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Post by kuskiwi on Apr 15, 2020 5:54:01 GMT 2
I'm turning into my motherđĄ every time a car or truck goes past I look up to see who it is.
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Post by auntieannie on Apr 15, 2020 8:45:06 GMT 2
It seems to me that the kiwi contingent is a little bored?
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Post by auntieannie on Apr 15, 2020 8:50:31 GMT 2
going on a tangent there, but your mom would have seen very few cars growing up and then all the way to modern times with everybody in a different car, like my grandpa did? there might have been a sense that it must be someone important passing by in her mind?
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Post by kuskiwi on Apr 15, 2020 8:56:11 GMT 2
Very much so. It's always been the family joke that if I dust twice a week it's time to go back to work.đ our lockdown is tougher than many countries and we can't even safely get a work computer out and home and while i can walk it's only 1 km from home but the last three days the weather has been awful.
It will come right but I live in a quiet street so any noise is magnified as the rule is essential workers or essential goods only.
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Post by auntieannie on Apr 15, 2020 9:02:10 GMT 2
yes, I saw Trevor Noah say something about "maybe the police doesn't need to use their sirens as there is no circulation on the streets" he's in New York. here it's always been quiet, but when all you hear are ambulances (and the bloke working on the house next door) , you notice them.
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Post by slowcoach on Apr 15, 2020 9:22:25 GMT 2
Here, as always, any vehicle that is unidentified is viewed with deep suspicion, and will likely be the subject of conversation, as are now any aircraft, as in "I heard an aircraft this morning, I wonder what it was up to".
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Post by Baz Faz on Apr 15, 2020 10:44:58 GMT 2
Bristol is our nearest airport. I have just checked and there are no flights arriving or departing today.
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Post by Baz Faz on Apr 16, 2020 12:30:26 GMT 2
From this morning's news:
Men were twice as likely to have died of coronavirus than women in March, according to an analysis of deaths registered in England and Wales, according to ONS statistics.
A sex change operation is not possible at present. Would wearing one of Mrs Faz's bras help?
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Post by auntieannie on Apr 16, 2020 12:44:00 GMT 2
Baz, I read that deaths by domestic violence are increasing dramatically. Although men can also be victims, women are the ones suffering most.
So stay as you are and you should also have a little turmeric in the morning. I know that Mrs Faz will fight the virus for both of you if she has to.
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Post by Baz Faz on Apr 16, 2020 13:18:34 GMT 2
Annie, you will be delighted to know that we both have been having turmeric every morning for four months.
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Post by auntieannie on Apr 16, 2020 13:22:47 GMT 2
ooooh! fantastic! I am really pleased about it.
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Post by kuskiwi on Apr 17, 2020 4:03:28 GMT 2
Cautiously hopeful that nz can drop back to level 3 late next week. Puts us more into the Aust way of life with surfing and takeaways allowed. New cases today 8 -all from existing clusters and random testing has started in supermarket car parks to see what else may be lurking but not identified. Unfortunately 2 more deaths from the aged care dementia unit cluster.
Still no changes though to the stay home message and social distancing
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Post by slowcoach on Apr 17, 2020 14:39:36 GMT 2
Cautiously hopeful that nz can drop back to level 3 late next week. Puts us more into the Aust way of life with surfing and takeaways allowed. New cases today 8 -all from existing clusters and random testing has started in supermarket car parks to see what else may be lurking but not identified. Unfortunately 2 more deaths from the aged care dementia unit cluster. Still no changes though to the stay home message and social distancing
Looking at a Pot Oriented selection of WHO figures for new cases the standout successes for the last 2-3 weeks have been NZ and OZ. The rates have come down by an order of magnitude, equivalent of halving every 5-7 days, or thereabouts. So the overall per capita rates are now low compared to most.
So there appears to be a margin that can be played with.
Hopefully the easing will at most only reduce the rate of decrease, not eliminate it, or reverse it.
If NZ can't pull this off, it doesn't look good for the rest of us.
Here's hoping there will be people applauding NZ.
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Post by Baz Faz on May 1, 2020 13:29:22 GMT 2
There are queues to get into supermarkets and Waitrose will only allow 20 at a time. However if you are old or physically challenged you can get a click-and-collect spot online. But you have to register first through the government (groan). Neighbours have gone through the lengthy process and almost succeeded. When the process is completed they will receive a food parcel. They have no idea what will be in it but Alan says that it won't have wine so he will refuse it. The food parcel then gets sent to a food bank. And at last they will be able to get a slot at Waitrose. This process will have taken them a month.
We live in strange times.
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Post by auntieannie on May 1, 2020 14:24:48 GMT 2
Baz, a friend of mine in Wales got her parcel. She was not impressed. a random collection of tinned food and there is no possibility of amending for serious dietary requirements (not fad, actual allergies/intolerances) nor for religious reasons. (tinned pork anyone?)
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Post by Voy on May 1, 2020 14:38:28 GMT 2
Spam, spam,spam or spam
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Post by kuskiwi on May 1, 2020 20:42:51 GMT 2
Hector of the gods during my oe. And still have a scar on my finger from those lethal opening wonders.
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Post by Baz Faz on May 2, 2020 10:49:41 GMT 2
I just thought to check our local airport Bristol. In the coming week it has two flights, both Ryanair to Dublin. This is an increase of two flights since I checked a fortnight ago.
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Post by Baz Faz on May 29, 2020 13:30:08 GMT 2
A light aircraft has landed at a military airfield in Wales. The pilot said it was because he wanted to go to the beach.
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Post by Netsuke on May 29, 2020 14:33:07 GMT 2
A light aircraft has landed at a military airfield in Wales. The pilot said it was because he wanted to go to the beach. The beach. Wouldnât Cornwall have been warmer?
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Post by auntieannie on May 29, 2020 20:06:35 GMT 2
twats. the lifeguards are not manning the beaches in the UK and already several people have died being stupid on beaches of Cornwall.
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Post by Baz Faz on May 29, 2020 20:43:30 GMT 2
twats. the lifeguards are not manning the beaches in the UK and already several people have died being stupid on beaches of Cornwall. When I was a teenager living in Durban I used to go to a beach without lifeguards on weekdays. You just learnt to be careful. It is part of training for life.
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Post by kuskiwi on May 29, 2020 22:33:55 GMT 2
Stupidity unfortunately doesn't have ethnic or age boundaries. Two mid 20's went hiking on the first day that short hikes were allowed. Found 19 days later after millions spent on looking for them by both volunteers, army, helicopter rescue crews. Rescue team said they did everything right once lost - but they didn't have a beacon, didn't leave a plan of where they were heading, only had enough food for 2 days and only stayed put because they had uncomfortable injuries and found walking difficult. They did manage to light a fire and put up some smoke once they heard the helicopter. I think the rescue team was only trying to spare them even more embarrassment but I would have given them one heck of a bollicking. There are many many more people who need assistance financially at the moment than two idiots who got lost.
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Post by kuskiwi on May 29, 2020 23:01:28 GMT 2
Waiting for the hoards to arrive - plane just landed so will fill in some time until they arrive here.
Now here the politicking and finger pointing has started. Things are looking much better than 9 weeks ago so the opposition and the deputy PM (it's an Alliance with one of our most polarising MP's who has also been around for years and is completely untrustworthy, but charismatic) want to go down a Level early. PM and Health Minister say NO. Need to do 2 cycles of what could happen if there are undetected cases now that groups can be up to 100 and domestic travel allowed. It's a long weekend - Queens Birthday so a huge number are out and on the move away from their usual haunts. The only restrictions really now are those on contact sports, overseas flights obviously, and larger than groups of 100 which limit the booze barn type pubs and the big entertainment venues and we practice social distancing and contact details. ie. The restrictions aren't too onerous when compared to others. Winnie (also known as Whiney) Deputy bangs on about the Aust bubble but that has to be a decision from Aust - not from NZ but that fact escapes the majority of people.
Many are unemployed and again that needs to be looked at pragmatically and leave some of the rhetoric out.(Benefits started immediately and while not huge are more than in many places unless you are in rental properties in the big cities and that causes problems - but the banks have been forced to look after those on benefits with mortgages etc) We've had very few unemployed for a lot of years, despite massive immigration from the Pacific Islands and other places many who do jobs that kiwis have become far to "posh" to do. While you are unlikely to take a Queen Street Farmer (the main st of Auckland) out to a real farm to do some work, there are dozens who would enjoy the lifestyle, the free house and other untaxed benefits once they learnt to make their own Lattes - and is it beneath your dignity to be a cleaner - been there done that.
Grizzling I know, but we have become a nation of cheap imports. Our town had two clothing factories and a shoe factory, and electronics manufacturer until 20 years ago when their quality couldn't complete with the throw away society. A lot of little cafes have put off staff and are claiming the subsidies. Fine - but if you look historically at our main street the turnover in small cafes and restaurants has been huge - very much here today - gone tomorrow. For some who have shut - this has been a blessing. The subsidy has allowed them to pay of debts and staff and they have then shut the doors invoking Covid as a get out of jail free card and letting the landlord take the hit. I sound harsh but we have to be realistic about what we as a nation need. Do we need more coffee, nail bars or takeaways just because it keeps people employed or do we need some of those people to be in export producing industries or in jobs that give them satsifaction as well as a pay packet. I'm super cross with two of our major building companies who have put off huge numbers - yet took the subsidies, have uncompleted projects and unpaid subbies. Here they are
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Post by Netsuke on May 30, 2020 0:38:04 GMT 2
Kuskiwi, you finished your last post with ...here they are.. What comes next?
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Post by kuskiwi on May 30, 2020 4:11:17 GMT 2
Got family staying,. Flew in this morning. Haven't seen them for 6 months.
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Post by slowcoach on May 30, 2020 6:04:01 GMT 2
I think the rescue team was only trying to spare them even more embarrassment but I would have given them one heck of a bollicking.
Almost by definition, rescues are good news stories, and people express joy and delight in finding and extracting those rescued.
In cases where those rescued do have themselves to blame, which is not an uncommon occurrence, excoriation is warranted.
Oh Well! Just send them the bill.
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Post by shrjeff on May 30, 2020 7:10:31 GMT 2
to continue kus's post from my local perspective: from the top - here things were shut down and the rate of new infections showed a bell curve, dropping towards nil... so due to the suffering they've opened up and exhorted people to follow the guidelines of distancing and wearing masks... needless to say the euphoria of play has undermined the adherence to regulations and the statistics are starting to go bad again... we'll see if they return to full closure! what's happening does undermine the conspiracy nuts - but they don't pay attention to facts, anyway.
as far as the labor market is concerned... we lost our textile industry to cheaper labor markets (read s.e. asia) about 30 years ago... even agriculture is too hard work for israelis (note u.s. use of latin american migrant laborers) and we have been bringing them in from thailand, etc. and not everybody is capable of programming and similar hi-tech hi-paid jobs...
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Post by auntieannie on May 30, 2020 23:07:47 GMT 2
twats. the lifeguards are not manning the beaches in the UK and already several people have died being stupid on beaches of Cornwall. When I was a teenager living in Durban I used to go to a beach without lifeguards on weekdays. You just learnt to be careful. It is part of training for life. Exactly, Baz! If you know there is no lifeguard, you think before you act!
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Post by slowcoach on May 31, 2020 4:38:08 GMT 2
I don't recall beaches having lifeguards, but I have seldom been to a crowded beach and then not since the early 1960s at the latest.
I am cautious; in this case not so much of the sea, but of survivorship bias. So is it the survival that is due to the retrospected behavior or is the retrospection due to survival? The latter is certainly true, the former not so much.
Good fortune transfigures to good judgment given time and tendency.
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