▫️ You have to believe in it

Yesterday morning, the newspaper “Le Parisien” headlines on its front page “Bravo les Français”. Yes, the barrier gestures, the respect of the curfew for the vast majority of us, mean that the figures are not soaring, despite the appearance of the variants, which is worrying.

The number of patients hospitalised due to Covid has fallen slightly over the last few days, and the number of patients admitted to intensive care has been stable over the last two weeks. The schools remain open, there are no traffic restrictions for the February holidays which start tomorrow for zone C (Ile de France / Paris & Occitanie).

A certain wind of optimism is also blowing elsewhere. In the United States, the most bereaved country in the world, the number of new daily cases is dropping: – 60% in one month! And deaths too: – 15% in a fortnight. The State of New York has just authorized the reopening on February 23rd, after almost a year of closure, of the large theatres and stadiums, with a gauge set at 10% of their capacity. In China, where the pandemic began at the end of 2019, the number of contaminations has never been so low for five months. There were no deaths yesterday.

All this is obviously fragile. But in this troubled world, it is more than necessary to hear that our efforts are not in vain.

▫️ Daily and weekly Corona virus statistics are visible here .

TODAY’S DATA has been updated at 12:10

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▫️ AstraZeneca vaccines: caregivers report strong side effects such as fever and fatigue. The ANSM says that it has recorded 149 reports of “flu syndromes, often of high intensity” among people aged an average of 34 years.

A bad signal that the doctors could have done without. While the vaccination campaign began less than a week ago, on Saturday 6 February, aimed at all health professionals under 65 years of age, with the third Covid-19 vaccine authorised in the country, that of AstraZeneca, the same observation has come up in recent days from several hospitals.

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▫️ ANCILLARY NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND from our correspondent in Britain

Animal news you may have missed.

🖊 Party animals

Police have admitted they were startled to find two sheep at an illegal drinking party in Lancashire overnight.

Officers said they “discovered a full bar set-up” at a drinking den in Bacup “but the most bizarre find was the presence of two surprised sheep”.

Ten people were fined after the gathering.

Sgt Gary Hennighan said: “The obvious line is that the wool wasn’t pulled over our eyes.”

Obviously!

🖊 You have heard of “Pigs in Blankets” Now it’s JERSEY COWS IN JUMPERS!

A farmer in Jersey has adorned her herd of cows with matching Christmas jumpers. Farmer Becky Houzé has dressed her “girls” – called Carol, Holly, Mary, Noelle and Mariah Dairy (!).

Sweet!

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▫️ MUSIC

ANOTHER ONE IN MY TOP 100

Fun to start with and then excellent guitar piece.

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▫️ PIC / SATIRE OF THE DAY

Sleeping on the job

Something which amazed me in Shanghai, it is the ability of the people to simply fall asleep and have a nap almost anywhere. Here are a couple photos I took on my way to or back from work. I have loads more like that.

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It is a well know fact that for instance in the Shanghai IKEA store, people would test the beds and actually take a nap. It’s another world.

▫️ NEWS FROM ACROSS THE POND

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▫️ FUN BITS Part I (Thank you Paul)

Welcome back to the Friday Funnies, they return relaxed and refreshed after a loooong break!

▶︎Little Johnny had an ear infections and had to go to the paediatrician. The doctor directed his comments and questions to little Johnny in a professional manner.

When he asked Little Johnny, “Is there anything you are allergic to?” Little Johnny nodded and whispered in his ear. Smiling, the pediatrician wrote out a prescription and handed it to Little Johnny’s mother. She tucked it into her purse without looking at it.

As the pharmacist filled the order, he remarked on the unusual food-drug interaction Little Johnny must have. 

Little Johnny’s mother looked puzzled until he showed her the label on the bottle. 

As per the doctor’s instructions, it read: “Do not take with broccoli.”


▶︎ We just got a boxer dog. Every time the door bell rings he goes and sits in a  corner.


▶︎ Nudity is banned, I can’t bare it anymore.


▶︎A man walks into a library and says “I hope you don’t have a book on reverse psychology” 


▶︎If you get caught outside in the fog…are you mystified?


▶︎My family was really poor.
On my 10th birthday they put half a cake with five candles up against a mirror.!!


▶︎ I used to have a problem with grammatical tenses… But not yet.

▶︎During the current COVID pandemic, the people in Cairo have been somewhat traumatized by the silence and are missing all of the usual noise and cacophony on the streets. Some are becoming ill as a result of this. In an attempt to resolve the problem, the Egyptian Government has asked that everybody goes out between 6 and 7pm every night and drive around in their cars
blasting their horns as loudly as possible.  It’s hoped that the familiar sounds will induce a return to tranquility and normality. 

This is to be known as the “Toot ‘n Calm ‘Em” method!


▶︎ A tourist in rural Ireland speaks to a local from his car:
“Excuse me, I wonder if you can tell me the quickest way to get to Donegal?

Local Man: “Are you walking or driving?”

Tourist: “I’m driving”

Local Man: “That is the quickest way!”

▫️ WEATHER

Wet Friday and getting cold at night on Sunday

▫️ VENDEE GLOBE

Another 3 boats arrived in the past few hours and nameley La Fabrique, Time for Ocean & Medallia with the second lady skipper.

There are now 6 boats left in the race. There are also a couple of boats which have officially retired due to technical problems earlier but which are also on the way back to Les Sables d’Olonne. As I said previously, everyone is a winner in this race.

▫️ WALKS

Did not go out yesterday apart from a doctors appointment, notaire appointment & shopping to replenish on whisky.

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▫️ SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE