Current Affairs

[oldbluefox]

Breaking news......Novax has his visa revoked and will not take part in the Australian Open.
Can't say I have any sympathy for him.

[Stephen]

Me neither.

Full story here:

Novak Djokovic: Australia cancels tennis star's visa https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-59991762

[Manoverboard]

Prince Andrew loses his Military titles and use of HRH It says here ...

[Onelife]

Prince Andrew loses his Military titles and use of HRH It says here ...

All it would take now is for another senior Royal to have been found to have done the dirty on lets say his wife and it could be curtains for the lot of them.

[david63]

And some people can't be bothered to get off their fat backsides to get a Covid jab - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-59984857

[towny44]

Prince Andrew loses his Military titles and use of HRH It says here ...

All it would take now is for another senior Royal to have been found to have done the dirty on lets say his wife and it could be curtains for the lot of them.

I am sure you would be very happy for this to happen, or maybe not if Hal and Megs are the ones cheating on each other.

[Mervyn and Trish]

My glass half full says we are coming out of it and the WHO agrees with me. Not out of the woods yet but we are getting there and no lockdown over Christmas and the New Year.

I'm a glass half full person too, and what really gets up my nose are those who are not just glass half empty but who revel in portraying our country as a failure.

For example, the headlines when the UK became the 7th country in the world to pass 150,000 deaths. True of course and a sad number. But neglects to mention the relative populations. On deaths per million we are 31st in the world, and a very different story. And we are 9th in the world on the number of tests per million so we have a good idea of who is actually dying with (not necessarily of) Covid. In many places people are dying untested so probably don't even get into their country's statistics.

Those tests are another huge success. We truly do have a world beating system, starting from nowhere. People sneered when the government used that phrase as an ambition. They're still sneering now because we've had a hiccup in supply in recent weeks. Not because our supply or capacity has gone down but because of a huge surge in demand as rules have relaxed and those who couldn't be bothered to test now see it as a get out of jail free card. We are still doing more tests than most places in the world. More than any other country in the sainted EU.

So while it is not time to let our guard down because, yes as you say, we're not out of the woods yet, let's show a bit of pride in what our country is achieving. Surely it is possible to hate Boris and still do that?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Prince Andrew loses his Military titles and use of HRH It says here ...

All it would take now is for another senior Royal to have been found to have done the dirty on lets say his wife and it could be curtains for the lot of them.

I am sure you would be very happy for this to happen, or maybe not if Hal and Megs are the ones cheating on each other.

Surely that would never happen? Still if it does perhaps they'll be on the Jeremy Kyle Show next.

[barney]

I actually agree with that Merv.
Far too much is made of the overall stat when really it’s easy to make a percentage comparison.
The U.K. is about mid table in Europe.
Still not great but by no means as grim as some would have us think.
Many countries stats make no sense when compared.
There appears to be no statistic of who died from covid and who died with covid.
Given the amount of covid infections caught in hospital, this information should have been kept.
Example is Mrs B’s aunt who had advanced dementia and passed away in hospital where she contracted covid while she was in there.
Recorded as a covid death.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Example is Mrs B’s aunt who had advanced dementia and passed away in hospital where she contracted covid while she was in there.
Recorded as a covid death.

Yes that sort of thing has always happened, even pre-Covid. Our death certificates these days are like catalogues rather than a simple statement. I think our certifying doctors like to hedge their bets. My Dad died many years ago and his death certificate reads like a medical dictionary. Yes he had all the conditions mentioned. But what killed him was a ruptured Aortic Aneurysm. The rest was irrelevant.

As an aside, a brilliant NHS nurse saved me from a similar fate when she spotted the signs of an aneurysm, with a dodgy heart valve as a bonus, in the course of screening for something completely different, and a genius surgeon patched me up with spares from the B&Q plumbing department!

[screwy]

Did you use your Loyalty card.? Assuming you have one !

[Stephen]

.....and what's the guarantee on the spares. Bearing in mind B&Q were involved

[Manoverboard]

The economy is also on the up but some doom monger will be along shortly ... just saying

[Ray B]

The latest figures are pre Omicron and a drop is predicted, but the brains are saying our economy is very resilient and will quickly bounce back.

[Onelife]

Prince Andrew loses his Military titles and use of HRH It says here ...

All it would take now is for another senior Royal to have been found to have done the dirty on lets say his wife and it could be curtains for the lot of them.

I am sure you would be very happy for this to happen, or maybe not if Hal and Megs are the ones cheating on each other.

Absolutely I would but not till our present monarch has seen out what has been a life dedicated to the service of her country.

As for the other matter… you only have to look at Meghan and Harry to know they are truly in love…I love happy endings don’t you?

[Stephen]

Can see your after a knighthood

[Onelife]

Can see your after a knighthood

I’m sure there are more worthy candidates than me ( not many). but just in case, do you get a medal. Is it gold…and can you recommend a good dealer?

I like to be prepared

[Ray B]

Other news, after the 'colston' trial comes a extinction rebellion trial. A group sat on a busy dockland railway train holding it up for 77minutes in breach of a few railway acts over obstruction of the railway.
Whilst sitting on top, knowing they may face the beak in a trial, they called upon a higher authority to support them. As reported.
In their defence, Parfitt said she had felt 'deeply called by God to do all that I can to avert the catastrophe that is on its way to his whole creation', while Newell said he had been asking God while on top of the train to 'forgive us for what we've done'.
It obviously worked as the beak instructed the jury to find them not guilty.
Some European human rites of protest was mentioned which may give us all a chance to do what we want..
What is it all coming too, justice in the 21st century.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I think I'll walk out of Sainsburys without paying next time and if they claim I'm shoplifting I'll say I'm not, I'm protesting against global capitalism and the carbon impact of selling Spanish strawberries and Polish milk..

[screwy]

Other news, after the 'colston' trial comes a extinction rebellion trial. A group sat on a busy dockland railway train holding it up for 77minutes in breach of a few railway acts over obstruction of the railway.
Whilst sitting on top, knowing they may face the beak in a trial, they called upon a higher authority to support them. As reported.
In their defence, Parfitt said she had felt 'deeply called by God to do all that I can to avert the catastrophe that is on its way to his whole creation', while Newell said he had been asking God while on top of the train to 'forgive us for what we've done'.
It obviously worked as the beak instructed the jury to find them not guilty.
Some European human rites of protest was mentioned which may give us all a chance to do what we want..
What is it all coming too, justice in the 21st century.

Bit like the Arms to Saudi trial of protesters who broke into Aeroplanes factory and damaged a couple of aircraft. Found not guilty.

Jurors amaze me sometimes, not sure what goes on in their heads.

It’s plain and simple, the trial is for trespass and criminal damage, not having a conscious.The Judge should make it clear from the start.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Did you use your Loyalty card.? Assuming you have one !

No but I got a free ballcock

[Onelife]

I think I'll walk out of Sainsburys without paying next time and if they claim I'm shoplifting I'll say I'm not, I'm protesting against global capitalism and the carbon impact of selling Spanish strawberries and Polish milk..

If you do Sir Merv and get to choose where you do your community service Shropshire is lovely this time of the year

[Onelife]

[quote="

Jurors amaze me sometimes, not sure what goes on in their heads.

If Jurors stuck to their brief of deciding whether the accused is guilty of the crime and not allow themselves to be influenced by the accused personal circumstances then a lot of them would get the punishment they deserve.

[Kendhni]

If Jurors stuck to their brief of deciding whether the accused is guilty of the crime and not allow themselves to be influenced by the accused personal circumstances then a lot of them would get the punishment they deserve.

The media only reports small parts of the story and spin it the way they want the public to be programmed (based on what will maximise their profits). On the other hand the judge and jurors will have heard all the evidence and make a decision based on that ... the jurors will also be directed by the judge and the judge will be directed by the law.

The system is far from perfect and there is no doubt that in this country money and indignation can buy just as much justice or freedom as anywhere else ... however it is the only system we have and I have never once heard anyone coming up with a viable alternative.

[Onelife]

If Jurors stuck to their brief of deciding whether the accused is guilty of the crime and not allow themselves to be influenced by the accused personal circumstances then a lot of them would get the punishment they deserve.

The media only reports small parts of the story and spin it the way they want the public to be programmed (based on what will maximise their profits). On the other hand the judge and jurors will have heard all the evidence and make a decision based on that ... the jurors will also be directed by the judge and the judge will be directed by the law.

The system is far from perfect and there is no doubt that in this country money and indignation can buy just as much justice or freedom as anywhere else ... however it is the only system we have and I have never once heard anyone coming up with a viable alternative.

Hi Ken…My comments don’t come from any media hype they come from a very reliable source.

Once the jurors have heard the evidence, they retire to consider their verdict and whilst the system is probably one of the fairer judicial processes in the world it still allows for some otherwise guilty offenders to walk away from court with a smile on their face. I know of a case where a woman was driving drug dealers back and forth to different drop off location. The majority of the jurors wanted to return a verdict of guilty but due to there only being nine on the jury panel they needed a unanimous verdict…seven of the nine wanted a guilty verdict, the other two wouldn’t go along with the majority so they were instructed by the judge to consider a lesser charge, this was the charge she was convicted for…she got community service.

My source was adamant that the two jurors were influenced by the fact that the woman had two children, was well spoken and came across in court as if she didn’t realise what her boyfriend and accomplices were doing.