Off Topic Coronavirus - 606 tales from the Inquiry

But a lot of the yanks love him

 

Good news for all you takeaway lovers!

Some fast food chains including KFC and Bugger King are re-opening some branches, for deliveries only (NOT the drive-thru)

FAQ: How can I tell if my food I just had delivered was prepared before the lockdown? ... A: You can't.


And remember folks...

Bugger King's "Rebel Whopper" is not suitable for Vegans or even most Vegetarians.
The soy (plant-based) burger is cooked on the same grille as their beef burgers, and contains egg.

So f you're "flexetarian" - that is, you'd like to think you're vegetarian but you can't really be arsed when it comes to the crunch, then the Rebel Whopper might be for you.

But for anyone who really wants to avoid meat, it's a no-no.
Nice green packaging though, obviously designed to trick veggies into buying it.
And the name itself is suggestive of rebellion (as in extinction rebellion). A naff attempt to convince customers it's good for the environment.

Having said all that, why worry?
Their real Whopper is a decent burger as long as you buy one from a well-run branch (not the Yeading one).

 

First day back at work yesterday.

It was good to see the factory again, and get a few orders packed up.
But the place was quiet (only 3 of us in rather than the usual dozen or so). Most staff are furloughed.
I was knackered by 4pm. Surprising how 3 weeks off can make laziness a habit.
Once more into the breach today...

 

Glad you were happy to go back in, slowly but surely, onwards and upwards.
Hopefully it will be the start of a snail like movement towards normality.

 

On the subject of easing the lockdown rules...

I don't think people should get too frustrated if/when the Government announces our UK lockdown may run for another 3 weeks.
Granted some other European Countries are beginning to lift a few of their restrictions.
But there are two very important things to remember;

1) Lockdowns in France, Spain and Italy have been more restrictive than ours.
Even after the easing off measures some of them are taking, their lockdowns may still be actually tighter than ours.

2) Those Countries have been on lockdown quite a lot longer than us. I think France is closest (their lockdown started 6 days before ours).

It will be interesting to see whether their limited easing of rules has any effect on infection rates over the coming fortnight.
In the meantime, we must be patient and try to ignore the bleating of journo's every evening demanding to know when we will be easing our own lockdown rules.

 

So, another three weeks of lockdown. How are we all feeling about that, then?

Personally, I'm not too worried, as I work from home anyway, but I do miss having a cream tea with my folks.

 

Can't say it bothers me.
I'm back to working on a part time basis, which does help to break up the days a bit.
(only going in when necessary, no needless travelling).
Still cannot visit my old mum in SE7, which is not good but is necessary to protect her from infection.

Three more weeks isn't that much time really.
I have the feeling that a few minor changes will come then, perhaps some more shops re-opening.
I've been getting the impression that the general level of grumbling and bleating about the lockdown is on the rise.
This could be just the media playing it up. I hope that's all it is.
I can understand folks being worried about their jobs and paying the bills.

Another impression I'm beginning to get is that some Police officers are getting a bit comfortable with their new unprecedented powers.
Again, I hope this is just down to a few incidents being milked by the press.

In a nutshell though, I don't have a problem with another 3 weeks. As long as it takes to beat this virus and help our NHS

 

One thing I will confess to. I'm not sleeping so well.

Warm nights don't help - I never sleep well when the night temperature is above about 8 degrees.
But I think the stress of the lockdown, which I haven't really been feeling much during the daytime, is perhaps disturbing my sleep.

Hey ho. Can't complain really. If that's the worst I suffer (apart from putting on a few pounds) then I'm getting off lightly.
Certainly my life is a picnic right now compared to that of an NHS worker or a carer.
They are always in my thoughts, and rightly so. I hope the ones who will get a chance to sleep tonight will be able to rest.

 

I hear Romanian workers are being flown to the UK to pick crops, to prevent them from rotting in the fields.

This is a welcome move, albeit a last resort.
Better that foreign workers pick those crops than have millions of tons of food go to waste.

There is a short-fall of 70,000 labourers to pick crops.
An appeal went out to British people, but not enough have come forward.
Perhaps if the Government put some incentives in place more of our own people might have volunteered.
But I know the Government has a lot of things to concentrate on right now.

Some of the Romanians don't really want to come, but apparently in their own country they have no work, and no money coming in.
I guess the Romanian Government doesn't have an adequate support scheme for laid-off workers.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.
Good luck to those foreign workers (who are being checked for symptoms before they fly).
Our supermarkets will get the fruit & veg they need, and the pickers will get some vital money to look after their folks back home.

 

It makes sense, although mystifying how the labour cannot be drummed up here.

 

I agree.

We know the Romanian workers will be paid something (it should be minimum wage really, by rights).
And to those workers it will make all the difference.

It does seem odd though, that a million people were willing to volunteer to help the NHS - for no pay as far as I'm aware.
Yet we cannot recruit 70,000 people to pick crops for minimum wage.

I don't think it's a question of simply having to be young and strong enough either.
The NHS support volunteers are being vetted for good health before they go to work.
I might have volunteered to help the NHS myself, but I know my health conditions would rule me out.

 

By the way, I watched the BBC news report about these Romanian workers.
Two of them were interviewed, and both were wearing masks - but over their mouths only. Their noses were not covered.

Personally I still don't believe it is important for everybody to wear a mask at all times when outdoors.
But if you're going to wear one, make sure your nose and mouth are covered.

Wearing a mask but not covering your nose with it is a waste of time. Probably even worse than not wearing a mask at all from the point of view of trying not to catch the virus. You will be naturally inclined to breathe entirely through your nose.

 

Dorks of the day ... 17th April

Brainless prats like the ones in this article.
Selfish people who say they "don't care" about the virus or social distancing, solely because they believe they themselves will only suffer mild symptoms if they get it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-52281443

They don't care if they spread the disease to other people - people it might kill.
It is worrying that there are probably quite a few morons out there with this kind of attitude.
Idiots who couldn't give a damn about all the NHS workers and carers who risk their lives every day.

 

Location will play a part, people aren't going to move, at this time for minimum wage work. Foreign labour are moving anyway so are willing to move wherever. If I were unemployed I probably wouldn't be looking for crop-picking jobs in Somerset for example.

 

I take your point. But then where will the Romanian workers be staying?

Where in fact do the foreign workers who always usually do this job stay? They don't sleep rough I assume.

 

The fruit pickers near me sleep a “village” made up from old static caravans

 

I hope they don't get mistaken for tourists.

Outsiders are being openly abused in the street in some remote rural areas so I hear. Seems a bit extreme, but I'll admit my opinion is a suburban one.
It wasn't that long ago that some rural folk sewed themselves into sheepskins for six months a year.
This sounds bizarre, but say what you like about satanic mills and back-to-backs, they had proper fireplaces and chimneys.

As long as we don't start burning strangers inside giant wicker men...

 

They’re quite easily recognised lardy they turn up with their mullets and shell suits on and are driven to the local Tesco’s in an old double decker bus

 

Like Scousers with jobs...