Brexit, for once some facts.

[flecc]

I'd also point out that some people do think about road deaths very frequently.

Very, very few, perhaps mainly medics. Most people only think about it when they suffer a rare threatening incident when driving.

For most road deaths are just a statistic, like most of the ills of this world, something that only happens to other people.
.

 

[Nev]

Went to some food shops yesterday. My - the emptiest shelves so far.

Yes, same in my area here. Why don't the Government put lorry drivers onto the skilled list so we could have more EU drivers helping out over here, even if it is only for a short period until we have trained up enough of our own drivers (that's assuming our own people want to do the job).

I suspect they are so worried that if they did do that it would provide yet another example of how under prepared they were for the Brexit deal they negotiated.

Someone mentioned on the TV this morning that they could see several parallels between the lorry driver shortage now and the petrol strikes years ago. Blaire and Brown acted all tough and uncompromising at the start of the strike but they quickly changed their tune once they realised how difficult things were becoming.

If the shortages get worse then I suspect we will see an abrupt about turn from Boris too, he hates to be un popular and when the going gets tough he will fold like a pack of cards.

 

[flecc]

It is weird that people want to pack themselves into pubs, stadiums, shops and other such places that essentially kill 100+ people per day

It's the way that people's thought processes work.

Your statistic is a Hillsborough Football Stadium disaster every day. That incident led to hysteria over 32 years that's still barely subsided, but nobody thinks that way.

Your 100 a day is just part of life, as said above, something that only happens to other people. Just like road deaths. For many Covid already has that status too.
.

 

[flecc]

Yes, same in my area here. Why don't the Government put lorry drivers onto the skilled list so we could have more EU drivers helping out over here, even if it is only for a short period until we have trained up enough of our own drivers (that's assuming our own people want to do the job).

I've already given the answer but the Nanny State doesn't like it. We didn't use to have these safety certificates and they are of doubtful unproven value. Covid has prevented drivers keeping up to date with them so they can be suspended short term:

See this link
.

 

[oyster]

Very, very few, perhaps mainly medics. Most people only think about it when they suffer a rare threatening incident when driving.

For most road deaths are just a statistic, like most of the ills of this world, something that only happens to other people.
.

You appear to be looking at it from your own Weltausschau. Afraid I think about it more days than I don't.

Maybe personal background affects this?

 

[Zlatan]

You can pretty much bet your bottom dollar that what is readily available is sugar-laden, carbohydrate-laden, low nutrient-density crap.

And only a part of that is because such products typically have very long lives.

So not going to reduce obesity.

You are obviously a supermarket half empty sort of guy.

 

[oyster]

You are obviously a supermarket half empty sort of guy.

It was my observation! Fruit and veg., fresh meats, fish, dairy - all limited. Sweets (confectionery or non-dairy desserts) by the tonne. So-called ultra-processed foods - many plentiful.

 

[jonathan.agnew]

You appear to be looking at it from your own Weltausschau. Afraid I think about it more days than I don't.

Maybe personal background affects this?

The weltausschau part may be significant. I worked in south africa for a while where road deaths are very high. Something like 50 a day from memory. To be fair, there are 50 to 60 murders a day there. All part of a lovely devil may ******* care ambience in which no one, frankly, gives a ****. And so after a few weeks of acclimatisation one find oneself routinely racing around at 200 mph and caring about as much as everyone else. Camus' the plague comes to mind. Perhaps it's the yo yoing of covid deaths that upset us. If the government could keep it steady at 1000 a day we'd probably habituate to it and be as cheerful as ever

 

[oldgroaner]

Sort-of partner's relative just admitted to hospital with Covid. She has had two vaccinations. (I'd tend to assume AstraZeneca but not certain.) Devon area. First known in "family".

Still, I don't think she is into pork scratchings.

Let us hope for the best for her!

 

[oldgroaner]

You appear to be looking at it from your own Weltausschau. Afraid I think about it more days than I don't.

Maybe personal background affects this?

I have no choice in the matter with my wife suffering advanced mixed dementia
Never mind long Covid. long death is much worse

 

[oldgroaner]

Richard Cranium to be precise.

Are you by any chance a Cockney?

 

[flecc]

You appear to be looking at it from your own Weltausschau. Afraid I think about it more days than I don't.

Maybe personal background affects this?

But you are one of this threads worriers and pessimists, like Jonathan. And to some extent OG. Thinking about road deaths every day when there's only one death per 39,000! That prompts me to suggest therapy since that's far from healthy.

The vast majority are like me, getting on with life and accepting by ignoring that life is largely a rubbish experience.
.

 

[flecc]

Are you by any chance a Cockney?

Only possible if he's over 80.

A cockney is one born within the sound of the original Bow Bells, destroyed by bombing in 1941.
.

 

[oldgroaner]

Crete hotelier puzzled by Raab’s claim sea was ‘closed’ during Kabul crisis

‘We did not have any significant weather phenomenon in the area’ said a Greek meteorologist

Next bogus excuse please?

 

[Danidl]

Not as strange as it might seem. The road deaths are ongoing, likely largely for ever.

Covid is not, it's a temporary situation last year and this, and by the time it well over doubles the deaths to match those road deaths, we'll have improved vaccines and/or boosters getting better control of it. Just as we did with 'flu which once killed huge numbers.
.

Flecc, that logic seems perverse to me. We stay indoors during a hurricane , precisely because it is a dangerous short duration event. We don't have to put ourselves at unnecessary risk. If as you and I hope, the CV19 plague is if short duration, then that is what we do. If in the other hand it is a long term hazard when we just have to live and die with it. Just as or ancient ancestors died from sabre tooth tigers on the way to fetch water .now the UK road death rate is 25K pa. Which is small compared to an annual death rate from all causes of about 600K pa. UK statistics claim 132K CV19 deaths ,in the 1.5 years to date. It also states that the number of deaths in 2020 was 690K or 90K up on the longer average. Those numbers are sufficiently consistent. .. especially considering that other occupational hazards would have been reduced in lockdowns.
So basically CV19 has killed 3 to 4 times the rate of road traffic accidents.
Logic would suggest that one battens down hatches in a storm , while simultaneously building stronger buildings.

 

[oldgroaner]

But you are one of this threads worriers and pessimists, like Jonathan. And to some extent OG. Thinking about road deaths every day when there's only one death per 39,000! That prompts me to suggest therapy since that's far from healthy.

The vast majority are like me, getting on with life and accepting by ignoring that life is largely a rubbish experience.
.

Damned with faint praise as usual

Obviously I need to try harder
At being trying!

 

[flecc]

Went to some food shops yesterday. My - the emptiest shelves so far. Aldi - not a single fresh milk product. Lidl - low on milk. Both low on many vegetables and fruit, chicken, ice cream and most frozen foods, "special buy" non-food items, chocolate, crisps, and other gaps all over. Far worse than Christmas or early Covid days.

(Tesco and Morrisons had lots of obvious shortages last we went but we did not go to either yesterday.)

Perhap you need to do some complaining. Just completed my shop for the next few days and absolutely nothing seen out of stock in my large Sainburys superstore. Over recent weeks I've only seen two hiccups. One day with the mainstream milk run out for a few hours due to a late delivery arrival so I just bought a branded one. Twice delayed deliveries of Warburtons breads. Always abundant fruit, vegetables and chicken, still the same today

Seems this southern area is being unfairly privileged.
.

 

[oldgroaner]

David Lammy@DavidLammy
· 3h
The Home Office has admitted that callers to its emergency Afghan aid hotline were redirected to a washing machine repair company.

So I'm not the only one who used to get some very odd phone calls in my days on the road

Here is one example

A lady rang to ask what she should do after dropping a full bottle of her husbands model aircraft fuel on a full water bed. Apparently she mistook it for nail varnish remover, sniffed it and dropped in in surprise.
I was just mulling over how to neutralise the Ether content, when there was a shrill scream and the line went dead.

 

[jonathan.agnew]

But you are one of this threads worriers and pessimists, like Jonathan. And to some extent OG. Thinking about road deaths every day when there's only one death per 39,000! That prompts me to suggest therapy since that's far from healthy.

The vast majority are like me, getting on with life and accepting by ignoring that life is largely a rubbish experience.
.

Theres significant pessimism/nihilism in there (life a rubbish experience), much I might agree with it. There is, I think, a position between pessimism and optimism in which one try to engage with reality. As frankl used to say happiness is a byproduct of meaning which is a byproduct of honest engagement/the truth. Dont want to rererehash old arguments, but it's not the here and now stats, it's the potential exponential curve of viral spread (and an overwhelmed nhs). I dont think about road deaths in the uk, but did in sa (as part of it being symptom of society that stopped caring - much like the bs around covid in uk mirror troubling layers of lies), and majority of people I meet are not unaffected

 

[flecc]

Flecc, that logic seems perverse to me. We stay indoors during a hurricane , precisely because it is a dangerous short duration event. We don't have to put ourselves at unnecessary risk. If as you and I hope, the CV19 plague is if short duration, then that is what we do. If in the other hand it is a long term hazard when we just have to live and die with it. Just as or ancient ancestors died from sabre tooth tigers on the way to fetch water .now the UK road death rate is 25K pa. Which is small compared to an annual death rate from all causes of about 600K pa. UK statistics claim 132K CV19 deaths ,in the 1.5 years to date. It also states that the number of deaths in 2020 was 690K or 90K up on the longer average. Those numbers are sufficiently consistent. .. especially considering that other occupational hazards would have been reduced in lockdowns.
So basically CV19 has killed 3 to 4 times the rate of road traffic accidents.
Logic would suggest that one battens down hatches in a storm , while simultaneously building stronger buildings.

This is just gibberish, UK road deaths at 25K per annum! It's 1700 to 1800 per annum.

There's nothing illogical in my post since I always take into account how most people think, and that's not like you. I should have included you in the names in this post since you fit so well.
.