, protests, extremism (religious and political) and a wealthy elite who live in a bubble outside of this nightmare.

If we change we can share the wealth, create a more equal world, value nature, reduce our population and no longer suffer from wars, pollution, racism and inequality.

I reckon we have a stark choice.

The Corona Diaries – Day 55

Posted on by Opher

These are strange days indeed! One hears about deaths with distant friends but no direct deaths in anyone close (thank Heavens) or in the village. It’s surreal.

I can understand why some people think it’s all an overreaction. It does not seem real. But it is. There is a killer virus out there and mass graves in Central Park. It’s killed over 31,000 in the UK and 77,000 in the USA. But it has put a hell of a lot more than that on ventilators and in intensive care. This isn’t the flu.

If it had not been for all the personal distancing and isolation the health services would have been overwhelmed. There would not have been beds and ventilators and people would have been left to die – just like what is happening in the Care Homes!!

So for fifty five days we’ve been in lockdown. I still can’t say that I’m finding it too hard. Although I miss friends and family, gigs and theatre, I have my writing, my reading, walking and TV. I lead a busy life.

The government seems to still be in a dither. One minute they are leaking to the Press that there is going to be a relaxation of the lockdown and the next minute they are changing their mind. All very confusing. The problem seems to be that the numbers of new cases are still not coming down.

It’s a bit disturbing. It is noticeable that more people are out, more shops are opening and there’s more traffic. We could well be in for a second wave.

In the States it looks dire. The virus is ramping up in many areas and there are a lot of nutters who are not distancing. They’ll be a mighty reckoning!

I hope it goes on for a while yet – I still have two more rooms to decorate.

Today was VE Day – something I feel ambivalent about. I like to think that I would have joined with the international effort to oppose fascism. I respect all the men and women who fought the Nazis. But I don’t like the nationalism or the way it is represented as Britain against Germany. Many in Germany opposed the Nazis and many were tortured and killed for their opposition.

I do not like the jingoistic patriotism. It smacks of Brexit and has racist overtones for me.

This morning we walked up to the top of the hill overlooking the Wolds to see it basking in the sunshine. We passed lots of houses with their bunting. I was heartened to see one house regaled in flags of all different countries! That was my type of house!

I haven’t got much writing done today. I had to take down and repair the blind in my room. I’m not very good at that sort of thing.

I’m off to do a bit of reading!

Take care – Stay Safe!!

 

Response to Armed right-wing Thugs storming Michigan Legislator.

Posted on by Opher

A reasoned response to Trump’s reaction to armed men intimidating the Governor of Michigan.

Is this sort of behaviour acceptable now in America? Can armed people – thugs – threaten politicians with impunity?

Clearly the President condones this. How would he feel if a bunch of armed Democrat thugs stormed the White House!

What on Earth is happening to America??????

https://www.thenational.scot/news/18423933.george-kerevan-classic-fascist-tactics-dis-united-states/

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/michigan-whitmer-armed-coronavirus-demonstration-993082/

This is scary stuff. America has gone nuts!!

Poetry – Nature’s Rainbow

Posted on by Opher

Nature’s Rainbow

 

Yellow, blue, white and pink,

Glittering between shades of green,

Under blue sky,

Yellow sun,

And white clouds;

As Spring explodes in colour.

 

In the trees, the hedgerows

And verges,

They purvey their scent

To attract and seduce

With UV tracks,

Nectaries,

And lively pallor.

 

Insects, birds, rabbits

And hares

Go about their business

In this new land of plenty

After months

Of slim pickings.

 

Opher – 3.5.2020

 

 

After the grey days of winter nature explodes into colour as the brown soil and skeletons of trees erupt in buds, leaves and flowers.

It is as if nature is providing its own rainbow.

This is a time of renewal, a time of plenty.

It is a joy to watch.

Companies with tax havens should expect no State help – Pass it on!

Posted on by Opher

Good on Denmark. I’m sick of all this tax avoidance!! Pass it on!!

The Corona Diaries – Day 48

Posted on by Opher

Well the USA has more deaths from Corvid-19 than were killed in the whole of the Vietnam war and the UK is heading for the worst death-rate in Europe.

The USA is on a curve soaring up into the stratosphere with no sign of levelling off. But then to isolate or social distance is communist. I wonder if those Tea Party pranksters still feel it is just a Democrat Hoax. Maybe at some point they’ll change their mind and accept global warming – or even vaccination!

Or are they pinning their hopes on God saving them??

Looks like these populist leaders are completely useless!! But don’t say I didn’t tell you!!

Meanwhile, due to isolation and social distancing, we are exempt from infection and haven’t died yet! Yippee – still got book to write!!

Yesterday we heard from two friends that they had relatives that had died – one lost a sister and one a niece. It makes it real.

In the Care Home in Driffield it is rumoured that thirteen have died. But hey – they’re only old. They don’t count, right?

So life goes on in isolation. We decorated the stairwell today – a big job. But it looks great. So it’s a productive time!

I have done a few pages of my poetry book. Played some Gil Scott-Heron and tidied up the blog. Still haven’t found time to watch that Michael Moore – but it’s on the list!

Then we went for an hour’s walk – just down the back lanes. It rained a little but was OK.

Tomorrow is Liz’s birthday. I’m taking her in for dinner! Perhaps I should have got a card or something?

Birthday in lockdown is a bit different to usual!

It’ll be seven weeks tomorrow!! Wow!  I’m getting used to this rhythm.

Stay Safe everyone!!  Stay out of the USA!! It’s looking a bit dicey over there!!  Take care my American friends!!

Poetry – The Powers of Laughter

Posted on by Opher

The Power of Laughter

 

Laughing and joking

When times are rough;

That’s the way to do it

Even when the going’s tough!

 

Economic mayhem

From the blind man’s bluff

Death stalks a handshake.

That ain’t funny stuff!

 

Opher – 28.4.2020

 

 

At times of stress or sadness the British always turn to humour as a way of dealing with the fears!

In this time of great uncertainty, worry and fear it is humour that will help us through – Oh – as well as a choccy biscuit, a cup of tea and a nice cuddle!

Music to keep me Sane in Isolation! – Gil Scott-Heron

Posted on by Opher

Gil was a writer and musician. He wrote novels and lyrical poems.

He created a jazz-fusion rap that put his poetry to music – often with an African beat.

He was unique.

The first track of his that I heard was B Movie – a fabulous diatribe against Reagan. It got me into the rest of his work – The Revolution Will Not Be televised, Whitey On the Moon and Inner City Blues all hit the mark.

Gil wrote about the plight of the black ghettos in a way that nobody had. This was poetic social commentary with biting satire and beauty.

Love the man!

So today I will being play Gil loud and proud!

Music Today to stop me from going insane in Isolation – Snooks Eaglin!

Posted on by Opher

I discovered Snooks way back in the sixties. I was a Blues nut and used to hunt through all the second-hand record shops looking for rare blues albums. I discovered this Folkways album with its thick cardboard cover. It was called Snooks Eaglin – New Orleans Street Singer.

It wasn’t quite the Blues album I thought it was. Snooks was not really a Blues singer. Neither was he a Folk singer.

I was unfamiliar with New Orleans music at the time – even though I’d heard a bit of Swamp Blues (Slim Harpo and Lazy Lester) and things like Huey ‘Piano’ Smith and Frankie Ford. I later got into the special hybrid vibe of New Orleans. Loved it.

But Snooks was always special. I love his melodic songs and warm voice. He’s so gentle and special.

So today I’m going to be playing Snooks real loud while I do a spot of decorating!