64 thoughts on “Thursday’s Papers

  1. f_lawless

    https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/taoiseach-warns-normal-life-not-22847850

    “Taoiseach warns normal life will not resume until a vaccine is found as new Covid restrictions announced”

    This is man is a dangerous lunatic. The toll on society is going to be horrendous living like this under rolling lockdowns and restrictions for several months – who knows, years? – waiting in hope for a vaccine to arrive. In the event that a vaccine is rushed to market and arrives within months after bypassing some of the usual safety protocols, is the government going to force us all to take it? Only yesterday, yet another company, this time Johnson & Johnson, announced they were pausing their Covid-19 vaccine trials due to an undisclosed illness in a participant.

    Also, according to Reuters, a senior executive at AsraZenca has previously said: “This is a unique situation where we as a company simply cannot take the risk if in … four years the vaccine is showing side effects,”

    “In the contracts we have in place, we are asking for indemnification. For most countries it is acceptable to take that risk on their shoulders because it is in their national interest,”

    And then another consideration is that the bar has been set really low for how effective any vaccine has to be to be allowed come to market (only 50% efficacy). That’s no magic bullet solution. Martin is unfit to lead the nation

    1. Cian

      Re: vaccines.

      The news that another trial has been halted can viewed as either:
      – this is proof that full testing rigor is going into their development, and when they arrive they should be safe.
      – this is proof that the companies are putting pressure on the governments to accept a half-baked product and allow the governments take the hit

      The 50% is interesting – but remember it is the lowest threshold. They aren’t saying it has to be exactly 50%.. it has to be at least 50%. At the moment, the flu vaccine is only 40-60% efficient at prevention, but if you get the vaccine and then catch the flu it tends to be milder – so you get some protection. Yesterday SOQ was saying that the community immunity threshold was 20%. – if you vaccinate 40% of the population with a vaccine that offers 50% cover – bingo!

      Saying all that, I don’t expect to see a vaccine any time soon (I predict that a certain president will announce a vaccine some time in the next 18 days.)

          1. SOQ

            She is the opinion that 80% already have some level of immunity so therefore 20% who do not.

            My question is- how do you identify that 20% because there is no reason to vaccinate the rest?

            Truth is- you are no better off if the entire 80% are vaccinated because that still leaves the other 20% still at risk.

          2. Cian

            if 80% are immune (can’t catch the virus or spread it) then we already have herd immunity and no vaccine is needed.

            if 80% are “immune” (but can catch the virus and spread it – but they just don’t get sick) then these 80% still need to be vaccinated along with the other 20% to stop the spread.

      1. Tim

        I honestly think there will be no vaccine for years

        This is the carrot that’s to be used as the stick is used time after time
        The illusion of it all being over as the baying masses scream for answers

        The only way is keep away from others while it burns itself out and it will In a couple of years

    2. SOQ

      If you watch the interview with the authors of The Great Barrington Declaration – Kulldorff, Bhattacharya, Gupta, and Baral- their most likely scenario is that SARS-Cov-2 has been around for months before people started getting sick.

      This proposal is supported by the scientific evidence of SARS-Cov-2 being found in sewage systems of cities long before an outbreak.

      At present, there is disengagement within the scientific community as to if this is the case but if so renders lockdowns and masks and even social distancing a complete waste of time.

      1. Cian

        I haven;t seen them interviewed (is there is a transcript?) but I can’t wrap my head around it being in sewage last year – it makes no sense that it was supposedly in cities for months without affecting anyone, and then suddenly it appears in one country after another and has massive spikes in deaths. Do they explain that?

    3. Cian

      Re: Ireland’s Covid planning

      I agree with you that we seem to have lost the plot. Realistically I don’t see a vaccine being available and rolled out to everyone in Ireland in less than 18-24 months minimum. The current flipping on level 4 every other month isn’t a good long-term strategy. Some of the advice is (IMO) good: hand-washing, social distancing, masks, reducing contacts, working from home, curtailing large events.

      However, I’m not sure if any of the alternatives are good either. We’re stuck in a situation with no obvious solution. Whatever we do people will suffer and die.

      1. bisted

        …has Daisy been silenced here…I was thinking the pro-sickness echo chamber was getting louder and more emboldened…the dangerous lunatics are taking over the asylum…

        1. dav

          Her observation of the anti-masker attack on a grieving widow outside the courts yesterday, was removed.

        2. Janet, dreams of big guns

          I feel bad for Daisy, we know she has been sick, she is clearly frightened for herself and her parents, everyone is dealing with this in different ways, I’m not saying I agree with her choice of words etc but let’s stay kind eh ? We bandy about mental health, well we are all effected and have different reactions.

          1. Cian

            This.

            My takeaway from all this is to count to ten before replying to you anti-mask idiots*!

            *it’s a joke, okay?

  2. GiggidyGoo

    Are these household visits bans the same as the bans on student parties – unenforceable?
    Are wedding guests numbers just guidelines?
    etc.

      1. Charger Salmons.

        Community ? How very dare you Brother.
        Mine are all private.
        From an agency.
        I pay them by the hour although they don’t always stay that long…

        1. GiggidyGoo

          Are they still advertising those ‘agencies’ in the red tops?
          I suppose, one look at and smell of the piddly carpet is enough for them. No one could spend an hour in that atmosphere. Or if they did suffer it, their services wouldn’t be needed for anymore than a few minutes anyway.

          1. Charger Salmons

            You’re simply repeating my jokes now.
            The Winky Woo-ometer, cat pee and now ” nurses “.
            It’s not how bantz is meant to work.

          2. GiggidyGoo

            Ha Haaa.
            I never mentioned cat pee.
            I never mentioned nurses
            Your own Sure have Inferiority Troubles meter is constantly hitting above 9.
            Your Walter Mittyisms do bring light laughter alright.
            as in
            ‘I know of a number of pubs selling off out-of-date- beer’ Ha haaaa.
            ‘I park on a street in Hounslow to avoid Airport Parking charges’ Double Ha haaaa.
            ‘I’m 3000 miles away on holiday’ Just about the same distance as your Greek friends. Ha h…… ah just stop will ya!

  3. Charger Salmons

    Some fine hypocrisy on show today as those people who complained long and hard about alleged social media interference in the last presidential campaign are quite happy at Facebook and Twitter trying to bury the NY Post story on Biden’s links with Ukraine.

    1. Junkface

      I’ve been following that story on twitter. Twitter have really overstepped their mark by banning journalists from sharing the story. Even if the story is completely debunked later, a free press is an important thing. If this were the other way around and it was a scoop about the Trump campaign that twitter decided to censor, there would be an uproar!
      I’ve seen the photos of Hunter Biden passed out with a crack pipe in his mouth. Not looking good. The October surprise strikes again for the dems.

      Should have picked Andrew Yang.

      1. Nigel

        Expecting consistency and responsibility from social media companies is a lost cause at this point. Hunter Biden’s drug problem isn’t a surprise. Going after him is what got Trump impeached.

        1. Junkface

          We will need new laws for all democratic countries on how they regulate social media. Breaking up the biggest tech companies might be the only way forward. Publishing laws need to be overhauled. They have too much power right now. It’s such a mess of inconsistencies and misinformation.

    2. E'Matty

      Quite true. The media are now claiming that they cannot ascertain the origins of the emails or veracity of the claims and so are not willing to publish anything to do with it. Funny that. It never stopped them pushing the Russian hacking and election interference claims for the past four years, without one single piece of objectively verifiable evidence of any Russian State interference in the 2016 election ever being provided. The msm are completely blatant in their bias and propaganda but when they are all on the same page, most simply take that as a sign of their claims and narratives being true. One big Orwellian echo chamber is all the msm is.

  4. GiggidyGoo

    No beans on the menu for breakfast this morning for a certain Walter Mitty fellow. Danish Pastries as a treat. And delivered to an address in Wembley.

    1. Brother Barnabas

      it was nice to see the English boys step up to the mark and recreate the authentic English football experience in lieu of the missing English fans – instesd of thuggery and hooliganism on the terraces from the fans, we got it on the pitch from the players. apparently the entire English squad had been drinking warm lager since 11am. two red cards for thuggery and loutishness. did the fans proud! splendid!

      1. Charger Salmons

        England reserves on a useful runout before next summer’s Euros.
        The Euros.Remember them ?

        Heh x one goal in five games.

        #COYBIG33

        1. Brother Barnabas

          next summer’s euros when Engerrluunds balloon of expectant jingoism gets pipped in the 2nd round by poland or sweden

          1. Charger Salmons

            Imagine hosting a party but not even being on the guest list.
            Still, Ireland will have the best supporters of ABE at the tournament.
            Heh x erewegoerewegoerewego …

        2. GiggidyGoo

          Yep – they do deserve to be in the Reserves after that showing. Awright ‘Arry?

          Must be a competition to get sent off. Maybe next time, they can all do it within the 90 minutes.

      2. Charlie

        When Jack Grealish is your new messiah, Harry Maguire is first on the teamsheet and there’s another half dozen overhyped average at best nickers you know there’s zero chance of ever winning anything.

        1. Charger Salmons

          Then why were you so upset at losing Declan Rice to our reserve team ?
          Asking for his granny …

          1. Charlie

            Naah, you can keep him. He comes back every year for three months to chill in his palace in West Cork. Then he returns to hoover up the easy cash.

  5. Brother Barnabas

    Daily Star doing its bit to hound out Cummings

    he’ll go soon – but he’ll be badly missed

    1. Charger Salmons

      I hope not.
      At least not until he’s ripped the artery-clogged heart out of the civil service and replaced it with an I-pad.

      1. Brother Barnabas

        the campaign against him is more orchestrated of late

        quite bizarre that the media are so obsessed with someone who’s essentially just an advisor

  6. Charger Salmons

    *** change of mod shift alert ***

    The Fun Police are on duty. Posts up for hours randomly deleted. Mother Theresa is in da house.

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