Anthony Fauci's Covid hearing

In the UK, we have the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. It has been hearing evidence about the epidemic, and is handled in a much better way than has happened in the USA.

Due to the (understandable) refusal of Anthony Fauci to answer questions, conspiracy theories are going to spread.  I talked to a patient earlier this year who told me that he did not think COVID existed.  He has probably suffered from the vaccination, but while one of his issues has most likely been caused by it, that is not the case with the other matters that he thinks have been caused. 

So, a few quick points.

COVID exists.  It has particular CT appearances in the lungs which other conditions do not have.  

COVID vaccinations saved lives.  States in the USA with lower vaccination rates had higher rates of COVID during the pandemic.  Also in the USA, Republicans (who were more likely to minimise the importance of preventative measures) were more likely to die than Democrats (who were more likely to follow the evidence). 

The UK should have been better prepared.  Exercise Cygnus and Exercise Alice produced recommendations which the Conservatives ignored.  

The chumocracy resulted in contracts being given to people who failed to deliver PPE.

Death rates were so high that funeral homes in the UK were overwhelmed, something that also happened in the USA.  

Health care systems were overwhelmed by COVID, not just in Iran, but also in Italy.

Sadly, I doubt the COVID inquiry in the UK will hear the views of Jess Phillips on this. Her take down of Matt Hancock, the health secretary who was in charge of the NHS during the pandemic is as concise as it is passionate. Too many died in the UK who did not need to have.

Voicemails for Isabelle

Voicemails for Isabelle is a surprisingly good film. We finished watching it today.  We had started watching it after our return from Portugal. All four of us have been watching it together but have not watched it in one go. While it is not the ideal way to watch it, it worked for us.

Today was a bit stressful as we had a clear the air discussion with the children. The relationship between the two has not been as ideal as we would like. It is not as bad as it has been at times, but they were very mature about it and afterwards we all chilled by watching the film.

Like many Rom-Com’s it has a predictable plot, though the start is different to most. The acting is good, the film flows well and it has a charming character as the lead. In addition it has an enjoyable soundtrack. Not as good as other films, but it features Taylor Swift, an artist the family all love.  I am glad I watched it, and while I would not go out of my way to watch it again, I would not channel hop past it.

Lucy Connolly, Zack Polanski and hurty words

Double standards and Reform UK Ltd are something that happens quite often.  Lucy Connolly was (rightly) arrested and admitted her guilt about a tweet inciting racial hatred during the Farage riots of 2024. Nigel Farage has stated that Lucy Connolly is "living proof of what can go wrong" with free speech restrictions.  Despite this, Nigel Farage said about a repost by Zack Polanski "If I was to post anything as inciteful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski." Polanski, rightly, has taken down the post. Those in Reform UK Ltd should call for the same action to be taken against the leader of The Green Party that they took when one of their elected representatives reposted a message about shooting a Labour MP. From what I recall, an apology was enough then and should be enough now.  If anything, less action is needed, the T-shirt (which was on the 18th of 20 images) being a song lyric as opposed to the message about actually shooting a politician.

I abhor violence against ALL politicians.  While I did find the egging of Nick Griffin (then leader of the racist BNP) to be funny, it was wrong. That includes the milkshake episode with Farage.  I found it funny, but still was wrong to happen.  

I have commented on Reform UK Ltd and their attitudes to free speech before. I suspect it will happen again when they, again, show double standards. 

Back from Bristol

We are back from Bristol.  We went yesterday afternoon but left our son behind in Colchester.  We had aimed to get to Bristol for the afternoon, but delays and traffic meant that we did not get there until much later. We had returned to the Avon Gorge hotel, but took my daughter there. Neither of the children have stayed there before so it was a first for her.  The dog loves it there as she is pampered.  While we are not able to enter all areas with her, they serve food in areas where we can eat with her.  And it was a great meal.

Come Saturday, we went to the house our daughter is to stay in.  We were to move her things in from the back of the car but the exhausting thing was the inventory.  We had planned to go to a food and drink festival, but were too tired so ate at The Blaze, where we have eaten before, and then returned back to the house to unpack and then the drive back here.  Am shattered and am to enjoy a much needed rest.  A strange thing is that my mind is convinced that today is Sunday, which means that my subconscious will get a three day weekend!

Workers rights in the UK, Trump, forced labour and unions

It appears that Unison and Donald Trump agree about workers rights in the UK.  Trump has imposed tariffs on the UK due to claims that it does not do enough against forced labour. This from a nation that has worse workers rights than the UK and makes use of illegal immigrants in work (therefore avoiding employment laws) more than the UK does.  

The video is about workers rights which unions have won, rights that many in the USA do not have.  It is out of date as Labour, under Starmer, gave workers even more rights.  

The Odyssey

I watched this with my son yesterday. Before (and after) the film, we disagreed about Helen of Sparta being black. Watching the film, my views on this are unchanged.  Actually that is wrong, they are different but I will discuss that later.

Unlike Elon Musk I loved the film.  But then I have watched it, something he may not have done. My son liked it, but felt that certain bits who not have been removed, but the film is already three hours long. The only way to include all of his voyage is to make it into more than one film, and we saw how true adaptations like that were to the original story with Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy’s. I had a translation of The Iliad many years ago, when I was a teenager, but I only ever read adaptations of The Odyssey, and watched the cartoon (which I loved). If you like other Christopher Nolan films, you will probably like this.

As for diversity, I do think it is important in films, but there are ways of adding it. The Percy Jackson TV series has Zeus as black. Athena is portrayed by Zendaya, someone who is not white.  If I was to cast the film to be diverse, Helen of Troy but not her half sister Clytemnestra would have been mixed-race. You can argue that both could be black, both, with other siblings, being hatched from an egg. I would have had Circe, Calypso and Athena reflecting diversity. But that would have still annoyed many. If someone is to be annoyed with the film, it should be for the same reasons as my son, that being what they left out, or other matters that were changed. Odysseus left Troy with more than three ships, his being the only one to survive with the Laestrygonians. There are so many other parts of the tale that have been changed, Circe seducing Odysseus for a year being another example. And Elliot Page was great in the film. I am surprised that those on the right were not in uproar about his inclusion, but I am suspended from Twitter and cannot be arsed to appeal it. 

Basically if you are racist, don’t watch it. If you want a tale true to the original story, don’t watch it (which is why my wife stopped watching The Hobbit films).Otherwise it is an enjoyable “male” film and I would consider watching it again. 

Andy Burnham and communication

It is not long into the Andy Burnham premiership and there appears to be a big difference. Communication. It is early days, and Burnham has been helped by the enforced media silence with Nigel Farage (all candidates in the Clacton by-election deserve the same media exposure), but it appears that he has ensured that he dominates the news cycle by early morning pronouncements. Which means that the media are discussing what he has said, working to his agenda, not setting the news cycle themselves.  The last time I saw such effective communication from a Labour government was when Alastair Campbell was in the thick of it.  It is early to get an idea of just how things have changed as there are another three years until the next planned election, but the outlook is so much better.

Donald Trump is the best at this, he dominates the news cycle, but part of that is because of decisions that many would say are insane. Nigel Farage has dominated the news under Starmer and may find it hard to regain the political momentum that he lost before his resignation thanks to all the sleaze allegations. 

Keir Starmer did loads, but his failures included an inability to let people know what Labour had achieved with him in charge. Which looking at what he did, is so sad. 

Andy Burnham has been left a nation, which despite public perception, is in a better place than when Keir Starmer took power.  This is despite the turmoil caused both by Brexit and Donald Trump. The economy is in surprisingly good shape compared to many of our G7 peers and NHS waiting lists are falling. If the Conservatives had did half of what Labour had did, they would be publicising it so well. It looks like the failure of Labour to communicate effectively is hopefully a message from the past.

The best team won

First of all, England.  If someone told me that one side would have scored four goals by half time in the 3rd/4th playoff, I would have been depressed thinking that England surrendered again.  But we had not. France may have expected the team that allowed Argentina to play football to face them, but a changed line up with the pace that is a strength of the team brought belief and four goals.  The good thing about the game is that our two talismans were not playing for the first half, but we did need Jude for the final half with his goal to settle nerves.  I watched the game with my wife.  We actually have not watched any games together, this being the first one.  She did watch the game when we got back from Portugal, but I was off collecting our dog at the time.  What a game to watch together!  I may try to convince her that she is the lucky talisman and should watch more games with me in the future!  She has a soft spot for Saka after the abuse he has received in the past.  She is one of many who sent him messages of support after the abuse he got from that penalty miss (and he thanked her as well) in the 2020 final. 

As for the final, Argentina have regained the record for the most number of players sent off in a World Cup Final. They were a dirty team against us in the semi-final and while not as dirty in the final, they still were. They also got away with a lot of tackles that should have got a yellow card as well as managing to get a valid goal disallowed. Their behaviour after the end of the game is inexcusable, though based on what has happened before, I suspect that FIFA will let them off.  

Unlike 2006, when bad sportsmanship was rewarded, this year, the best team won.  Football would have been worse if Argentina had lifted the trophy.  I am glad, that on this occasion, the right result occurred.

Dirty cheating gits

Yes we lost. It appeared more of a surrender. What gets me is that the Argentine team were so dirty. At least until we scored. After that, they played football and we let the comeback team of the tournament do the same again. While I do not know as much about football as others, I would have kept pace on the field rather than taking it off. When we were defending, there was no threat that the Argentine team had to worry about. We have many players with pace who would have allowed us an outlet to punt the ball upfield to, not just Saka, but others as well.

But while many in the Argentine team were dirty gits, Messi was not. He was amazing. Anyway, two more years until the next tournament. And Arsenal will need to ensure that our players get time to rest. 

Why I hate the Argentinian football team

Sorry, but there are a few football teams that I hate. Italy are one (though I love the country). Argentina are the other.

Growing up there was The Falklands War when a failing right wing dictatorship, which murdered left wingers like me, invaded the islands deciding that the population of The Falklands had no right to decide who rules them and invaded them. A conflict ensued, people were killed as a result and the islands were liberated. After that, England played Argentina in a World Cup game in which Argentina cheated, as well as also scoring one of the best goals ever in a World Cup.  Argentina went on to win that World Cup but four years later caused the worst final I ever watched. Their players were disgraceful and behaved like animals. 

I don’t blame Argentina for beating us in the game that Beckham lost for us by getting sent off, but I remember them taunting the England players afterwards.

The video below is interesting. I did think that they were to follow the normal left wing view of giving The Falkland’s to Argentina, and I am glad to see that they mentioned the rights of the Falkland Islanders. I disagree with their views on the sinking of the Belgrano. It was a warship which was looking for the British fleet. But I am surprised that they did not mention the lack of multiculturalism. Unlike other South American nations, the team of Argentina has been all white very often. It is right that we look at the past of Britain, taking pride in the great things our nation has done and accepting when we have been in the wrong. That same scrutiny should also be applied to Argentina and what happened to its black population.

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous

Not sure I would recommend this as a film. I watched it with my wife and daughter, both of them having watched the original. I have heard enough about the original that I was able to catch up on how the plot developed. By plot, I mean a weak one. It is funny enough that I enjoyed watching it, but I am glad I did so on streaming. I would be very disappointed had I paid to watch this in the cinema.

Would I watch it again? No. While this is not a film to go out of your way to watch, if you don’t mind the usual Sandra Bullock films that are produced, watch it if it is on. And if you do, this is a film you can watch while being on your device, as I did. Which may be why I do not dislike this as much as others who have watched it. 

On a better note, I watched the Norway game with my daughter. I have been saying that we have to be cautious of a team that beat Brazil, and while it appeared to be one way traffic in the first quarter, I said to my daughter that I expected Norway to attack in the second. They did, they scored, but England held on to defeat them with two amazing goals. We may face Argentina in the semifinals, if so, I do not fear them. 

Ready or Not 2

 I liked this film.  I watched it because I loved the original, but this is not anywhere as good as the film it follows.  Like Ready or Not, it has a lot of gore, too much in my view, but the plot is not as good. Which is understandable. The original film had the shock of the plot reveal, while the sequel was never going to do the same. Like the original, I would term this a black comedy rather than a horror film. You do not have to have watched the original to enjoy this. While the original is better, I am glad I watched this. I doubt I will watch it again, but I am tempted to revisit the original again.  If you are to watch either, do NOT watch the trailers as like with many films, it spoils the experience.

Count Binface on democracy in Great Britain

Count Binface has spoken in the past about democracy in Great Britain, and he is so right. Elon Musk has commented about our tyrannical government. He is so wrong. There are arguments for and against our first past the post system and I have commented about Proportional Representation in the past. But the best argument for our current system is the way that someone like Count Binface has a chance to follow the likes of Martin Bell in being elected against a political party with far greater funding.

Comparing Louise Haigh to George Cottrell

There are levels of fraud and crime.  Comparisons have been made by Reform UK Ltd about how Louise Haigh, a Labour MP who had to resign as a Minister in November 2024 over an issue with fraud involving a mobile phone in 2013, her pleading guilty in 2014.

George Cottrell had been caught agreeing to launder money for undercover agents posing as drug traffickers in an FBI sting operation in 2017. Cottrell was a backer for Nigel Farage before and after his conviction. 

The Thai based billionaire Christopher Harborne is the man who donated the five million pound gift to Nigel Farage, to use in security, or it may have been given to thank Farage for Brexit (the story changes). While he is an innocent man, concerns have been raised about money laundering. 

And of course, there is Ben Delo. He has a conviction and earned a pardon from Trump.  Living in Hong Kong, he gave Reform UK Ltd the total of four million pounds before the rules on donations were changed. His conviction relates to US Banking laws. 

So, while Louise Haigh has a conviction for fraud involving a mobile phone, there are degrees of wrongdoing, and her crime, while wrong, are not on the same level as the backers of Reform UK Ltd. I do not think comparing her probably returning to government can be compared to the concerns with the Reform donors. 

Revisiting Nigel Farage and the Coutts bank scandal

In hindsight, Coutts probably did the right thing. In 2023, Coutts closed the bank account of Nigel Farage. He took action about this and a head rolled over this. Considering the donations that Nigel Farage and Reform UK Ltd have been given, this may have been the right thing to do.

Ben Delo, a man who was pardoned by Trump following a conviction, has donated money to Reform UK Ltd. It was reported that Ben Delo, who lives in Hong Kong, gave £4m to Reform earlier this year before the Government changed the law to put a £100,000 cap on donations from Britons living abroad. 

There also the five million pound donation to Nigel Farage for his personal security or as a reward for Brexit (depending on the time Nigel Farage is explaining it).  This one is from Christopher Harborne, a British crypto billionaire living in Thailand.  Who also has a conviction, but has not earned a pardon.

For once, this story has been given the attention it deserves, though most are ignoring the Ben Delo donation, as that appeared to have been declared and was to the party, not to Nigel Farage himself. The reason I mention this is that Richard Tice made an error with taxes (for a company), but was not hounded out of a job in the way Angela Rayner was. 

Nigel Farage has managed to avoid the consequences of this racist comments in the past. The question is if “The Establishment” in the form of Count Binface will be able to beat him. In 2024, he was elected with over 40% of the vote, which means that if all who did not vote for Farage in the last general election vote for Count Binface, then he may win! 

What a game

What a game. I went to bed early yesterday, was woken by my wife when she went to bed. I did not sleep too well, but adjusted my alarm when I found out the game was delayed by an hour.  

My daughter had gone into Colchester to watch it with friends.  I knew that Mexico would attack, which would play to our strengths. But during the week, when talking about it at work, I had forgotten about how the altitude would work against us.  I was reminded about this later in the week when players from that game in Mexico in 1986.  I was not intimidated by the record of Mexico at the stadium, but I knew it would be tough. But, I kept the faith, knowing that we have come from behind to win games. But the joy of going two goals up in the first half was amazing. My wife had told me not to wake her up and it was hard not to do so. I did not lose faith when they scored their first goal, or when we went down to ten men, or even when they scored the second.  But the boys did good (my family hate the phrase) and did the country proud. Our multicultural team was amazing. 

It was strange seeing the sun up at the end of the match. I offered to collect my daughter from Colchester, but she declined, walking back with a friend instead. Anyway, time to catch up on sleep. 

Password failure

Well that was an interesting return to work. I love my job, but had a frustrating morning as I locked myself out of the clinical system at work by forgetting my Windows password, and that for my smart-card.  It was all fixed, but it took time. But from then, the day got better.  

Back in Blighty

We are home, and are exhausted.  We left our apartment early in the day. Last night I ended up swearing at the children as one decided to pack at ten at night while the other was trying to sleep. While the apartment is nice and has a great location, it has no air conditioning and sleeping has been an issue in the last few nights. 

The journey back was not too eventful. We arrived at the airport with time to spare, Portugal appears to have suspended the EU passport checks which have caused chaos for British travellers, which meant that we arrived too early. But having heard of planes leaving passengers behind, we did not want to risk that ourselves. 

Our issues were once we landed. The taxi we booked was not available and a slightly smaller car was sent instead. But the M25 was very busy and our journey home took about two hours longer than normal. And it was so hot! I did get to watch the England match on my phone but there was a lag which meant that I saw my daughter respond to the radio before I saw England go behind. We were exhausted by the time we got back home, the heat and being trapped in the car not being enjoyable.  I decided to get our dog who was at in-house-boarding in Ipswich. Leia loves it there and loved seeing me. She expected the rest of the family to be in the car, but they needed to rest at home.  The dog-sitter is amazing, she loves Leia and wanted to chat, which meant that I missed the equaliser and ended up watching the highlights to see the two England goals.

I knew England would have to attack as the DRC would defend, I just did not expect us to go behind so quickly. But I had faith in the team and we got the result we deserved.  Our next game will be against a team playing at home, at altitude, in a stadium they have rarely lost in. But that means they will be attacking us… 

But we are at home, and we are happy to be so.  It is back to work for me tomorrow, hopefully it will not be too much of a shock!