intern

Also, you forgot to 'like' the cartoon I shared, I thought we could at least maybe have a laugh about that one!

The trouble, Arabsandals, is that critical thinking is frowned upon when it goes against the mainstream. And then there's the resort to personal attacks on anyone not following the script. The evidence for COVID19 mortality is not cut and dried. It can't be. Nor is the evidence for lockdowns. It can't be. Because these are developing issues. Be that as it may. My major concern is that we are entering a period of serious suffering from economic consequences which inevitably will have serious impacts on wellbeing. Our personal freedoms are being eroded or erased, and we are not vigilant but cheering on the dictators. For sharing my views on these issues, Hayley and to a lesser extent you, have had a few cracks at me, because apparently on a thread 'Good bad and ugly', negative comments on our situation in NZ are unwelcome. Well, OK, then. And any time I have put up evidence or views which are contrary to the received and heavily promoted mainstream views, I have been belittled, mocked and/or ignored. Anyway, the last flu pandemic wasn't a century ago. It was in 2009. Some facts and figures from that 'killemall' event are below. Some studies estimated that the actual number of cases including asymptomatic and mild cases could be 700 million to 1.4 billion people—or 11 to 21 percent of the global population of 6.8 billion at the time.[12] The lower value of 700 million is more than the 500 million people estimated to have been infected by the Spanish flu pandemic.[13] The number of lab-confirmed deaths reported to the WHO is 18,449,[7] though this 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic is estimated to have actually caused about 284,000 (range from 150,000 to 575,000) deaths.[14] A follow-up study done in September 2010 showed that the risk of serious illness resulting from the 2009 H1N1 flu was no higher than that of the yearly seasonal flu.[15] For comparison, the WHO estimates that 250,000 to 500,000 people die of seasonal flu annually.[9]

Fvor pounted is the new covfefe. More neologisms. Anyway, with level 2 probably gonna get the boat out and go for a fish or a dive, maybe one last sneaky lake trip before it gets too cold...

That's really unnecessary Hayley. And there you are, generalising again. OK fvor you, not OK for me, even when you're having a very pounted personal dig at me. But ja, all power to you.

Onya mate. Bit unfortunate that we find ourselves in a sort of zero sum environment where one person's gain must come at another's loss, but our duty as ever is to our families first. Be a good time soon, too, to pick up a camper van or a boat if you're into that sort of thing. Jucy's fleet alone is over 4,000.

Very good article here about the intransigent idiots like myself: https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/12-05-2020/a-modest-defence-of-the-coronavirus-contrarians/

Bide your time WP; at least, that's what I would do. In other news, my house is now on the market, a very real consequence of our current situation. No, I am not happy about it...

And fair enough. Of course, I live in the regions, where near everyone is struggling. There's a chap two houses up who desperately needs an operation on his foot, or he will lose it (infection on the bone following a failed ankle fusion). The hospital is empty. Peter can't get his operation. He is going to lose his foot. Another old ducky up the drag needs a new hip. She can barely get out of bed and is zorched on painkillers. No op for her. Almost everyone with school aged kids is absolutely struggling to get some work done while trying to educate children at the same time. Both the work and the kids are being neglected. Businesses are failing left right and centre. Tourism is huge where I live, it is gone and so are those businesses. While the boost of 'free cash' helped, it hasjust delayed and quite possibly will exacerbate the pain down the road. Basic economics, in a very literal sense (read the book of the same title by Thomas Sowell) tells us this. Having said all that, I think it unfair to characterise my comments as being 'on everything as if I know everything'; I am knowledgeable and I make no apology for that. I also have an inquiring mind and don't often go with the flow. This too is something I pride myself on, though it continually gets me into trouble and quite often serves me pretty well. But, you know, no skin off my nose. A good day to you, you famous person ;-)

Astute observation; someone else sent this to me: When ministers make statements about coronavirus policy they invariably say that they are “following the science". But cutting-edge science is messy and unclear, a contest of ideas arbitrated by facts, a process of conjecture and refutation. This is not new. Almost two centuries ago Thomas Huxley described “The great tragedy of science – the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.”

Oh hey Arabsandals, I thought you'd enjoy this cartoon re: my intransigent attitude ;-)

Also, bear in mind, 60 million or so of us shuffle off the mortal coil every year. Be interesting to see if that's gonna spike thanks to WuFlu.

Check your maths Arabsandals. 0.2%, or lower, which antibody testing is starting to show. The reality is that everyone dies including from flu, at some stage. All our 20 or so casualties in NZ have been the aged and infirm. Nobody is suggesting throwing them into the Bring Out Your Dead cart; put precautions in for them. But now we'll have a big ol wave of suicides etc because we killed the economy instead. This flu season will see around 800 New Zealanders die from the flu. More than the COVID, I think we'll have to agree, if we can settle the mathematical challenges. Anyway -alea iacta est, eh. We have what we have.

Good to hear!

Generalising a lot, eh, of course, but then, so are you and that's quite OK. You're dreaming if you think we're going to walk away unscathed or somehow better off for the massive overreaction to a disease 99.8 percent of us will recover from. Sure, some industries may see a short term boost as their products and services are in demand - but an economy is an immensely complex thing; we'll have a reduced tax take, a dramatically increased number of people on benefits, and massively reduced demand for especially luxury goods. These are generalisations but I think you'll find the facts will show we are going into a depression for the first time in modern history. Depressions aren't fun and our very prosperity has left us ill prepared to cope with one. Time will pass and we will see what happens. That said, I am very happy I am indeed in NZ rather than anywhere else. Doesn't mean I'm happy about what's been done to us all, particularly as it has been done illegally, and especially since I believe there is ample evidence to show that the effects of the action taken will be and are catastrophic. I mean, yay us, we're not stuck in South Africa, but that's cold comfort for the coming pain and does nothing to lessen the woe for our families etc back in the old country. 2008 wasn't that long ago and this is far, far worse...

Some interesting news on COVID 19 and the destruction of our economy, way of life and basic human rights: The evidence of the extent of Covid-19 fearmongering and over-reaction continues apace. Some links below. Before that though, I’ve been analysing the UK’s Office of National Statistics weekly mortality data and can confirm that excess deaths not attributable to Covid-19 are starting to accumulate. Using the 5 year average as a baseline, and deducting deaths ‘attributed’* to Covid-19 from this reveals that 2,500 more people have died over the [latest reported] 4 weeks ending 24th April than would have been expected based on the 5 year average. This is evidence that the lockdown is, quite literally, killing people. Now, back to what the evidence is pointing to re our government’s haste to violate our civil liberties: ☑ A new overview of existing PCR and antibody studies shows that the median value of Covid19 lethality (IFR) is about 0.2% and thus in the range of a strong influenza. ☑ German virologist Hendrik Streeck explains the final results of his pioneering antibody study. Professor Streeck found a Covid19 lethality of 0.36%, but explains that this is an upper limit and the lethality is probably in the range of 0.24 to 0.26% or even below. The average age of test-positive deceased was approximately 81 years. ☑ A new antibody study with Danish blood donors showed a very low Covid19 lethality (IFR) of 0.08% for persons under 70 years of age. ☑ A new antibody study from Iran, one of the earliest and most affected countries by Covid19, also showed a very low lethality of 0.08% to 0.12%. ☑ The emeritus microbiology professor Sucharit Bhakdi explains in a new German interview that politics and the media have been conducting an “intolerable fear-mongering” and an “irresponsible disinformation campaign”. ☑ A new antibody study from Japan comes to the conclusion that about 400 to 800 times more people there had contact with the new coronavirus than previously thought, but showed no or hardly any symptoms. So …. lost your job, business, life savings, dignity, social connectedness? Yes, Ardern government’s response to what amount to a bad flu has done this to you, and to those you love. *UK parliament rushed legislative changes so that Covid-19 could be claimed as the cause of death if only suspected, ie without testing. This can also now be done by a medical professional other than the deceased’s doctor, and no autopsy is required as is the case with other infectious diseases. In short, there’s so much less paperwork if the patient can be deemed to have died because of Covid-19

"A government that breaks its own laws and enforces those illegal actions is no longer democratic. It is now operating in a despotic manner. The sad fact is that without the actions of whistleblowers bringing this into the open then the situation would have continued to occur. It is also likely that the entire lockdown under level four and possibly many aspects of level three are still illegal because of the lack of specificity of Health Act directions. An urgent inquiry now needs to be undertaken. The Police, at least, clearly knew that enforcement of the isolation campaign was illegal. There must surely be a paper trail between Police, the Prime Minister and the Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, that shows that they knew the lockdown was illegal, but that they proceeded anyway. When governments break their own laws they must be held to account, and this whole show has been run from both the Prime Minister’s office and the office of Ashley Bloomfield. They have, prima facie, acted illegally and wrecked the economy, businesses and peoples lives as a result. They must be held to account."

The ugly: the lockdown was illegal, and Jacinda proceeded with it anyway. This is an outrage. We've destroyed our economy and the rule of law. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12330349

I don't think this is a good idea. Our immigration minister is a complete idiot named Iain Lees-Galloway (which isn't his real name, BTW, he changed it to the hyphenated version adding the Lees because he is a ponce overly concerned with his image and grooming) who granted residence to a convicted drug dealer named Karel Sroubek who was caught importing 5kg of MDMA from the Czech Republic. Sroubek happens to be friends with one of the PM's besties, the ludicrously-named Richie Hardcore who (here's the kicker) is an anti drugs campaigner. Go figure.

By the way, if you don't know who Bob Jones is, he is a billionaire Wellington property magnate who was once active in politics. He also once punched a journalist in the face after said journo helicoptered in and disturbed Bob while he was fishing. Bob punched the journo in the face haha - see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyNt7C1TGPE And that is why his blog is called No Punches Pulled. He was fined $1000 for the assault. Bob was also reported as saying that for another $1000 he would have punched the helicopter pilot as well!

'In making that decision, they took an easy cop-out by simply aping other nations. But as I've explained before, the problems of Italy etc simply didn't apply to New Zealand." That's an excerpt from Bob's latest missive. I was asked by a neighbour yesterday what was happening in South Africa, and my answer was pretty much this but for SA. I really feel for our SA compatriots, because while I resent the cheerful jackboot of our totalitarian state in New Zealand, I shudder to think what it must be like living under the government of the day back in the Old Country.

Sir Bob delivers the goods again this morning: https://nopunchespulled.com/2020/05/07/now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent/

Also, fast food is absolutely booming, maybe I can call on my extensive experience managing a KFC in Heidelberg in the late 1990s...you want fries with that?

What an insolent fellow you are patches! hahaha

While I partially agree with your comments Wayne, the hammer blow to tourism makes me wonder. We do have a resilient farming sector (including forestry [forestry will suffer, reduced demand] and fishing), though, despite the best efforts of Labour and the Greens to hamstring and interfere with its productivity, and that is a major saving grace. But other sectors, like manufacturing, retail, services, etc, are going to feel the pinch big time. We are not going to have much immigration because job demand drives immigration demand. AirBNBs are going to come onto the market, more rentals and sales. Tourism was our biggest deal. Think of all the camper vans, rental cars, motels and hotels, etc etc. All empty. All gone. Number 8 wire ain't gonna fix this, maybe a pair of Red Bands and a job mucking out the pigs, I dunno. I think Straya is going to get out of this better and faster, personally. But who knows.

All I can say right now is that we are in very,very deep dwang. Most folks can't reall grasp just how deep the dwang is because the extended good times make folks complacent. But man oh man it ain't looking good.