WEEK 54 CORNOVIRUS: INFECTION RATE LEVELING WITH HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH RATE FALLING

Another week of Lockdown but this coming Friday, Good Friday, restrictions will allow social groups to have outdoor contact.  There is, however, a third wave, in several European countries - another variant which is doing its Darwinian best to show us a good example of evolution in nature: the fittest strain dominates and the weaker ones do not. (Fittest, of course, means, more virulent, i.e people get sicker leading to more hospitalisation and it is more transmissible.)

Iain got his second jab today. I assume mine will come in about a weeks' time.

I also had a nice moment in our local supermarket when I was hailed by the tall man at the entrance (who monitors mask wearing) saying to me, "I got my jab this week."  This may not sound like much but this man who is from (I am guessing.... Ghana?) said he was reluctant to get a jab.  I recall explaining to him the importance that "we all must do it for the good of society" i.e. eventually it leads to suppression of the virus in the community.  I heard my words coming back to me... "Yes" he told me "It is good for society."!!!

* * * * * * * * * * *  TIME TO TALK OF SHOES AND SHIPS AND SEALING WAX ... WELL... SHIPS ACUTALLY  *  * * * * * * * * * * * * 

I've been following the container ship which had gone aground in the Suez Canal. There are several reasons: 

(1) Recreational sailing: having sailed 40 years in Seol-na-Mara I know it can happen for all the best and worst reasons.  Getting it afloat again is always 'interesting'!  Usually patience and the next (or next highest) tide does it.

(2) Ship Management: In the 1970 I worked for a period of time in a ship management office in Glasgow.  The  firm was Denholm's (and for a short while Denholm-MacLay) at 120 St Vincent Street, Glasgow.

Ship management firms (or Technical Management firms) are responsible for fleets of ships which are moved all over the world. In those days a lot of crew were from Scotland.  

So I followed the fate of this ship from the Evergreen fleet, called Ever Given, which has been stuck in the Suez Canal for a week. It is operated by a Taiwanese company called Evergreen Marine. (Many of the ships operated by Evergreen have names that start with the name "Ever," such as Ever Goods, Ever Glory and Ever Gentle.)

[Courtesy Suez Canal Authority]

[UTube]

I was fascinated to find that this ship functions with input from a variety of sources.  The flags and functions I have photoshopped into this screenshot above.

It raises an interesting question.  When  things go wrong, like containers lost overboard, or it collides into a dock, who is responsible for what?

Also, if I am not mistaken, it was one of these big container 'Ever' ships that lost a cargo of plastic toys in the  North Atlantic some years ago... which kept turning up in various countries for years afterwards.