526 Responses to Midweek Thread 29 April 2020

  1. Celtic_Mist says:

    16 Feb 2017

       5 likes

  2. Celtic_Mist says:

       1 likes

  3. carterdaniel says:

       6 likes

  4. Celtic_Mist says:

    The ‘Arab’ world in seven charts: Are Arabs turning their backs on religion?

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-48703377

    Refence –

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_world

    https://stream.org/de-blasio-feeds-muslims-forgets-christians-and-jews/

       5 likes

  5. Guest Who says:

    He should try CECUO (sorry, Fed).

       19 likes

  6. Guest Who says:

    ‘A mix up in the gallery’. Apparently.

    Very BBC. As the McAlpine family know.

       31 likes

  7. Guest Who says:

    The new BBC How Dare You Editor prepping nicely.

       25 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Looks like the XR brigade are tiring of being out of the news.

      Wonder if Mishal will be flying over, essentially, to ‘interview’ her.

         26 likes

      • vlad says:

        For one mad moment I thought Dame Emma was extinct.

        No such luck.

           0 likes

    • Kaiser says:

      considering she can see CO2 how come she didnt see the kung flu coming her way

         6 likes

  8. Guest Who says:

    Tortoise Media is mainly ex-BBC and Graun types, with impressive backing of sponsored ads.

    ***
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    Join us online with David Miliband, president & CEO of the International Rescue Committee and former Secretary of State, to discuss what can be done, and by whom.

    Register for free with your 30-day free trial

    ***
    #CCBGB

    Not sure how the sub model is working out.

       13 likes

  9. keith jeremy says:

    Professor Martin Green just administered a delicious slapping to Nick Robinson on the BBC’s Today program. Green, the chief executive of Care England , the largest representative for the care home sector, robustly repudiated Robinson’s suggestion that care homes are just a cash cow for wicked capitalist multimillionaires who starve the homes of cash. Robinson quickly terminated the interview, presumably in prevent a slap-fest.

       35 likes

  10. Sluff says:

    Sometimes I totally despair at certain aspects of our country, in particular the strength of snowflake opinion so beloved of the BBC.

    Facebook, Microsoft, et al are reporting increases in profits as a result of the pandemic and I dare say Amazon will be doing the same.

    Contrast. Remember Tim Berners Lee, the ‘ father of the internet’. He gave it away.

    This morning I heard that Oxford University and Astra Zeneca are teaming up. In the event that they find a working vaccine for Coronavirus, they will a. Make it available to the whole world and not prioritise the UK and b. Do the whole thing on a not-for-profit basis. Mischal is loving it. I almost wish the Americans will get there first.

    I recall an old joke. Two people playing golf. One plays conventionally, the other uses an umbrella, a broom handle and a spade as golf clubs. This goes on for a few holes and eventually the ‘conventional’ player says to the other one ‘why are you playing golf like that’? ‘Well he says, it’s because I have this weird need to do everything in the most difficult way possible’. The first man thinks about it and then says ‘OK but do you mind me asking, how do you make love’? ‘Oh, he says, standing up in a hammock!’

    And that pretty much sums up this country’s snowflake-inspired attitude to growing businesses in this country.

    Proof? The S&P500 has doubled in the last 20 years. Microsoft and Facebook shares are almost back to their pre Cv19 levels, which were already very high. Meanwhile the FTSE 100 is 15% lower than 20 years ago. Which is not great news for millions of private sector workers who now rely on pension pots for their retirement. Assuming they still have jobs, of course.
    BBC employees will be rather less worried about the success or otherwise of business.

       33 likes

  11. Guest Who says:

    Ratings gold.

       22 likes

  12. Guest Who says:

    BREAKING.

    Get in.

       16 likes

    • Sluff says:

      Doomsberg by name.
      Doomsberg by nature.
      Still, must be galling to discover the public ask better questions free-of-charge than does the £300k + per annum BBC ‘talent’.

         33 likes

    • theisland says:

      Clumsy co-ordination with Labour.

         12 likes

      • JamesArthur says:

        BBC this morning Nasty Naga….made a snidy comment when talking about Govts 100,000 test.. “not capacity, but tests” then went on to quote ONE NHS worker who had to travel 2 hours for a test…(which I don’t believe, unless they wanted to)

        The Govt can’t make people have tests, and rather than be positive about the huge steps forward the BBC always look for the Negative : BBC enemy of the UK

           44 likes

  13. LastChanceSaloon says:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52479563
    BBC NEWS Business
    2020-04-30 01:00


    Tesla warns on shutdown as Musk calls for end to lockdown

    FREE AMERICA NOW

    The coronavirus panic is dumb

    Mr Musk’s commentary on the virus, which has also included promotion of unproven medicines, has drawn outcry.

    It has also revived memories of the controversies he stirred using the social media platform two years ago,
    when he made several accusations against a British cave diver following a rescue operation in Thailand.

    [Controversies! The POTUS, Saint Donald J Trump, is vilified 24/7/365 by the Extreme Hard Far Left Hyper-Stalinist BBC for similar statements!
    Whenever they can spare the time from celebrating 147 years, 8 months, 5 days, 11 hours, 52 minutes, since Lenin’s birthday.

    I think Musk is a grade A ****, I look forward to Tesla collapsing, I look forward to Musk personally paying zillions in damages.
    But I want the BBC to be shut by Boris first.
    Come on Boris name that child
    TheBBCisgoingdownthetube Andabouttimetoo Johnson. ]

       18 likes

  14. EUTV says:

    Labour members showing “far-right” tendencies at the Home Affairs Committee meeting.

    Apparently we didn’t ban travel from certain EU countries when we should have, and we should have done so before we went into lock-down. So much for EU solidarity.

    Then they complain our borders are still open, that we should testing people as they arrive and forcing them into quarantine.

    I too question these decisions, but that’s justified because I voted to live in an independent country and believe the UK should always have strict entry controls. They on the other preach the exact opposite.

       37 likes

  15. Venutius says:

    Yesterday I mentioned Orwellian ‘Doublespeak’ from the BBC.

    Here is a perfect example:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-51176409

    The first reality check question is ‘Why are people still flying into the UK’.

    Answer: ‘There was little scientific evidence that it would halt the spread of Covid-19 in the UK. What’s more, testing people who are not showing symptoms often failed to identify those with the virus’

    Now. While this is almost true, it conveniently doesn’t mention SAGE. This mythical scientific body which provides all the scientific evidence this government stand behind. My personal belief is flights continue unchecked because they never really let go of the ‘herd immunity’ concept, but they can’t bear to speak it aloud. It’s too incendiary. I cannot think of any other explanation but am open to suggestions?

    This ‘secret strategy’ perhaps explains our ‘non lockdown’, which isn’t really a ‘lockdown’.

    The BBC answer also omits the obvious quarantining in its ‘doublespeak’ answer. Quarantining all arrivals (hotels/Air B&B – with police checks) for 14 days, something we did initially works. This is he bare minimum most countries do, and the single most effective measure to stop spread. We don’t even do that. Why?

    The BBC is miles away from adequately answering this and all the other questions it laughably labels ‘reality check’. Doublespeak. Obscure, mitigate, ambiguity.

    I also believe the government is not being straight with the public around strategy. Simply stating ‘the science suggests it will make no difference’ is not good enough.

    What science? Who? Show me the evidence? What’s your reasoning?

    The BBC treat us like idiots. The government, like children.

       26 likes

  16. EUTV says:

    Did any of you expect the 100,000 target to be met today?

    The media are going to go all out on this for a few days and miss the mood again; if they literally focus on the number itself and not the progress in general.

       32 likes

    • Lefty Wright says:

      EUTV
      If I should die tomorrow,say, from a heart attack and it is then discovered that my cadaver also carries the corona virus, how will the cause of death be recorded? Is it more important to the powers that be that it is recorded as a heart attack or a dreaded virus death.
      I just get a sneaky feeling that the public are not getting 100% honesty here.

         30 likes

  17. scribblingscribe says:

    The Government may miss its target on testing 100K people by April 1st. The gleeful noise from the BBC may seem unbearable until you read this:

    It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

    The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

    Roosevelt, 1910

       31 likes

  18. vlad says:

    Hallelujah, praise the Lord. The beeb have found a new victimhood to champion and create more racial disharmony.

    Now it’s racism by blacks against fellow blacks of a darker hue.

    It’s called colourism, and it’s rampant among the black commooni’ee, apparently – though i doubt anyone will be prosecuted for it; that’s reserved for whites.

    Of course it’s as old as the hills, and to be found in cultures across the globe. But how long before the beeb declare that it’s down to white racism and the imposition of caucasian standards of beauty, that have been ‘internalised’ by other races?

    “Dark-skinned girls, ‘love yourself for who you are’ ”

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-52470302

       25 likes

    • G says:

      vlad,
      Truth is, they all want to be white deep down.

      Meanwhile on the planet chinese virus and its discrimination for blacks and asians, I hope the ‘Investigation’ into alleged discrimination takes a look at The Covid Tracker.
      https://www.covidtracker.com
      Take a look at Nigeria (if you can find it) with 51 deaths; take a look at Kenya with 15 deaths. I could go on but you get the point.

         24 likes

      • EUTV says:

        G – So what you’re saying is; Corona Virus only targets ethnic groups if they are in a minority. This virus is really sophisticated.

           17 likes

    • vlad says:

      Oh but I spoke too soon when i predicted the beeb would soon blame black ‘colourism’ on white racism: they already HAVE!

      In an article (I use the term loosely) from last year, they announce that “Colourism is the daughter of racism”.

      Yep, it’s whitie’s fault that in cultures across the world – well before wicked whitie even set foot there – fair skin was preferred to dark.

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-49976837

         18 likes

  19. Beltane says:

    Credit where due, the acting skills of sofa duo Naga and Charlie reached new heights in the lengthy adulation of Captain (Honorary Colonel) Tom this morning.
    Deep inside, of course, they despise everything the dear man has stood and fought for – King, Empire, family and country – yet you’d never guess. And despite Emily putting them straight on how inappropriate and diminishing the word ‘fighting’ is today.

       34 likes

  20. Lefty Wright says:

    Has anyone else here noticed the Google caption today. Judging from Mr Google’s hand signals I would say he is calling all his viewers a bunch of w—–s

       7 likes

  21. LastChanceSaloon says:

    https://order-order.com/2020/04/30/buckland-confirms-government-will-miss-testing-target/#comments
    “told Kay Burley, “it’s probable we won’t, we will in the next few days hit that target.” ”

    Suck-Here, the Labour leader, condemned the failure of the vile Tory vermin to protect minorities.
    Suck-Here promised that a future Labour Government would divert all resources, currently wasted on white
    people, to deserving BAMEs.

    Suck-Here also stated that it was disappointing that the triple target for a) mass gang rape of white children,
    b) the burning down of Christian churches, c) causing the death of white persons by explosions, had not been met.

    Suck-Here promised that additional resources would be provided by a future Labour Government to ensure that, in future, these vital targets would be met, and, if possible, exceeded.

    Suck-Here said that achieving the higher future rape, arson and murder targets must be met. Millions of experts had been successfully imported by the previous Labour Government and further imports of
    millions of lovable experts would be a commitment in future party manifestos.

    The following members of the Shadow Cabinet acclaimed the wise and farseeing statements of our beloved leader :-
    Pymm#1, Dumbberg, Witless, Red-Robbo, Marrvelous-Andy.

       23 likes

  22. StewGreen says:

    Oh look the BBCnews mention the “Electoral Commission”

    …. “Burundi’s electoral commission did provide buckets and soap at the ruling party rally in Gitega and the main opposition’s event in Ngozi province.”

    They don’t mention this, hidden surrender
    https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/media-centre/joint-announcement-electoral-commission-mr-robert-posner-mr-arron-banks-and-ms-elizabeth-bilney

    The Electoral Commission .. confirms that it accepts
    (a) the NCA’s conclusions that it found no evidence that any criminal offences have been committed under PPERA or company law by Mr Banks or Ms Bilney;
    and (b) the NCA had not received any evidence to suggest that Mr Banks or his companies received funding from any third party to fund the loans, or that he acted as an agent on behalf of a third party.

       12 likes

  23. Foscari says:

    “Listen up everybody BIG BROTHER has some more instructions
    for you.We may not have had the Grand National , But here on the BBC we covering an even more exciting race. How far can the UK
    reach in the death stakes!! We have now moved up to THIRD
    so if you bet EW you should at least win something.” “But
    BIG BROTHER these figures do not include the true figures for
    China and Iran .” Smith do you think those of us” embedded”
    here at the BBC for years are not going to take full advantage of
    the current situation. What do you think our Russian and Chinese
    masters would think of us? Anyway I consider China and Iran to be non runners.
    Siobhan your suggestion for Laura Kuenssberg to ask Boris
    Johnson on his return to leading the virus conference this evening, and asking him if he was really ill and just faked the virus is a good one. I believe that Laura would do it. But it is just a bit to
    near the line. I have decided that she will ask if Matt Hancock
    should be made to commit Hari Kari even if the testing figures
    hit 99,999 by the end of play today.”

       22 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      #? China
      #? Iran
      #1 San Marino 1,208 deaths/million popn
      #2 Belgium 655
      #3 Andorra 544
      #4 Spain 519
      #5 Italy 458
      #6 UK 384
      #7 France 369

      Belgium & UK do include Care Home deaths
      France includes some
      … stats lag reality

      If we look at a normal years about 572K people die from ALL CAUSES over 1 year
      … divide that through 66 million
      means an UK ALL CAUSE death rate of 8.667 in a million per year

      For 20 people dying in the last 12 months about 1 will die of Covid19 and 19 will die of something else

      … In future the 2020 Covid19 death rate will go up, cos people don’t un-die.

         13 likes

      • StewGreen says:

        So @Foscari how can they claim UK is THIRD when it is 6th
        We are still in the first half of the game
        there will be further outbreaks.

        The idea is that outbreaks should be quickly spotted and stopped
        but Covid symptoms often don’t show up for ages.

        Perhaps there will be some future conference which causes an outbreak of hundreds of people.

           7 likes

  24. dafydd says:

    Am I the only who is staggered that the Government has done bugger all about the behaviour of the BBC regarding is Labour Party political Broadcast via Panorama.

    The arrogance and bias of the BBC is shocking and what makes it even worse they are not even trying to hide it..

       58 likes

  25. Guest Who says:

    ‘Variety’ is so far up Hollywood Luvvies’ fundaments as it passes Richard Gere’s hamster it makes The Graun Entertainment seem like Der Sturmer.

    https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/britbox-ceo-soumya-sriraman-streaming-1234592123/

    There are other reasons she may feel secure.

       8 likes

  26. JimS says:

    ‘Our’ BBC, who can find a black man refused service in a one-horse town in a US state you have never heard of, manages to miss this story about a black man whose every sneeze used to be reported with reverence. I wonder why? (Obama goes on an ‘essential’ visit to his private golf club).

       21 likes

  27. king crimson says:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52481858

    as usual headline doesn’t exactly match the article

       3 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      “That is no pilot”

         3 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      I disagree, “Harrison Ford investigated over LA runway incident”
      it was an incident
      he is being investigated
      No the planes didn’t actually touch, but the headline doesn’t imply that

         4 likes

      • Beltane says:

        No, they didn’t touch because they were almost a mile (1,100m) apart. Still, that Harrison eh? He’s a risky devil.

           5 likes

        • Guest Who says:

          Maybe he was navigating a tricky below par 69 with Barry, Dawn Butler and Sully?

             4 likes

        • StewGreen says:

          If their combined speed was say 150 miles an hour
          .. then they were a few seconds apart.

             2 likes

  28. Doobster78 says:

    LOL

       29 likes

    • Ian Rushlow says:

      “There is a real risk that the Covid-19 pandemic will disproportionately effect(sic) women and girls.”
      Well yes, there will be less boyfriends, partners and husbands for them. If there was only something we could do… are there not any parts of the world where they have plenty of young men who would be willing to come to the UK to help out? Flights are a bit problematic at the moment… maybe dingies across the Channel, something like that? And perhaps we could have a system whereby, oh, I don’t know, perhaps a man could have, say, up to four wives to make up the shortfall?

         30 likes

      • Peter Grimes says:

        “And perhaps we could have a system whereby, oh, I don’t know, perhaps a man could have, say, up to four wives to make up the shortfall?”

        And each family would be entitled to, no, encouraged to apply for benefits…if their religion was taken into account.

           13 likes

  29. Fedup2 says:

    Government briefing

    Question
    “Are coloured medics going to be withdrawn from treating covid ? If yes – it’s wrong cos it’s racial – if no – you don’t care racist “

    Question
    “Did you get to 100000 tests?
    If “Yes “ it’s fixed isn’t it ? And tests aren’t worth anything

    If “no” well it you didn’t get to 100000 as you promised – you’re not upto it are you ? Resign “

    With BoJo on point today Laura , Peston and Beff will be on their saddest form .

    It’s also really sad that something so important becomes a gotcha game complete with popcorn ….

       22 likes

    • john in cheshire says:

      Did you read that President Trump placed Abilio Jim Acosta of CNN, on the back row for his last press briefing. He’s used to being on the front row from where he can bitch, grandstand and be quarrelsome.

      I love it when President Trump does things like this and just wish Prime Minister Johnson would do the same to the racist far-left bbc.

         28 likes

  30. Doobster78 says:

    Sometimes we say CCBGB !! This tweet and its replies don’t even do that justice.

    She really , really doesn’t get it !!!

       13 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      She got ratioed 4:1
      490 Likes to 1,800 replies
      So my own reply last night got buried

      “What did you
      in the war against the coronavirus Mummy ?”

      “I shouted gotcha ! gotcha ! gotcha !
      against the people who were leading that fight”

      #ClapFor The #GotchaGang

      Last week she did a #GalKaeda attack
      saying “Not Fair” that Covid19 press conferences are led by *male* cabinet members.
      … Then Priti turned up so Beth looked for new cause.

         25 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Not really having much exposure to Sky or Beff I don’t really know enough to assess her – although she was big in the project fear camp for brexit so I suppose it’s grudges and old habits .

      Anyway I think these ( white ) journos are the mirror of the coloured activists – they are in a competitive and hopefully shrinking market so they have to do and say dumb things to keep their ‘ edge ‘ and their bank balance – which – we must remember – is what really matters to them .

      Like politician – there is never a shortage of these unimportant people trying to play gotcha .

      By the way – I wonder what the BBC will threaten to ‘cut’ to save the £125 million. ( not a lot ) in order to get a campaign going to “ save countryfile “ or “brillo” or “ dancing X factor east Enders “

         14 likes

  31. BRISSLES says:

    God Almighty, are we, the public, really THAT bothered what bloody number is reached for testing by tomorrow ? because I honestly couldn’t give a monkeys, and I suspect the same applies to most of the population ! and if Beth Rigby comes out with “the public have a right to know”, then you aint talking for me Rigby !

    Hancock should have kept his mouth shut – (although I’ve heard that the number was given to make the Civil Service get off its arse), – because the media are obsessed with it now.

    If testing is planned for the entire population of 66 million, then by the time they get around to me with a surname beginning with P then I will have longed left this planet !

       29 likes

    • EUTV says:

      Brissles – Don’t worry, my name starts with X – Xenophobe

         8 likes

    • JimS says:

      There is a big difference between 10k and 10 million so let’s call it 100k! These are ‘sound bite’ numbers just to please the media.

      In the real world we get what we need or do the best that we can.

      These ‘briefings’ remind me of a job I did once where every month we sat around a table for half a day complaining that the prevous month’s targets hadn’t been met. It was never clear how that in any way helped ensure that the current month’s targets would be met!

         11 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Laura Kuenssberg tweets
      “… – we’ll be watching the numbers carefully “

      FFS.. The government got the tests from 10K to 50K+
      that is a win
      The media look pathetic as they act like traffic wardens

      She’s been ratio-ed 5 to 1 … 1,600 replies

         16 likes

      • JamesArthur says:

        Stew

        Could this be the new more important R factor….how quickly fake news spreads if more than one journalist open their mouth

           5 likes

    • tarien says:

      Here, here Brissles-in my book the urgency should be to get a vaccine PDQ-not bother about this testing too much as really it appears to grow in its confusion as to what the testing will actually achieve? But then I’m only a humble elderly bloke who understands little, however I clearly understand the terrible mishandling by those who were supposedy in charge of the NHS procurement-our military forces with their great legistical experience should have been in charge-there would be no shortages as per.

         0 likes

  32. The WestWyvern says:

    I am totally fed-up with all the figures being bandied about by the MSM.

    Any death is a tragedy for those involved.

    We know people are dying.

    We know there are issues regarding testing

    We know there are issues with the procurement and supply of protective gear

    We know there are issues regarding vaccines and treatments.

    The way the BBC and MSM are treating it like an Olympics Medal Table is disgusting and utterly pointless. Only useful for them to ensnare politicians with ‘gotcha’ moments.

       27 likes

    • EUTV says:

      WestWyvern – EU deaths are way out in front, looks like the gold medal is in the bag already.

         11 likes

  33. digg says:

    Guardian trying to big-up the story re Boris allowing the Cheltenham Festival to go ahead in March..

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/do-you-believe-you-were-infected-by-coronavirus-at-a-big-event-in-march

    No doubt looking for gobby lefty mouthpieces to get some mud to sling….

    They really are snakes!

       25 likes

  34. john in cheshire says:

    How’s this for a list of the words being used today on the front page of the online Daily Express:

    Attack, infuriated, terrifying,fury,outraged, suffers,panic, devastating,shock, condemned, harrowing.

    It can’t be a coincidence that all these aggressive to words are being used. I don’t read the racist far-left bbc website but I doubt even they are as focused on the negatives. The Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Times aren’t either.

    Also, a couple of other thoughts:

    Is this Captain Tom the Greta Thunderberg for our virus situation? And

    Has anyone else noticed an increase in water pressure since the lockdown? For me, it’s noticeable and wonder why; is it just because so many businesses have shut down or has the water company used the low demand to carry out repairs or improvements? It’s not important, I’m just curious.

    I forgot to mention that anecdotally I’ve heard that the number of dead sent to the morgue in Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester due to the virus is…3.

       16 likes

    • AsISeeIt says:

      I’ver never entirely understood the point of charitable fundraising for the NHS.

      Given that it is funded centrally from general taxation and now more than ever the government has put itself on the hook for unlimited funding as required – where’s the shortfall necessitating donations?

      Am I missing something? Are the charitable gifts buying something in a different more acceptable category than the payroll?

      That’s how food banks work. We tacitly accept that we give people the grub for the kiddies so they can happily spend their benefits on beer and ciggies – like we know they’re going to.

         28 likes

    • EUTV says:

      John in Cheshire – I’ve gone off reading the Express, its headlines are way off the story to be told.

      I have to confess the Captain, sorry, now Colonel Tom has got very boring especially as the BBC seem to have kidnapped him.

      Greta, wow! What a girl, she’s been silent for weeks and then boom! She’s an economist and virologist expert.

      Here in West Sussex, I can’t say I’ve noticed the water pressure change, but it makes sense that it might have.

         17 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      @JCS I don’t know what you mean
      The main focus is lionising Colonel Tom
      online and print edition

         3 likes

  35. AsISeeIt says:

    One does sometimes wonder whether those who wouldn’t be caught dead owning up to reading Biased BBC nevertheless do in fact… read it?

    Having earlier, rather whimsically, called for a windfall tax on supermarkets I now notice Sainbury’s pleading poverty in a BBC report. By the way I was never in any doubt that the lobbying power of our mega grocers would ever allow such a thing to happen.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52483353

    Under the pretext of warning us that anti-virus measures would be disrupting our lives for the foreseeable, the grocer that grandiosely regards itself on its instore PA sytems as “Feeding the Nation” admits to the BBC that it saw a spike in sales, yet insists they have since seen sales level and extra costs incurred. My heart bleeds.

    “We sold more, for five days running, than we would normally sell in our busiest day at Christmas, that’s why you saw the gaps on the shelf.”

    Then there’s this:

    “They’re coming less frequently and are buying about twice as much when they do come. Very much a return to the weekly shop, but beyond it.”

    I’m no expert on shopping but that’s probably because customers now have to queue for about twice as long as they used to.

    Also, last time I shopped, I couldn’t help but notice Sainsbury’s plugging their latest employment-eliminating self-service innovations as aids to social distancing. Never let a crisis go to waste, eh?

       17 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Em the Sainsbury’s accounts just announced
      cover the period BEFORE and not including lockdown

      .. During lockdown sales may have gone up
      but their costs will have gone up a lot
      with all the extra staff
      and suppliers pushing up prices.

         5 likes

  36. digg says:

    Much ado about South Korea cleaning out the virus and not needing lock-down despite being on Chinas doorstep.

    It sounds very iffy to me!!!

    If you consider the massive investment that Country has in manufacturing to export around the World, this could be an enormous Government cover-up so that they can take up the slack and capture lots of business from around the World at the expense of a few hundred thousand un-named secretly disposed of South Korean Victims who died of a cold or something.

    They have never had a shut-down, how in Gods name did they get away with that!

       11 likes

  37. Peter Grimes says:

    Last night I watched an ITV programme which I had recorded some time ago, ‘Return to Belsen’, presented by Dimblebbcbum Minimus in homage to his father who was with the Army when Belsen was liberated and who provided the radio and subsequent newsreel reportage.

    Apparently Senior had to push to have the shocking scenes released..don’t know if Hitler sympathiser Reith was involved. The comment was made that it took publication by a world respected entity like the BBC to convince sceptics of the horror.

    How things have changed at Al Beeb, and not for the better!

       20 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Peter – problem is -internationally the BBC is still living off that reputation and too few are becoming aware of what it really is

      Maybe if Mr Trump gets a second term he’ll really take them on – as a starter

         15 likes

      • Fedup2 says:

        Not accessing MSM today – I wonder if much is being made of the intellectual power house that is the House of Lords not being able to do the tecky version the Commons is trying

        Would any one miss it ? Does anyone listen . ? A retirement club kept going so that PMs can reward / get rid of fellow bubble dwellers at huge cost

           16 likes

        • john in cheshire says:

          No doubt the parasites are still claiming their daily allowance.

             5 likes

          • fakenewswatcher says:

            john: You betcha! Interesting about the HoL, where you normally get your £300+ per day just for signing the attendance register.
            I suppose that has been modified to getting it if you sign on virtually?
            This is quite apart from the issue of whether -stuffed with cronies and has beens- the nearly 900 member body, serves any useful purpose at all?
            ‘Scrutinise’ the work of the 650 member Commons? Hmmm…
            Very cosy. Will we exceed 1000 HoL members? Enough to rule Communist China and Russia, Indonesia and perhaps even India, together? Appointed, of course.
            Where you can find people like Doreen quite easily, to launch vindictive little campaigns, cos Surkeer has an agenda.

               8 likes

  38. Fedup2 says:

    Not BBC but Netflix – as I’ve come to the end of House of Cards USA could any one suggest a decent programme / series on Netflix / Prime please . Preferably not U.K. ‘drama ‘ because I normally see the ‘ story ‘ within the 1st 5 minutes ….

       6 likes

    • Big Al says:

      Hi Fed, thanks for all your efforts in running this site, it is much appreciated.

      Re Netflix, try Ozark (3 series) – brilliant.
      Also, Better Caul Saul (5 series) and for a good laugh have a look at The Kominsky Method, a comedy starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin (Catch 22).

         4 likes

    • JamesArthur says:

      Fedup

      try Afterlife…I wasn’t a fan of Ricky Gervais but this is excellent

         4 likes

    • G says:

      As a newcomer to Netflix, the only thing I can find (‘in yer face’) is violence and murder depicted in their offerings.

         1 likes

    • oldcrone says:

      Bosch is good … US but still good … Vikings on prime is brilliant … start from the beginning. Agree Ozark is good …. kajaki/kilo two bravo fantastic harrowing true film re British paras in Afghanistan ,,,,, Halt and Catch Fire is good … as is The Americans. Also … although I resisted it for a while … I enjoyed The Crown. I’m presuming you’ve seen Breaking Bad?

         2 likes

      • Fedup2 says:

        Al, crone , James

        Thanks for the recommendations – I’ll get to them . I had the excellent Breaking Bad on DVD but they went defective on my so I might go back to them and ‘Saul ‘…
        If this lunacy goes on for ever I might go back to “The Wire “ or “generation kill “ on DVD both of which leave the dross on the BBC ITV standing ….

           3 likes

        • oldcrone says:

          The Wire … you have to pay for …. I only “do” free stuff !

             0 likes

          • Fedup2 says:

            Crone – I’ got the whole thing on DVD from a charity shop In peacetime ….

            …. as for a separate thread – I’ve stopped doing them because I found that they very quickly get merged into general comments – actually – yes I’ll put a separate thread up in a bit and we ll see What happens ….

               1 likes

      • oldcrone says:

        Also Money Heist … Spanish subtitles but good …. google rottentomatoes website which will give you info on films and tv series on both prime and netflix.

        Fedup2 …..How about having a special anti BBC thread for members to give info on good stuff to watch on netflix/prime …. I’m always up for recommendations on non rubbish stuff which isn’t pushed by the “mindless masses love this” recommendations of the medja powers that be.

           1 likes

    • john in cheshire says:

      I have Amazon Prime so I don’t know what Netflix has to offer but I’m watching these if they’re available to you:
      Patriot
      Tales from the Loop
      Taken
      Mr Robot
      The Firm

      I also watched Treadstone

      I watched the latest Star Trek series with whining lefty Patrick Stewart and I’d advise everyone to avoid it. It’s, how should I phrase this? It’s crap. It’s worse than that, it’s utter crap.

         4 likes

  39. Up2snuff says:

    Snuffy don’t do Twitter but I loved the comment from Covid Skip about halfway down page:

    H/t (means hat tip or acknowledgement, Fed) to Guest Who who linked one of Arfur’s Tweets this a.m.

       2 likes

  40. Foscari says:

    Could the next director general of the BBC be Dr
    Tedros Adhanom Ghebreesus the present head of
    the WHO? Other than not being a women ,he ticks
    every possible box the BBC is looking for. And of
    course he has excellent contacts in China and Russia.
    He should fit in wonderfully with all the other embedded
    fifth columnist’s ( or filthy communists) and their stooges
    at the BBC.

       19 likes

  41. Guest Who says:

    With all due apologies to Fed, the CECUO GIAR response to this by year’s end will be a belter…

       29 likes

  42. Sluff says:

    The appalling, anti-UK, anti- government, doom-and-gloom BBC are going for a ‘heads we win, tails you lose’ approach on the 1pm news.

    1. The government are unlikely to meet their 100,000 testing target.
    2. Even if they do, ‘many are saying’ it won’t be near enough.

    Pathetic so-called journalism.

       34 likes

  43. Sluff says:

    The BBC feature Captain Tom’s 100th birthday.

    With absolutely no self-awareness whatsoever, the news reader says ‘isn’t it nice to have some upbeat news’ !!!!!!

    FFS.

    It’s YOU at the BBC that choose to give us so little, because of your agenda.

       35 likes

  44. StewGreen says:

    Just turned Vine On ..just turned Vine OFF
    Music ended and he went into item about racism against UK Chinese
    .. OK a worth item

    But within a few words “And the main driver of this is Donald Trump”

    FFS Vine, the same kids that shout out at Chinese in the High Street, would shout out at my hat.
    Trump has nothing to do with almost all such stuff in the UK
    When those Muslims guys attacked the two girls in Birmingham
    Trump didn’t drive that did he ?

    “Geoff Leong was on show
    … his wife is a keyworker
    & he had all four of his car tyres slashed when picking up his kids from school,
    ** possibly ** because of racism linked to ‘the Chinese flu’

    Kids cut my bike locks , stole it and trashed it
    .was that racism ?
    would it be if they did it to Leong ?

       25 likes

    • The WestWyvern says:

      Stew, Ha, I heard that utterly pointless J. Swine comment re Trump.

      I was in my garage at the time. A hammer was thrown at the radio, hard, and my aim was good. It arched into the target like a Jimmy Anderson In-Swinger.

      I now need a replacement wireless.

         19 likes

  45. StewGreen says:

    Someone should look up Farage’s big story today on the UK Border Farce

       10 likes

  46. fakenewswatcher says:

    Stew: I feel we must always distinguish between China and the Chinese Communist Party. The real problem is the latter, which rules with an iron fist, in accordance with Leninism.
    We rightly moan about the ideology of Marxism, but China has largely ditched that, and allowed the Market in. What it has NOT ditched, but instead REINFORCED, is the Leninist principle of one, exclusive, tightly organised and utterly ruthless, political party.
    Any problems with Taiwan? Nope.
    The Chinese have learned a lot from the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union, and they aren’t about to make the same mistake.
    So, e.g. the problem with Hauwei is not that it is Chinese, but that it is ultimately a tool of the Communist Party.
    Chinese virus? Yes. But it was allowed to spread initially by the Communist Party, which cares not a fig for is own people anyway.
    I remember Mao saying the could easily lose 300 million people in a war, cos they would have 300 million left. Xi has the same mindset, but 1.3 billion…
    Commies are always bad news. look at South Africa, where

       13 likes

  47. Guest Who says:

    £5,000,000,000 buys a lot of power to abuse.

       12 likes

  48. The WestWyvern says:

    Just a quick airport watch update.

    Lahore to Manchester, Boeing 777. Due in 15mins.

    LAX to Heathrow ABus A350 due in 21mins

    Terhan to London A330, due in 23mins

    Doha to London Boeing 777 due in 9 mins.

    I wonder if Anti-BBC would like to run their Olympic medal table of figures for these passenger flights:

    How many have been tested?
    How many are positive?
    How many are quarantined?
    How many died in-transit?

    How many are coming to seek treatment at the hands of our international any chess?

       25 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      West – I watch some of those flights too – with these flights regularly coming in unrestricted – seems a bit rich talking about imposing various restrictions on the British wanting to use airlines again .

      I’ve had more than half dozen cancelled and it looks like my June plans are screwed too .

      The rationale about passengers not making a difference ( at the moment ) doesn’t hold water ….

         6 likes