Why Did the UK Have Such a Bad Covid-19 Epidemic?
- Thread starter Mrs Trellis
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Mrs Trellis
Well-known member
I bet he's sweating now.
pwhole
Well-known member
We are in the peculiar position of often having to create jobs to give people something to do, rather than that there's an urgent need for the service they provide. Last year I worked with a guy who bought a Costa coffee on the way to work (maybe one at lunch too) and one on the way home, whereas I made a flask of 'crack coffee' before I left. At the end of the week he'd spent ?48 and I'd spent ?3.50, and I was the one who was rattling all day. I have to coax it out with a fork. But it did occur to me that the poor sod stood in the service station at 6.30 am making this foul brew for my mate was the worst off, as he had to stay there all day in this hellhole intersection making weak coffee for dimwits with money to burn. And now he's probably exposed to coronavirus hell as well.
A four-day week would massively help, as then more people could work, but each one work less, and have a better time too on their three-day weekend. Productivity goes up by 20% everywhere it's been tried and in some places even more. Manufacturing and more outdoor work is the key instead of shitty and pointless services that make people fat and lazy. Haha - back to the factories and fields, you wretches! But there's still not enough for folks to do there even if they wanted to.
The elephant in the room is space - or rather space industries. The whole world is about 30 years behind schedule thanks to Ronald Reagan, Boris Yeltsin, George Bush (both of them) and all the rest of those tinpot losers who squandered the huge advantages gained in the 1960s and early 1970s and tilted space funding into a weapons research programme instead of a travel and exploration programme. And subsequently squandered even more good money on pointless Middle East screw-ups and dodgy alliances with oil tyrants. By now these space-related industries could be employing millions of people in interested (and co-operating) countries instead of a few thousand in competing countries, and the Moon would be where folks wanted to go on holiday instead of Fuengirola. First you build a brothel, then a bar, then a casino and then a hotel. Simples
We've got a Boeing factory in Sheffield now but whether it'll survive the pandemic grounding and the recent crash scandal remains to be seen, but it's a start - though it doesn't really employ many people, being hi-tech. The irony.
We might even be using jet-packs for access work instead of cheap bulk rope. Although maybe a bit more tweaking needed first before I get on one. But how long have we been talking about these, and they still don't work!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGEJinoqV-8
A four-day week would massively help, as then more people could work, but each one work less, and have a better time too on their three-day weekend. Productivity goes up by 20% everywhere it's been tried and in some places even more. Manufacturing and more outdoor work is the key instead of shitty and pointless services that make people fat and lazy. Haha - back to the factories and fields, you wretches! But there's still not enough for folks to do there even if they wanted to.
The elephant in the room is space - or rather space industries. The whole world is about 30 years behind schedule thanks to Ronald Reagan, Boris Yeltsin, George Bush (both of them) and all the rest of those tinpot losers who squandered the huge advantages gained in the 1960s and early 1970s and tilted space funding into a weapons research programme instead of a travel and exploration programme. And subsequently squandered even more good money on pointless Middle East screw-ups and dodgy alliances with oil tyrants. By now these space-related industries could be employing millions of people in interested (and co-operating) countries instead of a few thousand in competing countries, and the Moon would be where folks wanted to go on holiday instead of Fuengirola. First you build a brothel, then a bar, then a casino and then a hotel. Simples
We've got a Boeing factory in Sheffield now but whether it'll survive the pandemic grounding and the recent crash scandal remains to be seen, but it's a start - though it doesn't really employ many people, being hi-tech. The irony.
We might even be using jet-packs for access work instead of cheap bulk rope. Although maybe a bit more tweaking needed first before I get on one. But how long have we been talking about these, and they still don't work!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGEJinoqV-8
nearlywhite
Active member
pwhole said:
This is a criticism that the French school of economics leveled at the English for their parasitic manufacturing sector which wasn't adding value... This was at the dawn of the industrial revolution.
Just because you don't appreciate the convenience provided by an 'overpriced' coffee doesn't mean there isn't one. Time, space and convenience are valuable commodities.
Though I agree about the 4 day week and space! Though I'm skeptical that covid will lead to a reassessment of our economy sadly. The increasing inequality however will come to ahead at some point so there's always that.
AR
Well-known member
I'm currently on a four-day week and seriously considering asking to stay on it when the company goes back to five - as Phil says, it does make a difference and a three-day weekend means less fitting a quart into a pint pot with all the non- paid work jobs.
Like Phil's coffee (which I know from experience borders on a class "B" drug!) I usually take a packed lunch into work, which is a massive saving over the course of the month. I've never got the people who say "oh, I'm far too busy to make one on a morning" given I've usually done at least half an hour and usually more of horse feeding/mucking/checking before setting off to work, and taken the dog out too. However, there are masses of people employed to make butties and suchlike for all those people who think they're too busy to do it themselves, can't get their shit together or plan ahead enough. Do we as a country really need that?
Like Phil's coffee (which I know from experience borders on a class "B" drug!
) I usually take a packed lunch into work, which is a massive saving over the course of the month. I've never got the people who say "oh, I'm far too busy to make one on a morning" given I've usually done at least half an hour and usually more of horse feeding/mucking/checking before setting off to work, and taken the dog out too. However, there are masses of people employed to make butties and suchlike for all those people who think they're too busy to do it themselves, can't get their shit together or plan ahead enough. Do we as a country really need that?nearlywhite
Active member
Obviously, otherwise the economic need wouldn't be there.
AR
Well-known member
mikem said:
1) I'm a Yorkshire lad - if I can do it missen and save brass, I will...
2) It takes a few minutes to make a cheese butty.
3) Pre-packaged sarnies are usually poisoned with foul substances like mayonaisse.
Having said that, Fridays at work tend to involve a bacon and black pudding butty from the canteen on the morning, and a pint and bowl of patatas bravas at the Beer Engine for dinner - something I really do miss with full time WFH
pwhole
Well-known member
AR said:Like Phil's coffee (which I know from experience borders on a class "B" drug!
Thanks for the coffee compliment, though I should admit I may have dropped some class 'B' drugs in there as well :halo:
Ironically I've had to buy sandwiches today and tomorrow as HMRC made me stay up so late last night I didn't have time to make any! Mr. Principle is taking the overnight expenses and running to Waitrose! However, I did make my own coffee, which is more important. I wasn't suggesting we should eliminate all coffee chains, just that we probably shouldn't rely too much on that side of the economy for long-term stability as it's too bound up in 'lifestyle' and not enough in 'stimulant' - and when it comes to the crunch, sitting about chatting isn't enough of a bonus when the crank isn't working.
For ?3.50 a mug I wouldn't expect to sit down for 8 hours :blink:
Hi AR, I was amused by your:
I get really pissed off on the relatively rare occasions that I want to buy a sandwhich, because they all seem to come with mayonaise. So I say, 'May I have a tuna sandwhcih, without mayonaise'; 'No'.
And so it goes on. What is it with sandwhich bars/shops and mayonaise? And most of the time I just walk out and 'go hungry' (not really, of course, but relatively speaking).
I get really pissed off on the relatively rare occasions that I want to buy a sandwhich, because they all seem to come with mayonaise. So I say, 'May I have a tuna sandwhcih, without mayonaise'; 'No'.
And so it goes on. What is it with sandwhich bars/shops and mayonaise? And most of the time I just walk out and 'go hungry' (not really, of course, but relatively speaking).
