Polly Toynbee

I usually have little time for Polly Toynbee, but I can agree with much of her Guardian column today: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/03/tories-austerity-budget

Kitten torturer given only 6 weeks’ imprisonment

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/vile-man-who-bit-ear-21619715

https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/monster-bites-kittens-ear-says-3906802

Aaron James Williamson, of Grimsby. Bit off part of his kitten’s ear in a number of separate attacks; punched the kitten on numerous occasions. Sentence? 12 weeks, which means 6 weeks actually in prison, at most. I usually oppose extra-judicial justice, aka “mob justice” or “lynch law”, but there are exceptions. The law should have sufficient weight to deal properly with such an offence. To my mind, the current law is inadequate (the max is a 6-month sentence, though a new law is currently before Parliament). Even so, why only 12 weeks? I should have thought that this crime (the evil little bastard pleaded to one speciment charge) at least merited 4 or 5 months, bearing in mind that the real term served would be only half anyway).

Coronavirus

 

Amusing, though not very useful. In a sense though, all one can do is laugh, when there is little of a practical nature that the individual can do.

My supposition of a week ago, that the main hope for us in relation to this nuisance (that could become some sort of catastrophe) is that the weather warms and so (we are told) weakens the ability of the virus to live on surfaces etc, is now echoed by scientists and talking heads.

I myself went this morning, early, to my local Waitrose (the only supermarket within miles, except for a smallish Marks & Spencer food store). I intended to buy some real Manuka honey (which stimulates the human immune system). The best type is about £20 a jar, but it works. No luck. The entire stock had already been bought and the shelf was empty.

In a blog post I penned a while ago,

https://ianrmillard.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/the-tide-is-coming-in-reflections-on-the-possible-end-of-our-present-civilization-and-what-might-follow/

…I speculated about whether our present civilization might be ended by a virus pandemic, or by some other global threat. Coronavirus/Corvid-19 is not that virus, but the next one of the same sort may be. The present virus is 1,000x more infectious than was the SARS virus of several years ago, but less deadly. What if the next virus is 1,000x as infectious as the present one, and is also many times more dangerous to life?

As it is, we are almost thrown back on mediaeval remedies: avoidance of human contact, secure food and water supplies, “magic” honey, hope, prayer etc. There is at present no medicine, no vaccine available. Antibiotics are useless because they do not affect viruses. All that even the best hospitals can do, so far, is to relieve symptoms, and they will not be able to do that for long if the already-struggling NHS is swamped by huge new demand.

Russia

“Russia’s Putin wants traditional marriage and God in constitution” [BBC News]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51719764

Slava!

 

Suddenly I feel a lifting of spirits, as I contemplate the short to medium-term future…in fact I feel quite excited!

 

Joanna Lumley

“‘Your money or your life!’: Joanna Lumley reveals terrifying moment armed bandits held her at gunpoint during filming of TV documentary in Haiti.” [Daily Mail]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8067801/Joanna-Lumley-ambushed-gun-wielding-gang-driving-Haiti.html

“Joanna Lumley was threatened by armed bandits while filming a travel series in Haiti. They abushed [sic] the 73-year-old actress while she was driving through a mountain range with her camera crew. The gun-wielding gang told Miss Lumley and her team that they would kill them if they did not hand over their cash. But two of the Absolutely Fabulous star’s bodyguards stepped in and she escaped unscathed.” [Daily Mail]

“The incident is not shown in the programme.” Well, no…I mean, we could not have British TV viewers coming away with the impression that black people, without white rulers or administrators, cannot run a reasonably civilized society…

I suppose that the incident might have been omitted because there were no cameras rolling at the time, but I doubt it.

The disease is spreading

I mean the Swedish disease…Finland is now also sick:

 

DWP dishonesty