Brexit, for once some facts.

[Barry Shittpeas]

Fire-break in Wales.

If it really is necessary, better early than late.

I think what Wales is doing is sensible, but the individual England, Wales and Scotland approach is not sensible. There needs to be a co-ordinated UK wide strategy. If England does something, the TSIW does something slightly different to give it a Scottish identity. If Wales does something the Cowardly yellow Streak of **** will resist it because its not an English idea. Wales calls the Circuit Break a Fire Break, just to be different. and so it goes on. The words to describe the level of stupidity haven't been invented yet.

I've left NI out of this, they seem to be cracking on with things and have a stretch of water to keep some of this madness at arms length.

 

[Woosh]

There needs to be a co-ordinated UK wide strategy.

that's UK wide lockdown to maintain hospitals' capacity to treat other diseases.
BJ is dithering. If you look at countries that have successfully controlled the virus (eg NZ), the sooner they clamp down, the better for everyone.

 

[oyster]

that's UK wide lockdown to maintain hospitals' capacity to treat other diseases.

I had a hospital ultrasound appointment. Last Saturday.

The chap who did it was excellent in every way. They were trying to get the queue down as far as possible before the second wave hits. So he was working the whole of Saturday - appointment originally 17:30 but was called and asked if I would mind changing to 09:30 (which suited me better).

I got the impression that the whole hospital was in "get ready" mode.

Yes, if I hadn't got in now, it could have been a long wait...

 

[Danidl]

I had a hospital ultrasound appointment. Last Saturday.

The chap who did it was excellent in every way. They were trying to get the queue down as far as possible before the second wave hits. So he was working the whole of Saturday - appointment originally 17:30 but was called and asked if I would mind changing to 09:30 (which suited me better).

I got the impression that the whole hospital was in "get ready" mode.

Yes, if I hadn't got in now, it could have been a long wait...

I got exactly that feeling a week ago at the catlab in Dublin. I could see it was much busier than a fortnight earlier. Procedures were on going from 8:00 am until 18:00 ,whereas the two weeks earlier , same day ,it was all over in the morning. I did ask that question but was fobbed off. It is obvious that they are making a determined effort to get as much non emergency but serious stuff done before the next surge. There are even adds on the radio about not putting things off.
We had exactly the same urgency in March.. my sister's lung bisection was brought forward by two weeks, and she had only a days notice to inform family. So she was in and out before the lockdown.

 

[oyster]

Does anyone else expect SAGE to be disbanded/dismantled/scrapped? Maybe replaced by an ouija board in the jockey's downstairs bog? (Needless to say, at HUGE cost.)

'Scarred for life': Sage experts warn of impact of Covid policies on the young

Government accused of failing to protect generation Z from harm caused by pandemic response
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/oct/20/sage-experts-warn-of-impact-of-covid-policies-on-young-generation-z-harm-pandemic-coronavirus

 

[oyster]

Back in the USA:

“If somebody held a gun to my head and said ‘tell me what it is to be a conservative and a Republican and an American today, I’d just say ‘shoot me, I have no idea’. There’s no coherent theory of government. There’s no moral center to it.”​

​

Some harsh words on the modern Republican party from Stuart Stevens last night to CNN’s Jake Tapper. Stevens, who was a Republican strategist in the 2012 election and cautioned the party over Trump in 2016, did not hold back in the interview.​

​

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen in American politics a complete collapse of a party as the way the Republican Party has collapsed.”​

​

He described it as being like “the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union, where what the party said it was for, and what it was for, was just so disparate it collapsed.”​

​

He went on to say “I spent decades working in this party and the only way I can look at it now is say burn it down. Just burn it down and start over”​

That the Republicans effectively let Trump in was a massive problem. That they have continued to let him trample over them is a total disaster. The way they are pushing the supreme court judge is evidence of how diabolical they are.

And no, I don't think the Democrats or Biden are that wonderful.

 

[Woosh]

That the Republicans effectively let Trump in was a massive problem.

that was a huge mistake in 2016.
the conservatives here let Nigel Farage set the agenda but did not let him in.

 

[oyster]

that was a huge mistake in 2016.
the conservatives here let Nigel Farage set the agenda but did not let him in.

I keep wondering whether letting Johnson in was a worse mistake. And Gove, et al.

Often seems that Farage might have found it so very difficult to get anywhere if he actually had a job to do.

 

[flecc]

..I would be embarrassed to be seen watching it ..but must admit on the few times I have succumbed, I found things to chuckle about. Maybe I am not a highbrow as I imagine.

Even slapstick has its funny moments.
.

 

[Danidl]

Even slapstick has its funny moments.
.

There was one sketch involving killing a turkey for Christmas which was a brilliant slapstick... The son was advised to cover the head with a paper bag , before dispatching the turkey ..so as not to alarm the bird.. the next scene shows the lad chasing the bird around the yard waving a cleaver ,and wearing the paper bag

 

[flecc]

Have you never seen Mrs Brown’s Boys? That defines rubbish TV perfectly.

Actually I think BBC 1 defines trash TV these days. They seem to have surrendered their primary channel to the lowest common denominator in entertainment, Strictly Come Dancing, The Voice before ITV nicked it, Mrs Brown's Boys, The Wall, The Sheriffs are Coming, Eat Well for Less and of course the ever present East Enders.
.

 

[Woosh]

I keep wondering whether letting Johnson in was a worse mistake. And Gove, et al.

Often seems that Farage might have found it so very difficult to get anywhere if he actually had a job to do.

the problem is the majority of voters need politicians to simplify issues into plain English or fewer words for them.
Even if you don't need politicians to summarise for you, short sharp 3 word slogans (education education education, save the NHS, take back control, get brexit done) still sound a lot better.

 

[RossG]

Did you all see yesterdays story from the US how Trump has called Dr Anthony Fauci an idiot and a disaster saying if Americans had followed his [fauci] advice they would be looking at hundreds of thousands more deaths from covid.
Thanks to those encouraging words the poor guy has received death threats and has been seen out escorted by two security guards. His family has also received threats .. nice one Don, shades of Nazi Germany creeping in here.

 

[oyster]

the problem is the majority of voters need politicians to simplify issues into plain English or fewer words for them.
Even if you don't need politicians to summarise for you, short sharp 3 word slogans (education education education, save the NHS, take back control, get brexit done) still sound a lot better.

So we end up with a PM who spouts Latin or Greek, fades out rather than finishes sentences, and manages to confuse at every word uttered.

The hands, knees and bumpsadaisy (or whatever it is at present) I find impossible to remember. Just three simple words. I know the words. I know what it is supposed to say. But it seems to have been generated with built-in self-forget. It is a bit like, instead of saying one, two three, we are expected to remember, and say, one, one-point-zero-two-six, two-and-seveteen-eightieths.

A good poet or lyric writer might have done far, far better, had any change actually been needed.

 

[RossG]

Do as I say ...

Coronavirus: Health Secretary Matt Hancock seen in chauffeur-driven car without a face mask

Boris Johnson's spokesperson said masks were provided in all ministerial cars, and earlier said all ministers would wear them.

news.sky.com

 

[sjpt]

So we end up with a PM who spouts Latin or Greek, fades out rather than finishes sentences, and manages to confuse at every word uttered.

Maybe if we let him communicate in just Latin or Greek then only those who understand Latin and Greek (rules me out despite my Latin O-level) would be confused

 

[Barry Shittpeas]

 

[oyster]

Well, force is being used.

Government fails to reach deal with Manchester over tier 3 Covid restrictions

Boris Johnson set to impose England’s strictest restrictions after last-ditch attempt to strike deal fails

That will go down very well, won't it?

 

[RossG]

Downing St press conference at 5pm I believe, Boris will appear waving a branch torn from a tree and doing a Basil Fawlty shouting " right..I warned you Burnham "

 

[vfr400]

1: Did the Laptop actually ever exist ?

2: Does the USA actually exist ?

3: What colour are Joe Biden's boxers today ?

Important questions of our time that should be answered NOW !

1. Yes. Confirmed by the Director of National Intelligence, who also confirmed that there's no Russian disinformation involved.
2. Yes, I've been there.
3. Impossible to say because Biden is hiding in his basement. His campaign have said that he's not coming out until Thursday for the debate, which is going to be very very interesting - worth waiting up for.