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[darkelf9]

Nuts really... It's popping up all over qld. There's a confirmed case in a town nearby (Kingaroy, country Queensland) where the person was a retail cashier in a large department store. That's two weeks of infecting people before they felt any symptoms.

My work mate is cranky today because My Chemical Romance cancelled their melbourne festival and she can't cancel travel and accommodation so is off for a random hang out in melbourne for a while trip.

Imagine if it was fucking ebola... Our borders are a fucking joke.

Hey Rollin,

Yep I caught some of the Insiders program this morning and once again the advice seems at odds with what is advised from some states. Our health dude here in VIC has said to stock up for 2 weeks in case you get it. Smoko said we shouldn't be shaking hands yet the CHO shook hands with the host of Insiders and one of the other journalists on the panel. WTF! The Dutton case is also weird in that the rules for people who came into contact with him is different. Hard to know who to believe and what exactly to do.

I guess the best advise is limit your contact with people till after Winter. No shaking hands or kissing on the cheek and when you get home wash your hands and keep a bottle of hand sanitiser in the car or in your pocket if you travel on PT. I'm guessing retired folk would find it easier to stay away from the masses. Since I retired I have limited contact with the masses. I have to go to the dentist in June using the PT so that should be interesting. Wonder if I can take a cattle prod?

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

Just passing thru. Been doing some research for some new security doors and found that the company I used previously is still in business.

Given the latest info on the pandemic it has given me serious pause to consider if I get those reno tasks done now or wait till after Winter since they reckon it will take the next six months for the COVID-19 thing to pass. Not sure I want tradies spending lots of time in my place in the coming months. If it was external work I wouldn't even give it a thought such as replacing the security doors. I can talk to the tradie dude at a distance.

One thought I did have today was that how would all this virus stuff impact property auctions? Would people turn up for auctions? Given they have to stand close to each other to hear the auctioneer. The place next door will be up for auction soon so it should be interesting to see how that plays out.

I have a friend who is due to travel OS in the next couple of months so she must be worried about how that will impact the money she has spent. If my house plans had not been disrupted last year I may well be travelling OS myself this year.

Hope you are staying well and safe with all this virus stuff happening. The hardest thing will be to get kids to wash and not to kiss nanna and pop. Then again if their parents wanted to get their hands on the money.....

 

[missswannie]

Well with the now mandatory self isolation for all arrivals, any travel is going to increase in time length. Pandemic declaration means no travel insurance payouts, but airlines are being pretty good with moving bookings forward. Maybe your friend gets to move everything 1 year.
Maybe I had better book a couple of weeks holiday in Exmouth or Broome before everyone else gets in on it. Domestic tourism might have to do some heavy lifting.
The U.K. reasoning on allowing selective infection to get their herd immunity up over 60% would be tough reading for most if they were living there. I'm sure we have the same plans behind the scenes here too but the speeches stop us from having to digest that. The twin mechanisms of schools and public gatherings to stop and then allow infection by turning one off and on at a time is a theory about to be tested.
The Tennessee brothers outed for having travelled around rounding up 18000 bottles of hand sanitisers for resale on eBay and Amazon might be a test for the free capitalism model over there. Kudos to EBay and Amazon for cancelling their accounts and others. There might need to be a few name and shames here.

 

[darkelf9]

Well with the now mandatory self isolation for all arrivals, any travel is going to increase in time length. Pandemic declaration means no travel insurance payouts, but airlines are being pretty good with moving bookings forward. Maybe your friend gets to move everything 1 year.
Maybe I had better book a couple of weeks holiday in Exmouth or Broome before everyone else gets in on it. Domestic tourism might have to do some heavy lifting.
The U.K. reasoning on allowing selective infection to get their herd immunity up over 60% would be tough reading for most if they were living there. I'm sure we have the same plans behind the scenes here too but the speeches stop us from having to digest that. The twin mechanisms of schools and public gatherings to stop and then allow infection by turning one off and on at a time is a theory about to be tested.
The Tennessee brothers outed for having travelled around rounding up 18000 bottles of hand sanitisers for resale on eBay and Amazon might be a test for the free capitalism model over there. Kudos to EBay and Amazon for cancelling their accounts and others. There might need to be a few name and shames here.

Not sure how the OS travel will work out for my friend but I'm guessing she isn't alone in those issues. Especially as Europe comes into it's Summer season there would of been a lot of people who booked up things like river cruises last year for the coming European Summer. The loss of the tourist dollar we are now experiencing will hit Europe in the coming months so that will be interesting to watch.

 

[darkelf9]

Morning all,

Another very early wake up for me which is getting rather annoying. Although I have really noticed how dark it is now at a time that I would of normally be getting up to go to work. Thankfully those days are long gone.

So it's now official. Victoria is in a state of emergency. Apart from the obvious thing of not gathering in large crowds and minimizing contact with people, not quite sure what the new level means. Does give the state govt more powers to shut down things like schools.

Was interesting to see today that Woollies is giving the oldies and disabled their own shopping hour but you have to have a concession card as proof of being old enough to shop during that hour. We know that old people get up early but they would of never of thought to go shopping at 7am. Most of the time they will at the local coffee spot even if that is in a shopping centre. So I guess it will be coffee and toilet rolls for breakfast. I don't qualify for the seniors card yet although I do have the grey hair. May be if I don't shave for a week I could get away with it. Claim I lost my concession card. I'm guessing that some families will be sending their grandparents to get toilet paper for them and then go shopping an hour later for themselves. I wouldn't put it past some people to find a way to rort even that system. "Hey Nanna why don't we go for a coffee. While we're waiting for the coffee can you pop into the supermarket and get a family size toilet roll pack. I'll get you a muffin, my treat. Did you remember to bring your teeth?"

Got the first stage of my latest painting task done this morning. Quite simple. So decided to sort out the security doors and shower screen tasks. Dude turning up tomorrow to measure everything up tomorrow. Asked the company about supply issues given the coronavirus and they said they are still very busy. Also have to book a service for the gas heater otherwise it gets shitty with me and stops working. Next they will have these systems that talk to you and tell you off if you don't get them serviced on a regular basis. Imagine if your car told you off for missing a service.

I was thinking that it wasn't that long ago the younger generation where trying to get the older generation to vacate their homes and die off so they could get the inheritance. So I guess COVID-19 is a dream come true for them. Finally they can get all that money and the house without having to work for it. Sweeet.

A nice day forecast for today in Melbourne town. Has been a cool morning thus far. Feels more like early Spring.

Hope your day is good for you.

 

[darkelf9]

Morning all,

Looking a bit stormy out there in Melbourne town at the moment. No rain to speak of on the forecast still in the high 20's for today.

So Smoko has just told everyone to stop hoarding and the airlines are just naturally shutting down with all these OS travel bans. The early morning shopping hour is fine for the elderly but there is nothing on the shelves for them to buy. Anyone panic buying at the moment is a fucking idiot! Can't stress that enough. The people who really need these items are missing out. Naming and shaming people who do hoard might be an option. Supermarkets need to physically get on top of this. Just saying people shouldn't do stuff is not working. The herd mentally is really showing it's ugly side with all this panic buying. No need for it.

As for a quarantine, well a vast majority of the population won't need to do it. As for the 100 vs 500 I don't get it in that how did they come up with these number limits? You only need contact with one infected person so any group number has the potential to cause the infection to be passed on. Just don't gather in groups of any size. That includes going out to lunch with a group of your mates. These days when younger people do go for coffee, everyone is on their phones anyway so what's the point of meeting up.

That Dr Norman Swan is the dude to listen to. Lots of common sense. Most medical experts are saying me aren't doing enough and the govt is and has been rather poor on good communication to the general public which is true. The pollies are making decisions and talking about stuff they haven't got a fucking clue on. The govt rep on Q+A was a waste of space. No plan no clue.

On a positive side, had the dude come by yesterday for the two reno tasks and after a chat I've decided not to spend the dollars. The guy was very honest which was interesting. That has saved several thousand dollars. So that has clarified my position as to when to sell up which at this stage is the end of this year. Finished the latest painting task inside so now all the work is outside. Looking forward to hacking stuff in the garden.

Hope everyone is staying safe and wash your hands freddy. For those old enough to get that reference.

 

[missswannie]

Morning all,

Looking a bit stormy out there in Melbourne town at the moment. No rain to speak of on the forecast still in the high 20's for today.

So Smoko has just told everyone to stop hoarding and the airlines are just naturally shutting down with all these OS travel bans. The early morning shopping hour is fine for the elderly but there is nothing on the shelves for them to buy. Anyone panic buying at the moment is a fucking idiot! Can't stress that enough. The people who really need these items are missing out. Naming and shaming people who do hoard might be an option. Supermarkets need to physically get on top of this. Just saying people shouldn't do stuff is not working. The herd mentally is really showing it's ugly side with all this panic buying. No need for it.

As for a quarantine, well a vast majority of the population won't need to do it. As for the 100 vs 500 I don't get it in that how did they come up with these number limits? You only need contact with one infected person so any group number has the potential to cause the infection to be passed on. Just don't gather in groups of any size. That includes going out to lunch with a group of your mates. These days when younger people do go for coffee, everyone is on their phones anyway so what's the point of meeting up.

That Dr Norman Swan is the dude to listen to. Lots of common sense. Most medical experts are saying me aren't doing enough and the govt is and has been rather poor on good communication to the general public which is true. The pollies are making decisions and talking about stuff they haven't got a fucking clue on. The govt rep on Q+A was a waste of space. No plan no clue.

On a positive side, had the dude come by yesterday for the two reno tasks and after a chat I've decided not to spend the dollars. The guy was very honest which was interesting. That has saved several thousand dollars. So that has clarified my position as to when to sell up which at this stage is the end of this year. Finished the latest painting task inside so now all the work is outside. Looking forward to hacking stuff in the garden.

Hope everyone is staying safe and wash your hands freddy. For those old enough to get that reference.

Regrettably it is also a calculation on how much to allow to keep some business and wages functioning over a longer period as it is about allowable transmission rates. Hard gamble, but we were on fumes for the last few years despite the political pep talks of the greatest times. Average vs Median statistics: ever so slight difference when the tide goes out.
Good to see Clive put his hand in his pocket and fund the tests on the old HIV retro and the chloroquinone. The Koreans did well using it. So many old Africa hands saying how the symptoms are the same as malaria that it doesn't surprise that an old malaria drug seem to work. I should hope some others drop a few quid in there and make sure it goes ahead without bureaucracy getting a say. Also nice to see the Chinese paying back the Japanese drug company that let them use their retroviral as a cheap generic. Named the drug and company and the stock price went through the limiter today. Well played.
Stay safe and wash your hands. An old girl told me today she was out of soap and hadn't been able to buy any for the last 2 weeks so her hand washing was water. I got her some, but seriously we have got to knock this on the head.

 

[darkelf9]

Regrettably it is also a calculation on how much to allow to keep some business and wages functioning over a longer period as it is about allowable transmission rates. Hard gamble, but we were on fumes for the last few years despite the political pep talks of the greatest times. Average vs Median statistics: ever so slight difference when the tide goes out.
Good to see Clive put his hand in his pocket and fund the tests on the old HIV retro and the chloroquinone. The Koreans did well using it. So many old Africa hands saying how the symptoms are the same as malaria that it doesn't surprise that an old malaria drug seem to work. I should hope some others drop a few quid in there and make sure it goes ahead without bureaucracy getting a say. Also nice to see the Chinese paying back the Japanese drug company that let them use their retroviral as a cheap generic. Named the drug and company and the stock price went through the limiter today. Well played.
Stay safe and wash your hands. An old girl told me today she was out of soap and hadn't been able to buy any for the last 2 weeks so her hand washing was water. I got her some, but seriously we have got to knock this on the head.

Yep the panic buying has now turned to hoarding and you can tell a majority of this panic buying is being done by mums with those large freezers. Now can't get fresh meat, a week ago I could. Also no potatoes and I only managed to find some smaller onions shoved up the back of the rack. At some point there will be a saturation point and the hoarding will stop but that might take another month. People need to calm the fuck down and stop looking at the news from OS.

I have plenty of soap mainly because I purchased a few bars of that natural soap or hippy soap as some people call it, when I went to the country in Jan. One bar of that soap lasts a very long time.

Now that Tassie has closed it's borders, I'm waiting for other states to stop domestic flights. The decision by Tassie has basically killed domestic tourism there as nobody is going to want to quarantine for 14 days once they get there. Which means immediate job losses. Can't see how the states can control their borders on the ground given how large our land mass is so that isn't a practical solution.

Saw a couple of elderly people struggling to find anything on the shelves for their needs. One old girl only had two items in her trolley at the checkout. The cheaper goods had mostly gone.

 

[darkelf9]

Morning all,

Up again very early which is so annoying. Actually got up in the dark which these days is not my normal routine. Have no intention at this stage to get up early to go buy toilet paper. I thought I should do a test of how long one roll lasts which sounds nuts but then again we are in stupid times will lots of stupid people. Anyway I reckon I've got enough loo paper to last a couple of months. I wasn't stocking up I just saw some on sale and bought it back in Jan.

So I went to do the normal grocery shopping yesterday and to get a couple of things for my mum, one of which was sold out. Don't think that had anything to do with the panic buying. Anyway as I mentioned in my other post, couldn't get any potatoes and had to settle for a few smaller onions. No sweet potato either. Also no mince or fresh meat like chicken except for a few whole chickens on the shelves. Luckily my local supermarket has a butcher so managed to get some mince. He had everything else since those items are more expensive.

I've never seen the shelves so empty and it's obvious that the panic buying which is now turning to hoarding is being done by mums. There aren't any single dudes and dudettes out there panic buying, they have other stuff to worry about. The only blokes out there bulk buying groceries are the ones being told by their mrs to do it. So the mums doing this panic buying need to stop it. Their little darlings are no more important than the kids from any other family especially those families with kids that have chronic or life threatening illnesses who rely on things like wipes and hand sanitizer to keep infections at bay. This panic buying is selfish and putting lives at risk of people who won't die from COVID-19 but because they can't get the items they need to keep living. It has highlighted that whilst we keep going on about helping out a mate, when it comes down to it a majority of society only cares about their own interests. Apparently we are a civilized society these days, well I'm not seeing much of it lately. We like to say us Aussies are different to other countries, if that is the case then how about people start showing it and think about other people especially the vulnerable in our society.

Now I realise my comments about mums doing the panic buying may seem sexist but frankly that's the truth. So prove me wrong, and if you know of someone who is panic buying how about you tell them to stop it. There is plenty of food in this country to feed everyone but these people who are hoarding are giving the impression Australia is a third world country who can't feed it's people. Is that the impression you want to give to the rest of the world? So is mateship a core value or is it me first and fuck anyone else? What type of society do we want to live in? You decide.

The current rate of job losses is harsh and more jobs are going to go. The comment that people in the airline industry can go stack shelves in Woollies or Coles is dumb. I can't see airline pilots applying for jobs in a supermarket or a warehouse stacking shelves. They are used to a higher rate of pay. I've known a lot of pilots so I'm talking from personal experience. Also there aren't enough jobs in those areas so lots of people will miss out on any job. There is no plan from the govt on how these people are going to keep paying rent or mortgages or school expenses. Nobody can live on Newstart so just putting people on that is not the answer unless the govt raises it by $100. The unemployment rate is going to soar and the govt is acting as if everything will be fine and there are plenty of jobs to go around which is bullshit. Smoko must be thinking that the LNP should of lost the election as it seems their victory is a hollow one. History will show them up as the NoShow govt. When things need to be done, they are a NoShow.

Hope everyone is managing keep their sanity.

 

[missswannie]

Morning all,

Up again very early which is so annoying. Actually got up in the dark which these days is not my normal routine. Have no intention at this stage to get up early to go buy toilet paper. I thought I should do a test of how long one roll lasts which sounds nuts but then again we are in stupid times will lots of stupid people. Anyway I reckon I've got enough loo paper to last a couple of months. I wasn't stocking up I just saw some on sale and bought it back in Jan.

So I went to do the normal grocery shopping yesterday and to get a couple of things for my mum, one of which was sold out. Don't think that had anything to do with the panic buying. Anyway as I mentioned in my other post, couldn't get any potatoes and had to settle for a few smaller onions. No sweet potato either. Also no mince or fresh meat like chicken except for a few whole chickens on the shelves. Luckily my local supermarket has a butcher so managed to get some mince. He had everything else since those items are more expensive.

I've never seen the shelves so empty and it's obvious that the panic buying which is now turning to hoarding is being done by mums. There aren't any single dudes and dudettes out there panic buying, they have other stuff to worry about. The only blokes out there bulk buying groceries are the ones being told by their mrs to do it. So the mums doing this panic buying need to stop it. Their little darlings are no more important than the kids from any other family especially those families with kids that have chronic or life threatening illnesses who rely on things like wipes and hand sanitizer to keep infections at bay. This panic buying is selfish and putting lives at risk of people who won't die from COVID-19 but because they can't get the items they need to keep living. It has highlighted that whilst we keep going on about helping out a mate, when it comes down to it a majority of society only cares about their own interests. Apparently we are a civilized society these days, well I'm not seeing much of it lately. We like to say us Aussies are different to other countries, if that is the case then how about people start showing it and think about other people especially the vulnerable in our society.

Now I realise my comments about mums doing the panic buying may seem sexist but frankly that's the truth. So prove me wrong, and if you know of someone who is panic buying how about you tell them to stop it. There is plenty of food in this country to feed everyone but these people who are hoarding are giving the impression Australia is a third world country who can't feed it's people. Is that the impression you want to give to the rest of the world? So is mateship a core value or is it me first and fuck anyone else? What type of society do we want to live in? You decide.

The current rate of job losses is harsh and more jobs are going to go. The comment that people in the airline industry can go stack shelves in Woollies or Coles is dumb. I can't see airline pilots applying for jobs in a supermarket or a warehouse stacking shelves. They are used to a higher rate of pay. I've known a lot of pilots so I'm talking from personal experience. Also there aren't enough jobs in those areas so lots of people will miss out on any job. There is no plan from the govt on how these people are going to keep paying rent or mortgages or school expenses. Nobody can live on Newstart so just putting people on that is not the answer unless the govt raises it by $100. The unemployment rate is going to soar and the govt is acting as if everything will be fine and there are plenty of jobs to go around which is bullshit. Smoko must be thinking that the LNP should of lost the election as it seems their victory is a hollow one. History will show them up as the NoShow govt. When things need to be done, they are a NoShow.

Hope everyone is managing keep their sanity.

At least we might get rid of "social media influencer" "paleo diet preacher" and "travel blogger" as job categories. Probably a bunch of media commentators and hanger ons that might disappear too.

 

[darkelf9]

At least we might get rid of "social media influencer" "paleo diet preacher" and "travel blogger" as job categories. Probably a bunch of media commentators and hanger ons that might disappear too.

Actually I reckon it will have the opposite impact in that these social media influencers will have a captive audience since more people are being forced to stay home so no doubt it will lead to more internet and mobile phone time.

The running joke at work was always those people who had a day "working from home" which was code for taking a day off work. Most of the time people who worked from home did fuck all and gave the excuse that stuff at home got in the way. You also couldn't get them on the phone and when you did the background noise made it clear they weren't home.

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

Was on here earlier but the internet failed so decided to spend a few hours in the garden even though it looked like it was going to rain. It has looked wintery all day, also a bit on the cool side. With the cooler weather this week, decide, to spend most of it in the garden. Still hoping for some warmer weather so I can do some more painting before the cooler weather sets in. Not sure that will happen.

Good to see that the govt has finally come to the table but some people will miss out. The arts looks like it's going to miss out. And as you would expect with all those people trying to access Centerlink, its website crashed. Then to cover that up the minister responsible lied to parliament blaming a cyber attack, when quizzed on it the minister had to admit the website failed due to too many people using it. There is also not enough staff left in Centrelink on a normal day so this is going to end with more anxiety for those people who all of a sudden have lost their jobs.

It seems like all the things the LNP didn't support has come back to bite them on the arse. They didn't listen to the ex-fire chiefs and made fun of them, then we had those devastating fires. They made fun of the Rudd govt giving people money and putting money in the economy to fend of the GFC, now they are doing the same thing and don't want the opposition to stop supply like the LNP did back then. They didn't support an increase in Newstart, now they are forced to increase it for a temporary period which wouldn't be such a hit to budget if they increased it when they came to power several years ago. The NBN will now be under pressure with all these people working from home with less than adequate infrastructure and less than what they would have in their respective offices. The NBN issue will be the next problem for them to solve and throw money at as private industry will complain they can't do business and when you add all the schools that potentially will need the NBN to conduct classes.

Seems like the Olympics will be delayed till next year which is the sensible thing to do given most countries now have travel bans. The health of people has to come first rather than the dollars.

Our Premier here in VIC has taken a stricter tone than the govt. He pulled the plug on people attending the F1 and was the first to close venues and now schools. Now states are enforcing the 14 day quarantine.

I don't understand the call from the supermarkets to use 'tap and go' since people are handling the various items to put them in their trolleys which then have to be swiped by the checkout staff. Makes no sense. It requires personal contact to contract the virus. If it was surface contact everyone would need to wear gloves when they leave the house. Also when people use tap and go some people still touch the device with part of their hand and it's the same device that people use to pay with a credit/eftpos card. Are the supermarkets going to wipe down every item after each customer? Which is why the tap and go option doesn't make sense.

Used one of my hippie soaps then realised it had peppermint in it. Why is that relevant? Well I discovered that when applying said soap to the nether regions it's quite cool especially the bum hole, which was a new experience. On the positive side your farts spell like peppermint

Hope things are good at your place and if you get an invite from a friend tell them to bugger off but in a nice way. One positive thing about social distancing is that those annoying people can't visit you. Lock your security door or put Vaseline on the handles so the buggers can't open it.

 

[Rollinbones]

Currently panic buying;-

Potatoes
Onions
Pumpkins.
(They all keep in a dark dry room and are staples that are difficult to grow in large quantities.)
Seeds. (We live on a little farm so i can have a good supply of vegies off in twelve weeks if we all pitch in with gardening duty.)
A home brew kit.
Some fuel. Not a heap but i expect that in a long haul it will get scarce and then strangely very cheap as Russia picks up supply. (Funny how they have no covid infections."
Food and vet supplies for the sheep, cow, horses, poultry.
Sausage making equipment. (Yes, there is a correlation.)
Personal supplies. Shampoo, conditioner, razors, the things i cant make myself.
Bike parts... (You can never have enough in a post apocalyptic wasteland.)

You can always improvise toilet paper by tearing an old sheet up and washing the strips after use then leaving them in a bucket of chlorinated water for washing later...

Oh and naughty toys and lingerie for my wifey because if i loose my casual job i'll probably miss that the most. Well after beer and...

 

[darkelf9]

Currently panic buying;-

Potatoes
Onions
Pumpkins.
(They all keep in a dark dry room and are staples that are difficult to grow in large quantities.)
Seeds. (We live on a little farm so i can have a good supply of vegies off in twelve weeks if we all pitch in with gardening duty.)
A home brew kit.
Some fuel. Not a heap but i expect that in a long haul it will get scarce and then strangely very cheap as Russia picks up supply. (Funny how they have no covid infections."
Food and vet supplies for the sheep, cow, horses, poultry.
Sausage making equipment. (Yes, there is a correlation.)
Personal supplies. Shampoo, conditioner, razors, the things i cant make myself.
Bike parts... (You can never have enough in a post apocalyptic wasteland.)

You can always improvise toilet paper by tearing an old sheet up and washing the strips after use then leaving them in a bucket of chlorinated water for washing later...

Oh and naughty toys and lingerie for my wifey because if i loose my casual job i'll probably miss that the most. Well after beer and...

Hey Rollin,

Hope it doesn't get to the point where we are washing out shit rags. I managed to find some toilet paper by chance since I was in another suburb trying to find an item from a chemist for my mum. There was lots of it but it was mainly that recycled no brand stuff. I don't think my arse will be able to tell the difference.

Actually I think now is the time people start thinking about installing a bidet in their bathrooms. They've had them in Europe for decades. No need for toilet paper.

I'm not panic buying anything. I even got a nice email from Dan Murphy's saying they will remain open but their tasting events will be cancelled. Although I am keeping an eye on the news to see if there is a run on booze. If it was mainly blokes doing the panic buying we would be short on booze, cheese, kabana and nibbles

Russia will never admit COVID-19 is in that country. Anyone saying that will end up in jail and they control all the media.

Stay safe.

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

Well new restrictions are set for tomorrow which it seems has come too late. Should of gone harder a month ago. Saw the Border Force big cheese laying the blame at the feet of NSW Health for that cruise ship farce. A rather reckless action by a supposedly health department. Not sure how much pressure was put on NSW Health by the Fed Govt since it is an LNP state.

Our govt here in VIC has been much more strict and keeps pushing for more restrictions. Don't understand why the mixed messages on schools. You would think if one state pulls the plug all would follow. As for keeping kids at home it seem some people still don't get it. Saw kids playing in the street with their mates yesterday, riding their bikes, etc. Lots of people walking their dogs or in some cases wives walking their husbands. The dude just wants to chill out on the sofa.

It was stupid that the NRL kept going on while the AFL killed off their games. It was totally money related which is crazy. Took the closure of the QLD border to force their hand which is not leadership.

Lots of issues with Centrelink which comes as no surprise. Even on a normal day their offices have people lining up out the door due to the lack of staff. The process of having one staff member with an iPad processing people is a very slow process which leads to long queue times. As for their website well it was designed by private industry since no govt agencies have their own IT departments these days. There is little to no expertise left in govt departments for this so they are now totally reliant on private industry and private industry looks to profit first so these systems are based on supplying the bare minimum. Once again the govt should of foreseen this issue with Centrelink given they were going to shut down travel and hospitality.

As for me well the shutdown doesn't impact me. Since I'm retired I don't need to be anywhere except for medical appointments, grocery shopping, banking and the chemist. I also cancelled any catchups last month before the latest govt announcements. It's just common sense. I am being more aware of washing my hands when I get back to the house. I'm also staying away from shopping centres unless I really need something or have to go to my local specs place. Given the bank closures in recent years some people have no other choice but to go to a shopping centre to do their banking. Banking online doesn't work for everyone especially the older people, plus most ATMs are at banks.

Very little chance of surface transfer. If that was the case then all dollar notes and coins would be taken out of circulation. Going shopping is no better since you still have to touch items and your car/house keys. You would have use hand sanitizer after you touch every item which is not possible. I also don't understand how going for a run is ok. Given all the people who are working from home, off work, etc there would be a lot more people able to be outside. If all those people go for a run then what is the point of avoiding social settings.

I also don't understand the whole marriage restrictions thing given the govt still expects teachers to front up for class. No wonder people are confused. Small businesses are having to make their own decisions given they don't want to be known as the place an outbreak happened. My local fish and chip shop owner said he was seriously thinking of closing up just to be safe.

It's very clear the govt is struggling to deal with the people stuff. They are still hanging on to ethos of money first, lets keep business going. Doesn't make any sense. Just shut stuff down apart from the essentials like supermarkets, banks, chemists, GP's, etc. And fix the NBN otherwise working from home will be more of a clusterfuck than it is now.

I have lots of things to keep me busy at home over the next six months. Now that the painting stuff is about dead due to the weather, the garden and cleaning up the garage is the next set of tasks. Still have a number of video games so that uses up lots of time inside. Then there is the extra cleaning since I'm still thinking of selling up at the end of the year. Not sure how that will go given the latest cancellation on house inspections and how long that will last for. Might not be able to sell up till early next year. No urgency for that.

Most of all people shouldn't panic and look out for each other. Can't leave people behind even though in the medical world they are doing risk management on how many people will die from this and how many people they can treat. It is part of their normal business methods.

Hope you stay safe and do the right thing for your fellow Aussies.

 

[missswannie]

Afternoon all,

Well new restrictions are set for tomorrow which it seems has come too late. Should of gone harder a month ago. Saw the Border Force big cheese laying the blame at the feet of NSW Health for that cruise ship farce. A rather reckless action by a supposedly health department. Not sure how much pressure was put on NSW Health by the Fed Govt since it is an LNP state.

Our govt here in VIC has been much more strict and keeps pushing for more restrictions. Don't understand why the mixed messages on schools. You would think if one state pulls the plug all would follow. As for keeping kids at home it seem some people still don't get it. Saw kids playing in the street with their mates yesterday, riding their bikes, etc. Lots of people walking their dogs or in some cases wives walking their husbands. The dude just wants to chill out on the sofa.

It was stupid that the NRL kept going on while the AFL killed off their games. It was totally money related which is crazy. Took the closure of the QLD border to force their hand which is not leadership.

Lots of issues with Centrelink which comes as no surprise. Even on a normal day their offices have people lining up out the door due to the lack of staff. The process of having one staff member with an iPad processing people is a very slow process which leads to long queue times. As for their website well it was designed by private industry since no govt agencies have their own IT departments these days. There is little to no expertise left in govt departments for this so they are now totally reliant on private industry and private industry looks to profit first so these systems are based on supplying the bare minimum. Once again the govt should of foreseen this issue with Centrelink given they were going to shut down travel and hospitality.

As for me well the shutdown doesn't impact me. Since I'm retired I don't need to be anywhere except for medical appointments, grocery shopping, banking and the chemist. I also cancelled any catchups last month before the latest govt announcements. It's just common sense. I am being more aware of washing my hands when I get back to the house. I'm also staying away from shopping centres unless I really need something or have to go to my local specs place. Given the bank closures in recent years some people have no other choice but to go to a shopping centre to do their banking. Banking online doesn't work for everyone especially the older people, plus most ATMs are at banks.

Very little chance of surface transfer. If that was the case then all dollar notes and coins would be taken out of circulation. Going shopping is no better since you still have to touch items and your car/house keys. You would have use hand sanitizer after you touch every item which is not possible. I also don't understand how going for a run is ok. Given all the people who are working from home, off work, etc there would be a lot more people able to be outside. If all those people go for a run then what is the point of avoiding social settings.

I also don't understand the whole marriage restrictions thing given the govt still expects teachers to front up for class. No wonder people are confused. Small businesses are having to make their own decisions given they don't want to be known as the place an outbreak happened. My local fish and chip shop owner said he was seriously thinking of closing up just to be safe.

It's very clear the govt is struggling to deal with the people stuff. They are still hanging on to ethos of money first, lets keep business going. Doesn't make any sense. Just shut stuff down apart from the essentials like supermarkets, banks, chemists, GP's, etc. And fix the NBN otherwise working from home will be more of a clusterfuck than it is now.

I have lots of things to keep me busy at home over the next six months. Now that the painting stuff is about dead due to the weather, the garden and cleaning up the garage is the next set of tasks. Still have a number of video games so that uses up lots of time inside. Then there is the extra cleaning since I'm still thinking of selling up at the end of the year. Not sure how that will go given the latest cancellation on house inspections and how long that will last for. Might not be able to sell up till early next year. No urgency for that.

Most of all people shouldn't panic and look out for each other. Can't leave people behind even though in the medical world they are doing risk management on how many people will die from this and how many people they can treat. It is part of their normal business methods.

Hope you stay safe and do the right thing for your fellow Aussies.

A lot of mixed messages. We are not too bad here in the west. Most people are behaving. Social distancing is doing alright to date. We can go to certain beaches and spread right out, which at 37 deg today was a nice change. Plenty of people spacing out and going for a walk in the evenings with dogs but noone on top of each other. I can't say it will last forever given some of the dickheads that are inevitably about, but for the mean time it is keeping everything in check.
However, we now have a problem which was obvious from the beach. We have 5 cruise ships off shore circling. Three unexepected but doing a dive for a safe port, one that was allowed to refuel and depart immediately for Dubai but Dubai then refused permission to land so they have arrived back. And one that has 7 cases on board. The premier is going hardline and saying piss off, except for the one that is home ported here. Aussies will be put on Rottnest Island for 2 weeks, other nationalities will stay on board until their governments arrange planes to pick them up. The navy has stepped up and there is a destroyer and a submarine bracketing them. The blackhawks were moved to the SAS base so there could be another Tampa. Creativity in messaging out there though. Shipping tracking is showing one of the ships has programmed in a heart shaped GPS course and is sailing that.
We move into regional blockades at the end of the week. Perth people will have to stay within the greater 200km limits of north to south. South West, Mid West etc will have borders, as will the Pilbara and Kimberleys. All the grey nomads that made it into their vans are being turned around.

 

[darkelf9]

A lot of mixed messages. We are not too bad here in the west. Most people are behaving. Social distancing is doing alright to date. We can go to certain beaches and spread right out, which at 37 deg today was a nice change. Plenty of people spacing out and going for a walk in the evenings with dogs but noone on top of each other. I can't say it will last forever given some of the dickheads that are inevitably about, but for the mean time it is keeping everything in check.
However, we now have a problem which was obvious from the beach. We have 5 cruise ships off shore circling. Three unexepected but doing a dive for a safe port, one that was allowed to refuel and depart immediately for Dubai but Dubai then refused permission to land so they have arrived back. And one that has 7 cases on board. The premier is going hardline and saying piss off, except for the one that is home ported here. Aussies will be put on Rottnest Island for 2 weeks, other nationalities will stay on board until their governments arrange planes to pick them up. The navy has stepped up and there is a destroyer and a submarine bracketing them. The blackhawks were moved to the SAS base so there could be another Tampa. Creativity in messaging out there though. Shipping tracking is showing one of the ships has programmed in a heart shaped GPS course and is sailing that.
We move into regional blockades at the end of the week. Perth people will have to stay within the greater 200km limits of north to south. South West, Mid West etc will have borders, as will the Pilbara and Kimberleys. All the grey nomads that made it into their vans are being turned around.

I think the screw up in Sydney with that cruise ship has all the other Premiers on notice. Keeping people on the ship is the best option then send in a health and security team. Those people on the ships are still people so we need to show compassion to them even if they aren't Aussies. They must be very scared. Their respective countries need to step up.

We don't need military in close proximity to these civilian vessels. Keeping tabs on them is one thing, sending in the SAS is not an option, these people are tourists. However the military is very good at moving masses of people including building stuff and catering for large numbers. Since there is no sport going on, there would be lots of sports venues that are currently empty to set up mobile hospitals.

Saw this morning that a small amount of people thought it would be wise to go to the country and take up regional resources. Numbnuts is all I can say. Why would you want to share campground facilities in a pandemic, plus the best health care is in the cities given successive govts have not properly funded regional health centres. If anything people from the regional areas would be coming to the city for treatment.

The larger states can't possibly close all their land borders given the number of roads that cross borders. We don't have enough police nor military to do that. Tassie is the only place that can do that successfully.

At some point you would think that states and territories are going to introduce tighter general travel restrictions for example no travel to areas you either don't have family or that you don't reside at. This crap about city folk taking a holiday in country areas is just reckless. I also heard that some people in Tassie are going to some of the offshore islands like King Island. WTF are people thinking.

Some Aussies just don't get it.

Stay safe.

 

[darkelf9]

Ok since people don't seem to understand basic instruction about what is essential travel and what isn't, we probably need a more specific set of rules. So in light of that I was thinking of what is not essential and came up with this short list. Feel free to add to it, doesn't have to be serious.

Not Essential:

Getting a hair cut or waxing - let the grey out and give your pussy a rest
Going shopping for shoes
Going for a run, walk, bike ride - exercise at home or eat comfort food
Kale - no fuckwit it will not cure the virus
Drinking turmeric - good as a spice in food but that's about it.
Taking the dog for a walk - pretend it's a cat
Attending weddings - celebrate later, it's only a piece of paper
Attending funerals if not immediate family - the only dead person we need is the one already in the coffin. Besides which the deceased couldn't careless if you aren't there, and no they aren't watching you, they're dead.
Having a few mates over for a drink or BBQ - you moron
Panic buying - just buy what you need, think of those who need it more
Going for a long weekend in the country - just a dumb tourist

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all

Hope everyone is virus free. If you have a hangover well you did that to yourself.

When out doing my weekly grocery shopping yesterday I went by Dan Murphy's to buy another bottle of single malt since I was about to open the one I have in the cupboard. Like to keep a spare. Was surprised to see that it has gone by $70 which I thought was quite rude considering it went down by $50 last year. Could be the fact our dollar is in the toilet right now or could just be an adjustment. They don't make the stuff in China so supply isn't an issue. So I left without buying anything. Not that I can't afford it but will wait till I finish the one I have.

Also went to a plumbing store to get a repair part and had a laugh when I saw that the staff had installed PVC drainage pipe to the front of the counter. Seems like a typical blokey thing to do. "Fuck the tape on floor. Just wack some pipe on the front of the counter." The funny thing was some of the vertically challenged folk found it harder to lean over the barrier so they were throwing things like paperwork and money to reach the staff behind the counter.

Walked past a JB Hi Fi outlet and saw a line out the door. So some people are obviously trying to stock up on DVD's and video games. Really people! Why are you at these places?

I heard that some councils are enforcing restrictions on when deliveries can be made to supermarkets and that some landlords are raising rents and some real estate agents are warning tenants to pay up or else. Not clever. Time for the govt to step in.

Seems the small businesses are taking matters into their own hands due to the lack of proper policy from the govt. It's also clear that the pollies are not listening to the advice from health professionals. Those working for the Fed Govt look like they are bending to the wishes of the govt. The tone from other medical professionals is totally different. Just shut stuff down that doesn't need to be open. Give the front line doctors what they need and fucking listen to them. We can't afford for doctors to get sick otherwise we're all fucked.

There are lots of people who are being creative in these times so good for them, but I don't understand this sudden need by some people to gather with their friends. Reason being when the younger generation get together they are always on their phones and not interacting with each other, now suddenly they want to catch up for a drink or party. It seems some adults have reverted to being petulant teenagers rebelling when told not to do stuff. "I'm an individual I don't let the rules, rule me." Yep and if you keep thinking like that not only will you infect your mates, you'll probably kill someone's grandparents if not your own. You jackass.

Had the repair done this morning to the lock on one of my security doors which is now the extant to any money being spent on the house before selling up. Rather good money for 10 mins work. I wouldn't be going to Bunnings or any other place masses of people can gather. Now is not the time for DIY.

Got an interesting phone call today from the specialist I was going to see next week. They are doing phone consultations for those patients who aren't in treatment. So that will be a new experience. I have no idea how he is going to check my blood pressure on the phone . "Do you have a pulse? Ok now breath for me over the phone. Cough. Ok you seem fine. That'll be $200." Wonder if I can pay with virtual money for a virtual consultation?

I see a number of simpletons are going to social media to cure the virus. If they are dumb enough to do that well they can't blame anyone else for the consequences of their actions. The same people who thought they could "cure" people from being gay by praying are now praying as a cure for the virus. Idiots.

Hope you have a good weekend. Some rain on the way for Melbourne town. Stay safe and stay home. If you are doing it tough at the moment, it's ok to ask for help, doesn't mean you are weak, help is out there just ask , please.

 

[warrior queen]

Greetings from self-isolation day 3.

Heard a little rumour that states were planning to shut borders last Sunday while up in the Sunshine Coast, Qld. Completely disregarded it.... "Nah, they won't shut the borders...this is Australia!"
A few hours later I found out it actually was a thing, panicked, threw everything into the van and bolted for Vic. 18 hours later, just made it over the NSW/Vic border with an hour to spare.
Big relief! Getting home to Tassie would have been a nightmare - 2 weeks isolation in NSW, then another 2 weeks in Vic, followed by yet another 2 weeks in Tas!

I am stuck in isolation until April 9th..... looks like I might have to begin getting creative, else I am going to go completely insane!

Still..... could be worse.
Stay well everyone xx

 

[missswannie]

Indeed the state borders are a thing. In WA it is internal regions as well from tomorrow night. It doesn't affect me per se, but I do have a friend who has just found love after a rough divorce, but unfortunately lives on the border of one region and she lives two regions down, 120km away. He jokes about border hopping and phone sex but I know that only 2 months into it, it will be a tough one to keep fresh for 6-9 months.
As for the twats that triggered the further restrictions... Maybe some of those would like to hop on a plane back home. For the locals, there seems to be a distinct age group that just does the right thing in public areas but can't help themselves in a coffee queue or having a party at home.
I was out walking the dog on the streets at 10pm last night and heard a pile of loud voices from up ahead. I was feeling a bit angry so followed the sound. Turned out to be two people in a spa having a virtual party on the big screen with a bunch of other people, so actually sensible. Houseparty is the new go to app for that.
Rent freezes are a sensible idea but it may be a bit of a shock for those with 5 or 6 properties gang-mortgaged up and negative geared to the hilt... For the record, not me. Citibank issued mortgage security bonds dropped past the 70% mark on friday in NY so thats anticipating 70c in the dollar realisable value right now. Japanese life insurance is the major buyer of Australian mortgage securities and REIT's so hopefully they don't have a mass event that they will need to get liquid for.

 

[Rollinbones]

Turned out to be two people in a spa having a virtual party on the big screen with a bunch of other people, so actually sensible. Houseparty is the new go to app for that.

One of the things that i'm taking joy in at the moment is the myriad small innovations being made and the resourcefulness some people are displaying. They do say that crisis is a wonderful catalyst for development. I believe some of the innovations will be so effective they will change workplaces permanently.

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

Hope the virus is no where near you.

I find it interesting that airlines are still advertising holidays and flights on emails. Seems their marketing teams haven't got the message and also someone hasn't shut down the auto message programs. Very little point purchasing stuff to get flight points on the various schemes if you can't actually book a flight.

Also junk mail is still arriving with the exception of Woollies. They have decided to go online but the online catalogue sucks to navigate. Besides the fact that anything you see might not be on the shelves when you get there.

Still seeing travel shows on the TV. Why? Show a doco or a movie. Showing people what they can't do isn't helpful. Especially when they mention deals if you phone up.

On the positive side of the virus shutdown you now have a real excuse to keep away those annoying relatives and nosy neighbours. Don't need to tell them you have to go out for stuff. I still see there are people who are having parties in their homes. I reckon those people should be rounded up and put on an island with limited food and water. They can party all they want. A real survivor show, not the fake one they have now.

As for quarantining people when they come back from OS, well that should of been done over a month ago. I don't blame the govt for doing that now. The recent arrivals can thank their fellow citizens who came back earlier and didn't do the right thing. I'm sure they would rather spend two weeks in a hotel room than spend weeks in a hospital bed. It seems the govt couldn't even get that bit right. It was obvious nobody had determined which passengers where going to which hotels. Just buses of people going from hotel to hotel. When one hotel would fill up they move onto the next one. Another case of no planning ahead of the announcement of the plan. How hard is it to allocate which bus goes where? Bunch of clusterfucks. Plus some people aren't getting their medication. They would of only travelled with a limited amount of that.

Could be worse, they could be on a cruise ship right now, not being allowed to dock in any country.

Seems suffers are as dumb as they come. Surfing on closed beaches then running away when a TV camera is pointed at them. Just shows how many idiots we have in this country. Vote them off I reckon. I remember one surfer asking a question on Q+A if it was ok for him to go surfing since it was just him. The adults in the room just sighed. I have real concerns about that young generation after what I've seen them do in the face of this virus threat. Thank fucking Christ they don't have to defend this country, we'd all be screwed. They've been sheltered for too long. These aren't children I'm talking about, these are so called adults in their 20's and 30's.

Had a chat to my sister the other day who casually told me she went for a haircut, which astounded me given she is now 70. I asked why put yourself in that situation. She said she needed to get her hair coloured to keep the grey away. WTF sis!

Since I stopped working nearly six years ago I've adjusted to being a homebody so the staying at home thing isn't much of an issue for me, however I know there are people who have high anxiety now since there are a lot of unknowns. For 99% of the population, the virus won't be an issue. However just telling people not to worry don't cut it. So important for people to talk to someone if only over the phone or dare I say it on social media. So if the phone rings it might be an idea to pick it up, there might be someone on the other end who needs to talk. I've been reaching out to my various friends to just see how they are doing.

As for parents complaining about spending time at home with their kids during this crisis, well may be those parents will gain an appreciations for what their teachers have to put up with on a weekly basis. And that their little darlings aren't the darlings they envisioned. More respect for the teachers out there.

I heard from my local chemist that the hand sanitiser issue should be resolved by next week. Apparently the issue here in Melbourne hasn't been the production of it, but getting vehicles rated to take the product since it's classified as flammable. Can't understand why the govt hasn't enlisted Defence contractors who do that type of transporting all the time. There are various resources that can be called on which are not being utilized. Private industry will stop dong stuff if they are making a loss.

One thing this virus has done is show up the flaws in our capitalism models and our democracy. If it doesn't make a buck, get rid of it. If it's cheaper to make it OS get rid of the knowledge. Sending all those jobs off shore has created a dependency on OS manufacture for basic stuff including medical equipment. It's rather ironic that the main manufacturer of face masks and other protective gear is China, including testing kits which in recent times have shown to be faulty 30% of the time. Now they are trying to make them here. As the virus crisis keeps going more of these flaws will show up and private industry will just fade into the background leaving the govt to fix the damage done over many years of lobbying by private industry to get their hands on govt run services and policy making. We are very short on expertise in govt to solve all these problems. Once you lose that knowledge you can't get it back so you have to relearn the mistakes of the past which is costly and will lead to people asking why those requirements were removed.

Hope you all are staying well. And the next time you go "shopping" for non-grocery items, ask yourself if you really need to go out. Of course bourbon and scotch is exempt

 

[missswannie]

Well, WA has sealed the border now. Even the two week quarantine period for people wanting to come in has been abolished in favour of noone. Dumb arses came in and created cases in the Kimberleys amongst some of the most health challenged indigenous communities, so now the Kimberleys have been divided into 4 zones with no travel between.
I suppose it is time for the West to think again about secession. All the other states have to vote for us to leave as well, so a pretty hard one to muster. We'll just toodle off and keep the iron ore and gas. The McGowan/Wyatt/Cook/Tindle combo is keeping a hard line response. Maybe a WA/NT, Other Australia, NZ trio of nation states could do a UK style national alliance in the economic aftermath and realign the wasteful spending by states.

None the less, time to talk about other things on tv now otherwise we will all go into oversaturation. The number of cars on the road in the UK is on the rise now, so the message of staying home has reached its half life there. Quick stick something interesting on the tv again.

 

[Arianthe]

Good evening, all.

I have way too much time on my hands all of a sudden, so here I am!

Hope you're all well.

Ari