I just typed the heading and then had to close and check ... 52 days? That can't be right, can it? Yes, 52 days ... time our government claimed they need to build up screening, testing and treatment for an expected peak. Time which they wasted on ridiculous rules, regulations and laws - while failing to meet their own targets! And now? Instead of facing reality, working to alleviate the most desperate needs - they sit and invent even MORE and more ridiculous laws! Like the details on how to re-open the sale of alcohol avoiding a rush - some ridiculous law of who may buy on which days! Why can't they leave that to each retailer? And rather spend their time doing what they are SUPPOSED to do: build up screening, testing and treatment facilities!
It's no wonder that people are beginning to believe the whole coronavirus is a hoax. Questioning the use of face masks. Demanding the lock-down be ended completely, that everybody and everything go back to normal. Focused on the 99% survival rate - comparing the death- & survivals to other diseases & causes, which have NOT resulted in a lock-down. Forgetting that the reason for this high survival rate is, because at present, every single confirmed case receives the best possible treatment. That nobody is currently being turned away and told 'sorry, we don't have a bed for you, go home and die'. And it's so easy to convince yourself that you'll be part of the 99% - that you won't loose a loved one.
And how does government react? Oh, not sensibly! No, they scurry furiously to increase control over the population! No transparency, not much-needed-and-demanded information - which could bring about the fast-eroding buy-in from the population: voluntary adherence to rational requests! Instead, unleash police and army - with NO RESTRICTIONS, ACCOUNTABILITY OR GUIDELINES!
Every day the news shows the police catching smokers or cigarettes - well: DUH! We're NOT the criminal master-minds you SHOULD be catching! What about the syndicate which has cleared all valuables from schools over the past 50 days? What about all those responsible for gender-based violence - which you announced is on the increase? What about farm killings? Why is there ZERO progress on THOSE CRIMES? With all law-abiding citizens at home - why can't you catch criminals? But it is so much easier to go after non-violent smokers ...
Instead of moving forward, accept the NEW SCIENTIFIC DATA, stop explaining the past! And farking stop wasting time on inventing means to declare more average, normal people criminals! Breaking lock-down rules could result in a criminal record! And, considering the lackadaisical invention of new rules - with zero announcement, information or education ... how can ANY normal person follow the rules? It's becoming more and more like Borogravia under their god Nuggan!
Reading the book, I could laugh at the silly abominations ... but now? I'm blerry LIVING in that world!
And then, our government is discussing with manufactures how to retail alcohol! WTF? Shouldn't retailers at least be involved? In a sane world, it would be SOLELY UP TO RETAILERS ... but sanity has left the planet! Oh, and tobacco manufacturers are developing a vaccine against the virus.
The world has gone insane ... no wonder more and more people are following ...
The Daily Maverick wrote a good, impartial article, dissecting the rationality of Level 4 regulations.
Okay, I think that's enough on the madness outside. Apart from the lack of cigarettes, it isn't driving me insane, yet. I'm hoping that I'll be allowed to buy cigarettes, soon - Never have I ever stretched a single carton for as long as this last one! And I'm still convinced that banning the sale of cigarettes is illegal - and here's an article which seems to confirm my conviction.
I've read several articles which imply that the intention of the ban was to force people to stop smoking! Seriously? Well THAT failed dismally, didn't it? At least, if that really was the intention, since it failed, it would make sense to allow cigarette sales. I suppose banning smoking (and drinking, of course) would have caused the very uproar the ban on the sale of both should have.
I'm not writing much about mippies, because there really isn't much to write! They've settled in a happy routine of going out in the mornings, except for Mini, who stays on the bed. Then Mewthos comes mewling home and I get up, pick him up, run after him, let him go, waddle after him some more, pick him up. Until he's happy. Then, when I have a smoke outside, Ziva comes running, running, running to throw herself at my feet mipping for tummy tickles! Janey comes mipping around and under my chair at some later time, too, demanding I pick her up, scratch her ears and cuddle her for a while.
When each has got the lovies they need, the find a place to flop down and nap ... moving occasionally, washing each other or themselves on occasion ... until about half past four or five, when they walk off! So that by half past five, when it gets dark, I sit filled with anxiety, growing scared and restless for them to reappear!
I finally remembered to wash my laundry this morning - would you believe that I'm currently wearing my last pair of clean underpants? Ha Ha Ha, talk about last minute, eh?
I've been enjoying my cookies all day, as well as the odd bread roll with home-made cheese. Today, I decided that I would give the butter making another try. Well, after my last experience, I didn't take any chances. I stood and watched and watched to avoid everything re-integrating again. I followed instructions to the letter ... but I didn't see it getting thick or lumps forming. I stopped the mixer every now and then to check - all I could see was some froth. After half an hour, I saw a few lumps - so I decided not to take any chances and poured it through the sieve. I patted, I poured cold water, patted more ... and ended up with no more than 110 gram of butter! If it was JUST from 1 liter milk, that would still make it worth my while - but the recipe called for half a liter of cream to be added! I added only half that amount, because fresh cream is just too expensive! And it looks to me as if ONLY the cream turned to butter - and at that price, that's just not worth it. Even at the exorbitant price of R80 per 500 gram - that's still cheaper than I can make my own! Maybe next time I'll try to make butter without additional cream ... see how much I get from that.
Oh, I put the 'buttermilk' back and started the mixer again ... but it's not making any more butter. Well, at least I tried ...
Back to the news. Found a details list of cases by district. I live in 'City of Tshwane 2'. There is pressure to skip past Level 3 right into Level 2. All fueled by the frustration of instructions without justification. As I said earlier, it's no wonder people are eager to believe this is all about the acquisition of power, that there is no virus - or, even if there is, it poses no serious threat. And then a friend posted a very long story by a 27-year old woman who had COVID-19. Although she survived and is listed as 'recovered' - she has severe after-effects, scarring on her lungs, which has severely affected her life-style! Previously a fit and active sportswoman, she can now barely walk any distance. I don't know whether this is a true story ... but I am unwilling to dismiss it just because it's not in line with my personal preference. I'm okay with wearing a face mask. I don't mind washing my hands, even with alcohol. I'll be okay without an income for a while. Not because I'm afraid of GETTING the disease - though that does scare me, too - but also because I don't want to GIVE it to someone who will have serious effects, may even die. After all, it wasn't any government which declared it a pandemic, but the World Health Organisation. Scientists. Doctors. Here is another story of a COVID-19 survivor.
I believe the most serious problem is how politicians have abused the pandemic. Overreacting, not reacting, putting the economy first ... our government started on a great note, following the best scientific advice available at the time - but then they lost the plot and it became about authority, power and control. And since those in charge seem to pay no attention to the disease, going about their business like there is no disease, snatching power, enforcing authority ... no wonder the rest of the country, even the world is wondering whether the whole virus is real, after all! If only some common sense would return, if only our government would SHARE INFORMATION! If only they would give us the explanations, the reasons for each restriction - instead, they put all their efforts into micro-controlling details and enforcing those!
On a lighter note, NDZ tried explaining one of the reasons for the ban on the sale of cigarettes - which shows her utter ignorance of smoking! She doesn't have the first clue. She talks about 'people who zol'! Now, zol is a South African slang for joint. It is NOT a verb. What she MEANS is 'people who roll cigarettes'. As an explanation for banning the sale of pre-rolled cigarettes! And as if ALL cigarettes are hand-rolled and lick-sealed! Anyway, someone turned that into a song - which eventually reached NDZ. Who then wanted to talk to the producer!
I didn't let mippies give me anxiety tonight. Mewthos and Mini were eager for their treat - I called and called, but neither Ziva nor Janey showed up, so I went inside and gave the 2 well-behaved mips their treats! Ziva came a while later - there was still some treat in the bowl for her, but by the time Janey mipped at the closed passage door, the bowls were already clean. Tough!
I enjoyed a lovely hot bath - no mip mewling, patrolling not even curled up on the mat! Why? They've all got such a lot of cuddles today, they were quite happy to just curl up quietly without me.
Then, I saw mail regarding the petition I signed to lift the ban on the sale of cigarettes. The Facebook group, Smokers Unite, has also consulted lawyers and FITA's (Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association) legal team:
Smokers can no longer wait for Level 3 for the upliftment of the ban and/or experience another U-turn on the ban of cigarettes, or if the ban is uplifted on level 3 and we suddenly return to levels 4 or 5.
So they will file a Class Action Lawsuit to gain the right to purchase our cigarettes legally, as is our democratic right!
I've decided to contribute to that - and also donated the same amount to the #I'mStaying Facebook group, who are using our donations to feed those members of the group who are now starving - in the form of vouchers sent to their phones.
And that's me done for today. Time for bed ...
It's no wonder that people are beginning to believe the whole coronavirus is a hoax. Questioning the use of face masks. Demanding the lock-down be ended completely, that everybody and everything go back to normal. Focused on the 99% survival rate - comparing the death- & survivals to other diseases & causes, which have NOT resulted in a lock-down. Forgetting that the reason for this high survival rate is, because at present, every single confirmed case receives the best possible treatment. That nobody is currently being turned away and told 'sorry, we don't have a bed for you, go home and die'. And it's so easy to convince yourself that you'll be part of the 99% - that you won't loose a loved one.
And how does government react? Oh, not sensibly! No, they scurry furiously to increase control over the population! No transparency, not much-needed-and-demanded information - which could bring about the fast-eroding buy-in from the population: voluntary adherence to rational requests! Instead, unleash police and army - with NO RESTRICTIONS, ACCOUNTABILITY OR GUIDELINES!
Every day the news shows the police catching smokers or cigarettes - well: DUH! We're NOT the criminal master-minds you SHOULD be catching! What about the syndicate which has cleared all valuables from schools over the past 50 days? What about all those responsible for gender-based violence - which you announced is on the increase? What about farm killings? Why is there ZERO progress on THOSE CRIMES? With all law-abiding citizens at home - why can't you catch criminals? But it is so much easier to go after non-violent smokers ...
Instead of moving forward, accept the NEW SCIENTIFIC DATA, stop explaining the past! And farking stop wasting time on inventing means to declare more average, normal people criminals! Breaking lock-down rules could result in a criminal record! And, considering the lackadaisical invention of new rules - with zero announcement, information or education ... how can ANY normal person follow the rules? It's becoming more and more like Borogravia under their god Nuggan!
Known Abominations Unto Nuggan which are mentioned in passing in the canon include:
- Chocolate
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- The colour blue
- Babies
- Crop rotation
- Girls in men's clothing (whether the other way round is an Abomination, too, remains unknown)
- Girls knowing how to write
- Pictures of living things
- Cats
- Barking dogs
- Oysters
- Shirts with six buttons
- Cheese
- Rocks
- Ears
- Accordion players
- Theatres and similar
- The smell of beets
Reading the book, I could laugh at the silly abominations ... but now? I'm blerry LIVING in that world!
And then, our government is discussing with manufactures how to retail alcohol! WTF? Shouldn't retailers at least be involved? In a sane world, it would be SOLELY UP TO RETAILERS ... but sanity has left the planet! Oh, and tobacco manufacturers are developing a vaccine against the virus.
The world has gone insane ... no wonder more and more people are following ...
The Daily Maverick wrote a good, impartial article, dissecting the rationality of Level 4 regulations.
Okay, I think that's enough on the madness outside. Apart from the lack of cigarettes, it isn't driving me insane, yet. I'm hoping that I'll be allowed to buy cigarettes, soon - Never have I ever stretched a single carton for as long as this last one! And I'm still convinced that banning the sale of cigarettes is illegal - and here's an article which seems to confirm my conviction.
I've read several articles which imply that the intention of the ban was to force people to stop smoking! Seriously? Well THAT failed dismally, didn't it? At least, if that really was the intention, since it failed, it would make sense to allow cigarette sales. I suppose banning smoking (and drinking, of course) would have caused the very uproar the ban on the sale of both should have.
I'm not writing much about mippies, because there really isn't much to write! They've settled in a happy routine of going out in the mornings, except for Mini, who stays on the bed. Then Mewthos comes mewling home and I get up, pick him up, run after him, let him go, waddle after him some more, pick him up. Until he's happy. Then, when I have a smoke outside, Ziva comes running, running, running to throw herself at my feet mipping for tummy tickles! Janey comes mipping around and under my chair at some later time, too, demanding I pick her up, scratch her ears and cuddle her for a while.
When each has got the lovies they need, the find a place to flop down and nap ... moving occasionally, washing each other or themselves on occasion ... until about half past four or five, when they walk off! So that by half past five, when it gets dark, I sit filled with anxiety, growing scared and restless for them to reappear!
I finally remembered to wash my laundry this morning - would you believe that I'm currently wearing my last pair of clean underpants? Ha Ha Ha, talk about last minute, eh?
I've been enjoying my cookies all day, as well as the odd bread roll with home-made cheese. Today, I decided that I would give the butter making another try. Well, after my last experience, I didn't take any chances. I stood and watched and watched to avoid everything re-integrating again. I followed instructions to the letter ... but I didn't see it getting thick or lumps forming. I stopped the mixer every now and then to check - all I could see was some froth. After half an hour, I saw a few lumps - so I decided not to take any chances and poured it through the sieve. I patted, I poured cold water, patted more ... and ended up with no more than 110 gram of butter! If it was JUST from 1 liter milk, that would still make it worth my while - but the recipe called for half a liter of cream to be added! I added only half that amount, because fresh cream is just too expensive! And it looks to me as if ONLY the cream turned to butter - and at that price, that's just not worth it. Even at the exorbitant price of R80 per 500 gram - that's still cheaper than I can make my own! Maybe next time I'll try to make butter without additional cream ... see how much I get from that.
Oh, I put the 'buttermilk' back and started the mixer again ... but it's not making any more butter. Well, at least I tried ...
Back to the news. Found a details list of cases by district. I live in 'City of Tshwane 2'. There is pressure to skip past Level 3 right into Level 2. All fueled by the frustration of instructions without justification. As I said earlier, it's no wonder people are eager to believe this is all about the acquisition of power, that there is no virus - or, even if there is, it poses no serious threat. And then a friend posted a very long story by a 27-year old woman who had COVID-19. Although she survived and is listed as 'recovered' - she has severe after-effects, scarring on her lungs, which has severely affected her life-style! Previously a fit and active sportswoman, she can now barely walk any distance. I don't know whether this is a true story ... but I am unwilling to dismiss it just because it's not in line with my personal preference. I'm okay with wearing a face mask. I don't mind washing my hands, even with alcohol. I'll be okay without an income for a while. Not because I'm afraid of GETTING the disease - though that does scare me, too - but also because I don't want to GIVE it to someone who will have serious effects, may even die. After all, it wasn't any government which declared it a pandemic, but the World Health Organisation. Scientists. Doctors. Here is another story of a COVID-19 survivor.
I believe the most serious problem is how politicians have abused the pandemic. Overreacting, not reacting, putting the economy first ... our government started on a great note, following the best scientific advice available at the time - but then they lost the plot and it became about authority, power and control. And since those in charge seem to pay no attention to the disease, going about their business like there is no disease, snatching power, enforcing authority ... no wonder the rest of the country, even the world is wondering whether the whole virus is real, after all! If only some common sense would return, if only our government would SHARE INFORMATION! If only they would give us the explanations, the reasons for each restriction - instead, they put all their efforts into micro-controlling details and enforcing those!
On a lighter note, NDZ tried explaining one of the reasons for the ban on the sale of cigarettes - which shows her utter ignorance of smoking! She doesn't have the first clue. She talks about 'people who zol'! Now, zol is a South African slang for joint. It is NOT a verb. What she MEANS is 'people who roll cigarettes'. As an explanation for banning the sale of pre-rolled cigarettes! And as if ALL cigarettes are hand-rolled and lick-sealed! Anyway, someone turned that into a song - which eventually reached NDZ. Who then wanted to talk to the producer!
I didn't let mippies give me anxiety tonight. Mewthos and Mini were eager for their treat - I called and called, but neither Ziva nor Janey showed up, so I went inside and gave the 2 well-behaved mips their treats! Ziva came a while later - there was still some treat in the bowl for her, but by the time Janey mipped at the closed passage door, the bowls were already clean. Tough!
I enjoyed a lovely hot bath - no mip mewling, patrolling not even curled up on the mat! Why? They've all got such a lot of cuddles today, they were quite happy to just curl up quietly without me.
Then, I saw mail regarding the petition I signed to lift the ban on the sale of cigarettes. The Facebook group, Smokers Unite, has also consulted lawyers and FITA's (Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association) legal team:
Smokers can no longer wait for Level 3 for the upliftment of the ban and/or experience another U-turn on the ban of cigarettes, or if the ban is uplifted on level 3 and we suddenly return to levels 4 or 5.
Illicit cigarette prices are very steep, and most can no longer afford to pay the ridiculous prices and have had to quit smoking. Most, due to finances, have had to quit cold turkey.
Government have not put anything in place to combat the withdrawal symptoms experienced by many many smokers, and for some it causes terrible anxiety, stress and depression, and many have sadly taken their own lives.
So they will file a Class Action Lawsuit to gain the right to purchase our cigarettes legally, as is our democratic right!
I've decided to contribute to that - and also donated the same amount to the #I'mStaying Facebook group, who are using our donations to feed those members of the group who are now starving - in the form of vouchers sent to their phones.
And that's me done for today. Time for bed ...
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