Week 18: 26 July – 1 August 2020

Sunday 26 July

Adverts by the Lincoln Project are being released hard and fast. Seeing them every day. Well produced and hard hitting campaign to unseat the current t..t President of the USA.

[embed]https://youtu.be/gsaO3v4SvwA[/embed]

Monday 27 July

The famous cognitive test video and yes he’s being deadly serious. His country is being exterminated and he’s worried about his cognitive test.

[embed]https://twitter.com/projectlincoln/status/1286105602205405184?s=21[/embed]

Animals caught in the act and looking very guilty!

https://twitter.com/mikewarburton/status/1286748716230217728?s=21

I like this statement, it’s to the point accurate and ever so worrying indeed.

https://twitter.com/matthaig1/status/1286925833639264257?s=21

I’ve no idea and am not a conspiracy theory expert. But is this one of them?

[embed]https://twitter.com/sheluvstga/status/1286578975045754882?s=21[/embed]

Sarah Cooper has risen to great highs with her Trump lip sync videos, if you haven’t seen them go and find them on YouTube. This tweet of hers is on the money too.

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1287055677559648258?s=21[/embed]

And everyone is weighing in on the big mask debate.

[embed]https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/1286789081750474754?s=21[/embed]

Tuesday 28 July

I am still in awe of sarah Cooper, so may have posted this before, but posting it again.

[embed]https://twitter.com/stayingaliveuk/status/1286912872484950016?s=20[/embed]

Wednesday 29 July

I am impressed, very impressed with investigative reporters, they go to the end of the earth to uncover, the cover-ups, the liars, cheats, rogues, crooks and abusers. They deserve a Nobel peace prize as far as I’m concerned.

[embed]https://twitter.com/stayingaliveuk/status/1287468847033876484?s=20[/embed]

“To give employees the ability to plan ahead, we are extending our global voluntary work from home option through June 30, 2021 for roles that don’t need to be in the office,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in an email to employees.

What do Google know that we don’t yet? Scary World!

Thursday 30 July

I feel bad but I’m annoyed. A recruitment consultant wanted to connect with me. I wasn’t so sure, will he pitch me? He’s in digital so they must be good folks right? Wrong!

Within a day of connecting I get this message via LinkedIn.

Hi Michael, thanks for connecting. I’ve noticed you’re hiring for your business currently, is there any way I can help you? Very keen to work with you and get some CVs over to you :)

I called him, after all his mobile number is on his profile! After he told me that he was convinced I was hiring, he acted confused and maybe it was a mistake, my annoyance for being spammed and lied to made me rage-quit the connection.

I tagged the CEO and the Company and within minutes I got a call, which I couldn't take and probably wouldn’t have taken.

The voice message said he sent me an email on LinkedIn, of course it was an InMail inside LinkedIn. I have since blocked him as well, sorry!

Hi Michael, You came up in my search criteria due to the fact that you had your profile set to “Open to new opportunities”. I work with both clients and candidates simultaneously and today being quite a busy / challenging day — I have got my wires crossed clearly and innocently sent you the wrong message. I apologise for the mistake I’ve made but when you called me out of the blue I was juggling about 4/5 different things and I dropped the ball. I’m genuinely quite upset you’ve decided to publicly out me on LinkedIn. My livelihood depends quite often on word of mouth. That’s why I have so many recommendations on my profile stating the stellar service I provide. I very kindly ask you to remove your post naming and shaming me as it’s potentially very damaging to my livelihood. During these difficult times we need all the help we can get.

Senior Recruitment Consultant at Gold Group.

I failed in this instance, I wasn’t able to stay compassionate.

UPDATE: 4 August. The consultant contacted me by phone and left a voice message to say he found this blog post and asked me to remove it. So I removed any reference of his name and part of his title as not to expose him. I refuse to remove the company name. This kind of behaviour by recruiters is just not acceptable and has to stop. Maybe just maybe they will change their behaviour. Suggesting COVID-19, juggling too many things will not convince me. Someone pressed the invite button and someone had to type that message and press send knowing it was a lie. Enough!

I’ve learnt something today. I was wondering why I see a lot of profiles on Twitter with the pronouns ‘she/her’ in them. Anyway I googled it and this answer came up on Quora. Is it true? It sounds credible to me.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain reported 846 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest daily number in over a month, official data showed.

The data, published on the government’s website, showed the daily total was last higher on June 28, when 901 new cases were recorded.

This is not good news!

Friday 31 July

Wow the end of the month already, where has wet and cold July gone already? Well it ended with the 3rd hottest day on record in the UK.

The Lincoln project are appealing to the Republican voters who have been in a coma, what an amazing story this is!

TikTok, which I did go on for about 1 day and then came off, will be banned in the UK. Sarah Cooper had something to say about this, oh wait, I mean Donal Trump, but what did he actually say?

…NOTHING!

[embed]https://youtu.be/-YtxfJyTSR0[/embed]

A Centivax Covid19 update, the guys and girls from Distributed Bio, who appeared in the Netflix Documentary Pandemic. I really respect what these folks are doing.

[embed]https://youtu.be/0OfpBE_tgwg[/embed]

Saturday 1 August

Oh blast, you still can’t edit your tweets on Twitter and I made a mistake. I wrote cyclers instead of cyclists!!

[embed]https://twitter.com/stayingaliveuk/status/1289573560198078465?s=21[/embed]

I cycle 3 times per week on the main roads, for exercise and it means I’m amongst the traffic. Virtually all cars pass me at full speed, even though I’m wearing a yellow vest that says: ‘POLITE NOTICE THINK BIKE’, nobody takes any notice and yes it’s very scary most of the time. When you have massive lorries passing you at full speed and the wind from those machines nearly throwing you off line, it’s not nice. I can only explain it by the fact that those drivers don’t ride a cycle on the roads and therefore have no empathy for cyclists. It sucks to be honest because it’s been the same for 43 years, the time that I’ve lived in the U.K. if they did cycle they wouldn’t behave that way because they know what it’s like. 🥴

Oh my god, every day we learn more how corrupt society and governments are. It makes me sick to think that we all pay these people.

[embed]https://twitter.com/katyjayne101/status/1289482515275603970?s=21[/embed]

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Week 17: 19 July — 25 July 2020

Image by Wordswag - words by Michael de Groot

Sunday 19 July

My ongoing, for 3 months now, issues with disappearing passwords on my iOS devices, iPhone and iPad, is getting stranger by the minute.

I was able to conclusively confirm that even though the passwords are visible, they seem to disappear the second I log in to my iMac. I suspected it the other day, after I had signed out and back into iCloud, which brings them back, but then after a while they disappear. I couldn’t prove that logging into my Mac made it happen, but I opened my iPad and saw the passwords sitting there and the very second I hit return, when logging into my Mac, the passwords just vanished in front of my eyes, poof!

[embed]https://twitter.com/stayingaliveuk/status/1284221974663790592?s=21[/embed]

COVID19 is mutating, which is making it even more infectious around the world. The worst is yet to come? This article is quite informative.

[embed]https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/pandemic-virus-slowly-mutating-it-getting-more-dangerous[/embed]

The room next door with Michael Spicer. Talking in the ears of prominent politicians and they still get it wrong!

[embed]https://twitter.com/mrmichaelspicer/status/1284513268850200577?s=21[/embed]

Monday 20 July

I’m not very often impressed with the adverts on TV, they are a useless interruption, but this one grabbed my attention. They use a type of metaphor called metonymy to get their message across. It’s a type of metaphor, which makes the viewer’s brain work harder in order to work out what the message is. Enjoy!

[embed]https://youtu.be/Au0UW9f3DmY[/embed]

Well here we go, vaccines are in production, almost I suspect and then we will be invited to have the vaccine. Will you have it?

[embed]https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1285113056037605377?s=20[/embed]

How to legally decline a vaccine

STEP 1. Do not ‘refuse’a vaccine otherwise you’ll be considered belligerent. Instead you can politely decline their services by doing the following.

STEP 2. Ask the doctor if the vaccine has MRC-5 in it (they all do, these are aborted foetal cells and other DNA). If it does, you have the right to decline.

STEP 3. Also ask if there is a possibility of a ‘latrogenic reaction’ (an adverse reaction caused by multiple compounds or drugs interacting with each other) from the vaccine (they all do). When the doctor says, ‘Yes it does’, that’s your Get Out Of Jail Free Card’. Thank the doctor for their offer and walk away.

Remember, doctors have sworn the Hippocratic Oath (which is to do no harm) and they MUST honour it. This is how we can legally (and respectfully) decline their offered mandated services and there is absolutely NOTHING they can do about it. Well we hope anyway!

The UK Government have broken GDPR law with the test and trace programme. Yes, I can believe it.

[embed]https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/pandemic-virus-slowly-mutating-it-getting-more-dangerous[/embed]

Working from Home, was trending on Twitter today, so wondered why and found this rather lovely animation of sorts. I love the non-completeness of it all.

[embed]https://twitter.com/sleepy_kc/status/1285045961606094848?s=20[/embed]

Tuesday 21 July

After months of denying the usefulness of face coverings, the UK Government has setup production lines in the UK to make face coverings! This could have been done months ago in preparation of opening up the country and protecting the most vulnerable people in society.

[embed]https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/pandemic-virus-slowly-mutating-it-getting-more-dangerous[/embed]

We all need a good cat video from time to time!

[embed]https://twitter.com/MerielMyers/status/1284979798830350340?s=20[/embed]

Men don’t want to wear masks! Either they refuse, they are too macho or they don’t believe in the science. Either way they have no respect for their fellow human being. Read the article below and be amazed at their attitude.

[embed]https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/pandemic-virus-slowly-mutating-it-getting-more-dangerous[/embed]

Now here is an interesting thread on Facebook on the subject of wearing of mask. Men suggesting many things why they will not wear a mask. Unbelievable!

https://www.facebook.com/jpdvceocoach/posts/10156935044755793

Wednesday 22 July

It sounds like governments around the world are giving in to the refusal of wearing masks finally. Even if it is made mandatory in all public enclosed places, it is a good thing. After all, the report from the experts doesn’t look good. You’d better get your wardrobe of facemasks sorted out.

The UK will be living with coronavirus for many years to come and even a vaccine is unlikely to eliminate it for good, experts are warning.

Wellcome Trust director Prof Sir Jeremy Farrar told the House of Commons’ Health Committee “things will not be done by Christmas”.

He went on to say humanity would be living with the virus for “decades”.

It comes after the prime minister said last week he hoped for a return to normality by Christmas.

Boris Johnson made the comments as he set out plans to further ease restrictions, including the opening of leisure centres and indoor swimming pools later this month and the prospect of mass gatherings being allowed from the autumn.

But experts giving evidence to the cross-party group of MPs said it was important to be realistic that the virus would still be here.

Sir Jeremy, a member of Sage, the government advisory body, said the world would be living with Covid-19 for “very many, many years to come”.

“Things will not be done by Christmas. This infection is not going away, it’s now a human endemic infection.

“Even, actually, if we have a vaccine or very good treatments, humanity will still be living with this virus for very many, many years…. decades to come.”

He urged against complacency during the summer, saying the period was a “crucial phase” to prevent a second wave.

“If we have any sense of complacency of ‘this is behind us’, then we will undoubtedly have a second wave, and we could easily be in the same situation again.”

He said it was important to further build up testing capacity as well as investing in treatments and vaccines.

Vaccine ‘unlikely to have durable effect’

Prof Sir John Bell, of the University of Oxford, said he thought it was unlikely that Covid-19 would ever be eliminated despite the positive news announced on Monday that trials by his university had triggered an immune response — an important step in developing a vaccine.

“The reality is that this pathogen is here forever, it isn’t going anywhere,” he told MPs.

“Look at how much trouble they’ve had in eliminating, for example, polio, that eradication programme has been going on for 15 years and they’re still not there.

“So this is going to come and go, and we’re going to get winters where we get a lot of this virus back in action.

“The vaccine is unlikely to have a durable effect that’ll last for a very long time, so we’re going to have to have a continual cycle of vaccinations, and then more disease, and more vaccinations and more disease.

“So I think the idea that we’re going to eliminate it across the population, that’s just not realistic.”

Tony Robbins is doing his UPW event live via Zoom. 23,000 people from 138 countries wow!

[embed]https://youtu.be/0Y0UW8Je2Fs[/embed]

Thursday 23 July 2020

Stephen Colbert’s interview with Tom Hanks who of course got Covid19 in Australia. The interview is in 3 parts in a playlist below. Tom Hanks is Donating his Plasma to help other patients recover from Covid-19.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1DrvSW1_WqjjWiYq6YoubeRrpWAC_S3Y

Updates on Covid19, US centric via Medium. It’s a useful standstill report on the situation in the USA in the main.

  • Case count: There are over 3.9 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and over 14.9 million confirmed cases worldwide. So far more than 142,000 Americans have died from Covid-19.
  • President Donald Trump urges mask-wearing: The president also said in a press briefing that the outbreak will likely “get worse before it gets better.”
  • The stimulus plan debate continues: Republicans announced on Tuesday that they plan to provide $105 billion for schools, direct payments to American families, and more aid for struggling small businesses. Read more.
  • The CDC says the number of people infected with Covid-19 far exceeds the number of reported cases: Data suggests the infection rates for some regions are anywhere from two to 13 times higher than reported, the agency reports.
  • The European Union agrees to a stimulus plan: The 750 billion euro ($857 billion) stimulus agreement was spearheaded by Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France. Read more.

Now this is an interesting interview. Mary Trump talks about her uncle Donald Trump on the Stephen Colbert show! Below is a playlist with 3 parts to the interview.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1DrvSW1_WqgM1mq4SgxOx0IVlTuL2-ec

And here is Stephen Colbert’s monologue, which I have missed watching. It’s not quite the same without an audience, because there’s no laughter or boos going on when he delivers his jokes and horrible Trump stories.

[embed]https://youtu.be/Lv0Tosgb0Ss[/embed]

Friday 24 July 2020

Oh my, Sarah Cooper has done it again, they just get better every time. 
👏👏👏👏👏

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8oaaP68i4s[/embed]

Saturday 25 July

Nice advert for Apple iGlass but it’s not real yet.

[embed]https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/pandemic-virus-slowly-mutating-it-getting-more-dangerous[/embed]

A day out of time

It was a significant day for him to cross over, I learnt about this day when I went to meet with Masaru Emoto a Japanese scientist who photographed ice crystals, his lab photographed the water I used to sell, if you remember?? Wattwiller and the crystals were beautiful showing the water was so pure. Anyway, I attended a water ceremony and that’s when I learnt about the ‘day out of time’.

Below is what the mystical writings say about the 25th July, you don’t have to believe it, I just thought it was interesting that Papa decided to cross on this day.

“July 25th is called “The Day Out of Time“, since it is the culmination of the 13 Moon Calendar year originated from the Mayan science of time – it closes 13 moons of 28 days = 364 days. In this sense, the day out of time is the extra day, the 365th day, the last day of the galactic year in the Mayan calendar.

As a day free of time, it’s said to be charged with spiritual energy and with an atypical opening of energy portals, which allows a more intense connection with the spiritual world.

On July 25th we enter the day out of time portal, a place where all and nothing exists simultaneously. In the same way it re-aligns the 13 Moon calendar and solar year, it is also a special day to realign our own energies. We need to see it as a moment of change, projection and evaluation, perfect to let go what no longer serves us and that shouldn’t be part of the new cycle that now begins. Gratitude is also one of the best exercises we can do on this date. We should be grateful especially for what has troubled us, since it has made us move forward. Perhaps it is for the difficulties we have most to thank for, receiving with equal joy the lessons they have left.”

On this day Bradley completed his hours of community service and completed his sentence as a result of having a fight in the street. He received compliments for his work. Let’s hope he’s learnt his lesson.

The way that Trump addresses women, except Ghislaine Maxwell, he wishes her well! Oops! 🥴

[embed]https://youtu.be/ZM3PXONHFUg[/embed]

The USA Covid19 daily briefings are coming back. It’s going to be a (S)HIT show!

On another note. I commented on the post below on LinkedIn. I can’t remember the exact words now, but basically said that I felt sick in my stomach reading this announcement whilst the rest of the country is on its knees. To know that lawyers are raking it in, is not something we need reminding of. They deleted my comment and I disconnected from Yvonne. By all means brag, but brag amongst yourselves.

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Week 16: 12 July — 18 July 2020

Image by Wordswag - words by Michael de Groot

Sunday 12 July

It was a beautiful day today. We’ve had a load of rain in the past week, so it was nice to see and feel the sun again. As we did last week, we went to a local farm shop to purchase fresh cherries and at the same time enjoy a little brunch, whilst sitting amongst the orchard.

When we went into the farm shop to purchase cherries and a few other items, we met a lady coming out of the shop, who was wearing a face mask. She noticed that we were both wearing a face mask, as we were about to walk into the shop. She turned around and said how delighted she was to see someone else wearing a face mask and how astounded she was that there was nobody else in the shop wearing a mask.

It was nice to know that others feel the same as us. Wearing a mask protects me, but it is also a sign of respect for you.

So Trump releases his friend Roger Stone from a prison term. He hadn’t actually gone to jail as yet.

[embed]https://twitter.com/mittromney/status/1281937795616067586?s=21[/embed]

To mask or no to mask, that is the question! 😷

[embed]https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stayingaliveuk_to-mask-or-not-to-mask-that-is-the-question-activity-6688340980787097600-coPg[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/stayingaliveuk/status/1282575695387009024?s=20[/embed]

Monday 13 July

I attended, virtually through MS teams, the STEAMhouse conference. Unfortunately it was full of presentations, introductions, jargon. The same story as I’ve heard many times before in this current period during Covid19.

Quite disappointed as the story just seems to be the same over and over without any specific action happening. Am I being too critical about the project and is it because of Covid19 that things are not progressing further?

They state that Cohort is key. I am still waiting for things to happen, several months on after being accepted onto the programme, my second time around. Not sure what’s going on, or even what’s going wrong?

John Di Domenico Trump with his latest rant on his siter Mary (Loser) Trump.

[embed]https://youtu.be/nI9XnQsi4rg[/embed]

And his latest mask parade. The other people should be wearing the mask. I am not the problem!

[embed]https://youtu.be/LEcgC9WiosM[/embed]

Now we learn the the UK government had their data wrong when it comes to people being tested. It was just a con, to make us all feel better about the progress that was being made. Wow, I am not surprised!

[embed]https://youtu.be/ZO51CwYKT2c[/embed]

Oh dear Florida.

Florida has recorded the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases in any US state since the beginning of the pandemic, with over 15,000 new positive tests.

According to state Department of Health statistics, 15,299 people tested positive for a total of 269,811 cases.

California had the previous record of daily positive cases at 11,694 four days ago, while New York had 11,571 on April 15.

The numbers come at the end of a grim, record-breaking week in Florida, with 514 fatalities.

Mental Health = Mental

Tuesday 14 July

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CBNmTVZsDKS/?igshid=1udwmho14wa69[/embed]

Pip the dog definitely has the right body language for this period we’re going through.

Wednesday 15 July

Sarah Cooper is at it again.

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1283499165935378433?s=20[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1282974881064206336?s=20[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/robertwhitejoke/status/1282632178615164928?s=20[/embed]

The tweet above is in relation to the UK government changing its guidance on mask wearing and especially some members of parliament saying, it should be up to the people to use common sense and then in the end the guidance has come out that it’s now compulsory from July 24th in shops and yet in the clip below, you can hear that some of the people in charge aren’t clear themselves.

[embed]https://twitter.com/JimMFelton/status/1283684943776878594?s=20[/embed]

This following tweet explains further in a really great quote that delaying the masks for over 1 week seems to be a stupid idea, basically why don’t do it straight away?

[embed]https://twitter.com/mrmarksteel/status/1282923962763292673?s=20[/embed]

This following story is about a Twitter connection’s son who was misdiagnosed but nevertheless ended up in hospital where he witnessed first hand that the Covid ward was apocalyptic!

[embed]https://twitter.com/DonaldClark/status/1282986767998648320?s=20[/embed]

Thursday 16 July 2020

Twitter and celebrity accounts were hacked by a bitcoin scam that actually worked! This tweet was a great explanation of the twitter security measures. How did it happen? Some celebs are unhappy that they weren’t hacked!

[embed]https://twitter.com/datsmenagesh/status/1283644709273874433?s=20[/embed]

Mary Trump, Donald’s niece is doing the rounds publicising her book. Could this be the final nail, I don’t think so, Donald is like Teflon to his supporters.

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1283909441457356802?s=20[/embed]

At just before midnight, the doorbell went. I never heard it but my wife did. Neither of us wanted to get it, it can only be bad news. Then my wife got a phone call from her eldest son, saying he was at the front door with the police. Oh my god what’s happened now? Turns out he was walking home at half past 11pm and got harassed by 3 youths who then proceeded to attack him, beat him up and rob him. As he walked through the door he just said that he had been mugged.

So the next hour was spent him giving a statement to two police officers, one male and one female. The next day he was due to carry out community service, his fine for beating up someone in the street outside our house earlier in the year. So it was ironic, this now happened to him.

Of course he spent the night with us and I took him to his community serice to make sure he gets the hours done, then I took him to the minor injury clinic to get his bruises, aches and pains checked out. All seems to be fine, the biggest bruise I think is to his ego. He now is desperate to move away from where he lives, he blames the area. To be fair you can be mugged in any area of any town or city. Walking on your own with a back pack, which happened to be filled with booze, late at night you are a target. He was lucky that they didn’t have any knives on them.

Phew, it’s never boring at the de Groot’s household with these boys, although they don’t live with us.

Friday 17 July

Was spent mainly running around for my stepson, community service, collecting gear from his apartment and collect stuff from our home and then dropping him to his friends, in the town he hates now. This too will pass…

If birds had arms, hysterical!

[embed]https://twitter.com/Curlykidlife/status/1283825426251603976?s=20[/embed]

Saturday 18 July

The best article on aerosols from Covid19 I found on Vox.com. This is important, very important.

[embed]https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stayingaliveuk_to-mask-or-not-to-mask-that-is-the-question-activity-6688340980787097600-coPg[/embed]

Lydia Bouroubia’s lab captured this video of all the droplets unleashed by a sneeze. JAMA

Incredible Trump continues to believe his own stories.

[embed]https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1283034261969403904?s=21[/embed]

That’s probably enough for this week.

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Week 15: 5 July —11 July 2020

Image by Wordswag - words by Michael de Groot

Sunday 5 July

Well we ventured out today. But don’t get too excited. We, Clair and I went to a farm shop and sat outside in the blowing wind amidst the orchard and had a Sunday brunch. We also met a couple of friends. They sat opposite us, very socially distanced. It was a nice thing to do after 14 weeks being locked down.

Monday 6 July

Sarah Cooper strikes again. This is probably the best one as yet!

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1280189253637607424?s=20[/embed]

It’s a competition now between Sarah Cooper and John Di Domenico, although I do believe they compliment each other really well.

[embed]https://youtu.be/wbOfku2QfOs[/embed]

Tuesday 7 July

Who in the world decides to stab paramedics, the very people on the front line, soldiers, who are saving our lives. I hope they lock them up and throw away the key.

[embed]https://twitter.com/priincessjesss/status/1280237522442993665?s=21[/embed]

I’ve come to the conclusion that 90% of the world’s population don’t know their own IT. The skill base is dreadful and it desperately needs fixing, especially in the U.K.

With Coronavirus everyone says we must follow the science but will they accept the latest findings by 239 scientists from 32 countries? This is more frightening then saying there’s a hurricane about to hit our shores. This hurricane is silent and there’s nowhere to hunker down. Aerosol particles are everywhere.

[embed]https://twitter.com/abcnewslive/status/1280544879257452544?s=21[/embed]

[embed]https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-airborne/who-acknowledges-evidence-emerging-of-airborne-spread-of-covid-19-idUSKBN2482AU[/embed]

Wednesday 8 July

Australia closes state borders.

[embed]https://twitter.com/reuters/status/1280735867313799168?s=21[/embed]

Sarah Cooper lip synced live on July 4th during Trump’s speech.

[embed]https://youtu.be/9FkkddGdt4M[/embed]

Nigel Farage walks into a pub…

[embed]https://twitter.com/munyachawawa/status/1279771012134064135?s=21[/embed]

PPE disaster in the UK meant the UK government took desperate measures, we will never know if they made the correct decisions and wasted millions of UK taxpayers money.

[embed]https://twitter.com/DarylOld/status/1280775606880415745?s=20[/embed]

Thursday 9 July

Trump believes all will be great in 2 weeks. Oh yeah we’ve heard that before.

[embed]https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-airborne/who-acknowledges-evidence-emerging-of-airborne-spread-of-covid-19-idUSKBN2482AU[/embed]

Friday 9 July

Coloured film 1902. WOW!

https://twitter.com/mikewarburton/status/1280405483334090752?s=21

Sarah Cooper strikes again, with how to cognitive.

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1281631729409822722?s=21[/embed]

Saturday 11 July

So wondering how this short report is going to work out.

In late June, scientists announced they had discovered a new strain of the H1N1 flu strain spreading among pig farm workers in China, and cautioned it could turn into a pandemic unless controlled. This past week, the Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan warned its nationals about an “unknown pneumonia” with a higher fatality rate than COVID-19 spreading there.

[embed]https://twitter.com/joenbc/status/1281408605074477058?s=21[/embed]

This is the way to deal with COVID.

[embed]https://twitter.com/rexchapman/status/1281378576319815680?s=21[/embed]

I shared on LinkedIn my concern for the USA.

[embed]https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-airborne/who-acknowledges-evidence-emerging-of-airborne-spread-of-covid-19-idUSKBN2482AU[/embed]

The issue with COVID is that we don’t understand its force.

Finally I created my own showreel. Something I’ve been meaning to do for years.

[embed]https://youtu.be/VhjUTy-CLyE[/embed]

It’s been another weird week.

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Week 14: 28 June — 4 July 2020

Image by Wordswag - words by Michael de Groot

Sunday 28 June

Facebook are a little poorer this week. About 8 billion poorer and that’s because they believe in free speech a little too much. But big brands are voting with their marketing dollars.

[embed]https://twitter.com/benandjerrys/status/1275538139235397633?s=21[/embed][embed]https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/06/27/facebook-ad-boycott-hate-speech-biggest-brands-verizon-coca-cola/3270335001/[/embed][embed]https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/06/27/facebook-ad-boycott-hate-speech-biggest-brands-verizon-coca-cola/3270335001/[/embed]

After an embarrassing turnout in Tulsa prompted a presidential hissy fit, Team Trump is reportedly racing to ensure that plans for the Republican National Convention are foolproof.

[embed]https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/06/27/facebook-ad-boycott-hate-speech-biggest-brands-verizon-coca-cola/3270335001/[/embed]

Are the people in the USA finally realising that Trump is dust? I sincerely hope so.

Monday 29 June

The debate on face coverings trundles on. The U.K. once again shows arrogance. Even in the USA some politicians are wearing masks. Trump excluded of course.

[embed]https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/06/27/facebook-ad-boycott-hate-speech-biggest-brands-verizon-coca-cola/3270335001/[/embed]

The US of A, is also making a hash of it, playing with people’s lives and some Trump followers (dickheads) are clearly trying to make a point, see image below.

[embed]https://twitter.com/brynntannehill/status/1277211131430535168?s=21[/embed]

Masks, masks, masks.

[embed]https://twitter.com/drtomfrieden/status/1277638088555102208?s=21[/embed]

Tuesday 30 June

E.U. Formalizes Reopening, Barring Travelers From U.S.

The bloc will allow visitors from 15 countries, but the United States, Brazil and Russia were among the notable absences from the safe list.

The USA banned the EU very early on in the pandemic, so it’s only right that they ban the USA now. Wonder if Trump will react with a tariff?

Yes Sarah Cooper the Trump ads!!

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1277750612101345280?s=21[/embed]

The USA is leading the charge.

[embed]https://twitter.com/dleonhardt/status/1277553289178071041?s=21[/embed]

Beautiful clear masks on Indiegogo but would you buy it?

[embed]https://twitter.com/profgalloway/status/1278172979080441859?s=20[/embed]

Wednesday 1 July

A new month and some weird stuff happening on planet Earth. First they found a new planet 40 times bigger than Earth!

[embed]https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/06/27/facebook-ad-boycott-hate-speech-biggest-brands-verizon-coca-cola/3270335001/[/embed]

Facebook, Facebook what have you NOT done?

More than 100 major brands, from Unilever to Verizon, have pulled advertising from the platform after civil rights groups called for a boycott in the past week. Facebook’s efforts to address the controversy included the announcement of increased efforts to prevent voter suppression based on race and ethnicity and a potential audit of its moderation practices.

I’m not on WhatsApp, because I detest Facebook. I use to be a massive Facebook fan, but now I’m not. They steal my data, sell it and abuse me. They abuse you too. I came across this article, which guides you through how to delete WhatsApp and be rid of it. I haven’t been on there for years, I don’t miss it and they don’t miss me. Happy days all round.

[embed]https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/06/27/facebook-ad-boycott-hate-speech-biggest-brands-verizon-coca-cola/3270335001/[/embed]

Thursday 2 July

There is a certain look about a clean cut looking con-man. Watch the amazing and damning video advert in the tweet below. Your jaw will drop with disbelief.

[embed]https://twitter.com/karaswisher/status/1278551066045558786?s=20[/embed]

A mother gets hi-jacked by her daughter, whilst being in full flow on BBC news. A great moment during Covid-19.

[embed]https://twitter.com/scottygb/status/1278358093710217216?s=20[/embed]

Taking a literal view to connect with people via zoom. A route to book a Zoom appointment with me, affectionally named #ZoomMe.

[embed]https://twitter.com/stayingaliveuk/status/1278068290930294784[/embed]

Totally for got to share my latest Taiko production. A promo video for my Taiko teacher’s 5-week online live course. See what you think?

[embed]https://youtu.be/PpKwk6p5PJc[/embed]

The great UK redundancy boom has started, over 12,000 jobs have been cut, just 3 months after it all started with Covid19. More on it’s way people.

[embed]https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/06/27/facebook-ad-boycott-hate-speech-biggest-brands-verizon-coca-cola/3270335001/[/embed]

That evil woman, partner of Jeffrey Epstein has finally been found.

[embed]https://twitter.com/karaswisher/status/1278684119543750657?s=21[/embed]

Very clever. Finally Vladimir Putin or Vladi as Trump calls him, confirms his endorsement of Trump.

[embed]https://youtu.be/eUBAAeuBpPQ[/embed]

Friday 3 July

Biggest story of the day for me is of course, drum roll…

The Donald! No need for any words, just watch the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tvXCf-7DmI

A short personal story. My stepson came to visit us yesterday because he had been for an interview, that in his words, was perfect for him.

Trouble was he had to confirm on the application at the recruitment agency, if he has a criminal record. Unfortunately he does. He had a fight with a fellow young man in the street last year (2019) and went to court in January (2020). He ended up with a community order, which he would have easily completed by now if it wasn’t for Covid19.

It was the perfect job, the right hours and good pay, but it’s not to be, he has to work through his fine before any employer will consider him and sending in an application showing a criminal record means it may result in him never being to apply to that company again.

He had a great job before Covid19 with Franky’s and Benny’s and of course they had to close down a bunch of establishments, including his. He has been furloughed although that’s coming to an end now very shortly.

He’s not in a good place through all this and for his mother a very worrying time indeed.

Boris Johnson’s father broke the UK’s lockdown rules and he would not be pushed to criticise his dad on radio.

[embed]https://twitter.com/LBC/status/1278974338398633984?s=20[/embed]

Second wave antics. The virus is not giving up easily, despite Donald Trump’s news saying that the virus will disappear one day. I think he might be proven to be very wrong, his own country is experiencing second waves across some states and so are Europe.

[embed]https://twitter.com/bopinion/status/1278981904327421952?s=20[/embed]

Saturday 4 July

This is the most damning report on the U.K. government’s handling of the coronavirus, but it had to be told, well done Boris.

[embed]https://twitter.com/bydonkeys/status/1278672584930758656?s=21[/embed]

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is trying desperately to save his company but I predict in 12 months time it will be a very different company.

https://www.facebook.com/4/posts/10112048980882521/?d=n

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Week 13: 21–27 June 2020

Sunday 21 June

Sarah Cooper appropriately did another how to video for Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day everyone!

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1274495672239169536?s=21[/embed]

Strange things appear to be happening in the U.K. I trust Carole to uncover the truth. Some of our reporters are superb.

[embed]https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1274304959073452032?s=21[/embed]

Even monkeys don’t like the stringy bits on bananas, but this particular one is ever so picky!

[embed]https://twitter.com/clarehymer/status/1273927779260792833?s=21[/embed]

Katie Hopkins is a dreadful human being, with a very loud mouth and opinion to go with it. I do believe in freedom of speech, but he racist tones have been going on for years. Finally Twitter have banned her from the platform. Of course it means she can carry on via other platforms until they decide to remover her there as well.

[embed]https://twitter.com/robertwhitejoke/status/1274101456744992773?s=21[/embed]

The best fake award presented to her in this video below. Absolutely genius.

[embed]https://youtu.be/eRIdtMlqwNA[/embed]

I feel for teachers at the moment, they are being forced to do things that are impossible to achieve. But it shows too, that we need to completely overhaul the education industry around the world. Imagine being able to teach one class and millions of kids can watch it too?

[embed]https://twitter.com/robiupui/status/1274059719863414784?s=21[/embed]

Professor Peter Piot, works at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine appeared on the Andrew Marr show today. He contracted COVID19 himself and he shared how the ongoing side effects, even when you recover, are likely to be quite serious for many months to come. Even more reason why we should all take this virus very seriously. I tweeted one of his statements below.

[embed]https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/piot.peter[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/stayingaliveuk/status/1274625723744038913?s=21[/embed]

Many governments and the USA and U.K. in particular are pushing for folks to go back to ‘normal’ as quickly as possible to restart the economy. They don’t realise that actually most of us have been overspending all our lives and during this period have realised that actually we can manage with what we already have. The rush back to stores is not realistic and won’t be sustainable. The food stores, yes, they will be the winners, the rest not so much. Retail will change forever, more of us have experienced very successful online shopping, why would we want to spend time in shops, it online will make use spend more than we need to and spend money we don’t have. With the potential risks of mass redundancies, it doesn’t and won’t make any sense at all. It’s time to start the Universal Basic Income process as as possible, across the world.

[embed]https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/piot.peter[/embed]

The estate and family of Tom Petty issued a cease and desist statement to Donald Trump, as he used one of his songs at the Tulsa rally on Saturday 20 June 2020. Brilliant!

[embed]https://twitter.com/tompetty/status/1274527971513004033?s=21[/embed]

The deaths of 3 people and many others injured in Reading yesterday after a man went on the rampage stabbing people. What a dreadful event, yet again on the streets in the U.K. Did the murderer take advantage of the fact that people are coming out on the streets in droves again?

https://twitter.com/thamesvp/status/1274500379544354816?s=21

Monday 22 June

Well, Donald Trump says 1 million people applied for tickets to his Covid19 spreading rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but only 6,200 people turned up at the 19,000 capacity stadium.

[embed]https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1274758238664306695?s=20[/embed]

A nurses story…

https://twitter.com/EmmaKennedy/status/1274755456750190593?s=20

Tuesday 23 June

Sarah Cooper did a new lipsync on Trump. This time he’s boasting about the fact that 1 million people applied for tickets and that at least 900,000 wouldn’t be able to make it. We already know only 6,200 showed up!

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1275160183598186496?s=20[/embed]

This tweet from The Minimalists is so true. Especially at this time.

[embed]https://twitter.com/TheMinimalists/status/1275096568446816256?s=20[/embed]

When the people are locked ‘down’, the foxes come out to play!

[embed]https://twitter.com/amandaharper01/status/1275017917638348801?s=20[/embed]

Today, a big announcement. The 4th July, US Independence Day will go down in history as the UK big unlock day. Many places can reopen and we can mix households together.

[embed]https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/1275395371452301312?s=20[/embed]

Wednesday 24 June

Twitter is adding voice to tweets. Personally I will definitely make use of that, but it’s not available for me as yet.

[embed]https://twitter.com/karaswisher/status/1273504013363949568?s=20[/embed][embed]https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/piot.peter[/embed]

Interesting challenge, even more interesting response Mr Speaker.

[embed]https://twitter.com/haggis_uk/status/1275750124162027520?s=21[/embed]

So when I did my 2nd bike ride of the week, I stood at some traffic lights and looked down on the road, when I spotted a massive knife! No, not an ordinary kitchen knife, a knife that looked like someone could do some major damage. Obviously someone threw it out of their car window in a hurry. So what would you do? Leave it for someone else to deal with? Pick it up and take it home and throw it in the bin, with the risk of the police stopping me en-route and asking me why I am carrying that knife? Take it home and then phone the police to ask them what I should do with it?

And that’s exactly what I did. They asked me to drive it to the nearest police station and hand it in there where they take a full incident report. Except they didn’t. They just asked me to show the knife, to make sure there was no evidence of blood and there wasn’t and told me to drop it into a special bin, which was parked just by reception. Yeah sure they thanked me, but no report, no details, no finger prints, just in case.

Not sure what to think, but at least there’s one less knife in the community and maybe, just maybe I saved a life, you just never know.

Life during lockdown summed up in a tweet!

[embed]https://twitter.com/LornaGavin1/status/1275826216440926209?s=20[/embed]

My wife read part of this article out to me and this writer, really has a fabulous way with words, really awesome. Thank you John Crace for your wonderful writing, really enjoyed it.

[embed]https://twitter.com/JohnJCrace/status/1275853370536968197?s=20[/embed]

Nic Askew poem from LinkedIn. So appropriate and so true. It’s titled Fragile.

[embed]https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/piot.peter[/embed]

So I didn’t realise that 331 conservative MP’s in the U.K. parliament voted NOT to have NHS staff tested every week.

WHAT!?!?!?!?!

[embed]https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/piot.peter[/embed]

Thursday 25 June

So the U.K. people have decided that enough is enough and have ignored all social distancing suggestions and went to the beach in droves. Trouble is it was indeed the hottest day this year, days like this we can count on one hand during the year. I get it, but it’s also a great test. Will we have a major breakout or will nothing change? We’ll see.

What was even more disgusting was the mess they left behind.

Jim Carey’s latest artwork based on what he said during one of his rallies in the USA. “Slow the testing down”.

[embed]https://twitter.com/jimcarrey/status/1276281060414742528?s=21[/embed]

Saturday 27 June

So here are the headlines today.

[embed]https://twitter.com/meidastouch/status/1276700527041052676?s=21[/embed]

Another term for Trump?

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1276623987624366080?s=21[/embed]

I don’t think so!!

Octopus dreaming, beautiful.

[embed]https://twitter.com/hazelgibbons14/status/1276868180430987264?s=21[/embed]

This comment is very true. What we’re the British people doing?!

[embed]https://twitter.com/markofthed/status/1276826977782108160?s=21[/embed]

A locust swarm descended on Gurgaon India. Wow, they are BIG!

My weeks are getting shorter. I missed out Friday!

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Remote work as an Opportunity!

Hugh MacLeod and Gapingvoid Culture Design

Originally published via email by Gapingvoid Culture Design on June 25, 2020

Joyce Raby is the Executive Director of the Florida Justice Technology Center. FJTC’s mission is to increase access to justice through the innovative use of technology.

As we settle — as best we can — into a new normal work life that includes remote/virtual offices, I want to speak a bit about how I see this experience as an opportunity to strengthen, renew or even create from scratch a positive and compassionate company culture.

We have lost the ability to see each other at the coffee pot or over lunch or on the way into a meeting; we have lost our ability to socialize with each other in real life. Regular socialization is the key way a company culture gets created and maintained; especially in organizations where company culture is not intentionally developed.

Up to now you may or may not have thought about your organizational culture beyond stating your mission. I once heard an executive director of social services non-profit say something to the effect of “we save all our empathy for our clients; we rarely have compassion for each other”. In the era of Covid-19 and other potential pandemics which force us physically apart, it is critical to nurture your organizational culture intentionally and deliberately.

Culture is the sum total of the social norms of your organization. Those norms are engendered and strengthened through example and repetition. If your colleagues can’t see you and interact with you (hello video conferencing) it will be harder for everyone to maintain and participate in a common culture. Without some direct, intentional strategies for maintaining a positive, compassionate culture (I am assuming you want a positive, compassionate culture), individuals will provide their own context for any action you take — and you may not like the context they create.

Brene Brown — research professor at the University of Houston -talks about “the story I am making up” as one of life’s great hacks for lasting relationships. You can use that phrase at the beginning of a sentence to share your experience or “read” of a situation; and acknowledge that you are pretty sure it isn’t 100% accurate. Her point is that everyone will fill in what they think is happening in a situation to provide context and meaning to their experience. These stories can be far afield of what is actually intended. When you are interacting in person there are usually a number of small, daily moments that can inform and course-correct erroneous assumptions about behavior. In the virtual world, those moments may not exist.

I suggest that leadership take a moment — yes right now — to contemplate and work with your teams to articulate what the organizational culture is; what do you stand for as a group; what do you value? This discussion can provide a common vocabulary your team can use with each other to support and foster a positive and compassionate culture in the absence of in-person interaction.

One tool you can use to accomplish this is a Culture Wall™. We created a Culture Wall™ at FJTC to illustrate our organizational culture. It allowed us as a group to discuss and identify what was important to us as a company. This was our culture wall.

Gapingvoid created the images for us and we used the wall in a variety of ways:

  • annual retreat discussion; are these still valid? do we feel the “how” of what we do still aligns with the “what” of what we do? Do we need to change our culture to reflect something in our evolution as a company?
  • project selection; does this work align with our culture? does this partner align with our culture? will this project further our culture?
  • new employee orientation; I would walk new staff through each of these tiles and share with them what they meant and answer questions. It was a great way to bring someone on board with our values

Communicating a message using images is far more powerful than just words. Think of brand names — would Nike be what it is without the swoosh? The creation of the culture wall itself forced us as a group to articulate for each other why each tile was important and how that tile would manifest in our day to day work lives.

Why is company culture so critical right now? As so much of our world is rapidly changing, as each day brings an opportunity for some fresh confusion, a positive and compassionate company culture can serve and support your people. In our rush to find ways to serve our clients; let’s not forget to serve each other.s

Week 12: 14–20 June 2020

Image by Wordswag - words by Michael de Groot

Sunday 14 June

Sarah Cooper is at it again. #WTF is #DonaldTrump even talking about. Thank you @sarahcpr for making us realise the #bs that comes out of his mouth. What were the American people thinking when they voted that clown into office in 2016. Unfortunately he will be called Mr President for the rest of his life!!

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1271756080817868800?s=21[/embed]

I definitely would want to watch Spike Lee’s new movie, see trailer below. How come Netflix is always to find a film or documentary that is exactly right at the time we’re battling with that issue?

[embed]https://twitter.com/netflixuk/status/1271773472948174850?s=21[/embed]

Not sure if this is fake, but my ‘confirmation bias’ definitely wants to believe it.

https://twitter.com/donttes85184857/status/1272028876970045444?s=21

David Rothkopf’s tweet below, hit a nerve, especially after watchin Jeffrey’s Epstein’s documentary on Netflix. David is spot on. It’s the sad world we live in.

[embed]https://twitter.com/djrothkopf/status/1150800249801334785?s=21[/embed]

Quite an interesting montage, in view of #blacklivesmatter.

https://www.facebook.com/6333396177/posts/10158880185711178/?vh=e

Coronavirus survivor receives $1.1 Million hospital bill.

[embed]https://twitter.com/liamstack/status/1271798025413951490?s=21[/embed]

The U.K. at its best again. Oh my.

[embed]https://twitter.com/robertwhitejoke/status/1272084257763196928?s=21[/embed]

The reason they’ve covered up Churchill?

[embed]https://twitter.com/robertwhitejoke/status/1272109345937993729?s=21[/embed]

Tony Robbins chats with a robot!!

[embed]https://youtu.be/Sq36J9pNaEo[/embed]

Monday 15 June

I didn’t know ObamaDay was a thing, but surely jolly glad it is. That man is a hero in my heart.

[embed]https://twitter.com/buffywicks/status/1272160182101921793?s=21[/embed]

And check out his class of 2020 address. He might as well have been speaking to the world, oh he was!

[embed]https://www.obama.org/updates/president-obama-dear-class-2020/[/embed]

I saw this scary tweet from someone so called ‘recovering’ from COVID-19. Scary very scary indeed.

[embed]https://twitter.com/socalisteph/status/1272254167487143936?s=21[/embed]

Tuesday 16 June

Biggest news story is the school vouchers scheme for kids in the U.K. to continue with Marcus Rashford.

[embed]https://twitter.com/pippacrerar/status/1272861383160446976?s=21[/embed]

Great news!

[embed]https://twitter.com/keir_starmer/status/1272861895251419136?s=21[/embed]

The other big news of the day is the drug that the U.K. have approved for treatment of COVID-19.

Dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory drug, has been immediately approved to treat all UK hospitalised COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen, including those on ventilators, from today.

[embed]https://twitter.com/dhscgovuk/status/1272940752977498112?s=21[/embed]

Even better news Centivax the company started up by Jacob Glanville who was featured in the Netflix documentary Pandemic have developed antibodies to fight COVID-19. Amazing news.

[embed]https://www.obama.org/updates/president-obama-dear-class-2020/[/embed]

Wednesday 17 June

Trump is at it again, see tweet and video below.

[embed]https://twitter.com/huffpost/status/1272972461806514177?s=21[/embed]

World Health Organisation suggests green shoots of hope, really? So I e heard Beijing has a major outbreak, New Zealand let 2 U.K. females in who are infected, spikes happening across many USA states, UK daily cases still alarmingly high.

[embed]https://www.obama.org/updates/president-obama-dear-class-2020/[/embed]

This is a great story about basketball.

https://www.facebook.com/100009263681815/posts/2617624335222997/?

Thursday 18 June

I love this video of the smallest drummer I have ever seen!

[embed]https://twitter.com/EzraelAni/status/1272089579512901634?s=20[/embed]

https://twitter.com/babyboydrummer

The tweet below sums up the U.K. government’s performance during COVID-19. It has been pretty disastrous. What did they get right? They asked the army to build extra hospitals just in case. In the end it wasn’t needed and a waste of money.

[embed]https://twitter.com/meenalsworld/status/1273620011148619777?s=21[/embed]

I bet this is old but it’s still really great.

[embed]https://twitter.com/benmckenna/status/1272977834613628934?s=21[/embed]

Friday 19 June

Woke up with this update by Centivax — Sarah Ives on LinkedIn. My money has always been on them right from when I watched Pandemic on Netflix. I don’t like drugs of any kind but somehow what this group have created is quite interesting to me. They appear to have the right attitude and are not big Pharma either. Although I suspect they will need big Pharma in order to produce the drug.

[embed]https://www.obama.org/updates/president-obama-dear-class-2020/[/embed]

Saturday 20 June

Oh my, nearly the summer solstice. Wonder what will happen when we pass 21 June.

This Trump announcement is brilliant. He’s doing his non-socially distanced rally today, so this is very appropriate. It’s a sad state of affairs if it wasn’t so funny too.

[embed]https://youtu.be/0fPoCHzZTUM[/embed]

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Week 11: 7 June — 13 June 2020

On Sunday Clair asked me. You appear to be dealing with all of this really well. Are you happy?

Well, I can truly say that I am actually dealing with this really well. Maybe I’m more balanced then I think I am.

Monday 8 June

So this next story caught my eye. J.K. Rowling who needs no introduction has been trending on Twitter for a few days. I won’t contribute to the debate as I’m not knowledgeable on the subject.

[embed]https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1269382518362509313?s=20[/embed]

Today I saw that Jacinda Ardern the Prime Minister of New Zealand announced no active cases in New Zealand. Oh I wish I was living there. I have visited just the once but I know it’s where I was 100% at home.

[embed]https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stayingaliveuk_covid19-activity-6675743660807655424-B-K1[/embed]

So Matt Hancock, UK Health secretary announces that we had the lowest death toll in the U.K. because of COVID-19 since 21 March. But of course his gloating will fall down on Tuesday due to the lag over the weekend. It happens every week. That guy gives me the creeps. Today he told the world that he’s dyslexic and excuse for mispronouncing a reporters name. Unbelievable! I’m not sure why this guy makes me feel so angry. He’s so conceited I guess!

It appears that the U.K. Government didn’t publish any data over the weekend, interesting! Here’s that up to date data that came out Monday 8 June.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/890834/2020-06-08_COVID-19_Press_Conference_Slides_with_Annex.pdf

Tuesday 9 June

This is an update on Centivax search for a cure of COVID-19. I don’t like vaccines but I’m interested in antibodies.

[embed]https://youtu.be/avbFva_zvXk[/embed]

Someone shared the banksy art on Twitter in connection with George Floyd — Black lives matter.

banksy

Someone also shared on The Dots the following question.

Will you join me every Tuesday at 8pm and take a knee for 9 minutes outside your home for George Floyd and all the black lives lost?

This sounds like a great idea actually, will it catch on?

[embed]https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stayingaliveuk_covid19-activity-6675743660807655424-B-K1[/embed]

Wednesday 10 June

Jeff Bezos as a kid. Who would have known that he would become the richest man on the globe.

[embed]https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stayingaliveuk_covid19-activity-6675743660807655424-B-K1[/embed]

Jeff Bezos

More statues around the world are being taken down and thrown into rivers. Wow what a world we live in now. The issues are not in the statues, they are in our hearts.

We watched Byron Katie, the creator of The Work, an amazing enquiry process into your own thoughts and mind and discover how you react to it. Here’s a link to her website, we highly recommend you checking her out, especially at this time. Plenty of videos to watch on YouTube or listen to her podcast. Enjoy!

[embed]https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stayingaliveuk_covid19-activity-6675743660807655424-B-K1[/embed]

U.K. could have avoided 25000 deaths if she had gone into lockdown 2 weeks earlier leaked report states.

[embed]https://twitter.com/hayley_barlow/status/1270778122040942597?s=21[/embed][embed]https://youtu.be/mSjdO2dVHeY[/embed]

Thursday 11 June

The weather in the UK is becoming more like it’s normal self in the way that we experience it during our summers. Cloudy with rain at times. I’m missing the warm sunshine from April and May.

I follow this guy who resides in the USA but was born in Guam, a US territory. He has a blog/business called Zen Habits. I first came across his work on creating a new habit with tiny, little steps.

He issued a very interesting blog post today, which dropped in my email and I definitely can resonate with it, you may too. It’s called ‘Anti-Fragility as we train to improve ourselves’. It’s a very interesting read.

https://zenhabits.net/antifragile

So J.K. Rowling wrote a lengthy blog today in response to the outcry by Twitter, the media and social media in relation to what she said about trans people and periods.

[embed]https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stayingaliveuk_covid19-activity-6675743660807655424-B-K1[/embed]

Friday 12 June

Simon Sinek, is definitely one of my teachers. Here’s his latest views on an infinite mindset. Life will never be the same again!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThJdlJD-foY[/embed]

This looks like an interesting article, not! Now they’re arguing about whether asymptomatic people can actually infect others. Some say yes, some say no, who the hell knows what’s going on. The article is right inside Medium.

[embed]https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stayingaliveuk_covid19-activity-6675743660807655424-B-K1[/embed]

Witnessed a load of construction workers, in different parts around where I live, wearing no PPE whatsoever. I guess they must have been given the all clear, been tested to be sure and all is well, yes indeed!

Sarah Cooper is a brilliant comedian and her lipsync Tik Tok videos are such a scream. Here’s a compilation video of her best ones and it includes some other folks, who I have no idea who they are, but it still looks brilliant.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPGPegQfdZw[/embed]

Saturday 13 June

Ever since this pandemic started and after I watched the Netflix documentary Pandemic, I became fascinated by a company who were developing a global flu vaccine and since the outbreak of COVID-19 switched their attention to developing an antibody drug. I was fascinated by them because they have are not owned by Big Pharma, they are a small startup company doing everything themselves. Well they have indeed developed an antibody and had it tested at 3 laboratories and it passed with flying colours. Below you will can learn about their latest update, which was live streamed on June 12 via YouTube. They are about to make a big announcement on Monday June 15, which I will watch out for as well. Fingers crossed these guys will be successful, I would love it, if they beat the big pharma companies.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azC3ZCqREA4[/embed]

Learn more about Sarah Cooper and how she lip syncs Donald Trump, she is so hysterical!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA_bFYuNUYw

and this her latest ‘how to water’…

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1271650828785455104?s=20[/embed]

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Day 75 — Saturday 6 June 2029

Image by Wordswag - words by Michael de Groot

So this is the end of week ten, day 75. Ten Weeks since the 23rd March 2020, when the U.K. went on lockdown. I’ve decided to move to a weekly journal instead of a daily journal. Inevitably when you start something like this, you run out of steam in terms of things to write about. I will still collect snippets on a daily basis in terms of what catches my attention during this time, maybe small bits of info about myself, but if you’ve been following the journal, you may have noticed that has dropped off a lot by now as well.

I believe we are going to see a massive turning point in the world in the coming weeks, something major is about to happen, but I do not know what it is as yet. I just have a feeling something significant will happen.

We’ve already noticed that the discussion in the media has reduced in terms of COVID and has increased in terms of racism in the world and black lives matter. It appears that the press conferences are being reduced as well, or have we just been too late to watch them? For one there are no charts on the gov.uk website at the moment for today Saturday and I know there wasn’t any for Sunday either, seeing as I’m writing this on Monday.

So from next week, which will be week 11, I will catch snippets of interest by day, it will mean maybe a slightly longer journal entry, but that’s not a abad thing.

Okay will see you end of week 11. Be safe and well out there!

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Day 74 — Friday 5 June 2020

Image by Wordswag - words by Michael de Groot

The big story of the day for me me was the ridiculous comment by Donald Trump, when he shared some figures about the economy.

You can watch it in the video below, it’s just astounding, this man has no sense. Incredible!

[embed]https://youtu.be/cDdaQf_AnSc[/embed]

On the other side of reason, Tony Robbins posted a video stating we have work to do. I’ve never seen him so depressed, I was quite shocked at his demeanour in this video, announcing a forthcoming podcast.

[embed]https://youtu.be/p3cmpfkNQXo[/embed]

Apart from that I spent a whole morning producing content for the Taiko drumming online project. Wow that was a load of work.

U.K. Gov stats:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/890531/2020-06-05_COVID-19_Press_Conference_Slides_with_Annex.pdf

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Day 73 — Thursday 4 June 2020

Image by Wordswag — words by Michael de Groot

Had a rare client call today to discuss a script for a whiteboard animation, means they’ve asked to me to change direction based on their detailed brief they had previously given me. The marketing director got involved. No problem, got the new brief and will get to it tomorrow.

The protests around the world are continuing in view of the George Lloyd murdered by a policeman in the USA. Even in the UK it’s getting quite serious and of course the government are advising everybody to only protest in groups of six which of course is never going to happen.

Been trying to understand the very confusing message by my car leasing company. Eventually it means I can extend my lease by 6 months and miss the next 3 months worth of payments and because the lease will be extended, I don’t have to repay the 3 months. Yippee, this is the first support of a kind I will be receiving in my small business.

Here are some tweets that caught my eye.

[embed]https://twitter.com/jennieformby1/status/1268913452757725185?s=21[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/bcfcholly/status/1268624389769216003?s=21[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/kateburkenhs/status/1269002792389263364?s=21[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/karaswisher/status/1268992873455931400?s=21[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/joncoopertweets/status/1267912658822537216?s=21[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1268164036790759424?s=21[/embed]

U.K. Gov stats:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/890213/2020-06-04_COVID-19_Press_Conference_Slides.pdf

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Are the big corporates taking advantage of Covid-19?

Image by Wordswag - words by

Michael de Groot

You see I think they are. I started noticing this a few months ago, I believe the phone company EE was the first one. Thanks to Denise Quinlan for reminding me.

But there are many of them now and whenever there’s an advert on the telly, I listen out for the subtle words suggesting that they understand, that they are here for us, now more than ever etc. etc.

Below are a number of them, where I’ve been able to search for the ad and I will highlight the word to listen out for.

First up EE a phone company. Most of us remember Kevin Bacon from the movies? Wrong! Nowadays he’s the face of EE. And this advert capitalised on the fact that the NHS was bearing the brunt of everything COVID. So give the NHS free data and the British public will think this is wonderful and support them too by moving there. And you think we’re stupid?

Second is Lloyds Bank, well who doesn’t love a mother horse and her foal? This is not a new advert but just new wording, towards the end they say, ‘now more that ever’. What the hell!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2JlKoYI6Ro

Third up is American Express with their slogan, ‘We’ve always had your back, we always will’. They show fake scenes of people coping with lockdown situations. Unbelievable!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A15gwTFoDXs

Fourth up is a UK food chain Sainsbury’s. They try drawing on our emotions, but publicly thanking their own workers through an advert. But surely that is better done in person, in paychecks and better working conditions? It is nice don’t get me wrong, but it suggests that they are a company who value their workers more than anyone else at this time and suggesting. On their YouTube channel under the video advert it says, ‘We’d like to thank every single one of our colleagues for stepping up and helping us feed the nation.’ There’s no doubt that they should be thanked, but pulling on our heart strings is not appropriate at all!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyU72XOD3d8

Fifth up is Vodafone. This one in particular grated on me. Using all these clips, are they real? Are they fake? Who bloody knows, I just believe this takes such advantage of these horrible times for people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjfxHRuEPuE

Sixth up is Lidl, one of the German discounters who have overtaken the U.K. with Aldi. We actually shop at Lidl, so I like them, but the advert again capitalises on COVID. The overused ‘now more than ever’.

https://youtu.be/DwKanQ88CBA

Seventh up is eBay, yes eBay!! Their slogan is ‘stronger as one’. Wow, not good. But will I stop buying from eBay, no I won’t but the feeling is not great.

https://youtu.be/B0KkMEdwkNM

There’s one more, which is Money Supermarket but I can’t seem to find their latest advert.

There is one advert that I thought was quite clever and although I don’t consume their product, I believe their approach was quite funny. They are not taking advantage of the COVID period, they are just trying to let people know that they are open again for business.

https://youtu.be/wZFp0qeYB6M

Anyway, that’s my report so far on the big brands taking advantage of COVID19 and pull on people’s heartstrings.

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Day 72 — Wednesday 3 June 2020

Image by Wordswag — words by Michael de Groot

People are out protesting, totally right and a totally right thing to do. There is a risk of course there is, but then the U.K. government knew there was a risk with going ahead with the Cheltenham horse race event for the toffs and the millionaires.

This year’s event, from 10–13 March, was attended, organisers say, by 125,000 people often in packed stands, just as awareness of the seriousness of the coronavirus crisis was emerging.

[embed]https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/apr/21/experts-inquiry-cheltenham-festival-coronavirus-deaths[/embed]

The seriousness of the George Floyd incident in the USA, is like the me too movement that gathered momentum a few years back. This time it is for all of us to take this topic very seriously, even in the U.K. who is not blameless in this regard.

Having said that I do hope that nobody will catch the virus as a result of these mass gatherings, that would just be bad news indeed.

In the U.K. they believe the figure is about 1 in 1000 who are walking around infected.

Not much else caught my eye today. I am getting quite anxious about making sure I have something to write about every day, so this week will be the last daily journal entry and instead I’m moving to a weekly report. It will be easier on my mental health and I can collect stories, my opinions throughout the week in a better way I believe.

U.K. Gov stats:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/889859/2020-06-03_COVID-19_Press_Conference_Slides.pdf

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

It’s a mad world…

I watched this video by Curt Smith of Tears For Fears with his daughter, which was released very early on during Covid times. It struck such a chord with me, excuse the pun. I thought you might like to watch it too.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEpfvTdR5-U[/embed]

Here are the lyrics:

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places
Worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere
Going nowhere

And their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression
No expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow
No tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
’Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it’s a very very
Mad world
Mad world
Mad world
Mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy birthday
Happy birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen
Sit and listen

Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me
No one knew me
Hello, teacher, tell me what’s my lesson?
Look right through me
Look right through me

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
’Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it’s a very very
Mad world
Mad world
Mad world
Mad world

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
’Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it’s a very very
Mad world
Mad world
Halargian world
Mad world

Don’t be mad, be light!

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Day 71 — Tuesday 2 June 2020

Image by Wordswag

The biggest story today is George Floyd, Donald Trump and the whole of the USA.

Black lives matter period. This is blackout Tuesday.

RIP George Floyd.

The only tweet that I saw on this matter that I appreciated is the one from Star Wars.

[embed]https://twitter.com/starwars/status/1267224639706550273?s=21[/embed]

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Day 70 — Monday 1 June 2020

Image by Wordswag — words by Michael de Groot

Another gorgeous day in U.K. paradise? Heard on the news today, that we’ve had the sunniest May since records began, something like 600+ days of sunshine and most of us have been enjoying it whilst locked down. Never ever have we had such amazing weather in the U.K., was it all due to less pollution in the world? Make you think doesn’t it, or is it just global warming spike, that happens to coincide?

Saw this tweet below telling us that COVID symptoms are much further reaching compared to what we originally thought. Worrying data?

[embed]https://twitter.com/elemental/status/1267119897735290880?s=21[/embed]

Today some kids can go back to school in the U.K., but I must say it didn’t look busier today compared to other days, so maybe not that many going for it?

A range of tweets that caught my eye, yesterday and today.

[embed]https://twitter.com/starwars/status/1267224639706550273?s=20[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/riaface/status/1267032423709249541?s=20[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1267116489649393665?s=20[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/Beltrew/status/1266966407088136192?s=20[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1266998908586246144?s=20[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/RespectIsVital/status/1266870630365962241?s=20[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/sturdyAlex/status/1267000127060955138?s=20[/embed]

Came across this video.

[embed]https://vimeo.com/424391619[/embed]

The promise of antibody treatments.

[embed]https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-covid-19-antibody-treatment/amp[/embed]

Barack Obama on George Floyd.

[embed]https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-covid-19-antibody-treatment/amp[/embed]

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Day 69 — Sunday 31 May 2020

Image by Wordswag — words by Michael de Groot

So for us at home, it’s the first Birthday during lockdown, it’s Clair’s Birthday.

Above is the card I created for her, to celebrate her Birthday during lockdown!

Well from tomorrow things in the U.K. are about to change big time. The relaxation of lockdown begins. Wish us luck!

The following tweet is quite a damning assessment how the U.K. is performing when it comes to the number of deaths. The tweet includes a list of deaths in other European countries. I don’t think there’s any fear of Europeans wishing to come to the U.K. it’s safer to just stay away.

[embed]https://twitter.com/fucknomr/status/1266672108937064450?s=21[/embed]

And the continuing Dominics Cummings saga, is not going away. Someone has cleverly researched the property he allegedly went to stay at, on his father’s farm. It turns out the property has no planning permission and pays no council tax. Below is the full article by Alex Tiffin.

[embed]https://universalcreditsuffer.com/2020/05/31/cummings-spare-cottage-without-planning-permission-and-pays-no-council-tax/[/embed]

There’s been quite a few tears today, which is a real shame.

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Oh wow the headlines in the papers for Monday 1 June!

Day 68 — Saturday 30 May 2020

Image by Wordswag — words by Michael de Groot

The big story in the world is the USA’s police murder of George Floyd. 30 cities in the USA are protesting against the treatment of blacks across the USA. I came across this post on LinkedIn, together with a video, which seemed appropriate for this story.

[embed]https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lorena-acosta-_minneapolis-stopthehate-socialmedia-ugcPost-6672252162275344384-_xa4[/embed]

Furthermore Sarah Cooper on Twitter, does her famous lip sync of Donald Trump. Again I thought this was appropriate to share too.

[embed]https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1266797274149146624?s=21[/embed]

Another hot day in the U.K. and I, delighted that our local ice cream van, Tony, is doing great business during this hot weather. He’s obviously very pleased himself, as he lost lots of money during lockdown, when the weather was nice in March and April.

And yes I have supported him by buying a large wager cone filled with soft ice cream and a flake, gorgeous!

Michael out…

Michael de Groot

Day 67 — Friday 29 May 2020

Image by Wordswag — words by Michael de Groot

We had another useful online LinkedIn Lunch using Google Meet. There are a couple of contacts that joined me for a general chat on many topics. The current performance by the U.K. government, Shaun the Sheep, Milly and Timmy the Sheep as well and Robert doing Yoga whilst being on the Meet as well, it was brilliant.

There’s is a storm brewing with Donald Trump, which I’m sure everyone is aware of. His tweets are causing Twitter’s fact checking machine to kick in, including their violence quotation bots, see embedded tweet and image below. But now he’s also signed some sort of executive order, anything to get in the news.

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1265985660898459655?s=21[embed]https://twitter.com/whitehouse/status/1266104188112601089?s=21[/embed]

David King former Chief Science Advisor in the U.K. confirms that the U.K. government have dealt with this crisis in a disastrous way and we could have avoided an extra 40,000 deaths.

[embed]https://twitter.com/krishgm/status/1266413141673627651?s=21[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/IndependentSage/status/1266005165582229504?s=20[/embed]

This lockdown period is taking its toll on many of us and the leaders in governments have gone completely crazy, with of course a few exceptions, like Norway and New Zealand.

Here’s one example in the USA.

[embed]https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1266442791044952064?s=21[/embed]

Michael out…

Michael de Groot