Prince Andrew said he does not sweat – I wonder how it is going now? His latest court claim is that Virginia Giuffre lives in Australia. That seems to be desperation to use obscure technicalities to get him off the hook. Meanwhile with Ghislaine Maxwell facing the rest of her life in jail how long before she spills the beans? I am sure she will receive enough ‘donations’ to ensure numerous appeals, or will she mysteriously commit suicide in gaol?
COVID
Numbers soaring but it is ok says Johnson and the band of killers. he got it wrong last year and thousands died; let us all hope he has not got it wrong yet again. As ever I am confused by the stats. Deaths of people who had covid in the last 28 days is a figure often quoted as misleading. Does that include a person who died in a car crash 3 weeks ago? If this last statement is true then surely the death rate should be spiralling to record highs as perhaps as high as 1 in 10 people in London alone will have tested positive for Covid in the last 28 days?
The map of cases is showing the rest of the country following London – Bristol is unto 1424/100000 and North Somerset up to 863. Essex on 1605.
And the gutter press – which is most of it is championing Johnson – even Mel Gibson has made some trite and uneducated comment reflecting his past glory in Braveheart – jerk.
CHEESE STRAWS
A definite winner.
Ingredients
- 375g/13oz plain flour
- pinch salt
- 225g/8oz butter, diced
- 150g/5½oz mature cheddar cheese
- 50g/1¾oz freshly grated parmesan cheese (or a similar vegetarian hard cheese)
- pinch English mustard powder
- small pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 free-range eggs, yolks only
EPIDEMIOLOGY
By definition, epidemiology is the study (scientific, systematic, and data-driven) of the distribution (frequency, pattern) and determinants (causes, risk factors) of health-related states and events (not just diseases) in specified populations (neighborhood, school, city, state, country, global).
WEATHER
Oh so warm – but temperatures will drop into the new year to the average for the time of year. Some possibility of frost in the last third of the month. A New Years wish is for better weather for our wildlife, especially butterflies and insects; and favourable winds for migrating birds like the swifts and swallows and martins which seem to need a bumper breeding season.
FOOTBALL -Predictions
Despite games in hand for Spurs and ManU the top 4 look to have it sewn up this season. manC look the strongest with Liverpool second and then Chelsea. Will Arsenal keep their top 4 position? At the bottom it looks grim for Norwich and Newcastle (although maybe a half billion might change things?). Burnley re gritty, Watford have moments of inspiration, Leeds seem dogged by bad luck and injuries. Everton and Southampton are probably the fatal’ too good to go down’ whilst I suspect Brentford will take the plunge at the end of the season.
COVID STATS – 7 DAY TOTALS 5 DAYS LATE
SCHOOLS
So the great leader has decreed that schools will open as normal in January. In October 2020 the German government spent £452 million improving ventilation systems in schools. The cost to the UK government would be £140 million plus add on costs for mates. New York City has provided 100000 HEPA purifiers for classrooms. UK govt has provided CO2 monitors and told teachers to open windows!
PLASTIC
Can we make 2022 the year we finally reduce our use of plastic. I was a very grateful recipient of Fresh-Lock Lids which can replace cling-film and tin-foil. The packaging says they stretch to 3 times their original size which I have got no where near – but I will never buy cling-film again. I suspect these are still plastic but can be used thousands of times. Single use plastic needs to be phased out asap.
We have wheelie bins for waste – but why put everything in a black plastic bag first? Food waste also has to be put in bags first.
All my clothes are now bamboo. Toothbrushes wooden and bamboo. Razor bamboo – but with metal!!!
CLIMATE CHANGE – A PLEA
There are many scientists and others studying climate change. Can we have a monthly bulletin with statistics – I am not sure people understand them but they are influenced by them. Sea level rise, global temperatures, renewable energy generation, electric car sales, butterfly counts, etc. just keep the topic at the forefront of peoples minds.