#Cocktail - Flu Cocktail

30ml Rye/Bourbon, 30ml Cognac, 15ml Lime, 22ml Ginger syrup+Soda or Ginger beer. Collins glass, big ice.

Feel free to add a dash of orange bitters, angostura, a sprig of mint. Or all of them with a dash of Absinthe as well.

I feel seen.

I'm just going for a walk, don't wait up.

Get up from the keyboard, walk over to the window. Open it and shout out to the world :

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more"

#Cocktail - Twentieth Century Buck

45ml Bourbon, 15ml Jamaican Rum, 22ml Lime. Built in a collins glass. Topped with 20ml Ginger syrup & 100ml soda or a strong ginger beer like Old Jamaica or Fentimans. And a big rectangular ice cuboid. And a straw.

There are lots of "Bucks". 60ml Spirit, 15ml Lime, 22ml Ginger syrup+Soda / Ginger beer, Collins.

Went for a walk last night to see the aurora from a darker place. First time for me and spectacular even in South England.

But kept walking. And now I'm a little short of sleep and a little hungover. Hey Ho.

Out among the walking wounded. We all know someone having trouble coping.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/10/britain-mental-health-society-neoliberalism-politicians

#GTTO

I'm all for stubborn optimism but not at the expense of reality denial.

Head of the UN climate change convention from 2010 to 2016 finishes the article with:-

> A world in which we pass 1.5C is not set in stone.

OK?!?!?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/09/climate-scientists-despair-stubborn-optimism-paris-2015-climate

#climate

This is what UK Gov, UKHSA and the NHS means by "Living With Covid". It really should be called "Ignoring Covid for Fun and Profit".

Adam Finn (JVCI member) on BBC4 yesterday.
> “We’re in a very different place with almost everyone in the population immune to SARS-CoV-2...”

He's an important member and spokesperson for the group (JVCI) that decides on vax policy in the UK.

He's genuinely proposing immunity from infection via repeated infection.

If we're all so immune, why are people still getting Covid. And why are Covid Hospital admissions rising so fast?

Important thread critique.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1788572594926477659.html

MotoGP live video is annoyingly hard to find. Why isn't it front and centre on the website? Or maybe there is no live video of MotoE 1st practice?

https://www.motogp.com/en

Cicadapocalypse has begun!

https://www.vox.com/science/24145316/cicadas-2024-double-brood-xiii-xix-maps-noises

It's UK & England Covid Stats day again. I wonder what positive spin will be put on the missing data this time around. And what data will be newly missing.

> An unexpected part of the responses to the survey was the level of personal anguish scientists say they have experienced, with many describing a profound sense of hopelessness and frustration at the lack of urgency given to the growing crisis. Said one: “What the fuck do we have to do to tell people how serious this is?”

Maybe talk direct instead of filtering it through the IPCC political game.

Worms ate my brain!

Not now, pork tapeworm larva!

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/08/robert-f-kennedy-jr-worm-brain

Well, that explains a lot about RFK Jr.

68 today. I've been waiting for the axe to fall since I woke up and found myself in a body in Western Europe in 1972. Still waiting.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2024/may/08/hopeless-and-broken-why-the-worlds-top-climate-scientists-are-in-despair

By 2100? That's only 76 years and less than one lifetime away. Pah! What about by 2124?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/08/world-scientists-climate-failure-survey-global-temperature

#climate

The official guide to conspiracy theories to avoid. To be given to MPs and Candidates in the UK.

https://antisemitism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Conspiracy-Theory-Guide.pdf

As described here.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/07/what-conspiracy-theories-are-uk-mps-being-told-to-look-out-for

Just heard on Radio 4.

> Rome grew by absorbing people and cultures and turning them into Romans.

Well, the EU grew by absorbing nations and turning them into Europeans.

The EU should keep going until it's at least Arctic to Sahara and Atlantic to Urals, Caspian and Gulf.

Israel bombing Rafah
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/07/israel-attack-rafah-gaza-details-latest-updated-idf-reject-hamas-ceasefire

> 12 Republican senators threatening ICC chief prosecutor @KarimKhanQC with "severe" consequences for him, his family & staff if he goes ahead with an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. "You have been warned."

https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan/status/1787503022299332951

Gaza : Can you see what it is yet?

Macklemore - Hind's Hall 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hImEf_Mt2c

via
https://twitter.com/macklemore/status/1787616471738368099

Climate Records incoming

Looks like April 24 was the 11th consecutive month of a record for that month of global average 2m air temperature. There's a 7 day delay on the main source so expect news reports over the next couple of days..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/05/02/record-warm-april-climate-earth/

https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/t2_daily/?dm_id=world

https://pulse.climate.copernicus.eu/

Daily Average 60S-60N Sea Surface Temperature is still off the charts.
https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/sst_daily/

Luckily I've still got a couple of weeks left on my discovery+ sub from last time this happened.

Except it gets worse. Discovery+ coverage is missing the build up. That's only available on Eurosport streaming. From the same company but on a different subscription.

Why is this all so fuxxered? And why do the BSB owners and promoters allow it? in the TV contracts they agreed to?

BSB Motor Cycling at Oulton Park. There's no other M/C racing this weekend. First BSB race is at 13:15. So what does TNT Sports, Discovery+, Eurosport/Quest do? Put it on Discovery+ which you can't get on Virgin and is not part of the TNT Sports subscription so you have to pay the extra $7pm.

Instead we've got Repair shop repeats, Cycling, Snooker, Aus Rules, UEFA, Serie A, women's indoor 5 a side. Only the BSB feature race at 16:00 is live on Eurosports 2.

Really?

#Cocktail - Express (aka Highland, Ohio)

40ml Scotch, 40ml Red Vermouth, Angostura, Cherry

Hmmm. Seems to be a thing with Scotch manhattans to use equal quantities of spirit and vermouth. Maybe it's old.

#Cocktail - Rum Hound

50ml Jamaican Rum (Appleton's Kingston 62 Gold), 20ml Cointreau, 20ml Lemon

Another sidecar. But Funky.

What's happening on the watery side of the Earth?

It's hot.

https://pulse.climate.copernicus.eu/

#climate

Made today with a Christmas present vermouth.
https://www.alburyvineyard.com/products/vermouth

It's good, but I'm a bit of a traditionalist, liking Cocchi & Carpano best. This one's quite wormwood forward and a little too sweet for me. Probably should drink straight and finish the bottle before passing judgement.

#Cocktail - Gin & It (Gladman)

50ml Gin, 50ml Red Vermouth, dash Orange Bitters, Rocks, orange (lemon) twist

https://newsletter.anthonygladman.com/p/all-hail-the-gin-and-it
@drinkswriter

A Vermouth heavy version instead of being a Gin Manhattan (50:25 Angostura) served up.

@drinkstodon

Mildly disappointed that I haven't seen any Smiley Riot Shields in the news footage coming out of the USA.

https://jamescauty.com/work/smiley-riot-shields/

Pseud's Corner

> Well, pisco leaves no such room to hide. What you’re tasting when you taste pisco - i.e. sunshine refracted through Andean waterfalls, dew on a desert morning, the shadow of a condor over a dying conquistador, the theme to the greatest children’s TV show of all time - is more or less pisco as it comes, straight from the still.

#Cocktail
@drinkstodon

If the Government won't do it, is there any potential for a simple website where people self report LFT tests and the system then collates and graphs the results? Back in the day, the ZOE Covid tracker allowed you to self-report +ve Covid tests.

How hard would that be?

#Cocktail - Juliet & Romeo

50ml gin, 15ml lime juice, 10ml dbl syrup, Three mint leaves, Three slices cucumber, Pinch salt, dash Angostura, single drop of rose water, muddle, shake, dbl strain.

A Gimlet with a bit extra. Rose water is strictly optional unless you bake.

If you're leaving it late to vote today, note that Veteran Soldiers ID, Police Warrant card ID & NHS staff ID are not valid Voter IDs.

https://stopthetories.vote/

Completely unrepresentative numbers are on the rise. Probably means the real numbers are rising as well.

https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/

New Covid wave incoming? Sudden rise in positivity of the few tests still being made.

Just in time for the May bank holidays & summer term. With exams in big rooms with no filters.

https://twitter.com/1goodtern/status/1786027708184515036

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1786027708184515036.html

UK Covid Vax

Has anyone managed to get a private, paid, Covid Vax yet? Or heard of anyone getting one?

Spring 2024 campaign is starting with a quick initial ramp up, but a much reduced eligibility.

Total
1,335,793
Older adult care home resident
121,140
Aged 75+
1,057,228
Immunosuppressed (aged 6 months+)
118,948

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/

New post from Richard Godwin. An index to all the recipes published on his blog so far.

https://thespirits.substack.com/p/the-recipes-indexed

@drinkstodon

Not all good, but he introduced me to non-trad sours with less citrus and more balance. Like this
https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/5802/takumis-aviation

Haven't seen this before. All the UK elections where you can vote Green and still get the Tory out.

1) Should Vote Green to #GTTO
2) Can Vote Green and still #GTTO

https://stopthetories.vote/for/greens

Same for LibDems
https://stopthetories.vote/for/libdems

VOTE!

If you haven't used your postal vote, you can hand deliver it to any local polling station. I believe.

Today's the day we start getting the Tories out. #GTTO

VOTE!

https://stopthetories.vote

They're all Hunts. #ATAC, right?

ps don't forget your ID

First swift on 1 May. A week early. Huzzah!

#Cocktail - French Daiquiri

50ml Light Rum, 20ml Lime, 20ml Cassis, 6 mint leaves, muddle, shake, dbl strain, mint sprig

A bit weird but not unpleasant. Would make again.

Is there any connection between Covid infection episodes and new diagnoses of M-S? I've tried some google searches but studies (if they exist) don't seem conclusive.

Could it be one of the more extreme long covid outcomes?

Not for me.

24 hours till we start getting the Tories out. #GTTO

VOTE!

https://stopthetories.vote/

#ATAC, #ACAC, #ATAB, #ACAB, right?

Don't forget your ID. Remind your family, friends, fans and colleagues.

April's average 60S-60N Sea Surface Temp was definitely another record month. Well above last year's all time record (Aug) for the whole month.
https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/sst_daily/

April's average Global 2m Air temp was probably another record month but it was close compared with April-23.
https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/t2_daily/?dm_id=world
https://pulse.climate.copernicus.eu/

#Climate

This week I have mostly been ...

Bustling in the hedgerow

So farewell then, MC Conrad

Legendary jungle and drum & bass vocalist, collaborator with LTJ Bukem.

52

https://ra.co/news/80633

Thread critiquing just one of the graphs in the survey report. A deliberate deception on people's reports of when their long covid started. To make it look like long covid is less common now after a bout of covid than it was 2 years ago. It turns out the incidence of new "Long Covid" sufferers is actually flat & constant. And the cumulative numbers of "Long Covid" sufferers is rising.

Surprise!

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1785018574572228912.html

Bonus link https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/25/about-2m-people-long-covid-england-scotland-ons-figures

Two articles and not a single mention of Covid.

Schools can't recruit or retain teachers
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/30/parents-voters-ministers-run-out-teachers-recruitment-schools

Tories should stop making us ill
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/29/prime-minister-signed-off-work-tories-sicknote-government

Lots of reasons for both. Covid denial is one of them.

Special Forces Tourism
- Everything in a city in 24 hours, repeat, 7 cities in 7 days

Hit & Run Tourism
- Fly in, see the one attraction, fly out

Last Chance Tourism
- After the Polycrisis, it'll be gone

https://old.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1cg92nl/what_is_a_last_chance_tourism_opportunity_you/