Castle Aching

[brack]

54 minutes ago, Annie said:

Unfortunately there's no vaccine for stupidity

There is, the president of the USA was promoting it just the other week.

It might take several doses, but after completing the course of self administered bleach injections they wont be doing any more stupid things.

[robmcg]

18 hours ago, Malcolm 0-6-0 said:

 

.....

 

Personally, although I'm an archaeologist and historian, I have no illusions about the past despite the current state of the world being a bit depressing at times. But that is actually far better than what it was like before WW2. There were no adequate social services. In health terms the slightest abrasion or cut could lead to blood poisoning which before penicillin couldn't be treated - I lost an uncle aged only 14 years to blood poisoning in the early 1930's. Then there were all the endemic diseases like TB, syphilis, small pox, polio etc. with no vaccines or anti-biotics, combined with hopelessly low wages, none or scanty unemployment benefits, limited housing etc.

 

.....

 

Tell that to this young couple marrying in 1911.  My Grandfather and Grandmother. 

 

 

He was a passed cleaner , she wouldn't marry him unless he swore to never drink alcohol,  he never drank, became a top link driver as in my the pic I put up a few pages back, i think,. She died of a lung infection in 1936, he died in 1945. 

aged 60-something.

 

There was no sense of deprivation, you worked hard if lucky lived well. Nowadays we have books telling us how to be happy.... 

 

[Edwardian]

1 hour ago, Annie said:

Unfortunately there's no vaccine for stupidity. 

 

Yes there is, bleach!

 

Which apparently works by ingestion.

 

And the Darwin Award goes to ...

[Malcolm 0-6-0]

On the subject of the present unpleasantness and reactions to it. I note from an article in this morning's paper that a survey reveals that the citizens of a certain large country, which just by chance has an election this year, are divided along political lines on the wearing of protective face masks. The conservatives, as ever, are claiming that it's their choice and they choose not to do so. Another conservative elected representative refuses to wear one, because he claims that as we are all created in God's image then by covering our faces we are insulting God.

 

Therefore I suggest that there is hope for the human race based on that most implacable of natural forces survival of the fittest (i.e. those who by using their intellects adapt as necessary to the events around them). However the irony is that these same conservatives are also the main component of the demographic that doesn't accept evolution. So one can say with some certainty that these people will probably never know what hit them - presumably like the dinosaurs 65 million years ago who saw a large fireball in the sky.      

[Regularity]

I am not sure that knowing what the big fireball in the sky was, or what it meant for life on Earth, would make a great deal of difference to anyone, evolution or not, which applies to species but not individuals (where in this case it is the law of consequences applied to idiocy rather than the theory of evolution).

 

Of course, the Covid-19 deniers could also choose to actually wear a face mask, based on sound advice rather than reacting to it.

Edited May 8, 2020 by Regularity
Corrected mis-use of conditional tense.

[Regularity]

3 hours ago, Edwardian said:

 

Yes there is, bleach!

 

Which apparently works by ingestion.

 

And the Darwin Award goes to ...

Someone who ingested bleach but hadn’t yet reproduced, which rules out a lot of them, unfortunately.

[Malcolm 0-6-0]

30 minutes ago, Regularity said:

Someone who ingested bleach but hadn’t yet reproduced, which rules out a lot of them, unfortunately.

 

 

I presume that if they survive to breed they will produce albino children  

[Edwardian]

7 hours ago, Malcolm 0-6-0 said:

 Another conservative elected representative refuses to wear one, because he claims that as we are all created in God's image then by covering our faces we are insulting God.

 

  

 

A potential case of natural de-selection

 

6 hours ago, Regularity said:

Someone who ingested bleach but hadn’t yet reproduced, which rules out a lot of them, unfortunately.

 

Unfortunately, as Simon implies, stupidity is no bar to reproduction.  Possibly, if anything, the reverse is true. Darwinian theory tends to break down in the face of that!

[TheQ]

On 07/05/2020 at 04:09, Malcolm 0-6-0 said:

 

 

Personally, although I'm an archaeologist and historian, I have no illusions about the past despite the current state of the world being a bit depressing at times. But that is actually far better than what it was like before WW2. There were no adequate social services. In health terms the slightest abrasion or cut could lead to blood poisoning which before penicillin couldn't be treated - I lost an uncle aged only 14 years to blood poisoning in the early 1930's. Then there were all the endemic diseases like TB, syphilis, small pox, polio etc. with no vaccines or anti-biotics, combined with hopelessly low wages, none or scanty unemployment benefits, limited housing etc.

 

 

Saying there were no adequate social services is a bit over the top.

The British state pension was first introduced in 1909, admittedly limited in scope to start with. 

Unemployment benefits started in 1911.

The GWR,  medical scheme was one of the ideas used to design the NHS. 

Many large groups of workers had medical schemes groups such as miners would pay a tiny amount per week to have the availability of doctors. 

Most local doctors ran a payment a week system to get their use.. The lack of medical solutions actually meant getting a doctor for something they could treat, was cheaper!! 

Most large towns,  had free hospitals supported by legacies,  donations,  and sometimes the town itself. Some of them were also part of the model for the NHS. 

[Hroth]

19 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

Darwinian theory tends to break down in the face of that!

 

Perhaps merely deferred?

If the parent is an utter loon then their offspring might be even more afflicted. Admittedly it means that we need to wait nearly a generation before their genetic inheritance kicks into gear, but still...

 

 

[Regularity]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

 

Perhaps merely deferred?

If the parent is an utter loon then their offspring might be even more afflicted. Admittedly it means that we need to wait nearly a generation before their genetic inheritance kicks into gear, but still...

 

 

Unlikely, unless the parent(s) suffer from a serious congenital condition or are closely related, the offspring are more likely to be slightly brighter, just as the children of two geniuses are more likely to be sub-geniuses. In nature, things regress to the average.

Of course, the effect of the environment on their upbringing is a different matter, but not genetic.

[wagonman]

14 hours ago, Donw said:

 I doubt that anyone in the government has faced such a major pandemic before so they are trying their best based on the advice they have been given. 

 

But that's the problem – they ignored the advice they were given after Operation Cygnus in 2016. That advice was to refresh and greatly increase their stock of PPE to deal with the next pandemic; there always will be a next pandemic. The government ignored that advice because it didn't fit with their over-riding desire to 'shrink the state'. In essence the whole civil contingencies structure has been deliberately run down over the last ten years. They claim now to be "following the science" simply because they think it's a get-out-of-gaol-free card. It isn't.

[Edwardian]

Thinking of Annie's Titanic analogy, I am reminded that it was a transatlantic service, I I do not believe the Titanic picture she posted adequately reflects the comments overhead on life boats predominately manned by Brits ....

 

"I say, look, I know we didn't change course in time, or order enough lifeboats, oars, life jackets and so forth, but we're guided by the navigation charts and everything will be fine"

 

"Everyone! Don't rock the boat, protect the White Star Line's insurers, save premiums"

 

"'Ere, you looked like you're enjoying the view; you're nicked!"

 

"Ignore the Belgian in that boat over there; we will still be able to finish re-arranging the deckchairs before 31st December"

 

"Well, the poor Captain was struck down by that horrid iceberg, so I now no longer consider him to be an incompetence self-aggrandising buffoon.  In fact, he's my hero and can do no wrong. I'd follow him to the gates of Hell"

 

"You probably will" 

 

Meanwhile, a party of German passengers, replete with flotation devices, organised a motor launch to take them to a waiting U Boat.

 

 

 

 

[Donw]

4 hours ago, Edwardian said:

 

A potential case of natural de-selection

 

 

Unfortunately, as Simon implies, stupidity is no bar to reproduction.  Possibly, if anything, the reverse is true. Darwinian theory tends to break down in the face of that!

 

The human race is increasingly working against evolution. Many species will give more food to the strongest young because  it is best for the species and the herd may not slow down so the weakest can keep up. We Humans will bend over backwards to help the weak we make special provision for disabled, provide social benefits for those unable to look after themselves or their family. It is a laudable trait but it does reduce the effect of natural selection from working in the best interests of the species. I am sure I would not like to live in a society that allowed the weak, either physically or mentally

weaker, to suffer deliberately.

Don

 

[Edwardian]

1 minute ago, Donw said:

 

The human race is increasingly working against evolution. Many species will give more food to the strongest young because  it is best for the species and the herd may not slow down so the weakest can keep up. We Humans will bend over backwards to help the weak we make special provision for disabled, provide social benefits for those unable to look after themselves or their family. It is a laudable trait but it does reduce the effect of natural selection from working in the best interests of the species. I am sure I would not like to live in a society that allowed the weak, either physically or mentally

weaker, to suffer deliberately.

Don

 

 

Yes, you see, for a time -some chaps tried the opposite approach between 1933 and 1945.  As I recall, the idea didn't take.

 

With that, Happy VE day everyone!

 

 

[Regularity]

20 minutes ago, Donw said:

We Humans will bend over backwards to help the weak we make special provision for disabled, provide social benefits for those unable to look after themselves or their family. It is a laudable trait but it does reduce the effect of natural selection from working in the best interests of the species.

Depends how you define “best interests of the species”. Communication and cooperation are humanity’s primary survival traits (opposable thumbs and tool-use merely expedite things) and caring for the weakest is an extension of that, and a natural consequence of being able to rationally look forward to a future time when we might personally be disadvantaged and in need of support. Indeed, it is possible to view “civilisation” as a process which ultimately leads to us being able to care for those less fortunate. Whether the “less fortunate” reproduce or not is a separate issue.

[Donw]

4 hours ago, Regularity said:

Depends how you define “best interests of the species”. Communication and cooperation are humanity’s primary survival traits (opposable thumbs and tool-use merely expedite things) and caring for the weakest is an extension of that, and a natural consequence of being able to rationally look forward to a future time when we might personally be disadvantaged and in need of support. Indeed, it is possible to view “civilisation” as a process which ultimately leads to us being able to care for those less fortunate. Whether the “less fortunate” reproduce or not is a separate issue.

 

In the past civilisations have weakened over time and been overcome by 'less' civilised tribes will our go the same way?

 

Don

[Compound2632]

11 minutes ago, Donw said:

 

In the past civilisations have weakened over time and been overcome by 'less' civilised tribes will our go the same way?

 

Don

 

Yes, but where would you get a good barbarian horde nowadays?

[wagonman]

2 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Yes, but where would you get a good barbarian horde nowadays?

 

Rent-a-Horde?

[wagonman]

There is archaeological evidence that neolithic groups cared for, and even cherished, crippled members of their tribe. As Simon said, it's compassion and cooperation that have allowed Hom Sap to become the dominant species on the planet. Hopefully the same traits will also stop it from destroying said planet...

 

 

[Edwardian]

19 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Yes, but where would you get a good barbarian horde nowadays?

 

Wisbech?

 

They strike quickly, crippling the enemy infantry before wheeling away to safety on their mobility scooters.   

[jcredfer]

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

 

Wisbech?

 

They strike quickly, crippling the enemy infantry before wheeling away to safety on their mobility scooters.   

 

But only on the old traditional Thursday Pension day.

 

Julian

{Assaulted, wounded, beaten, trolley dodger, wheelchair dancer and currently, Wednesday shopper - who says we oldies can't learn new tricks.}

 

[Guy Rixon]

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

 

Wisbech?

 

They strike quickly, crippling the enemy infantry before wheeling away to safety on their mobility scooters.   

Yep, they're all Danes, marooned here by the plague. But not Covid-19, the one from the 8th century.

[brack]

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Yes, but where would you get a good barbarian horde nowadays?

Comments section of any newspaper website?

[Regularity]

1 hour ago, brack said:

Comments section of any newspaper website?

Have your say on the BBC is always good for that...