The Breakfast Club

[LilyLangtrey]

Good afternoon, Clunkers!

Welcome to the Breakfast Club where the kettle is permanently on, the drinks flow and the snacks are both self-replenishing and calorie-free.

We start each day with a look at history and a tribute to a brave or inspiring woman. Mostly though, we just chat randomly about current affairs, recipes, life in lockdown, literature, music and anything else that comes into our heads.

Veteran Clunkers welcome. Anyone else who wants to join in the chat - sense of humour essential! - welcome.

Kettle's on

From the DT:
Here's a roundup of the latest coronavirus news from around the world today:

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, wants measures toughened up to fight a surge in coronavirus infections, including requiring masks in more places and limiting numbers of people gathering for private events, according to a draft policy paper seen by AFP. The proposals, to be discussed with premiers from Germany's 16 states later today, would see the restrictions kick in once an area records 35 new infections per 100,000 people over seven days.

In Switzerland, the number of new coronavirus infections rose by 2,823 within a day, double the increase reported five days ago, data from the country's public health agency shows.

Belgium's intensive care units will hit capacity by mid-November if new coronavirus cases continue to soar at the same pace, the country's health authorities warned Wednesday. The latest figures published today by the national institute of public health show that Belgium has seen 7,360 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours.

<strong>Austria</strong> has recorded 1,346 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours. Daily cases have been rising since late June and have recently exceeded the March 26 record of 1,050, according to an online dashboard by Austria's main public health body, the Agency for Health and Food Safety.

Malaysian health authorities reported 660 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday as the capital imposed tighter restrictions on movement for two weeks.

Looks like db might not be able to enact his cunning plan of getting back for Christmas!

Stormzy, you do realise we shrink with age, so by the time you've finished your waistcoat, it will be a full length trailing on the floor coat?

Thanks gcat, I do like John Redwood. He is patriotic and talks sense.
I too have a button box but all of the larger buttons were used up making those ear saver things for the hospital and care home staff. They hooked their masks round the buttons instead of their ears.
Lots of tiny button sets from when I sewed or knitted baby clothes for DGCs.

@thegcatsmother

Besides astounding myself by actually having a button, I then sewed it on! Dh nearly fell off the sofa.

😁👍🏻😂

@TracysShoulder

Stormzy, you do realise we shrink with age, so by the time you've finished your waistcoat, it will be a full length trailing on the floor coat?

😁😁

I was 5ft 2in, I still say that I am the height but know in reality I have lost just under an inch in height, it feels horrible.

My mum was only 4ft 3in when she died, very tiny and weighed roughly 5 1/2 stone, so I know this will happen to me as I get older.

Some good thoughts from Sir John there. Searching down back of sofa for some buttons

I read that MN have now permanently banned the opening of any new HnM threads. Will just leave that there.

a two week circuit breaker would buy us 28 days
Buy us 28 days to do what, I dont get it? The virus will still be here and in 28 days we will be back to where we are now. Do we have a fortnights lockdown every month?

But I just dont see it making any difference, a lot of people aren't following the rules now. Will everyone shrug and say oh well if its a naaaaational lockdown then I will follow the rules. No chance.

Oh and apparently (even if pubs are told to shut) you could still order a pasty at the pub then you will still be allowed to drink there as it will then be a restaurant. lol.

Just popped in for my OTD.

And to steal some breakfast!

And dispense hugs!

I can sew Nelllyyy. However, dh, having been an RN Officer, had to learn to sew on buttons etc when at sea. I'd hate him to lose the ability to fend for himself, which is why I normally make him sew on his own buttons.

I think the circuit breaker is to stop interactions between households and break the transmission of the virus.

I also think that local lockdowns are the way to go. I don't see why Cornwall should have to adhere to the same rules as Liverpool for example.

His @TeflonTits
Hugs very welcome - ta muchly! Missing the spontaneity of conversations at the moment. Hope you've got your boiler sorted out as it's winter-drawers-on weather 😊

Stormzy, you do realise we shrink with age, so by the time you've finished your waistcoat, it will be a full length trailing on the floor coat? grin

Yes of course Tracey I hadn’t thought of that. It could become a multifunctional garment that, if I could finish it by the time I was 80, would keep me nice and warm whilst at the same time sweep the kitchen floor when my knees and back have gone - no immediate rush then!

Hope you are having fun Baked

Well apart from the muck they're trucking through my house, the six cups they've left lying around, all is well, Nellyyy.

Then my GD this morning, 'Oma, I've missed the bus' I drive to the bus stop, where I told her to wait, she isn't there. That moment of sheer panic. Fear gripped my soul. Finally she answers her phone. 'I'm in my friend's mums car as she missed the bus too ' She has had the 'this isn't funny at all ' sermon. Didn't even mention to friend's mum that she had called me to pick her up.

Oooh. Lots of buttons talk. I have a whole drawer full. Ribbons, etc.

Reading back now before I take the dog to go and pick up my little GS from school.

I also think that local lockdowns are the way to go. I don't see why Cornwall should have to adhere to the same rules as Liverpool for example

I'd agree with this, gccatsmother. I can understand why the Wirralonians are miffed though. While a little peninsula, they're really scaffolded by Cheshire and Liverpool.

Austria has recorded 1,346 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours. Daily cases have been rising since late June and have recently exceeded the March 26 record of 1,050, according to an online dashboard by Austria's main public health body, the Agency for Health and Food Safety

Landlocked. Makes a massive difference as many work in Germany. Also, Ischgl was a super spreader site last ski season. Italian border. Rules are striker there than here. My dad does back on Saturday so he is back in quarantine.

John Redwood speaks so much sense.

Although, I do think that T&T is a red herring. We do need it to work. But all these areas with on high alert, are where there is a huge gig economy. Leicester - textiles factories. Blackburn, Burnley, all have large factories where people work closely together. The same company with HQs in Manchester, has its distribution centre in Burnley, and a factory in Leicester.

There are cogent links here that are known and the media aren't picking up on it, or banned from reporting it because of risk of civil disobedience. Rural areas of which there are many in the SW and SE have very low numbers of infection rates.

University cities are higher. It is about movement of people within regions.

But Sir John males total sense.

@ZombieFan

Some good thoughts from Sir John there. Searching down back of sofa for some buttons

I read that MN have now permanently banned the opening of any new HnM threads. Will just leave that there.

a two week circuit breaker would buy us 28 days
Buy us 28 days to do what, I dont get it? The virus will still be here and in 28 days we will be back to where we are now. Do we have a fortnights lockdown every month?

But I just dont see it making any difference, a lot of people aren't following the rules now. Will everyone shrug and say oh well if its a naaaaational lockdown then I will follow the rules. No chance.

Oh and apparently (even if pubs are told to shut) you could still order a pasty at the pub then you will still be allowed to drink there as it will then be a restaurant. lol.

Well quite, Zombie. We haven't managed much in seven months apart from fits and bursts.

It adds weight to the argument that lockdowns don't work.

@thegcatsmother

I can sew Nelllyyy. However, dh, having been an RN Officer, had to learn to sew on buttons etc when at sea. I'd hate him to lose the ability to fend for himself, which is why I normally make him sew on his own buttons.

I know who you are now. 😁

❤️❤️👍🏻

@BakedCam

Hope you are having fun Baked

Well apart from the muck they're trucking through my house, the six cups they've left lying around, all is well, Nellyyy.

Then my GD this morning, 'Oma, I've missed the bus' I drive to the bus stop, where I told her to wait, she isn't there. That moment of sheer panic. Fear gripped my soul. Finally she answers her phone. 'I'm in my friend's mums car as she missed the bus too ' She has had the 'this isn't funny at all ' sermon. Didn't even mention to friend's mum that she had called me to pick her up.

Oooh. Lots of buttons talk. I have a whole drawer full. Ribbons, etc.

Reading back now before I take the dog to go and pick up my little GS from school.

Glad you are having fun with the builders. 😁 Typical with mess and tea/coffee drinking. ❤️

That is so typical of teenagers, forgetting the important things like that.

The button box is a lovely thing to talk about, we all seem to have happy memories about them. ❤️

Afternoon all, I've still got my grandma's old button tin. Some of them date from the 1950's and 60's, really interesting designs.

I'm about to make a cottage pie and am pondering whether to throw in a few sliced green toms or not...

Although, I do think that T&T is a red herring. We do need it to work

I know its widely said the T&T isn't working, I dont get what is not working about it? It seems people expect the government to magic up enough tests to test the entire country every day and because it hasn't its failing. Its just not physically possible to do that yet.

From almost zero testing capacity the UK is now testing nearly 300,000 people a day and capacity is nearly 350,000 a day. Increasing all the time. IIRC that is proportionally more than any other country in Europe.

If anything they are testing to much. Why not isolate whole universities, stop testing them and let it spread through the students before the end of term. Stop testing people with no symptoms, complete waste of time.

What can the government do about people refusing to obey the rules, refusing to isolate and refusing to give any details to trackers. If T&T isn't working its because to many British people are selfish and uncaring.

Nelllyyy Given that I had mentioned Chairman Miaow on here and that's a massive clue), I would hope you had worked out who I was already!

Baked and Zombie; track and trace seems to be predicated on the populace having smart phones and downloading an app. I don't have a smart phone, nor am I inclined to get one just for the app.

The app also depends on people trusting it enough to download it.

Zombie 's phone prevents her from getting cafe access.

But if people don't or can't download the app, that isn't a failure of T&T. I'd imagine most countries and populations have a percentage of people who couldn't or chose not to use T&T. The government wouldn't anticipate 100% participation/compliance.

I agree with a pp that the biggest issue is that people are ignoring or getting confused about the rules. My DM, my siblings and I live across a range of different areas but are all now in local lockdown. However, it's become very difficult to keep track.

@ZombieFan

Although, I do think that T&T is a red herring. We do need it to work

I know its widely said the T&T isn't working, I dont get what is not working about it? It seems people expect the government to magic up enough tests to test the entire country every day and because it hasn't its failing. Its just not physically possible to do that yet.

From almost zero testing capacity the UK is now testing nearly 300,000 people a day and capacity is nearly 350,000 a day. Increasing all the time. IIRC that is proportionally more than any other country in Europe.

If anything they are testing to much. Why not isolate whole universities, stop testing them and let it spread through the students before the end of term. Stop testing people with no symptoms, complete waste of time.

What can the government do about people refusing to obey the rules, refusing to isolate and refusing to give any details to trackers. If T&T isn't working its because to many British people are selfish and uncaring.

I agree, Zombie. I have said all along while the testing capacity is way ahead of many other countries, we are testing too many people.

Those with no symptoms should not be going for testing. It is ridiculous.