Fat is a type of crazy

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I thought he said 25,000 a day ( perhaps for all of Australia ), but I'll take your word for it.

 

He did say that WA is still under restrictions and will be till next year.

WA have been over the top. They have nil new cases and want to keep it that way despite low risk given less than 3000 new cases Australia wide per day and that people coming could be tested before they get there. 

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I've already stated my preferred option a few times, but apparently you missed them.

I'd provide isolation support for the actually vulnerable if they wished to isolate, and provided information to the populace as how to protect themselves, then done what Sweden did initially.

 

Interesting interview with an Australian NSW journalist on the radio this morning. He said basically that the citizens of Sydney are so over covid, and are back to normal as much as possible- businesses open, no masks no checking/ QR codes etc.

25,000 positive cases a day, but he says low numbers in ICU, hospitalizations steady.

He said NSW had spent 60 BILLION $ on covid.

He also said what I've been saying, "should have got back to normal much earlier".

 

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/easing-covid-19-restrictions/opening-in-dec

 

 

NSW has also apparently given up on penalising the unvaccinated. Pity the NZ government isn't as enightened. NZ government has IMO embarked on a campaign to create a divided country. The "team of 5 million" is well and truly gone.

https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/nsw-covid-restrictions-to-ease-on-december-15-changes-to-masks-check-ins-unvaccinated-freedoms-c-4923081

The changes - which came into effect on Wednesday, December 15 - see restrictions align for all, regardless of vaccination status.

 

No doubt many will disagree with him ( and me ), but the government response has IMO caused more problems for the future than a less draconian response would have.

The numbers of people I know that "dislike" government is certainly higher now than before corona happened.

 

 

Just to clarify NSW has a bit over 1000 cases a day. The 25000 cases is one  prediction and this may or may not lead to significantly higher levels  in ICU and hospitalisations depending on how omicron plays out.

Australia is pretty much back to normal and have had low deaths and illnesses thanks to the policies such as lockdowns, when there was low vaccination rates,  and then getting 90 per cent vaccinated. Good job. 

When I first started going to Thailand regularly in 2004 I flew Thai airways for about $1100 to $1500 return from Melbourne Australia. Then the discount airlines started and I started flying Air Asia which wasn't that flash but OK. I was going to Phuket in those days so I had to stop somewhere. That was supercheap and I found the legroom was the same as Thai Airways. Thai airways filled you up with food but it was often a late night flight so who wants a big meal.

Then I started with Jetstar who are excellent for what I want. Direct flights to Bangkok and Phuket. Pay a bit extra for legroom and meals if you want it. Often $400 to $600 return. Save and stay at nice hotels. Got a booking in February for $300 return. This is all AUD of course. 

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am sure lots of people will not like my lifestyle. And I couldn't care less.

I also don't think any feminist or gay person would care if I like what they do or not. Why should they care?

 

I am no specialist in feminism. But it's impossible not to read and hear something about feminists at least from time to time. Some of them say they want equality. But then it seems they want a lot more than equality.

I think the best short summary what I think about humans is that they should have similar opportunities. I.e. if a women want to become a bricklayer she should be able to do that. But I strongly oppose the idea that i.e. half of politicians or directors in companies should be women. Why should they? They should be qualified for whatever job they want to do. And why should maybe better qualified men lose a job to a woman only because she is a woman?

Fair point. A bit of a cliche but I think human nature can be good and bad. Fair and then not fair. Power corrupts. Give an inch and they take a mile. 

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Anti something like this:

 

They look OK to me. Though I might still pick a traditional Thai girl as my partner.
I just see a contradiction in that your lifestyle with women could be seen as controversial but you judge others on issues such as feminism and gay parenting. Each to their own but I wonder if part of your negativity to feminism is that you think they are judging you rather than about what they actually stand for. 

You can believe that women can dress up sexy and have fun. You can believe that woman can sell their bodies...to old ugly men if they see fit.

You can believe too that women are OK to find this lifestyle is not for them or possibly abhorrent. You can believe that women can be as intelligent or more intelligent than men and can be doctors and computer programmers.

If you believe the above you may be a feminist.

Point being you don't have to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Not liking the opinions of some feminists might just mean you can make your own definition, or put definitions aside,  and just say that women can do their thing free of controls if they so desire. 

This may be painfully obvious but sometimes when people say they are anti feminist I wonder what it actually means. 

When I was teenager he put out a special called Elephant Parts that was funny and it had music videos showcasing his songs. A song off it 'Rio' had been a hit in Australia. It was released at the same time as 'I go to Rio' by Australian Peter Allen as it happens. I preferred the Mike Nesmith song and the video is fun.

1 hour ago, gamb00ler said:

Inflation and fuel prices are not products of governmental policies.  Of the three you name only 1 is about policy.  If you claim otherwise state the exact policies that have increased inflation and fuel prices.

 

Looks like you got an F.

The strength of the economy affects inflation. Spending by government can have a big effect on the economy but also inflation and covid relief could have been a factor. Some say all the new spending could exacerbate the problem. Biden is arguing it's a short term issue primarily due to supply and hopefully he's right.  

When you are the United States too you can influence fuel suppliers at home and overseas  to increase supply. He can and did release some fuel reserves too to put less pressure on prices.

10 hours ago, Mr Derek said:

I didn't think it was possible for someone to be so out of touch with the world. Like the BBC and the Guardian, the NY Times is entirely leftist spin. Even the sports pages serve their social engineering agenda. And what is more, their agenda has an emotional rather than a rational basis. This should be transparent enough to any clear-minded individual.

 

Anyone who discredits the idea of consipiracy theories need only consider the existence of political bias in the news media. Or are the conspiracy deniers also saying it also a conspiracy theory to assume that each news organisation has a covert political agenda?

If you are clear minded you will recognise that the above produce some excellent reporting but you can go to a range of sources to get a  complete picture.

The Guardian can have some stories, particularly opinion pieces, that are tediously to the left but they also have good stuff and everything is fact checked. NY Times is less to the left and is fact checked.

The two organisations are also much more likely, than other media, to break meaningful news stories that takes dollars and care to produce.

That's why I admire them and do not think they are based on emotion but are based on a certain concept of morality and fairness that influences the stories that are considered newsworthy.   

At the same time I look to other sources to get a different take on what is happening. 

11 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Most of these ideas are irrelevant to our lives and just don't matter.

Did the holocaust happen, I don't really care.

Did 9/11 happen, I'm not American it doesn't affect me.

Moon landings, well they can't get there now so it's irrelevant.

Is the earth flat, if I don't travel in circles around it, why would I care.

 

What most people choose to believe is not that important as most people don't have any say in how the world is run. Obey the people in power, keep your head down, and your life will be fine no matter what you choose to believe or doubt.

I think there are a range of reasons to state that the ideas and facts in your post do matter and do affect our lives. 

If I witness a murder it will affect me if I care or not. I may, by just using logic, decide that it is best to have laws to stop murder and that it is best that the truth about that murder is reported. It gives security. It gives a sense of a better future. 

You may feel that caring means you have been manipulated which is a slippery slope to political correctness.  You care for your kids. If others care a bit more broadly it may not be a weakness. 

Putting caring aside, how about the benefits and pleasure of thinking and utilising your intelligence. With no or little intellectual effort you can safely conclude that the things in your list did happen and the earth is not flat.  Not so long ago there were no flights, no vaccines, no knowledge of how most things worked. It can be fun and beneficial to defend the scientific method of thought and to utilise them in your own thinking.  

4 minutes ago, talahtnut said:

Yes, agreed, I can see that, but what about a younger age range, this graph is from the UK Office of National statistics.

Interesting figures. The article Black Prince quoted above from Reuters a few posts up does have an explanation. It is that most vaccinated people are at the older end of the 10 to 59 age group while many in the younger age group are not vaccinated in that time period.

So you might be comparing an average age of 45 or 50 for the vaccinated to 25 to 30 for the unvaccinated which skews the figures. The older age group would normally be many more times likely to die of an illness such as covid.  

I think you can find anomalies here and there but if you look overall in multiple countries there is no doubt that the vaccinated are much safer. 

She'll just have to get used to the feeling of old age creeping up on her each night..

He'll have to do young people things that he probably couldn't be bothered with .. or let her go out alone..

Delete

9 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Not at all who do you think you are I believe want want to believe and I do beleive some what RT says, look what they did in Afghanistan and what the USA did e.g.

Who do you think you are to ask me who do I think I am. Didn't tell you what to do. Just note that in my opinion care needs to be taken as RT, despite the merits or otherwise of individual stories, is a propaganda arm of the Russian government. 

I don't care for Putin or what he represents so I have an opinion on RT. 

6 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

I like RT they tell the truth.

I'll assume you are not being ironic. In my opinion RT trick you. They have stories that are done well and do tell the truth. It then lulls you into believing that the stories about Russia and the United States are truthful too. Often they are not.  They are designed to make Russian despots look good and democracy look bad. Don't believe the hype. 

2 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

It seems that Everyone will now need regular vaccinations to be able to function in life .

   An injection every six months in order to be able to live , or sit at home and starve or be jailed . 

I do have some sympathy with this argument. I think if you can get to 90 per cent vaccinated, as is the case where I live, let the other 10 per cent do their thing. I may be wrong but the overall increase in risk to the community must be small. The risk too is that the  10 per cent are going to feel more and more peeved until you get the protests you see now.

Still, the topic had been is the decision on the 10 per cent or in general part of a conspiracy to control or whatever, and I think it clearly is not. Similarly the decision is backed by medical findings to get a needle each 6 months.

18 minutes ago, rumak said:

thank you BM2.   C'mon ,  there must be a FEW more posters here who actually see this TWO YEAR completely crazy world shutdown for what it really is .    

What is it ? Can you give me the big picture? 

What is the real truth about Bill Gates?

Most people and places are open and free now, with some travel limitations,  so what happened to the master plan?

Some got rich and took advantage of a pandemic but it doesn't mean it was created through a conspiracy. 

The point is you can have thoughts on what might be but having that leap of faith to believe it is true is  a step too far. Like posting on the 'Do you believe in God' thread. 

44 minutes ago, Johnny Mac said:

True enough about the vaccine take up, but lets face it this will still be pretty much the same when more get vaccinated, and I don't know the figures but it must be pretty high here now % wise.

 

As for the masks, I can see us being 'told' you wear them for frigging years..

If a quick google search is correct UK is around 90 per cent double vaccinated and Thailand is about 66 per cent at best. In Australia there were changes to mask rules at 70 and 80 per cent. Basically I think at some point the government can wash there hands of it and say that anyone who wanted a vaccine could have gotten one so responsibility passes from the government to the individual.

I booked a cheap ticket in February but masks are a factor in my decision of whether to go or not. Doesn't sound like fun walking around the hotel to Karon beach in Phuket wearing a mask all the time. 

The lack of thinking things through. Thais will buy caged birds at the temple so they can be freed without thinking about how they got caged in the first place.

Buddhism is a good thing in Thailand, and as an outsider I shouldn't draw too many conclusions, but there does often seem a childish link between some who do the temple thing just to add to their luck  e.g. for buying lottery tickets. I suppose all religions have a bit of that.