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The SakerA bird's eye view of the vineyard
Public InquiryInterested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
Spirit of Contradiction
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Exavier Saskagoochie - Mon Oct 26, 2020 05:00  Presidential polls are showing that President Trump will lose to Joe Biden as bad as he lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016. âItâs not looking good at all for Trump,â Pew Pew pollster Jack Ace said. âHeâs down nearly 10 points. If he keeps this up, heâs going to lose to Biden just as bad as he lost to Hillary.â Every poll in the universe had Trump losing badly to Hillary in 2016 and polls this time around are predicting a repeat of the 2016 loss. In the race for president, Biden is currently leading Trump by about 10 percentage points in an average of national polls from FiveThirtyEight. Decision Desk HQ, an election forecasting company, predicts that Biden has an 86.7% chance of winning the election, which seems to indicate that Biden will win in roughly the same fashion that Hillary did in 2016. Experts say that polls that show Biden winning are guaranteed to be accurate predictions, just like they were in 2016. If you want further proof, just listen to all these people who agreed with the polls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4mydHqT77U Source: Genesius Times
Presidential polls are showing that President Trump will lose to Joe Biden as bad as he lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016.
âItâs not looking good at all for Trump,â Pew Pew pollster Jack Ace said. âHeâs down nearly 10 points. If he keeps this up, heâs going to lose to Biden just as bad as he lost to Hillary.â
Every poll in the universe had Trump losing badly to Hillary in 2016 and polls this time around are predicting a repeat of the 2016 loss.
In the race for president, Biden is currently leading Trump by about 10 percentage points in an average of national polls from FiveThirtyEight. Decision Desk HQ, an election forecasting company, predicts that Biden has an 86.7% chance of winning the election, which seems to indicate that Biden will win in roughly the same fashion that Hillary did in 2016.
Experts say that polls that show Biden winning are guaranteed to be accurate predictions, just like they were in 2016.
If you want further proof, just listen to all these people who agreed with the polls:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4mydHqT77U
Source: Genesius Times
International Labour Organization - Sun Oct 25, 2020 23:49  The devastating losses in working hours caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought a âmassiveâ drop in labour income for workers around the world, says the International Labour Organization (ILO) in its latest assessment of the effects of the pandemic on the world of work. Global labour income is estimated to have declined by 10.7 per cent, or US$ 3.5 trillion, in the first three quarters of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. This figure excludes income support provided through government measures. The biggest drop was in lower-middle income countries, where the labour income losses reached 15.1 per cent, with the Americas the hardest hit region at 12.1 per cent. The ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world of work. Sixth edition, says that the global working hour losses in the first nine months of 2020 have been âconsiderably largerâ than estimated in the previous edition of the Monitor (issued on 30 June). For example, the revised estimate of global working time lost in the second quarter (Q2) of this year (when compared to Q4 2019) is for 17.3 per cent, equivalent to 495 million full time equivalent (FTE) jobs (based on a 48-hour working week), whereas the earlier estimate was for 14 per cent, or 400 million FTE jobs. In Q3 of 2020, global working hour losses of 12.1 per cent (345 million FTE jobs) are expected. The outlook for Q4 has worsened significantly since the last ILO Monitor was issued. Under the ILOâs baseline scenario, global working-hour losses are now projected to amount to 8.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020 (compared to Q4 2019), which corresponds to 245 million FTE jobs. This is an increase from the ILOâs previous estimate of 4.9 per cent or 140 million FTE jobs. One reason for the estimated increases in working-hour losses is that workers in developing and emerging economies, especially those in informal employment, have been much more affected than by past crises, the Monitor says. It also notes that the drop in employment is more attributable to inactivity than to unemployment, with important policy implications. While many stringent workplace closures have been relaxed, there are significant variations between regions. 94 per cent of workers are still in countries with some sort of workplace restrictions, and 32 per cent are in countries with closures for all but essential workplaces. Source: International Labour Organization
The devastating losses in working hours caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought a âmassiveâ drop in labour income for workers around the world, says the International Labour Organization (ILO) in its latest assessment of the effects of the pandemic on the world of work.
Global labour income is estimated to have declined by 10.7 per cent, or US$ 3.5 trillion, in the first three quarters of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. This figure excludes income support provided through government measures.
The biggest drop was in lower-middle income countries, where the labour income losses reached 15.1 per cent, with the Americas the hardest hit region at 12.1 per cent.
The ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world of work. Sixth edition, says that the global working hour losses in the first nine months of 2020 have been âconsiderably largerâ than estimated in the previous edition of the Monitor (issued on 30 June).
For example, the revised estimate of global working time lost in the second quarter (Q2) of this year (when compared to Q4 2019) is for 17.3 per cent, equivalent to 495 million full time equivalent (FTE) jobs (based on a 48-hour working week), whereas the earlier estimate was for 14 per cent, or 400 million FTE jobs. In Q3 of 2020, global working hour losses of 12.1 per cent (345 million FTE jobs) are expected.
The outlook for Q4 has worsened significantly since the last ILO Monitor was issued. Under the ILOâs baseline scenario, global working-hour losses are now projected to amount to 8.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020 (compared to Q4 2019), which corresponds to 245 million FTE jobs. This is an increase from the ILOâs previous estimate of 4.9 per cent or 140 million FTE jobs.
One reason for the estimated increases in working-hour losses is that workers in developing and emerging economies, especially those in informal employment, have been much more affected than by past crises, the Monitor says.
It also notes that the drop in employment is more attributable to inactivity than to unemployment, with important policy implications.
While many stringent workplace closures have been relaxed, there are significant variations between regions. 94 per cent of workers are still in countries with some sort of workplace restrictions, and 32 per cent are in countries with closures for all but essential workplaces.
Source: International Labour Organization
Hayley Dixon - Sun Oct 25, 2020 08:20  A great grandmother who captured what many people were feeling when she said she âdidnât give a sodâ about coronavirus rules has said that the country should not âsurrenderâ to the pandemic. Maureen Eames, 83, who became an overnight celebrity after expressing her anger at the impact of Government restrictions, said that Britain was supposed to be âa free countryâ and âlife has to go onâ. Speaking from her South Yorkshire home just before parts of the region enter tier three restrictions, she warned that it is subsequent generations who will be paying the price for the lockdown, telling Boris Johnson: âThe future of the young is in your hands.â Mrs Eames told the Telegraph: âWe were bombed in the blitz and we didnât give in. I was at my auntâs in Lincolnshire, next to an airfield, and they accidentally dropped a bomb and it blew our windows out. âWe didnât surrender then and we shouldnât now. We went into shelters then we went back to work. Thatâs what we have to do now.â https://twitter.com/allisonpearson/status/1318976174337515521 https://twitter.com/aginnt/status/1319711413921812482 Mrs Eames has had a growing army of supporters since she was interviewed by the BBC whilst out shopping in Barnsley on Wednesday, with some saying she should be the next Prime Minister. She told the broadcaster it was âridiculousâ that the town would be the next part of England plunged into the "very high" alert level. She said: âWe should never have been in lockdown. All the people who were vulnerable should have been helped and kept home safe. And all the rest of us, I'm 83, I don't give a sod. âI look at it this way, I've not got all that many years left of me and Iâm not going to be fastened in a house when the government have got it all wrong.â The octogenarian, who served as a parish councillor for her home village of Notton for 50 years, warned that restriction would leave millions unemployed and those paying for it would be âall the young ones. Not me because I'm going to be deadâ. Mrs Elms, who has three grandchildren and two great grandchildren, said she had been overwhelmed by support since the interview. She immediately drew comparisons with Brenda from Bristol, who summed up the feelings of many when she was told that the 2017 General Election had been called and responded: "Youâre joking. Not another one." An ordinary member of the public also caused some embarrassment for Gordon Brown when he was Prime Minister in 2010 and was recorded calling Gillian Duffy a "bigot" during a walkabout in Rochdale. She had first-hand experience of the virus when her husband Michael, 82, developed severe coronavirus in late February, coughing up blood, and wasnât fully recovered until May. She caught it at the end of May and developed deep chest pains but recovered after ten days. The retired doctorâs housekeeper has revealed that she was against lockdown from the start and continued her routine of shopping three times a week. She said: âWhat they should have done was ensure that all the old people and the people who have health problems were protected and if they wanted anything there was someone there to take it to the house. Then they let the rest of us get on with life.â âAll this money that's been spent and at the end of this year there'll be so many children, young people and old who'll be unemployed. âThere's no future for the young ones where this is going.â The Tory voter said that she laid the blame for the response on Matt Hancock and believes that Mr Johnson has been âshackledâ by his scientific advisors. âThe future of the young is in your hands Boris. And for God's sake, get some people around you who know what needs to be done,â she said. âI would sack the lot of them, especially Matt Hancock. Get people who will tell you to open everything up and shield the vulnerable.â One of the Health Secretaryâs mistakes, Mrs Eames believes, was telling doctors to see patients on Zoom, which has made it âeasier to get into jailâ than a GP surgery. âIt really does worry me is how many people at the outset were diagnosed with cancer and now are dying," she said. "They have no future because of this policy, they are dying." Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield will move into the most stringent Tier 3 restrictions at Midnight on Saturday, joining Manchester, Lancashire and Liverpool. It was not just those on social media who supported her frank views as Mr Eames, a retired coal mine electrical engineer, revealed he was proud of his wife. "We watched it on the telly and I said âyouâll go viral with that and she said give over. But I was right," he said. âI call her My Hyacinth, my own Mrs Bouquet.â Source: The Telegraph
When you are a COVID bed-wetter, and less of a man than an 83-year-old granny[/caption]
A great grandmother who captured what many people were feeling when she said she âdidnât give a sodâ about coronavirus rules has said that the country should not âsurrenderâ to the pandemic.
Maureen Eames, 83, who became an overnight celebrity after expressing her anger at the impact of Government restrictions, said that Britain was supposed to be âa free countryâ and âlife has to go onâ.
Speaking from her South Yorkshire home just before parts of the region enter tier three restrictions, she warned that it is subsequent generations who will be paying the price for the lockdown, telling Boris Johnson: âThe future of the young is in your hands.â
Mrs Eames told the Telegraph: âWe were bombed in the blitz and we didnât give in. I was at my auntâs in Lincolnshire, next to an airfield, and they accidentally dropped a bomb and it blew our windows out.
âWe didnât surrender then and we shouldnât now. We went into shelters then we went back to work. Thatâs what we have to do now.â
https://twitter.com/allisonpearson/status/1318976174337515521
https://twitter.com/aginnt/status/1319711413921812482
Mrs Eames has had a growing army of supporters since she was interviewed by the BBC whilst out shopping in Barnsley on Wednesday, with some saying she should be the next Prime Minister.
She told the broadcaster it was âridiculousâ that the town would be the next part of England plunged into the "very high" alert level.
She said: âWe should never have been in lockdown. All the people who were vulnerable should have been helped and kept home safe. And all the rest of us, I'm 83, I don't give a sod.
âI look at it this way, I've not got all that many years left of me and Iâm not going to be fastened in a house when the government have got it all wrong.â
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="680"] Maureen Eames and her husband Michael have both recovered from coronavirus[/caption]
The octogenarian, who served as a parish councillor for her home village of Notton for 50 years, warned that restriction would leave millions unemployed and those paying for it would be âall the young ones. Not me because I'm going to be deadâ.
Mrs Elms, who has three grandchildren and two great grandchildren, said she had been overwhelmed by support since the interview.
She immediately drew comparisons with Brenda from Bristol, who summed up the feelings of many when she was told that the 2017 General Election had been called and responded: "Youâre joking. Not another one."
An ordinary member of the public also caused some embarrassment for Gordon Brown when he was Prime Minister in 2010 and was recorded calling Gillian Duffy a "bigot" during a walkabout in Rochdale.
She had first-hand experience of the virus when her husband Michael, 82, developed severe coronavirus in late February, coughing up blood, and wasnât fully recovered until May. She caught it at the end of May and developed deep chest pains but recovered after ten days.
The retired doctorâs housekeeper has revealed that she was against lockdown from the start and continued her routine of shopping three times a week.
She said: âWhat they should have done was ensure that all the old people and the people who have health problems were protected and if they wanted anything there was someone there to take it to the house. Then they let the rest of us get on with life.â
âAll this money that's been spent and at the end of this year there'll be so many children, young people and old who'll be unemployed. âThere's no future for the young ones where this is going.â
The Tory voter said that she laid the blame for the response on Matt Hancock and believes that Mr Johnson has been âshackledâ by his scientific advisors.
âThe future of the young is in your hands Boris. And for God's sake, get some people around you who know what needs to be done,â she said.
âI would sack the lot of them, especially Matt Hancock. Get people who will tell you to open everything up and shield the vulnerable.â
One of the Health Secretaryâs mistakes, Mrs Eames believes, was telling doctors to see patients on Zoom, which has made it âeasier to get into jailâ than a GP surgery.
âIt really does worry me is how many people at the outset were diagnosed with cancer and now are dying," she said. "They have no future because of this policy, they are dying."
Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield will move into the most stringent Tier 3 restrictions at Midnight on Saturday, joining Manchester, Lancashire and Liverpool.
It was not just those on social media who supported her frank views as Mr Eames, a retired coal mine electrical engineer, revealed he was proud of his wife.
"We watched it on the telly and I said âyouâll go viral with that and she said give over. But I was right," he said. âI call her My Hyacinth, my own Mrs Bouquet.â
Source: The Telegraph
William Wan - Sun Oct 25, 2020 07:45  Beyond the staggering U.S. deaths caused directly by the novel coronavirus, more than 134,200 people have died from Alzheimerâs and other forms of dementia since March. That is 13,200 more U.S. deaths caused by dementia than expected, compared with previous years, according to an analysis of federal data by The Washington Post. Overlooked amid Americaâs war against the coronavirus is this reality: People with dementia are dying not just from the virus but from the very strategy of isolation thatâs supposed to protect them. In recent months, doctors have reported increased falls, pulmonary infections, depression and sudden frailty in patients who had been stable for years. Social and mental stimulation are among the few tools that can slow the march of dementia. Source: The Washington Post (excerpt)
Overlooked amid Americaâs war against the coronavirus is this reality: People with dementia are dying not just from the virus but from the very strategy of isolation thatâs supposed to protect them. In recent months, doctors have reported increased falls, pulmonary infections, depression and sudden frailty in patients who had been stable for years.
Social and mental stimulation are among the few tools that can slow the march of dementia.
Source: The Washington Post (excerpt)
James Bickerton - Sun Oct 25, 2020 02:05  The Campania region, which includes Naples, announced it would go into lockdown on Friday as the number of COVID-19 cases [test positives] soared.
Demonstrators threw flares and other missiles at police who responded with tear gas.
There were unconfirmed reports protestors stormed local government offices.
Jakub Wondreys posted a video of the disorder on Twitter with the caption: âBig anti-regional government COVID-19 restrictions protests are happening right now in Naples, Italy. âThe situation seems to be out of control, thousands of people in the streets fighting with police, also stormed the regional government offices.â https://twitter.com/EdgeCGroup/status/1319869876136235008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw... Footage posted on social media showed thousands of demonstrators, many wearing masks to protect against coronavirus, marching through the city. Many were chanting âfreedom, freedom, freedomâ during their procession. RadioSavana, which has been covering the protests, tweeted: âAll of Naples in revolt! https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1319765372317409281 https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1319905756897071107 https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1319769947325825024 https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1319982177426300935 https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1319756520595378180 https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1320128104896090112 https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1320135736159571971 âThe population is mass protesting against the lockdown. âAt 11.00 pm the curfew order is triggered, the images are live: civil disobedience in progress.â https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQe715ZWgrc They later added: âProtests also underway in Salerno, Nocera and other cities of Campania.â https://twitter.com/AJKayWriter/status/1320147327705755648 The number of COVID-19 cases [test positives] in Italy has risen seven-fold since the beginning of October. Vincenzo De Luca, President of the Campania region, has ordered a night-time curfew and the closing of schools. On Facebook he posted: âCurrent data on the contagion make any kind of partial [or non-partial] measure ineffective. It is necessary to close everything, except for those businesses that produce and transport essential goods. âWe need to make one last effort to get things under control. We need to shut everything down for a month, for 40 days.â Source: The Daily Express
The Campania region, which includes Naples, announced it would go into lockdown on Friday as the number of COVID-19 cases [test positives] soared.
Demonstrators threw flares and other missiles at police who responded with tear gas.
There were unconfirmed reports protestors stormed local government offices.
Jakub Wondreys posted a video of the disorder on Twitter with the caption: âBig anti-regional government COVID-19 restrictions protests are happening right now in Naples, Italy.
âThe situation seems to be out of control, thousands of people in the streets fighting with police, also stormed the regional government offices.â
https://twitter.com/EdgeCGroup/status/1319869876136235008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw...
Footage posted on social media showed thousands of demonstrators, many wearing masks to protect against coronavirus, marching through the city.
Many were chanting âfreedom, freedom, freedomâ during their procession.
RadioSavana, which has been covering the protests, tweeted: âAll of Naples in revolt!
https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1319765372317409281
https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1319905756897071107
https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1319769947325825024
https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1319982177426300935
https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1319756520595378180
https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1320128104896090112
https://twitter.com/RadioSavana/status/1320135736159571971
âThe population is mass protesting against the lockdown.
âAt 11.00 pm the curfew order is triggered, the images are live: civil disobedience in progress.â
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQe715ZWgrc
They later added: âProtests also underway in Salerno, Nocera and other cities of Campania.â
https://twitter.com/AJKayWriter/status/1320147327705755648
The number of COVID-19 cases [test positives] in Italy has risen seven-fold since the beginning of October.
Vincenzo De Luca, President of the Campania region, has ordered a night-time curfew and the closing of schools.
On Facebook he posted: âCurrent data on the contagion make any kind of partial [or non-partial] measure ineffective. It is necessary to close everything, except for those businesses that produce and transport essential goods.
âWe need to make one last effort to get things under control. We need to shut everything down for a month, for 40 days.â
Source: The Daily Express
The Babylon Bee - Sun Oct 25, 2020 02:14  The U.S. Coast Guard announced today that they discovered a man who has been stranded on a deserted island in the Caribbean Ocean for over 5 months after his boat sunk in a storm. A spokesman for the USCGÂ reported that this heroic man has been responsibly wearing his mask the entire time on the island, even though he is the only living soul in a thousand-mile radius. "This man is a true hero," said Governor Gavin Newsom of California. "He is a shining example of an obedient citizen who dutifully wears his mask even when it makes absolutely zero sense for any sane person to do so. California citizens ought to look to this survivor and emulate him in every way." Celebrities took to Twitter to respond to the news and congratulate the stranded man on his unwavering commitment to obeying every single thing politicians and experts told him to do. "Thank you," said superstar Mark Ruffalo, "for showing us all how it's done!" Authorities were planning on rescuing the survivor but later decided his story is just too inspiring and that he will serve a greater purpose if they just leave him there to continue wearing his mask. "He has enough coconuts to last him a couple of years, he'll be fine," said the USCG spokesman. "Besides, wait till you see how he re-applies his mask between bites!" Source: The Babylon Bee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gnwgZli1_Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpGjeOhhVOI
The U.S. Coast Guard announced today that they discovered a man who has been stranded on a deserted island in the Caribbean Ocean for over 5 months after his boat sunk in a storm. A spokesman for the USCGÂ reported that this heroic man has been responsibly wearing his mask the entire time on the island, even though he is the only living soul in a thousand-mile radius.
"This man is a true hero," said Governor Gavin Newsom of California. "He is a shining example of an obedient citizen who dutifully wears his mask even when it makes absolutely zero sense for any sane person to do so. California citizens ought to look to this survivor and emulate him in every way."
Celebrities took to Twitter to respond to the news and congratulate the stranded man on his unwavering commitment to obeying every single thing politicians and experts told him to do. "Thank you," said superstar Mark Ruffalo, "for showing us all how it's done!"
Authorities were planning on rescuing the survivor but later decided his story is just too inspiring and that he will serve a greater purpose if they just leave him there to continue wearing his mask.
"He has enough coconuts to last him a couple of years, he'll be fine," said the USCG spokesman. "Besides, wait till you see how he re-applies his mask between bites!"
Source: The Babylon Bee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gnwgZli1_Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpGjeOhhVOI
ITV - Sat Oct 24, 2020 22:25  Three students from the University of East Anglia have been fined £10,000 each for holding a house party attended by up to 100 guests. Norfolk Police confirmed they were called to a house in Bowthorpe Road in Norwich, near the university campus, just after 1am on Sunday morning. When they got there, they found up to 100 people inside. Three women, one aged 19 and two aged 20, were all given the maximum £10,000 fine for "contravening the ban on being involved in holding a gathering of more than 30 people." In a statement, a spokesperson for Norfolk Police reiterated the force "would not sit back and allow people to deliberately break the law." A spokesperson for the UEA confirmed that the university "fully support" the action taken by the police. The university's student union also said they condemned the actions of the students involved, but added that they believed the "life-altering fine of £10,000" was "disproportionate." "Students are not exempt from the law, but we believe the life-altering fine of £10,000 with no right of appeal for the hosts is disproportionate and would caution the university to bear this in mind during their own investigation." Source: ITV Four students in Nottingham have been fined £10,000 each after throwing a party despite coronavirus restrictions, having told police that officers had "spoiled their fun". The group were caught by community protection officers on a patrol of the city, which is in Tier 2 restrictions where household mixing is banned indoors. [And about to go into even the more totalitarian "Tier 3 when life will become even more miserable for the youth and moving around for socialization even more impeded.] They spotted the revellers at a house in the Lenton area - known for its large student population. When approached, the group - who all study at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) - claimed that everyone had left, but upon further inspection, officers found more than 30 people hiding in the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms. Nottinghamshire Police say the students said the officers were "spoiling their fun" - and that they should be having the "time of their lives". Nottingham, home to two universities, until last week had the highest COVID-19 infection rate in England, and talks are ongoing in the wider region to bring it into Tier 3 of the government's coronavirus restrictions. On Wednesday, NTU confirmed that the group had been suspended while an investigation into their behaviour gets under way. "We know that the vast majority of our students respect the guidelines and advice," said a spokesman. "We will not tolerate any breaches, and where we have evidence of any breaches, we will always take immediate action under our disciplinary processes." In a separate incident, another NTU student was handed a £200 fine after they were caught at a party at a student accommodation block. Assistant Chief Constable Kate Meynell, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "This needs to stop. The claims that police presented as a barrier to the students' fun are astounding. "How many fines do we have to give before the message is understood? We do not take pleasure in handing out fines and would much rather be in a situation where students could enjoy themselves, but the reality is that if people do not follow the COVID-19 restrictions, more people will die. Source: Sky News
The kids wanted to have an event before the place goes into even more totalitarian crackdowns and they become even more impossible[/caption]
Three students from the University of East Anglia have been fined £10,000 each for holding a house party attended by up to 100 guests. Norfolk Police confirmed they were called to a house in Bowthorpe Road in Norwich, near the university campus, just after 1am on Sunday morning. When they got there, they found up to 100 people inside. Three women, one aged 19 and two aged 20, were all given the maximum £10,000 fine for "contravening the ban on being involved in holding a gathering of more than 30 people." In a statement, a spokesperson for Norfolk Police reiterated the force "would not sit back and allow people to deliberately break the law." A spokesperson for the UEA confirmed that the university "fully support" the action taken by the police.The university's student union also said they condemned the actions of the students involved, but added that they believed the "life-altering fine of £10,000" was "disproportionate." "Students are not exempt from the law, but we believe the life-altering fine of £10,000 with no right of appeal for the hosts is disproportionate and would caution the university to bear this in mind during their own investigation." Source: ITVFour students in Nottingham have been fined £10,000 each after throwing a party despite coronavirus restrictions, having told police that officers had "spoiled their fun". The group were caught by community protection officers on a patrol of the city, which is in Tier 2 restrictions where household mixing is banned indoors. [And about to go into even the more totalitarian "Tier 3 when life will become even more miserable for the youth and moving around for socialization even more impeded.] They spotted the revellers at a house in the Lenton area - known for its large student population. When approached, the group - who all study at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) - claimed that everyone had left, but upon further inspection, officers found more than 30 people hiding in the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms. Nottinghamshire Police say the students said the officers were "spoiling their fun" - and that they should be having the "time of their lives". Nottingham, home to two universities, until last week had the highest COVID-19 infection rate in England, and talks are ongoing in the wider region to bring it into Tier 3 of the government's coronavirus restrictions. On Wednesday, NTU confirmed that the group had been suspended while an investigation into their behaviour gets under way. "We know that the vast majority of our students respect the guidelines and advice," said a spokesman. "We will not tolerate any breaches, and where we have evidence of any breaches, we will always take immediate action under our disciplinary processes." In a separate incident, another NTU student was handed a £200 fine after they were caught at a party at a student accommodation block. Assistant Chief Constable Kate Meynell, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "This needs to stop. The claims that police presented as a barrier to the students' fun are astounding. "How many fines do we have to give before the message is understood? We do not take pleasure in handing out fines and would much rather be in a situation where students could enjoy themselves, but the reality is that if people do not follow the COVID-19 restrictions, more people will die. Source: Sky News
Club des Cordeliers - Sat Oct 24, 2020 16:00  https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1306542318061846528 https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1306608987761242112 https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1307791987417001986 https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1307792897698340866 https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1313132916587851777 https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1313133863812714496 https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1318534181396373509
https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1306542318061846528
https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1306608987761242112
https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1307791987417001986
https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1307792897698340866
https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1313132916587851777
https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1313133863812714496
https://twitter.com/cordeliers/status/1318534181396373509
Philip Weiss - Sat Oct 24, 2020 15:15  A few weeks ago we reported that in 1982, Senator Joe Biden had taken on an Israeli prime minister over the unending settlements project: in an angry exchange on Capitol Hill, Biden warned Menachem Begin that Israel was undermining its political support in the United States. Reports are that the discussion was âbitter,â Biden slammed a desk with his fist, and Begin accused him of threatening Israel. Biden surrogates have gone out of their way to quash this story as âfalseâ. Well, now thereâs fresh evidence that as a young senator, Joe Biden was critical of the settlements policy. In 1973, when Biden was 30 years old and a freshman senator, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and confronted her over the same issue. Official notes of that meeting in Hebrew were just published in translation by Channel 13 in Israel. From reporter Nadav Eyalâs twitter feed:
Biden had come to Israel from Egypt, and forty days later, Egypt attacked Israel in the October 1973 war. Eyal comments, âBiden warning to the PM on the eve of the war that Israel must make some concessions is prophetic. Some historians argue that Goldaâs refusal to consider Egyptian diplomatic initiatives led to war.â The notes are fascinating because they show Biden taking a stand, but Biden himself has made shtik out of this exchange, often telling the story in a way to put himself down: Golda Meir lectured a young senator about the fact that Israel has âa secret weapon, we have no place else to go.â The truth from this memo is that Biden at 30 held his own, and was obviously angered by Israeli policies, its unending settlements under a Labor government, and sought more debate about Israelâs actions in the Senate. Just as he would be angry with Menachem Begin of a rightwing party when he was 39 years old. Now Biden is 77 and has long since accommodated himself to Jewish voters and Israelâs expansion. His 2020 Democratic Party platform removed draft references to occupation and even settlements as such. It does oppose âsettlement expansionâ and âannexationâ but assures Israel that we wonât cut aid to the country. Plus ca change⌠Biden has gotten used to being âdragged by Israel.â Though he knows better, or once did. Source: Mondoweiss
A few weeks ago we reported that in 1982, Senator Joe Biden had taken on an Israeli prime minister over the unending settlements project: in an angry exchange on Capitol Hill, Biden warned Menachem Begin that Israel was undermining its political support in the United States. Reports are that the discussion was âbitter,â Biden slammed a desk with his fist, and Begin accused him of threatening Israel.
Biden surrogates have gone out of their way to quash this story as âfalseâ.
Well, now thereâs fresh evidence that as a young senator, Joe Biden was critical of the settlements policy. In 1973, when Biden was 30 years old and a freshman senator, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and confronted her over the same issue.
Official notes of that meeting in Hebrew were just published in translation by Channel 13 in Israel. From reporter Nadav Eyalâs twitter feed:
Biden criticizes the Nixon admi[nistration] for being âdragged by Israelâ. He says, according to this government memo, that there is no debate in the Senate about the ME [Middle East] because the Senators are âafraidâ to say things that Jewish voters will dislike. (He SAYS THAT TO GOLDA) He criticizes the Israeli labor platform arguing that itâs leading to a creeping annexation of the occupied territories. Considering Israelâs military dominance, Biden suggests it will initiate a first step for peace by unilateral withdrawals. This will be done from areas with no strategic importance- not the Golan. Golda responds with a long speech about the history of the Zionist movement from its very establishment. The instability of Arab Regimes, the unfairness of SC [UN Security Council] decisions. Golda rejects Biden comments on the Labor platform, rejects his offers of unilateral withdrawal and continues to argue that Israel can make no major mistakes considering the situation of the Jewish people after the Holocaust. The official making the notes remarked that Biden was full of respect to the PM yet his âenthusiasm as he as he spokeâ signaled his lack of experience in the Diplomatic field.Biden had come to Israel from Egypt, and forty days later, Egypt attacked Israel in the October 1973 war. Eyal comments, âBiden warning to the PM on the eve of the war that Israel must make some concessions is prophetic. Some historians argue that Goldaâs refusal to consider Egyptian diplomatic initiatives led to war.â The notes are fascinating because they show Biden taking a stand, but Biden himself has made shtik out of this exchange, often telling the story in a way to put himself down: Golda Meir lectured a young senator about the fact that Israel has âa secret weapon, we have no place else to go.â The truth from this memo is that Biden at 30 held his own, and was obviously angered by Israeli policies, its unending settlements under a Labor government, and sought more debate about Israelâs actions in the Senate. Just as he would be angry with Menachem Begin of a rightwing party when he was 39 years old. Now Biden is 77 and has long since accommodated himself to Jewish voters and Israelâs expansion. His 2020 Democratic Party platform removed draft references to occupation and even settlements as such. It does oppose âsettlement expansionâ and âannexationâ but assures Israel that we wonât cut aid to the country. Plus ca change⌠Biden has gotten used to being âdragged by Israel.â Though he knows better, or once did. Source: Mondoweiss
Fraser Nelson - Sat Oct 24, 2020 14:30  Sweden has rejected lockdown and face masks, but infections there are on the rise again. Yesterday, its public health agency published a report noting this â and pointing out that the elderly are at the gravest risk. In any other country, you could guess what would come next: a crackdown or curfew, a ban on socialising, a ârule of sixâ, no more seeing grandchildren. But what the officials had to say next was â to British ears â astonishing. The elderly, they said, have suffered enough. They have spent months being advised to avoid public transport, shopping malls and other parts of everyday life. And the result? Loneliness. Misery. This is more than unpleasant: it quickly translates into depression, mental health issues and mortality. âWe cannot only think about infection control,â said Lena Hallengren, Swedenâs health minister, âwe also need to think about public health.â An important distinction: focus on Covid to the exclusion of other conditions and you risk lives. Sweden is perhaps the first country in the world to make this case so clearly: isolation kills too. We now know much more about the virus, said Ms Hallengren, but we also know more about the side effects of lockdown â and even in Swedenâs case (where restrictions were voluntary) these effects are severe. Her 21-page report found a âdecline in mental healthâ that was âlikely to worsen the longer the recommendations remain in placeâ. So restrictions for the over-70s have been abolished forthwith, even with Covid rising (albeit slowly). And all this in the name of public health, not the economy. If Sweden has found this problem, we can expect it here too. Our official surveys show rates of depression doubling amongst the over-70s (and trebling amongst the young) since lockdown was imposed. But here, the debate is very different. When argument is made for Tier 2 and Tier 3 restrictions â outlawing home visits and indoor socialising â thereâs no mention of the side effects. Given that most Covid deaths are among the over-80s, it has been assumed that this whole lockdown project is for the benefit of the elderly. But this can overlook how they can be harmed, too. Most pensioners in Britain are, at present, banned from receiving guests â friends or family â outside their designated support bubble. The Swedes are now emphasising the effects of such isolation. Lack of stimulation and mobility means increased blood pressure and faster cognitive decline. Studies have shown that unvisited, lonely pensioners are twice as likely to develop Alzheimerâs and three times as likely to have a heart condition. This is for normal times, when society is open: loneliness may become an even bigger problem when young people are advised by ministers not to âkill grannyâ. https://twitter.com/aginnt/status/1318993429519630336 Preparing for winter has been a Swedish obsession for centuries, so they have some expertise in how to survive them. It was researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm who found that pensioners with fewer social contacts are 60 per cent more likely to develop dementia. So looking after the elderly means thinking of ways to visit, to get people moving, to encourage them to move about. In Britain, thereâs far less discussion about how to make the most of the last years of life. Maybe that is why a pensioner is more likely to die of the cold in Britain than in Sweden. You can perhaps argue that the calculation wonât apply in Britain because the virus is now so widespread here that Covid is the bigger risk. But thatâs not the argument being made. Thereâs still a see-no-evil approach to the side effects of lockdown, which are simply not being modelled in the way that Covid deaths are. This makes it far harder for Boris Johnson to balance the risks, or identify the point at which the cure becomes worse than the disease. When Manchester and Yorkshire were put into Tier 3 restrictions, there were plenty of graphs looking at the virus â but none looking at the side-effects. The basic point is that itâs not just about the number of years you live, but the quality of those years. Someone aged 60 may be more inclined to go for a lockdown than those in their 80s, many of whom would be quite happy to run the risk, see their friends and go about their life. Those living alone (as almost half of over-70s do) may really struggle this winter: theyâre allowed to form one âsupport bubbleâ with one other household, but thatâs their lot. Polls show that pensioners are keen on lockdowns, but we seldom hear from those opposed. We did this week when one octogenarian was stopped outside M&S in Barnsley and asked about the coming restrictions. Two million people have now watched Maureen Eamesâ answer on social media, such was her eloquence. She declared herself not overly worried about the virus (âIâm 83, I donât give a sodâ) and unpersuaded of the merits of Tier 3 lockdowns. âIâve not got all that many years left of me,â she said âand Iâm not going to be fastened in a house when the Government have got it all wrong.â Her main concern was for the young, having to pay for the surge in unemployment. She would not pay, she said, âbecause Iâm going to be dead.â At times, it seems Britain is still stuck in the lives vs money fallacy â talking as if the problems of lockdown can be remedied by Rishi Sunak writing a very large cheque. He was doing so again yesterday â but money canât buy company or stem the mounting mental health crisis. Those in care homes are, in all too many places, banned from seeing their family at all â which may make sense in terms of the virus, but is certain to make life more miserable. And probably shorter. When Britain first locked down, there was no time to do such calculations. We knew nothing about the virus and it made sense to buy time, to learn more. We can now look around the world and see the effects â not just of the methods of suppressing the virus, but about the mental and physical toll taken by the experiment of lockdown. It may well be that the price of isolation is worth paying: then, and now. But we should, at least, be honest about that price. Source: The Telegraph
Sweden has rejected lockdown and face masks, but infections there are on the rise again. Yesterday, its public health agency published a report noting this â and pointing out that the elderly are at the gravest risk. In any other country, you could guess what would come next: a crackdown or curfew, a ban on socialising, a ârule of sixâ, no more seeing grandchildren. But what the officials had to say next was â to British ears â astonishing.
The elderly, they said, have suffered enough. They have spent months being advised to avoid public transport, shopping malls and other parts of everyday life. And the result? Loneliness. Misery. This is more than unpleasant: it quickly translates into depression, mental health issues and mortality. âWe cannot only think about infection control,â said Lena Hallengren, Swedenâs health minister, âwe also need to think about public health.â An important distinction: focus on Covid to the exclusion of other conditions and you risk lives.
Sweden is perhaps the first country in the world to make this case so clearly: isolation kills too. We now know much more about the virus, said Ms Hallengren, but we also know more about the side effects of lockdown â and even in Swedenâs case (where restrictions were voluntary) these effects are severe. Her 21-page report found a âdecline in mental healthâ that was âlikely to worsen the longer the recommendations remain in placeâ. So restrictions for the over-70s have been abolished forthwith, even with Covid rising (albeit slowly). And all this in the name of public health, not the economy.
If Sweden has found this problem, we can expect it here too. Our official surveys show rates of depression doubling amongst the over-70s (and trebling amongst the young) since lockdown was imposed. But here, the debate is very different. When argument is made for Tier 2 and Tier 3 restrictions â outlawing home visits and indoor socialising â thereâs no mention of the side effects. Given that most Covid deaths are among the over-80s, it has been assumed that this whole lockdown project is for the benefit of the elderly. But this can overlook how they can be harmed, too.
Most pensioners in Britain are, at present, banned from receiving guests â friends or family â outside their designated support bubble. The Swedes are now emphasising the effects of such isolation. Lack of stimulation and mobility means increased blood pressure and faster cognitive decline. Studies have shown that unvisited, lonely pensioners are twice as likely to develop Alzheimerâs and three times as likely to have a heart condition. This is for normal times, when society is open: loneliness may become an even bigger problem when young people are advised by ministers not to âkill grannyâ.
https://twitter.com/aginnt/status/1318993429519630336
Preparing for winter has been a Swedish obsession for centuries, so they have some expertise in how to survive them. It was researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm who found that pensioners with fewer social contacts are 60 per cent more likely to develop dementia. So looking after the elderly means thinking of ways to visit, to get people moving, to encourage them to move about. In Britain, thereâs far less discussion about how to make the most of the last years of life. Maybe that is why a pensioner is more likely to die of the cold in Britain than in Sweden.
You can perhaps argue that the calculation wonât apply in Britain because the virus is now so widespread here that Covid is the bigger risk. But thatâs not the argument being made. Thereâs still a see-no-evil approach to the side effects of lockdown, which are simply not being modelled in the way that Covid deaths are. This makes it far harder for Boris Johnson to balance the risks, or identify the point at which the cure becomes worse than the disease. When Manchester and Yorkshire were put into Tier 3 restrictions, there were plenty of graphs looking at the virus â but none looking at the side-effects.
The basic point is that itâs not just about the number of years you live, but the quality of those years. Someone aged 60 may be more inclined to go for a lockdown than those in their 80s, many of whom would be quite happy to run the risk, see their friends and go about their life. Those living alone (as almost half of over-70s do) may really struggle this winter: theyâre allowed to form one âsupport bubbleâ with one other household, but thatâs their lot.
Polls show that pensioners are keen on lockdowns, but we seldom hear from those opposed. We did this week when one octogenarian was stopped outside M&S in Barnsley and asked about the coming restrictions. Two million people have now watched Maureen Eamesâ answer on social media, such was her eloquence. She declared herself not overly worried about the virus (âIâm 83, I donât give a sodâ) and unpersuaded of the merits of Tier 3 lockdowns. âIâve not got all that many years left of me,â she said âand Iâm not going to be fastened in a house when the Government have got it all wrong.â Her main concern was for the young, having to pay for the surge in unemployment. She would not pay, she said, âbecause Iâm going to be dead.â
At times, it seems Britain is still stuck in the lives vs money fallacy â talking as if the problems of lockdown can be remedied by Rishi Sunak writing a very large cheque. He was doing so again yesterday â but money canât buy company or stem the mounting mental health crisis. Those in care homes are, in all too many places, banned from seeing their family at all â which may make sense in terms of the virus, but is certain to make life more miserable. And probably shorter.
When Britain first locked down, there was no time to do such calculations. We knew nothing about the virus and it made sense to buy time, to learn more. We can now look around the world and see the effects â not just of the methods of suppressing the virus, but about the mental and physical toll taken by the experiment of lockdown. It may well be that the price of isolation is worth paying: then, and now. But we should, at least, be honest about that price.
Source: The Telegraph |
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