The UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) has changed the way it calculates ‘excess deaths’ i.e. whether weekly recorded deaths are more (or less) than expected. The methodology had remained the same for at least half a century: to compare latest data with the average of the previous five years - a simple arithmetical task. Now a new system is used, weighting various factors and interpreting the results with statistical analyses that are far beyond the layperson’s grasp.
The change has been noted with suspicion by (for instance) Youtube commentators Simon Webb and Katie Hopkins. They and others think the government is keen to play down the figures because of the potential for public criticism. The inquiry into Covid and official actions taken started in 2022 and is still ongoing; will it be a face-saving whitewash?
Popular theories abound to explain the apparently anomalous increase in mortality. One, it’s fair to say, is the subject of systematic suppression in the media: the idea that the mRNA vaccines have adversely affected many people, sometimes fatally.
Other reasons are already provisionally accepted: that the lockdowns and other methods of social isolation led to delays in diagnosing and treating cancer, and to ‘deaths of despair’ as people harmed their health with overindulgence in alcohol and drugs. There was also the disastrous decision to ‘clear the decks’ in hospitals by moving elderly patients into care homes where they might infect others and where staff were afraid to look after them appropriately.
However there are a few additional possible reasons why the raw data for deaths in this country might have changed and will continue to change. You may be able to think of more.
The population is ageing
The real number of people living in the UK may be higher than the official estimates. Indirect evidence may come from supermarket purchases or even Facebook usage
Economic inequality is increasing and poorer people live less long, for various reasons. The statistics vary around regions of the country
For 2020-2022, male deaths outstripped female - the first time since 1981. Does this indicate that men, traditionally family providers, feel greater pressure and sense of failure in a declining economy and use less approprate coping strategies?
The NHS is failing, especially in the provision of GP services. The contract agreed under the Brown premiership released GPs from the obligation to provide evening and weekend cover and there is an increasing tendency for them to deal with queries remotely - that’s if one can get through on the phone in a reasonable time.
Not all of the above would explain the recent spikes, but it is clear that a subtler analysis is needed.
Blogger is acting oddly and I recall that MS Word has been censoring drafts for a year or two. Are Gates' myrmidons interfering here? So I submit this again in the hope that everything can go through as intended.
___________________________________
The energy that is being expended by the Conservative party in a vain attempt to stave off political annihilation in the forthcoming general election is but a sideshow in their path to oblivion. I could be wrong but even Lazarus would be hard pushed to save the day such is their state.
Should we care?
“An unelected body like the WHO, controlled and run by multibillionaires, should never be allowed to act in place of a democratically elected government."
I cannot remember a similar disclaimer such as the following on the government’s petition site, not exactly inspiring confidence in support of the sovereign nation over a signed treaty with an organisation that again is elected by no-one but sponsored largely by Bill Gates!
“The UK Government will not end our WHO membership. We are committed to working with the WHO to tackle the world’s health issues. We do not and will never cede sovereign powers through our partnership.”
If the UK signs an international treaty with the WHO then we will cede all sovereign claims as we do with so much else when international law is quoted.
IN OTHER NEWS…
Netherlands:
After the Upper Chamber fraction of the Conservative party (VVD) voted this week IN FAVOUR of compelling all local authorities to accommodate set quotas of asylum seekers (flying in the face of its own election manifesto policy and its Lower Chamber fraction's vote AGAINST this), the latest polling shows Geert Wilder's Freedom Party (PVV) would now gain 49 seats in Lower Chamber elections.
This is an increase of 12 seats since the election last November, all taken from the VVD, which now would only have 12; making the PVV fraction four times larger (!) than the VVD, which was the dominant party in the outgoing coalition ... Coalition formations talks due to continue tomorrow.
This poll result will only strengthen Geert's position.
Decarbonisation:
Still at least the march towards Net Zero is going well, alongside having to pay for gas and nuclear to be on standby for when the sun does not shine and wind does not blow, examples ad nauseam. We now have from the horse’s mouth so to speak another reason not to want to go the net zero route.
Energy bills must rise to pay for net zero, says Siemens Energy boss
"The WEF is a fanatical political organisation that uses fear and manipulation, like Covid hysteria, like the hoax of global warming, to really facilitate people thinking that somehow they're the saviours, but really all you're doing is helping them accomplish their goal, which really is a global public-private fascist movement, and fusion of big government, big tech [and] big money, to create a technocratic ruling elite, which conveniently is them."
"They want to create feudalism 2.0, in which we are serfs, and they are the lords ruling over us… That's what they're aiming for."
Enoch Powell on the Dick Cavett show in 1971, predicting the future:
"Large parts of parts of our cities will by the beginning of the next century will be occupied by a population which has nothing in common with the people of this country."
The strange and dangerous WEF is a magnet for the elite who spout endless garbage about how to run the world, every year virtually all the western leaders make a pilgrimage to Davos to mix with like minds, the WEF is an unelected forum with ever increasing influence, nobody voted for any of its members yet western leaders flock to Davos despite the nonsensical and elitist statements that emerge.
Why? We left the EU because those that voted leave wanted out of an over ruling self appointed body that gives itself ever more powers, why would we want to take notice of a world wide organisation or at least a western world one after having left a similar body, what is behind it all.
The same can be said of the WHO, run by a man associated with terrorists in his past it has no more justification than the WEF to exist, yet again we are in danger of signing up to treaties that are binding.
Where is the push back to all this, there is none and the pressure for changes that affect us all grows, just this week a couple of ‘elites’ made statements under the banner of the WEF…
Jane Goodall thinks the world would be better if the population were reduced by 90%.
Klaus Schwab says the world will no longer be run by superpowers like America… it will be run by the World Economic Forum stakeholders, such as BlackRock and Bill Gates.
A comment from elsewhere sums up the lack of true democratic rule.
“The Biden farrago only further exposes how the USA has silently reverted to a monarchical system.
Biden has no power, but the position of President does. Those powers are exercised in the name of the President by an inner coterie that includes officials and elected representatives using Presidential Executive Orders.
In Britain it is called the Royal Prerogative and Privvy Council using Statutory Instruments.
They live in a Republic, we live in a Monarchy. Neither of us live in a democracy.
It matters not whether the President is a drooling senile geriatric, or that the King is on his deathbed. They decide nothing and need to be capable only of breathing as everything is decided in their name.
The EU doesn’t even pretend that it’s a democracy.”
In many ways it all gives the impression that the elites have handed over power to a higher authority. Judging by recent events they can’t even be bothered to go through the motions of governance.
It has all become too easy. Layer upon layer of authority is created and ‘friends’ get the opportunity to suck at the taxpayer’s teat without ever putting in a shift. Grift at all levels becomes the norm.
We are insulted with appointments of people we would not in the real world have running a whelk stall. David Cameron, yes he of the ‘I will implement the result of the referendum post haste’ who then immediately resigned has returned as Foreign Secretary. He who had to start a war to cement his legacy alongside his idol Blair is now thought to be ‘the man’ to do deals to cement peace. He is already acting as though he never went away and this piece of largesse from a country in deep poo monetarily will shoulder the cost. He even has eyes on the NHS helping Gazans with flying in children for treatment.
Cameron - "We have found homes for 300,000 Ukrainians and a solid future for them in the UK"
We were told they would only be here temporarily. These homes could have gone to our thousands of homeless people.
As if the NHS has time on its hands not enough people to treat! Of course all MPs will back any measures of this type, but then they all have private medical insurance.
A short aside about the NHS: while waiting in the GPs surgery for my wife to be assessed I was drawn to the TV screen above the reception area that showed an endless series of slides on how to help the NHS by basically not using it or save it money by buying your own medication over the counter.
It finished with two slides telling non-nationals and immigrants that they can sign on here and it is not a problem. The second slide showed two documents crossed out and the words “If you have no documents you can still sign on and access NHS services it is not a problem.” Occasionally you really could not make it up.
The list of failure and false claims for improvement in society and the general population grows daily and all the time the antisemitic party waits in the wings to take over. Is this the best the country or any other of the major powers can do, or are we just going to succumb to the inevitable?
I see nothing that would make my cross on a piece of paper worth the effort to make the trip to a polling station. The third rate occupiers of the green benches don’t deserve to be there and at least I can take the George Carlin attitude to it all.
Editor’s note: the results of this week’s two by-elections seem to show no significant increase in support for Labour; instead there was a big stay-away by disillusioned Conservative voters. Analaysis by veteran journalist Richard North here. A friend recently surprised me when he said he thought Labour could lose the next General Election.
The energy that is being expended by the Conservative party in a vain attempt to stave off political
annihilation in the forthcoming general election is but a sideshow in their path to oblivion. I could be
wrong but even Lazarus would be hard pushed to save the day such is their state.
Should we care?
“An unelected body like the WHO, controlled and run by multibillionaires, should never be allowed to act in place of a democratically elected government."
I cannot remember a similar disclaimer such as this? On the government's petition site not exactly
inspiring confidence in support of the sovereign nation over a signed treaty with an organisation that
again is elected by no one but sponsored largely by Bill Gates!...
“The UK Government will not end our WHO membership. We are committed to working with the WHO to tackle the world’s health issues. We do not and will never cede sovereign powers through our
partnership.”
If the UK signs an international treaty with the WHO then we will cede all sovereign claims as we do with so much else when international law is quoted.
ELSEWHERE................
After the Upper Chamber fraction of the Conservative party (VVD) voted this week IN FAVOUR of
compelling all local authorities to accommodate set quotas of ' asylum seekers (flying in the face of its
own election manifesto policy and its Lower Chamber fraction's vote AGAINST this), the latest polling
shows Geert Wilder's Freedom Party (PVV) would now gain 49 seats in Lower Chamber elections.
This is an increase of 12 seats since the election last November, all taken from the VVD, which now
would only have 12.
Making the PVV fraction 4 x larger (!) than the VVD, which was the dominant party in the outgoing
coalition ...
Coalition formations talks due to continue tomorrow. This poll result will only strengthen Geert's position Still at least the march towards net zero is going well, alongside having to pay for gas and nuclear to be on standby for when the sun does not shine and wind does not blow, examples ad nauseam, we now have from the horse's mouth so to speak another reason not to want to go the net zero route.
Fox News guest PERFECTLY summarises the World Economic Forum's 'Great Reset' agenda, in just one minute:
"The WEF is a fanatical political organisation that uses fear and manipulation, like Covid hysteria, like the hoax of global warming, to really facilitate people thinking that somehow they're the saviours, but really all you're doing is helping them accomplish their goal, which really is a global public-private fascist movement, and fusion of big government, big tech [and] big money, to create a technocratic ruling elite, which conveniently is them."
"They want to create feudalism 2.0, in which we are serfs, and they are the lords ruling over us… That's what they're aiming for."
https://twitter.com/i/status/1751222339663008187
An MP sees the light but only in a vain attempt to save his job, it’s the cynic in me.......
We MPs Need to Recognise That What We Did to the Country During Covid Was Wrong
The strange and dangerous WEF is a magnet for the elite who spout endless garbage about how to run the world, every year virtually all the western leaders make a pilgrimage to Davos to mix with like minds,
the WEF is an unelected forum with ever increasing influence, nobody voted for any of its members yet
western leaders flock to Davos despite the nonsensical and elitist statements that emerge.
Why? We left the EU because those that voted leave wanted out of an over ruling self appointed body that gives itself ever more powers, why would we want to take notice of a world wide organisation or at least a Western world one after having left a similar body. What is behind it all?
The same can be said of the WHO, run by a man associated with terrorists in his past it has no more
justification than the WEF to exist, yet again we are in danger of signing up to treaties that are binding.
Where is the push back to all this, there is none and the pressure for changes that affect us all grows, Just this week a couple of ‘elites’ made statements under the banner of the WEF........
A comment from elsewhere sums up the lack of true democratic rule.
“The Biden farrago only further exposes how the USA has silently reverted to a monarchical system.
Biden has no power, but the position of President does. Those powers are exercised in the name of the
President by an inner coterie that includes officials and elected representatives using Presidential
Executive Orders.
In Britain it is called the Royal Prerogative and Privvy Council using Statutory Instruments.
They live in a Republic, we live in a Monarchy. Neither of us live in a democracy.
It matters not whether the President is a drooling senile geriatric, or that the King is on his deathbed. They decide nothing and need to be capable only of breathing as everything is decided in their name.
The EU doesn’t even pretend that it’s a democracy.”
In many ways it all gives the impression that the elites have handed over power to a higher authority, they can’t, judging by recent events even be bothered to go through the motions of governance.
It has all become to easy , layer upon layer of authority is created and ‘friends’ get the opportunity to suck at the tax payers' teat without ever putting in a shift, grift at all levels becomes the norm.
We are insulted with appointments of people we would not in the real world have running a whelk stall,
David Cameron, yes he of the ‘I will implement the result of the referendum post haste’ then immediately resigned has returned as foreign secretary, he who had to start a war to cement his legacy alongside his idol Blair is now thought to be 'the man’ to do deals to cement peace, he is already acting as though he never went away and this piece of largesse from a country in deep poo monetarily will shoulder the cost, He even has eyes on the NHS helping Gazans with flying in children for treatment:
As if the NHS has time on its hands not enough people to treat! Of course all MPs will back any measures of this type, but then they all have private medical insurance.
A short aside about the NHS: while waiting in the GPs surgery for my wife to be assessed I was drawn to the TV screen above the reception area that showed an endless series of slides on how to help the NHS by basically not using it or save it money by buying your own medication over the counter.
It finished with two slides telling non nationals and immigrants that they can sign on here and it is not a
problem, the second slide showed two documents crossed out and the words “if you have no documents
you can still sign on and access NHS services it is not a problem”; occasionally you cannot make it up.
The list of failure and false claims for improvement in society and the general population grows daily and all the time the antisemitic party waits in the wings to take over, is this the best the country can do or any other of the major powers, or are we just going to succumb to the inevitable?
I see nothing that would make my cross on a piece of paper worth the effort to make the trip to a polling
station, the third rate occupiers of the green benches don’t deserve to be there and at least I can take the
Back we go to the 'good old days' when we were young and enjoying the new sounds of skiffle (Lonnie Donegan, Chas McDevitt, Johnny Duncan and others) and Rock and Roll which introduced young new British performers such as Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard, Billy Fury and many others.
But the one who stood out from the crowd was Joe Brown because he could actually play the guitar and play it rather well, as can be heard in the first video here. He has now been performing for more than six decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and has primarily been a recording star since the early 1960s.
"Robert Henry Arthur Wells (born 7 April 1962) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and musician best known for the musical Rhapsody in Rock, which contains elements of rock, classical and boogie-woogie.
"Wells was born in Stockholm. He attended the Adolf Fredrik's Music School in Stockholm at the age of 7 in 1969 and four years later, at the age of 11, became the youngest person ever to attend the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. At the age of 16 in 1978, Wells won two major Swedish talent contests.
Wells's music was chosen as the official television theme music for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing."
This time from the Otta Orchestra I mentioned a few weeks ago, a seven piece all female 'orchestra' often supplemented by 'real' symphony orchestras on stage and in their albums:
"OTTA-orchestra is a Russian female instrumental group. Li Otta, whose name formed the basis of the band's name, is the band's composer and arranger. The group plays her music. The mention of the word orchestra is also not accidental. Music is based on the orchestral style of new age, world music.
The origin of the group dates back to 2007. At this time, Li Otta was brought in as an orchestrator to work with Russian guitarist DiDuLay. This is how his album “Music of Unmade Films” was born in 2007, which began the close collaboration of these two creative people working in the genre of instrumental music."
As promised and as requested, Friday music with a difference to celebrate Burns Night!
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'The Merry Muses of Caledonia' is among Burns' best known, but least read, work. This collection of bawdy poems, some written by and some collected by Burns, ranges from celebrations of spirited women in 'Ellibanks', to misogyny in 'There was twa wives' and male fantasy in 'Nine Inch will please a lady'. These engaging poems are not lewd or distasteful but possess a great wit and charm.
"Many scholars and Robert Burns enthusiasts prefer not to mention his association with the Merry Muses of Caledonia because they don't like him to be associated with this sort of material. Burns allegedly made no secret of his interest in erotic verse and bawdy song but apparently he kept this in a locked drawer at home. Well, you would, wouldn't you?
"t was first published within three or four years of his death and of the original only two copies are known to exist but it has since been published several times in facsimile editions. Burns both wrote and collected this material so there is no knowing how much of it is actually his. While some of it is local and clearly from the hand of the bard he may also have collected other material during his tours around Scotland.
"It is also worth mentioning that some of Burns's most admired works were sanitised versions of the bawdy originals.
"Many people who read these verses are surprised at Burns' awareness and his macho attitude to sex more than 200 years ago. But then sex is not new and isn't it strange that each successive generation thinks that they have just invented it? It is also worth noting that some of the words used by Burns in this connotation are still in use today, including of course the "F" word. Some recent commentators have compared the Robert Burns of the late 1700's to the rock stars of today. Maybe that's not too far off the mark?"
More recently the film producer Harvey Weinstein was called a predator by quite a few women on his hit list. Just before disappearing from the scene completely he had the cheeky guts to say that he didn’t understand all the fuss that was created around his person. Our bawdy Burns was more open about his behavior and described himself as a fornicator in his poem with the same title. Mitigating circumstances ?
"Wi’ ruefu’ face, and signs o’ grace,
I paid the buttock hire;
The night was dark, and thro’ the park,
I couldna but convoy her.
A parting kiss, what could I less;
My vows began to scatter,
Sweet Betsy fell, fal, lal, de ral, And I’m a fornicator"
Burns knew his sexual flaws and accepted the responsibility like a true Freemason. In one of his letters he described his struggle: ‘[…] I have a sore warfare in this world; the devil, the world and the flesh are three formidable foes’. And he comments on this last foe: ‘[…] but the third is my plague, worst as the ten plagues of Egypt’. Ladies and gentlemen, wasn’t it Burns fellow scribe Oscar Wilde who said ‘I can resist anything except temptation’?"
