The Daily Clap Back

29/01/2022

Daily COVID deaths and cases need to stop being reported

Back in the early days of the pandemic, I think that it was important that these numbers were advised to the general public for them to understand just how the pandemic was being handled by the governments across Australia, particularly before vaccinations. But how is the reporting of the numbers helping anyone today?

Let’s start with the daily cases. For most of Australia, and I’m not counting WA because Dictator McGowan doesn’t count, the daily numbers aren’t accurate at all. Experts are saying that the true daily numbers appear to be 5, maybe 10 times the numbers that are being reported. This is due to the fact that people do not want to wait 8 hours in line for a PCR test, and in addition to that, lack of Rapid Antigen Tests mean that people cannot get their hands on them to actually know if they are infected. In this case, they recognise that the symptoms that they have are more than likely COVID, and they self-isolate until they no longer have symptoms.

The QLD government indicated in one of their press releases that there will not be a reduction in the number of places where PCR tests were being done over the Christmas break, but this wasn’t true. Many sites had closed down, leaving large numbers people to sit in ultra long queues, with many being turned away after 8 hours of waiting. It caused pandemonium, and another fail in the Palachook government’s handling of the pandemic.

Let’s now look at daily deaths….Why are we still reporting them? Back in 2019, there was in excess of 4000 people that passed away during the flu season, estimated to be much higher when you include pneumonia in the mix. Was there a reporting of the daily deaths in the middle of the flu season? No. There seems to be so much emphasis on the fact that people are dying (in much smaller numbers thankfully due to the vaccination rollout) than would have potentially been the case without the vaccinations. While any death is sad, and these people should be remembered, however, we have to also understand that any death that isn’t COVID related at the moment is any less important than those who have passed from COVID.

There is no doubt that COVID is a virus that is serious, however, the signs are looking good that we are finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We need to wind back the reporting, learn to live with this as a society for however long it takes for it to get to endemic stage. It doesn’t help the community at large if the governments continue to change the goal posts at every opportunity, and in the same breath, the media just butchering every ounce of the pandemic as well.

The word of the pandemic should be “CONFUSION”, because that is all that the governments Australia wide have given to the community at large. There hasn’t been a consistent approach to this pandemic for the last 2 years. It has allowed anti-vaxxers to become very vocal and point out all the flaws in government policies, it has lead to huge anti-lockdown protests, and in general, created a massive divide that will take many years (if at all ) to repair.

Remember the time when we were the envy of the world when we locked down quickly and were able to contain the numbers, to then become a laughing stock because we were slow on the vaccine rollout and continued with lockdowns, while the rest of the world began to open up. And before you turn around and say “well they have had larger numbers of people dying from the virus”, their populations in many cases are far higher than Australia’s, so that only stands to reason.

The last two years has been a huge power play for all governments across the country. We have seen the absolute worst in all of our leaders and I’m not too sure we can ever recover fully from this sh*t-show we have all been witnesses to.

I would love to see things get back to normality, however, I’m not sure we will see that any time soon. Fingers crossed 2022 is the end of this f**kery.

28/01/2022

I have a few issues with this post from Kerryn Phelps. I think it is absolute that we need to keep the families in our thoughts of those who pass daily from COVID. However, for every person that we think of in this post, another person who has passed from a non-COVID related reason is not remembered.

While I have been very outspoken about the downfalls from all sides of government with the way the pandemic has been handled, we have to agree that the uptake of the vaccine has been pretty high. In fact, high enough that we should have less restrictions now. I am sick of wearing a mask. I know its only a small thing, but I really am over it.

What people need to continue to do is to be as healthy as they can be, whether that is exercising, eating healthier, drinking more water….all this helps. In addition, washing your hands (for god’s sake) regularly or using hand sanitiser. Maintaining distance where possible.

What we all need to understand is that the vaccine was never going to STOP us all from getting the virus. It is there to help you not to be hospitalised and have less severe symptoms. Will this happen for everyone? No, but for the vast majority of the population. For Kerryn to put “the policy will not work and aim for elimination”….I’m not sure where she got her medical quals, but we all know that elimination may not be a possibility, but learning to live with it in the meantime is what we need to be comfortable with, because that is the reality.

Where the government has let us down is not being consistent with their policies. They put up hard borders, they deny travel for medical reasons for those in the general public who have very valid medical reasons to cross the border, however, let in VIP’s and celebrities without question. QLD Premier Annastacia Palachook was well known for doing this in the peak of the pandemic.

We then have WA Premier Mark McGowan who clearly has his head in the sand or up his arse….I’m yet to work out which one. But he thinks that by keeping up the hard border for long enough that COVID will just disappear and then he can open again. If he thinks that COVID will never affect WA and its public, then he is as stupid as he looks. It’s not a matter of IF it will come in a big wave to WA, but when.

All the leaders of states and territories in Australia have had almost 2 years to prepare their hospitals during this pandemic, yet they all sat on their hands. In fact, some of them blamed the federal government for not providing additional funding to help do this. Sure, they provide some of the yearly health funding, but the rest needs to be borne by the state. If Premiers like Annastacia Palachook funnelled the $200m plus they spent on the white elephant quarantine facility in Wellcamp near Toowoomba (because why build one now 2 years down the track), perhaps we would have the beds for patients when they opened the borders.

So much more could have been done. Many mistakes have been made, but I just hope that the governments of this fine country have learnt a few things….highly doubt it though.

03/01/2022

In February 2013, a young 23 year old named Shandee Blackburn was stabbed 23 times while she walked home from work. To this day, her killer has still not been found.

Even though he was acquitted, her ex-boyfriend John Peros still remains the number 1 suspect in her murder. Failures in the Queensland Government Forensic Lab work on the samples taken from the murder scene and John Peros’ car, have been uncovered by an independent forensics biologist Dr Kirsty Wright. In fact, the failures were so bad that Dr Wright described it as a “forensic train wreck”.

This new information has been brought to the attention of the now Health Minister Yvette D’Ath. What is disappointing is that initially it was radio silence from her and the government when this new information came to light. Thanks to the pressure from the public and the media, she has been forced to reconsider the information and to request that the coronial enquiry is reopened into Shandee’s case.

In early December 2021, Tobi Loftus from the ABC News Tropical North wrote an article that talks about the Health Minister calling for the coronial enquiry to be reopened. In the article, he reports about how the case had entered the political arena with it being discussed in a parliament sitting. Of course, Anastasia Palaszczuk had to mention that they weren’t in office at the time of the murder and subsequent trial and enquiry, but made mention that it was the LNP who made cuts to the Forensic and Scientific Services, and perhaps they should be the ones to look into why this was done under the Liberal Party leadership at the time.

It is again another example of Premier Palaszczuk deflecting the problem. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter at all who was in power, what matters is that an independent enquiry needs to be done on the Forensics and Scientific department to find out why significant errors occurred, and how many samples from not only Shandee’s case, but from many other cases in the subsequent years have had substandard DNA testing done. How many people have been jailed for crimes that they haven’t commented, and better yet, how many people are currently walking free when they are in fact guilty?

If you enjoy listening to Podcasts, then there is one that you must listen to. Walkley Award Winning Investigative Journalist Hedley Thomas from The Australian Newspaper has spent a lot of time investigating the murder of Shandee Blackburn. The hole in the investigation, mainly relating to the failures of the QLD Forensics Lab, has blow the case wide open.

You can listen to the podcast here at Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/shandees-story/id1589336606

I really hope that Hedley’s work will lead to the reopening of the coronial enquiry, and ultimately lead to the conviction of the killer. Shandee’s family deserve closure.

‎True Crime · 2021

18/12/2021

Back in early November, QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk advised all of QLD that once we had reached 80% first dose vaccination, we would no longer be required to wear masks. Well, yesterday AP broke her promise to the QLD public. We are back to wearing masks indoors. We have also been told that now that we are passed 80% double dose vaccination, there will be no more lockdowns. My personal opinion is that early next year we will be in a lockdown. She hasn't been honest on numerous occasions though-out this pandemic, why should we believe anything she says anymore.

While we process all of that, we are also dealing with a stupid mandate that discriminates the unvaccinated. In a number of circumstances (such as pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues), you need to prove that you are vaccinated to gain entry. The unvaccinated cannot visit. It is up to the business to "police" this and this is wrong on so many levels.

The biggest issue here is the government.....more importantly, issues with the health system. This government has had 20 months to invest more money in to increasing the number of hospital beds, to employ more doctors and nurses, and to increase the standard in hospitals across Queensland..... Instead, it has sat on its hands, blaming the federal government for lack of funding, when they should have been preparing us to weather the pandemic.

Now that we are over 80% double dosed, with people like myself having had their booster shots, we need to be allowed to go back to living like we used to, and that means without masks. Sure, if you want to make the choice to then you can, but we need to have the choice.

Never in my life have I ever been afraid to travel to another state, or being restricted from leaving the state.

AP goes on and on about "protecting Queenslanders", however, she has made so many decisions that have basically laughed in the face of Queenslanders. She has allowed VIP's and celebrities to bypass hotel quarantine and allowed them to quarantine in a house or private residence, while the general public who have returned have been forced into hotel quarantine. Not to mention, a parent in Lismore gave birth to a child who was rushed to the Gold Coast University Hospital due to complications, and the mother was refused travel to be with her baby because AP and her government rejected her request. Absolutely disgusting. It's clear that money talks and "protecting Queenslanders" was at the back of her mind at the time.

I, like many people, are done with it all. For 20 months we have followed the rules, got our vaccinations, and we are still being penalised. We are done.

No more masks, no more forcing people to show us their personal information about their vaccination status, no more discrimination.

It is time that we all stand up and say.... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

18/07/2021

This is the vile type of human (if you can call her that) that they have allowed into this country to be on a reality show. How….? The mind bloody boggles.

https://twitter.com/harry__england/status/1222993396786245642?s=21

“ If anyone was wondering if he went a bit too far... https://t.co/iLMIqTbrBs”

18/07/2021

Today's first story is Celebrity Big Brother Australia.

Look, it was a BIG mistake when Channel 7 decided to even consider bringing Big Brother back to our screens. It was a show that had its day, and from the little I have watched since its return, the contestants they have chosen.....appalling. However, this time they have taken it to an all new level.

It has been confirmed that obnoxious, out-spoken nut-job Katie Hopkins, and former Olympic athlete/Reality Show star (and a few other roles thrown in there) Caitlyn Jenner (Formally known as Bruce Jenner) will be part of the Celebrity Big Brother series.

There has been A LOT said on the internet of late in regards to how these overseas "Celebrities" can be allowed into the country (while the international borders are technically closed) when approximately 30,000 Aussies are still stranded overseas. It has now been made even harder for these Aussies to get home when National Cabinet agreed to drop the international arrivals from 6500 per week to around 3000. And yet, non-citizens like these two wannabes can be let into the country to compete on a reality TV show for about 3 weeks. Not to mention, it has been reported that Caitlyn is being paid $500,000 for her appearance alone.

Katie Hopkins has had quite a bit to say in regards to COVID quarantine.... In fact, over the years, Katie has had a lot to say about a lot of things. She has been very controversial to the point of being rude, discriminatory, and and downright obnoxious.

She has made a complete mockery of the hotel quarantine while here in Australia, and has openly stated that she is doing her best to flout the rules while in her hotel room. She is required to allow 30 seconds to ensure the hotel worker has left the closed door to limit any possibility of infection if a person is infected with COVID, however, Katie sprints to the door naked when there is a knock, open the door, and meets the hotel worker with no mask on.

There is currently a petition online to have her sent back to the UK, with over 15000 people signing it so far, and the number is increasing daily.

I have had so much to say lately on the failings of the state and federal governments continuing approach to the pandemic. However, allowing overseas visitors like this, when the borders are supposed to be shut, including people like Katie who refuse to follow the rules, is a slap in the face to any Australian who are currently stuck overseas and want to return home.

Channel 7 has sunk to an all time low by recruiting these two "has-been" celebrities in order to chase ratings.

https://www.instagram.com/_katie_hopkins_/

https://www.instagram.com/caitlynjenner/

17/07/2021

Welcome to The Daily Clap Back. Here, news will be scrutinised with open and honest opinion.

Soon there will be a podcast that will go with this page to further break down the major news stories of the day.

No topic from the news is off limits.

While these may be my opinions, I will also recruit the help of my friends to provide their opinions on the daily topics, and as always, I welcome healthy debate and always happy to consider another viewpoint.

There has been A LOT happening in the media at the moment, and I look forward to delivering a very large CLAP BACK to as much of it as possible.

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