Corona Virus

[Dahnsouff]

15 minutes ago, Heathrow fox said:

I think the big corporations might come out the other side of this relatively untouched.Or even stronger.

Depends what they are "big" at doing tbh. BA, Virgin Airways, bit buggered I would say.

(Good, less fossil fuels please, lets not lurch from one global cockup to another)

[SpacedX]

13 hours ago, pazzerfox said:

That's him!  Whilst some of the things he say's is quite outlandish, some of it is quite compelling.  I do think we (as a society) should question things more instead of taking everything the mainstream media say as "official" and sticking it all over facebook.

Because social media of course isn't at all full of all manner of agenda driven junk conspiracy theory, clickbait cherry-picked confirmation bias, baseless woo, quote mining and self-referencing pseudoscience perpetrated by charlatans, mountebanks, con artists, quacktitioners and snake oil salesmen. It isn't necessarily about faith in politicians, MSM or social media, it's about the ability to embrace independent verification and objectivity which so many lack. Invariably the subscribers to this nonsense are scientific illiterates compensating through an evening on You Tube believing a three line meme can replace an education. Conspiracy theory is a lucrative business which thrives upon the promotion of ignorance, fear and prejudice, largely through outrage. It also encourages a distrust in expertise supplanting the latter with false authority. 

 

These people deplore science because it eluded them, branding it a religion or a cult...and yet there they are all over YT and social media using a device that lets them instantly share their asinine fanatical beliefs with people all over the world. We live in a world that has been shaped by the effectiveness of the scientific method. Known science is not a 'religion' - religion implies 'belief' and science is not about that. That would be baseless conspiracy theory. Established physical laws are demonstrable and axiomatic meaning that they have a voice of their own. The fact that these people are too ignorant or lazy to understand them or such knowledge is beyond them is substituted by opinionated arrogance over the comments section of an entertainment platform. 

 

It's a lot easier to hide behind a conspiracy theory than it is to learn the disciplines involved. Their opinion is worthless. That's because they have no understanding of those disciplines. People who do - and we're talking millions of them all over the rational world  are dedicated and committed to life long learning and self-questioning. Yet these Dunning-Kruger afflicted cretins squawk 'shill' like the parrots they are challenged and mindlessly bleat 'sheeple' in the face of the expertise that eluded them in favour of the instant gratification of the online con-spiracy theory.

 

The reason they have chosen that route is because they like to imagine that they are among the few people who are smart enough to see through huge secrets that have fooled the vast masses of their "inferiors". Through sheer gullibility and a large helping of illusory superiority, they get off on pretending that they're one of the small minority too clever to be fooled - yet can't even demonstrate this supposed intellectual prowess when challenged to do so, which make it transparently obvious that their claims amount to nothing more than empty ego masturbation. That sounds more like a religion to me - but it's more than that, it's a cult. 

 

I was engaged with one of these idiots online yesterday, challenging them to substantiate their claims...this was the reply I received. 

 

"I don´t need proof to speak my mind."

 

A sad indictment of the online world and the post-truth era that we now find ourselves subjected to. That's precisely the issue with democracy, it affords a voice to those that have nothing worthwhile to say.

 

 

 

 

[Izzy]

16 minutes ago, messerschmitt said:

Hi Izzy, genuine question, what support is there for sole traders, I think I'm classed as this, I'm self employed delivering advertising magazines and leaflets, as of last week the company that I collected from and got payed by, closed until further notice, so like you I've no income at all.

I'm no expert mate, but I think you can get a monthly grant worth 80% of your average income (up to £2500 per month) for at least the next 3 months.

 

Providing your income from self employment is less than £50k, you can apply on-line now at https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/self-employment-income-support-scheme/

 

Good luck 

[SpacedX]

21 minutes ago, whoareyaaa said:

If it's a man made virus 

Why would you think that? 

[Dahnsouff]

6 minutes ago, Line-X said:

A sad indictment of the online world and the post-truth era that we now find ourselves subjected to. That's precisely the issue with democracy, it affords a voice to those that have nothing worthwhile to say.

Democracy biggest strength whilst being its biggest failing.

Everyone person has a voice, in order for democracy to exist, there must be an opportunity for all voices to be heard.

The speaking is never the issue in contemporary democracy, its the listening, or rather whom to listen too.

Dictatorship* provides one thing modern democracies cannot, a single point of truth.

* I am in no way suggesting this is a direction that Lord Protector Johnson should take.

[st albans fox]

8 minutes ago, Line-X said:

Why would you think that? 

Someone to blame ? 
 

id rather the masses blame the Chinese or usa govt rather than the Jews or the Muslims ............. many people always have a need to blame someone..... they can’t cope with the fact that stuff just happens .......... (how do they cope with the Big Bang?) 

[Facecloth]

26 minutes ago, Heathrow fox said:

I think the big corporations might come out the other side of this relatively untouched.Or even stronger.

Depends what you do. I don't work for a huge company, but we transport waste and recycling and feed the green energy sites. We've seen a little drop off due to so many businesses closing and a few sites have shut, but we're still doing ok, and at the minute looks like we'll come out the other side without too many battle scars. I imagine the big supermarkets are going to be doing very well during this. But huge companies like Next, M&S, John Lewis etc I would imagine will find this tough. Also as someone else said, airlines will struggle.

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, st albans fox said:

Someone to blame ? 
 

id rather the masses blame the Chinese or usa govt rather than the Jews or the Muslims ............. many people always have a need to blame someone..... they can’t cope with the fact that stuff just happens .......... (how do they cope with the Big Bang?) 

[Heathrow fox]

6 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Depends what they are "big" at doing tbh. BA, Virgin Airways, bit buggered I would say.

(Good, less fossil fuels please, lets not lurch from one global cockup to another)

Well if we get anywhere near normal again,we are likely to be more dependent on technology.Home shopping will also be far more common.Of course we were heading that way regardless.This will just speed the process up.Not just that though.The big corporations will be able to take advantage of any stock market rumblings.Not to mention a lot of the opposition being wiped out.

[messerschmitt]

17 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

Details here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme

 

If you don't qualify for this (e.g. no 2018-19 self-assessment tax return submitted), I presume applying for Universal Credit is the main option, though there may be others. 

 

Edit: If you are eligible, as the link says, you cannot apply yet. HMRC will contact you, with payments due in June, I think.....though there's political pressure on the Govt to arrange for payments earlier.

 

 

Hi Alf,

Thanks for your reply, I think and am hoping that I fit that criteria, so I'm waiting and hoping for the HMRC to contact me, June seems a long way off though TBH I'm currently Ebaying stuff lol. All the best Alf

[messerschmitt]

19 minutes ago, Izzy said:

I'm no expert mate, but I think you can get a monthly grant worth 80% of your average income (up to £2500 per month) for at least the next 3 months.

 

Providing your income from self employment is less than £50k, you can apply on-line now at https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/self-employment-income-support-scheme/

 

Good luck 

Hi Izzy, thanks for your help, I think I fit in that category so I'm hoping, I must admit to not fully understanding all the wording, Does "grant" mean I'll have to pay the money back?

Hope your situation improves.

[nnfox]

1 minute ago, messerschmitt said:

Hi Alf,

Thanks for your reply, I think and am hoping that I fit that criteria, so I'm waiting and hoping for the HMRC to contact me, June seems a long way off though TBH I'm currently Ebaying stuff lol. All the best Alf

Alf is correct.  

 

My understanding is that the government will look at your previous three tax returns and work out your average monthly profit over the three years, then give you a taxable grant for 80% of 3 months profit.  The grant will be paid in June.

[worthosoriginals]

32 minutes ago, Ollie93 said:

Prove it 

Prove it is

[RoboFox]

It took a One-der. One of pop’s great songwriters, and a big part of the soundtrack to a great period of my life. Today is a FoW day. 
 

 

[whoareyaaa]

1 minute ago, worthosoriginals said:

Prove it is

theirs no proof either way.

[nnfox]

1 minute ago, messerschmitt said:

Hi Izzy, thanks for your help, I think I fit in that category so I'm hoping, I must admit to not fully understanding all the wording, Does "grant" mean I'll have to pay the money back?

Hope your situation improves.

You won't have to pay the grant back (it isn't a loan).  But the grant will count as income and is taxable.

[Izzy]

Just now, messerschmitt said:

Hi Izzy, thanks for your help, I think I fit in that category so I'm hoping, I must admit to not fully understanding all the wording, Does "grant" mean I'll have to pay the money back?

Hope your situation improves.

Cheers mate.

 

A grant is different to a loan so no, you don't have to pay it back. It will be taxable though, but in essence it's free money to make up for your lost earnings.

 

The pisser as Alf said is having to wait until June, but you should be eligible. Doesn't help with cash-flow right here, right now but better than nowt I guess 

[Heathrow fox]

36 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

Yes of course you are right.  Doesn't make anything he has said valid though.  

I’m not suggesting that Amazon have concocted this up by way.Im more of the belief that this has just happened.The big corporations will benefit from the majority of any major world changing event.

[Wymsey]

Why can't some individuals follow just basic guidelines/rules for a minimum of a few weeks?..

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/bradgate-park-bosses-beg-public-4010842

[Saxondale]

1 hour ago, whoareyaaa said:

If it's a man made virus 

I actually think it could well be. I believe it could be a lab-developed biological weapon that was released accidentally.

[Saxondale]

9 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Why can't some individuals follow just basic guidelines/rules for a minimum of a few weeks?..

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/bradgate-park-bosses-beg-public-4010842

Because they're twats.

Edited 2 April 2020 by Saxondale

[Strokes]

35 minutes ago, Izzy said:

Cheers mate.

 

A grant is different to a loan so no, you don't have to pay it back. It will be taxable though, but in essence it's free money to make up for your lost earnings.

 

The pisser as Alf said is having to wait until June, but you should be eligible. Doesn't help with cash-flow right here, right now but better than nowt I guess 

Yeah, I can testify to that

 

[FOXYTALK]

13 hours ago, whoareyaaa said:

not in west london https://www.mylondon.news/news/health/london-coronavirus-watch-shocking-footage-18019150

 

Only yesterday it was revealed that another 38 patients had died at either Northwick Park or Ealing hospitals, which are both relatively close to North Acton station. The trust that runs the hospitals has seen more deaths of patients with coronavirus than any other trust in the country.

 

There must be more stringent rules for travelling on the tube. Could they be manned at the front and only used for NHS workers to travel or only travel if you have appropriate masks/coverings???

[Guest MattP]

FFS 

 

Priorities.

[Strokes]

3 minutes ago, MattP said:

FFS 

 

Priorities.

I don’t think those inside it fighting for lives, will give a shit what it’s called. Absolutely pathetic.