Eleftheros

This sounds like deception by omission. Sure they leave him alone at weekends, but if they have any sense, they'd leave him alone the rest of the time as well to sit in a bathrobe doing jigsaw puzzles. To wheel him out in public on selected occasions seems to be a blatant case of "senior abuse", as I believe it is known. I can understand why they do it; the mere thought of Kamala Harris in the White House is the worst nightmare for the Democratic Party. Instant electoral wipeout.

The conclusion will be "mistakes were made, and lessons have been learned to ensure this never happens again. There were collective failures, which have been addressed, and nobody should be singled out for blame." We should expect very little indeed from the "Covid Inquiry" overall, with or without Baroness Hallett. That side issue is just more smoke and mirrors. Anyone who retains any lingering optimism that the Inquiry might challenge the dominant narrative (that ‘the science’ supported lockdowns and the government’s main error was in failing to lock down ‘harder and earlier’) can banish it from their minds.

The science didn't change. Even novice virologists know that respiratory viruses, by their nature, evolve quickly and become less controllable by vaccines. Influenza and the common cold have demonstrated this with crystal clarity for decades. The 'advice' given in the early phases of the pandemic, with their blanket 100% vaccination guarantee, omitted this simple and obvious caveat to vaccine efficiency. As I said, whether this was malice, incompetence, or both, we won't find out for a few years yet.

I am sure that you know as well is I do that extremely senior members of the US Government, the leading health authorities and their toadies in the media, all made statements to the effect that the vaccines provided absolute 100% protection from infection and transmission of Covid-19. You will have seen the videos of them saying exactly that, just as I and millions of other people have. The statements about 100% effectiveness were flat-out wrong. Whether they already knew what they were saying was wrong depends on whether they were acting maliciously or were plain incompetent. Or both.

It would have been helpful to many people if the government health authorities had known that and communicated it when rolling out the vaccines, instead of issuing public statements of 100% effectiveness.

It would have been helpful to many people if the government health authorities had known that and communicated it when rolling out the vaccines, instead of issuing public statements of 100% effectiveness.

He already did - he's a citizen of Montenegro.

The best-known belt drive is known as the Gates belt drive, and they are regarded as very low-maintenance and long-lasting. I would think the bigger problem would come with the internal gear hub that you need to replace the normal gear system, derailleur etc. There are plenty of those (Shimano Alfine, Rohloff Speedhub, Enviolo etc) but they're not cheap, and if they need maintenance, that's going to be a real problem.

How about taking issue with something I did say, rather than something I didn't?

Any other world-shattering news from Instagram today?

More likely, any planned reforms will run into a great political won't.

Quite a common story, it seems.

You could try Koh Si Chang, just off the coast of Sriracha. Quieter than Koh Samet, I would think, and there's a nice beach on the far side of the island called Hat Tham Phang (หาดถ้ำพัง). It's very easy for saltwater swimming as the seabed is flat sand so the waves tend to be gentle. To get there from the ferry terminal/main town, you have to take some sort of tuk-tuk.

Thanks for that well researched and data-driven answer.

Is this still the "pandemic of the unvaccinated", or has that slogan been consigned to the trash-heap of history already?

It's not necessary, but it's an advantage. Westerners - both political and commercial - always think more of somebody who can speak English; the thinking seems to go that perhaps the guy is partly civilized and we can communicate and deal with him. When Abhisit was PM, he was always popping up on CNN and such-like, promoting a modern technocratic view of Thailand.

Fried silkworms, anyone? Very good for sustainability, and a taste like cardboard to stimulate those jaded foodie palates.

... and complete lack of education about physical health.

Well, 3 out of 4 isn't bad.....

The "signing official"? That means the senior policeman in charge of the whole outfit, almost certainly. I wonder what he does the rest of the week.

Correct. Failure to vote carries a fine of $50 or perhaps more now. The result is that Spoiled Ballot now polls strongly in most seats in Australian elections.

No policies in Thailand are ever set in stone.

What Health Experts Want Now That the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Is Over Let me guess. More money, more bureaucracy, more departments, more jobs, more power, more control, more regulation, more compliance. All in the name of "keeping us safe" and "saving the planet".

Over Pattaya, perhaps? Or Soi Bangla?

You would make more sense, possibly, if you argued with what I did say, rather than with what I didn't say.