I would suggest we open the Taiwanese embassy opposite the Chines embassy and the statues in the midal, But I was never very good at diplomacy.
Obviously not my friend. You can't have both a PRC and an ROC Embassy. Doing so would imply there are two Chinas!! Rookie error for a diplomat.
That was meant as a Jock,
As I have posted on here before, I support recognise Taiwan, as Lithuania has recently, and if China gets in to a huf, and withdraws their ambassador, that's there issue.
Does that actually work? I thought Taiwan also subscribes to the one China policy (however reluctantly), so for them to accept your recognition you have to recognise them as the legitimate government of the mainland, which is a bit too divorced from reality for me (for the avoidance of doubt I would fully support recognising them if they officially declared independence).
I have just watched part 1 of the 2013 Great Train Robbery film. They have snow falling in London in August - and you don't have to have independent info to know that, 4 days later they say on screen "12 August - 4 days later"
Also just watched No Country for Old Men for the 3rd time, and it vies with Private Ryan for being superb for 40 minutes and then meh. Brilliant up to and including Anton not shooting the gas station guy, then yawn, a lotta guys getting shot in motels, and who throws a briefcase full of money into a swamp?
Christmas arrived with the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special. Which you might consider a bit middlebrow. But it gets better every time you watch it. Doing Christmas tropes both well and originally is a tough ask, 70 years into the medium. But it's better than any Christmas film. When we do sitcoms well in this country, we do them very well indeed. I would also slot The Office Christmas special and the first three Royle Family Christmas specials into the same category.
I have just watched part 1 of the 2013 Great Train Robbery film. They have snow falling in London in August - and you don't have to have independent info to know that, 4 days later they say on screen "12 August - 4 days later"
Also just watched No Country for Old Men for the 3rd time, and it vies with Private Ryan for being superb for 40 minutes and then meh. Brilliant up to and including Anton not shooting the gas station guy, then yawn, a lotta guys getting shot in motels, and who throws a briefcase full of money into a swamp?
Christmas arrived with the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special. Which you might consider a bit middlebrow. But it gets better every time you watch it. Doing Christmas tropes both well and originally is a tough ask, 70 years into the medium. But it's better than any Christmas film. When we do sitcoms well in this country, we do them very well indeed. I would also slot The Office Christmas special and the first three Royle Family Christmas specials into the same category.
I have just watched part 1 of the 2013 Great Train Robbery film. They have snow falling in London in August - and you don't have to have independent info to know that, 4 days later they say on screen "12 August - 4 days later"
Also just watched No Country for Old Men for the 3rd time, and it vies with Private Ryan for being superb for 40 minutes and then meh. Brilliant up to and including Anton not shooting the gas station guy, then yawn, a lotta guys getting shot in motels, and who throws a briefcase full of money into a swamp?
Christmas arrived with the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special. Which you might consider a bit middlebrow. But it gets better every time you watch it. Doing Christmas tropes both well and originally is a tough ask, 70 years into the medium. But it's better than any Christmas film. When we do sitcoms well in this country, we do them very well indeed. I would also slot The Office Christmas special and the first three Royle Family Christmas specials into the same category.
I would suggest we open the Taiwanese embassy opposite the Chines embassy and the statues in the midal, But I was never very good at diplomacy.
Obviously not my friend. You can't have both a PRC and an ROC Embassy. Doing so would imply there are two Chinas!! Rookie error for a diplomat.
That was meant as a Jock,
As I have posted on here before, I support recognise Taiwan, as Lithuania has recently, and if China gets in to a huf, and withdraws their ambassador, that's there issue.
If I've got this right the UK already has what Lithuania just opened, namely a "Taiwanese Representative Office".
"Separately, Danish data showed that among people who tested positive between November 22 and December 15, Omicron cases were three times less likely to be admitted to hospital than cases with other variants. But experts warned that the concentration of Omicron outbreaks among younger groups could skew the data.
(Chart showing that so far, Omicron cases in Denmark skew younger than cases from other variants)
“It is primarily young and vaccinated people who are infected with Omicron, and when we adjust for this, we see no evidence that Omicron should result in milder disease,” said Henrik Ullum, director of the Statens Serum Institut, Denmark’s public health agency, in a press conference on Wednesday."
Does anyone know if the Scottish study was similarly age corrected?
I have tracked down the Scottish paper, and it does adjust for age, vaccine status, SE status by Scottish quintiles and clinical risk. It seems a lot to pile onto 15 admissions, but they did it.
No spoilers, but its just like Matrix 2 and Matrix 3 then?
Is there any film series that has ever come back for a 4th a long time after the third, and the 4th was anything other than a disappointment?
It seems I instinctively had the right idea with The Matrix, (or more likely just guessed correctly).
Went to see the first one about 3 times, was looking forward to the second film, but for some reason never got round to watching it or any of the others. Maybe it's because sequels are often so disappointing, with the exception of Star Wars.
I would suggest we open the Taiwanese embassy opposite the Chines embassy and the statues in the midal, But I was never very good at diplomacy.
Obviously not my friend. You can't have both a PRC and an ROC Embassy. Doing so would imply there are two Chinas!! Rookie error for a diplomat.
That was meant as a Jock,
As I have posted on here before, I support recognise Taiwan, as Lithuania has recently, and if China gets in to a huf, and withdraws their ambassador, that's there issue.
If I've got this right the UK already has what Lithuania just opened, namely a "Taiwanese Representative Office".
Spent more days than strictly anyone should have to at the TRO trying to get a work permit in the early 90's. A basement office near Victoria Station. Needed my degree and transcript translated into Chinese and notarised. Which wasn't straightforward as Senate House didn't issue transcripts. So. I had to get London University to issue an entirely brand new document. TRO's have existed for decades everywhere. We used to go to the HK one yearly to renew work permits.
Hmm. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps not on a par with the original because that was so... well original. But magnitudes better than Reloaded and Revolutions. Well worth the ticket price and then some.
No Cabinet minister except Gove is going to lockdown now:
Why is Gove so lockdown mad?
He's a massive authoritarian so having that power over people's lives appeals to his nature. Pretty sure if he could tell people at what times of day they were allowed to take a shit he would try.
Except everyone I know who actually knows him and has worked with him - including Nick Palmer of this parish - has said that is simply not the case. He listens to people, trusts the scientists and is willing to consider solutions outside his comfort zone or political background. I know two people from Greenpeace who were immensely impressed with him and also a friend who was a prison governor who said he was by far the best justice secretary they ever had because he actually listened to the people on the front line and was not interested in pandering to the 'prison is for punishment' brigade. He failed with the teachers but otherwise his record seems to have been one of conciliation and informed decision making.
I suspect his position on lockdown is because he has put too much store in the opinions of the scientific community who seem to be wholesale in favour irrespective of cost.
Edit correction, one friend from Greenpeace and one from Friends of the Earth.
Hmm. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps not on a par with the original because that was so... well original. But magnitudes better than Reloaded and Revolutions. Well worth the ticket price and then some.
I rewatched the original the other day - for the first time since it was released.
Missed all the trans allegories back then, but they seem obvious now. Innocent days...
Hmm. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps not on a par with the original because that was so... well original. But magnitudes better than Reloaded and Revolutions. Well worth the ticket price and then some.
I rewatched the original the other day - first time since it was released.
Missed all the trans allegories the first time, but they seem obvious now. Innocent days...
I just watched it a few days ago as well and must admit I still missed the Trans allegories.
He is making direct comparisons between raw numbers of cases and hospitalisations between two waves that have markedly different amounts of testing....we are testing far more (literally LFT tests are a national pastime), but makes no adjustment for this in his charts...then goes right at the end, errrh more testing, positivity rate as a %...shakes head...
Christ alive just seen an interview with Professor Sunetra Gupta and she is still sticking to there was definitely a massive amount of cases in March 2020, herd immunity, yadda yadda....I am a victim of a propaganda campaign.
It's interesting to note that Fraser Nelson was saying the same things as lots of other people, but he was the only one anyone important took notice of because he's a top journalist. It was just assumed that everyone else who was making the same arguments could be ignored because they were just ordinary people and who cares what they think about anything. But an argument shouldn't be judged on the basis of who makes it, it should be judged on its merits.
Hmm. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps not on a par with the original because that was so... well original. But magnitudes better than Reloaded and Revolutions. Well worth the ticket price and then some.
I rewatched the original the other day - first time since it was released.
Missed all the trans allegories the first time, but they seem obvious now. Innocent days...
I just watched it a few days ago as well and must admit I still missed the Trans allegories.
It works really well just as straight sci-fi, which is what makes it so clever.
Amongst many other things (Switch? Neo?), apparently oestrogen hormone pills available at the time were red...
It's interesting to note that Fraser Nelson was saying the same things as lots of other people, but he was the only one anyone important took notice of because he's a top journalist. It was just assumed that everyone else who was making the same arguments could be ignored because they were just ordinary people and who cares what they think about anything. But an argument shouldn't be judged on the basis of who makes it, it should be judged on its merits.
The thing is he isn't really the best person to be doing this either. The most frustrating thing during the whole time of the pandemic is properly qualified journalists be in in stats or medical matter rarely get to ask direct questions.....and the media airwaves is stuffed with people who have clear agendas, from the zero covidians lock us up forever to the let it rip brigade.
Until JP Morgan released their model findings, nobody was challenging anything in a thorough mathematical way. It was all I think....or I cherry picked a stat....the press conferences and "grilling" of politicians / eggheads is always the political journalists who have the square root of f##k all idea about the details, no matter what Prof Peston thinks.
"Separately, Danish data showed that among people who tested positive between November 22 and December 15, Omicron cases were three times less likely to be admitted to hospital than cases with other variants. But experts warned that the concentration of Omicron outbreaks among younger groups could skew the data.
(Chart showing that so far, Omicron cases in Denmark skew younger than cases from other variants)
“It is primarily young and vaccinated people who are infected with Omicron, and when we adjust for this, we see no evidence that Omicron should result in milder disease,” said Henrik Ullum, director of the Statens Serum Institut, Denmark’s public health agency, in a press conference on Wednesday."
Does anyone know if the Scottish study was similarly age corrected?
This is where things get tricky:
Younger people are less likely to go to hospital anyway.
But younger people are also far less likely to be double (and more importantly triple) jabbed.
So, are they the ones catching it (and showing up in the tests) because they've not got the same degree of vaccine coverage, or because they're socialising. Or some mixture of both.
I have to say the FT article doesn't quite fill me with joy -
Omicron reduces an individual's hospitalisation risk by 11%.
Omicron, because it infects more immune people, reduces overall hospitalisation risk by 25%.
(not sure which source paper, but is that relative to Delta or relative to a basket of previous COVID?)
If relative to Delta, my question would then be. Is that all?
Man, you need to read everything
There are at least FIVE relevant studies out just today
Imperial is maybe the most cautious, seeing a hospitalisation lowering of 10-45%, with various caveats (but it accepts the lowering of severe disease and death might be much more)
Denmark, also out. Roughly similar, but they too are playing it down, "too early to say"
The leaked UKHSA report. All we know is that it says "Omicron is less severe", but this candour is unusual from them
Scotland. 60-70% lowering of hospitalisation
South Africa: 80% lowering of hospitalisation
Take them all together. This is two big spoonfuls of sugar in a previously bitter cup of tea
Fingers-crossed. Still suspect we'll have a wobbly few weeks in January though... Christmas family socialising, kids back at school, workers back in the office/factory/etc.
Going to get colder too - not sure if that helps or hinders.
The suggestion is cold snaps do correlate postively with rising cases.
People inside more causes more disease to spread shocker.
So, BBC leads on 100k numbers and not the hospitalisation figures.
Sky news were early pushing a narrative this is should be deeply worrying for everybody.....
The media are going to be so upset, when there’s no longer a pandemic to drive their ratings. Also remember that they themselves have been exempt from pretty much all the restrictions on working for the past two years.
It’s the same reason MSNBC secretly loved Donald Trump, now he’s not there ratings have tanked.
No Cabinet minister except Gove is going to lockdown now:
Why is Gove so lockdown mad?
He's a massive authoritarian so having that power over people's lives appeals to his nature. Pretty sure if he could tell people at what times of day they were allowed to take a shit he would try.
Except everyone I know who actually knows him and has worked with him - including Nick Palmer of this parish - has said that is simply not the case. He listens to people, trusts the scientists and is willing to consider solutions outside his comfort zone or political background. I know two people from Greenpeace who were immensely impressed with him and also a friend who was a prison governor who said he was by far the best justice secretary they ever had because he actually listened to the people on the front line and was not interested in pandering to the 'prison is for punishment' brigade. He failed with the teachers but otherwise his record seems to have been one of conciliation and informed decision making.
I suspect his position on lockdown is because he has put too much store in the opinions of the scientific community who seem to be wholesale in favour irrespective of cost.
Edit correction, one friend from Greenpeace and one from Friends of the Earth.
During the coalition the LibDem ministers had a reasonable opinion of him as well; he appeared to ‘get’ coalition government and gave the impression at least of doing his best to make it work; for a renowned plotter he was one of the straight dealers during those years (or, of course, was such a devious plotter that he took them all in).
I have just watched part 1 of the 2013 Great Train Robbery film. They have snow falling in London in August - and you don't have to have independent info to know that, 4 days later they say on screen "12 August - 4 days later"
Also just watched No Country for Old Men for the 3rd time, and it vies with Private Ryan for being superb for 40 minutes and then meh. Brilliant up to and including Anton not shooting the gas station guy, then yawn, a lotta guys getting shot in motels, and who throws a briefcase full of money into a swamp?
Christmas arrived with the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special. Which you might consider a bit middlebrow. But it gets better every time you watch it. Doing Christmas tropes both well and originally is a tough ask, 70 years into the medium. But it's better than any Christmas film. When we do sitcoms well in this country, we do them very well indeed. I would also slot The Office Christmas special and the first three Royle Family Christmas specials into the same category.
On a more serious note, the Ukranian Mrs Sandpit pretty much agrees with The NY Times long read yesterday, about rising tensions and propoganda coming out of Moscow. Something is definitely happening. Apparently Mr Putin is doing one of his half-day addresses to the nation today, so we shall see what he has to say.
'Very little time if you bother to set up an account!' Have you actually done it? Pointless repetition of data every time that can and should have been saved, including name and date of birth, when all it should have is date of test, serial number and result.
It's an appalling piece of work and it's an utter waste of time anyway. Positive tests are the ones that actually matter.
If you set up an account it saves all your answers, so you only have to click through a few pages, answering a few questions that have radio buttons, and then put in the test number or scan the QR code. It doesn't take any more than 60 seconds to do.
I DID set up an account. Still have it, for the matter of that. But it didn’t save a single one of those key answers which needed to be laboriously re-entered each time. Took about four minutes. Which is why I stopped doing it.
If they have sorted it, good news, but I equally haven’t time to waste checking that a bunch of stupid failures have sorted out basic mistakes that a bright six year old would have avoided to start with.
I have just watched part 1 of the 2013 Great Train Robbery film. They have snow falling in London in August - and you don't have to have independent info to know that, 4 days later they say on screen "12 August - 4 days later"
Also just watched No Country for Old Men for the 3rd time, and it vies with Private Ryan for being superb for 40 minutes and then meh. Brilliant up to and including Anton not shooting the gas station guy, then yawn, a lotta guys getting shot in motels, and who throws a briefcase full of money into a swamp?
Christmas arrived with the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special. Which you might consider a bit middlebrow. But it gets better every time you watch it. Doing Christmas tropes both well and originally is a tough ask, 70 years into the medium. But it's better than any Christmas film. When we do sitcoms well in this country, we do them very well indeed. I would also slot The Office Christmas special and the first three Royle Family Christmas specials into the same category.
On a more serious note, the Ukranian Mrs Sandpit pretty much agrees with The NY Times long read yesterday, about rising tensions and propoganda coming out of Moscow. Something is definitely happening. Apparently Mr Putin is doing one of his half-day addresses to the nation today, so we shall see what he has to say.
What would the early stages of a coup in Putin’s Russia look like?
I have just watched part 1 of the 2013 Great Train Robbery film. They have snow falling in London in August - and you don't have to have independent info to know that, 4 days later they say on screen "12 August - 4 days later"
Also just watched No Country for Old Men for the 3rd time, and it vies with Private Ryan for being superb for 40 minutes and then meh. Brilliant up to and including Anton not shooting the gas station guy, then yawn, a lotta guys getting shot in motels, and who throws a briefcase full of money into a swamp?
Christmas arrived with the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special. Which you might consider a bit middlebrow. But it gets better every time you watch it. Doing Christmas tropes both well and originally is a tough ask, 70 years into the medium. But it's better than any Christmas film. When we do sitcoms well in this country, we do them very well indeed. I would also slot The Office Christmas special and the first three Royle Family Christmas specials into the same category.
On a more serious note, the Ukranian Mrs Sandpit pretty much agrees with The NY Times long read yesterday, about rising tensions and propoganda coming out of Moscow. Something is definitely happening. Apparently Mr Putin is doing one of his half-day addresses to the nation today, so we shall see what he has to say.
What would the early stages of a coup in Putin’s Russia look like?
The coup would be in Ukraine, rather than in Russia. Removing the incumbent leadership and replacing them with Kremlin puppets. The last coup, in 2013, was the other way around, sparked by the pro-Russia President not wanting to align closer with the EU on trade, at the expense of their largest market Russia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_of_Dignity
'Very little time if you bother to set up an account!' Have you actually done it? Pointless repetition of data every time that can and should have been saved, including name and date of birth, when all it should have is date of test, serial number and result.
It's an appalling piece of work and it's an utter waste of time anyway. Positive tests are the ones that actually matter.
If you set up an account it saves all your answers, so you only have to click through a few pages, answering a few questions that have radio buttons, and then put in the test number or scan the QR code. It doesn't take any more than 60 seconds to do.
Unless it's changed in the last week, I had to enter all my info again for my second negative test 2 days after the previous one, despite an account. Totalling (I think) 16 separate presses of ENTER. Each page took 5-10 seconds to load. Usually for a single data item.
Terrible design. I keep examples of bad design for future reference and this is one of them.
Sounds as though it isn’t sorted. System glitch perhaps? Or maybe it doesn’t work properly on iPhones?
I have just watched part 1 of the 2013 Great Train Robbery film. They have snow falling in London in August - and you don't have to have independent info to know that, 4 days later they say on screen "12 August - 4 days later"
Also just watched No Country for Old Men for the 3rd time, and it vies with Private Ryan for being superb for 40 minutes and then meh. Brilliant up to and including Anton not shooting the gas station guy, then yawn, a lotta guys getting shot in motels, and who throws a briefcase full of money into a swamp?
Christmas arrived with the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special. Which you might consider a bit middlebrow. But it gets better every time you watch it. Doing Christmas tropes both well and originally is a tough ask, 70 years into the medium. But it's better than any Christmas film. When we do sitcoms well in this country, we do them very well indeed. I would also slot The Office Christmas special and the first three Royle Family Christmas specials into the same category.
On a more serious note, the Ukranian Mrs Sandpit pretty much agrees with The NY Times long read yesterday, about rising tensions and propoganda coming out of Moscow. Something is definitely happening. Apparently Mr Putin is doing one of his half-day addresses to the nation today, so we shall see what he has to say.
What would the early stages of a coup in Putin’s Russia look like?
Well, last time it involved the kidnapping of the President, tanks in the streets and general chaos and confusion.
"Americans lose faith in Facebook and other big tech
Trust in Facebook and other tech companies has plunged among Americans in the past decade, with more than 70 per cent saying they do not have faith in the social media giant’s handling of their personal information, a survey has found. Only 10 per cent of Americans believe Facebook has a positive impact on society, according to the survey by The Washington Post and Schar School. It follows a barrage of incendiary claims about the company by the whistleblower Frances Haugen in October. The survey found that 72 per cent of internet users trusted Facebook “not much” or “not at all” to manage their data responsibly." (£)
"Americans lose faith in Facebook and other big tech
Trust in Facebook and other tech companies has plunged among Americans in the past decade, with more than 70 per cent saying they do not have faith in the social media giant’s handling of their personal information, a survey has found. Only 10 per cent of Americans believe Facebook has a positive impact on society, according to the survey by The Washington Post and Schar School. It follows a barrage of incendiary claims about the company by the whistleblower Frances Haugen in October. The survey found that 72 per cent of internet users trusted Facebook “not much” or “not at all” to manage their data responsibly." (£)
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
I do not know why, but I have gone off movies in recent years. I much prefer science documentaries
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
I do not know why, but I have gone off movies in recent years. I much prefer science documentaries
That’s because most of the movies are crap superhero sequels. Documentaries, and stand-up comedy specials, kept me sane during the pandemic.
Oh, and James Webb Space Telescope launches tonight on Christmas Day! 🚀
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
I do not know why, but I have gone off movies in recent years. I much prefer science documentaries
“We decided to take a look at the long game rather than just only focusing on the original emergence of SARS, and instead understand that viruses mutate, there will be variants that emerge, future viruses that may emerge in terms of new species. Our platform and approach will equip people to be prepared for that.”
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
So Die Hard is a Christmas film...
Nope.
I was saving this for tomorrow
Tomorrow 34 years ago sgt Al Powell helped thwart a British led terrorist attack on Nakatomi Tower, Los Angeles. Lest we forget.
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
Have you been radicalised by the Die Hard Xmas wars ?
It is genuinely stunning that the DfE are so stupid they don’t even know what their own procedures are or how long they take.
There only wanted the initial "look we are doing something" press release.
Actual implementation and planning wasn't something they cared about.
And DBS checks are only easy if the DBS did one recently. Eek Twin A got an enhanced one back for Scouting within a day but that was only because she did 1 6 weeks ago for the Music Service.
If the last DBS check was 20 years ago it's going to take ages to compile all the data together.
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
Have you been radicalised by the Die Hard Xmas wars ?
I love TSE's logic
Die Hard is not a Christmas movie but because it's set of Christmas Eve we'll watch it as part of a Christmas Double bill with Love Actually.
Surely, if you are watching it as part of a Christmas double bill surely you have confirmed it's at least vaguely a Christmas movie.
Then again lawyers will happily argue black is white if there is money in it, so I can see why TSE argues for something he has himself contradicted.
It is genuinely stunning that the DfE are so stupid they don’t even know what their own procedures are or how long they take.
There only wanted the initial "look we are doing something" press release.
Actual implementation and planning wasn't something they cared about.
And DBS checks are only easy if the DBS did one recently. Eek Twin A got an enhanced one back for Scouting within a day but that was only because she did 1 6 weeks ago for the Music Service.
If the last DBS check was 20 years ago it's going to take ages to compile all the data together.
Three working days lost over Christmas as well (in practice it will be more like six).
By the time any of them come into classrooms this wave will be over.
Which is why I think there could be major problems in January unless the testing requirement is abandoned. People can shout and scream and stamp their feet but if 30% of staff and students* end up isolating schools will have to shut.
*I very much hope that prediction is as an inaccurate as the average model by Christina Pagel.
It is genuinely stunning that the DfE are so stupid they don’t even know what their own procedures are or how long they take.
There only wanted the initial "look we are doing something" press release.
Actual implementation and planning wasn't something they cared about.
And DBS checks are only easy if the DBS did one recently. Eek Twin A got an enhanced one back for Scouting within a day but that was only because she did 1 6 weeks ago for the Music Service.
If the last DBS check was 20 years ago it's going to take ages to compile all the data together.
Though there's likely quite a large number of recently retired teachers.
It is genuinely stunning that the DfE are so stupid they don’t even know what their own procedures are or how long they take.
There only wanted the initial "look we are doing something" press release.
Actual implementation and planning wasn't something they cared about.
And DBS checks are only easy if the DBS did one recently. Eek Twin A got an enhanced one back for Scouting within a day but that was only because she did 1 6 weeks ago for the Music Service.
If the last DBS check was 20 years ago it's going to take ages to compile all the data together.
Though there's likely quite a large number of recently retired teachers.
Doesn't mean they have recent DBS checks. That only becomes an advantage if they're working in the school they've retired from.
We've got one person who's come back in several times on that basis since retiring in the summer. It won't make up for the six who have just quit.
Edit - although that does rather prove your point, come to think of it. But they won't be coming back...
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
Have you been radicalised by the Die Hard Xmas wars ?
I love TSE's logic
Die Hard is not a Christmas movie but because it's set of Christmas Eve we'll watch it as part of a Christmas Double bill with Love Actually.
Surely, if you are watching it as part of a Christmas double bill surely you have confirmed it's at least vaguely a Christmas movie.
Then again lawyers will happily argue black is white if there is money in it, so I can see why TSE argues for something he has himself contradicted.
In lieu of our Christmas party my staff have arranged a Christmas eve watchalong and the feckers chose Die Hard as the watchalong film. I think you can guess what food most of them are planning on eating.
Thus to preserve the integrity of Christmas I shall watch a proper Christmas film beforehand, Love Actually.
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
Have you been radicalised by the Die Hard Xmas wars ?
I love TSE's logic
Die Hard is not a Christmas movie but because it's set of Christmas Eve we'll watch it as part of a Christmas Double bill with Love Actually.
Surely, if you are watching it as part of a Christmas double bill surely you have confirmed it's at least vaguely a Christmas movie.
Then again lawyers will happily argue black is white if there is money in it, so I can see why TSE argues for something he has himself contradicted.
In lieu of our Christmas party my staff have arranged a Christmas eve watchalong and the feckers chose Die Hard as the watchalong film. I think you can guess what food most of them are planning on eating.
Thus to preserve the integrity of Christmas I shall watch a proper Christmas film beforehand, Love Actually.
Current (well, last time it was talked about) opinion among the Cole tribe is that we won't watch TV on Christmas Day. Eldest Granddaughter as, effectively, the hostess is organising some games for After Lunch. OKC, as patriarch, will probably exercise the patriarch's traditional right of a short doze, possibly with added snoring!
Almost every front page now leading on omi being less severe.
Johnson would be mad to now start talking about lockdown from 28th or 3rd Jan.
I said last night I suspected the decision was already all-but-made not to lockdown because of the lifting of self-isolation from day 7. If you were looking to increase restrictions, then reducing the time the infected are isolated seems a strange way to start - but if you know things are going to be fine, then that's a good way to ease the isolation problem.
Its a question of when to lift Plan B and when to abolish isolation altogether, as opposed to what restrictions to add now.
You didn't exist last night
LOL.
I'm not trying to hide my continuity, I'm not pretending like a certain someone that I'm not who I am.
I just don't want my real name associated which I think is a reasonable request. I am looking at a possible new job next year and I don't want to be doxxed.
Sure, OK, no more. Who is this Thompson guy anyway?
Although I wish he hadn’t chosen the name of a dodgy drug company run by someone who made his money busting oil sanctions in Libya
Powell: 'The government needs to be doing more to control cases' Host: 'What would you do? Would you have a 2 week circuit break as Sir Keir Starmer has called for in the past?' Powell: 'It was a while ago he said that, we're not calling for that. But the Government need to be clearer.' Host: 'So if you're not calling for restrictions, what would need to change for you to call for restrictions'. Powell: 'There are a range of factors [lists six or seven factors] so its not possible to say. People want to make plans and the Government needs to be clear what needs to change for them to bring in restrictions'
Powell taking her lead so well with Captain Hindsight. Call for action, but no idea what action. No idea what threshold for action, but calls for the Government to be clear on it. What a bad joke our Opposition is, they're just a complete empty suit hoping that the Government destroy themselves, no iota of original thought or leadership or even Opposition at all.
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
I do not know why, but I have gone off movies in recent years. I much prefer science documentaries
That’s because most of the movies are crap superhero sequels. Documentaries, and stand-up comedy specials, kept me sane during the pandemic.
Oh, and James Webb Space Telescope launches tonight on Christmas Day! 🚀
I looked at windy.com for French guyana on christmas day, doesn't look fab I think ?
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
I do not know why, but I have gone off movies in recent years. I much prefer science documentaries
That’s because most of the movies are crap superhero sequels. Documentaries, and stand-up comedy specials, kept me sane during the pandemic.
Oh, and James Webb Space Telescope launches tonight on Christmas Day! 🚀
I'm surprisingly nervous about this launch. The JWST will be such an amazing tool, but there is so much that can go wrong ...
And they can go wrong: the Lucy probe launched a few months ago has had trouble with a solar panel not deploying. I haven't heard any news on it, but it *may* be a very big deal for its target orbit.
Do we think the PB meet up will go ahead in February? If so, I need to start thinking about booking a hotel. Can anyone recommend anywhere reasonable?
Few Premier Inns round there that aren't bad - heck even the travelodges are reasonable given that there are other options for Breakfast and all you need is a bed.
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
Have you been radicalised by the Die Hard Xmas wars ?
I love TSE's logic
Die Hard is not a Christmas movie but because it's set of Christmas Eve we'll watch it as part of a Christmas Double bill with Love Actually.
Surely, if you are watching it as part of a Christmas double bill surely you have confirmed it's at least vaguely a Christmas movie.
Then again lawyers will happily argue black is white if there is money in it, so I can see why TSE argues for something he has himself contradicted.
In lieu of our Christmas party my staff have arranged a Christmas eve watchalong and the feckers chose Die Hard as the watchalong film. I think you can guess what food most of them are planning on eating.
Thus to preserve the integrity of Christmas I shall watch a proper Christmas film beforehand, Love Actually.
It's rather worrying that you've made such an impression on your staff that the team Christmas Party is 1 long attempt to wind you up.
Exactly how stupid are these unvaccinated people. Haven't they noticed that Trump and co are operating on a do as I say (while I do the exact opposite myself) basis.
Hmm. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps not on a par with the original because that was so... well original. But magnitudes better than Reloaded and Revolutions. Well worth the ticket price and then some.
I rewatched the original the other day - for the first time since it was released.
Missed all the trans allegories back then, but they seem obvious now. Innocent days...
Presumably because there will be ten times as many infections but 40% fewer will need to stay in hospital.
I still say it was a mistake when they stopped teaching children to do arithmetic.
You're still a broken record screaming out doom aren't you? Despite having been shown to be consistently wrong for about eight months in a row, you're still not going to give up. Its gone so far past ridiculous I've now started to actually respect how well you're willing to go down with the ship of doom despite all evidence and reason being against you.
If everyone's going to get Covid sooner or later, as Whitty advised half a year ago, then yes its very good news if they all get a milder version instead. Are you expecting everyone to get it ten times each now?
Exactly how stupid are these unvaccinated people. Haven't they noticed that Trump and co are operating on a do as I say (while I do the exact opposite myself) basis.
Incredibly stupid, given the best line in that article:
"“There’s a 99.9% chance it’s anthrax,” Oltmann said on his podcast, even though no one had tested positive for anthrax poisoning and none of the other 3,500 attendees have so far reported suffering the effects of anthrax."
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
I do not know why, but I have gone off movies in recent years. I much prefer science documentaries
Watching Love Actually will do that to you.
Love Actually is unusual in that it is a RomCom, but from exclusively male perspectives. It is a series of interlocked male fantasies, including Emma Thompson being a doormat who puts up with infidelity for the sake of the children. It contains little that looks like Love, Actually.
Presumably because there will be ten times as many infections but 40% fewer will need to stay in hospital.
I still say it was a mistake when they stopped teaching children to do arithmetic.
Good news because Omicron appears to be considerably less serious than Delta. There are 195 people in hospital in the UK with Omicron according to the latest official figures, which isn't many when you consider Omicron is said to have swept through London and many other areas.
Exactly how stupid are these unvaccinated people. Haven't they noticed that Trump and co are operating on a do as I say (while I do the exact opposite myself) basis.
Trump was interviewed by someone from Fox News the other day in front of an audience and was recommending people to get their jabs and he confirmed he had the booster. He was booed there and has been booed before for saying it.
I am watching Die Hard tomorrow night, preceded by Love Actually, that way I can see Alan Rickman get properly punished for hurting Emma Thompson by having an affair with that tramp.
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
I do not know why, but I have gone off movies in recent years. I much prefer science documentaries
That’s because most of the movies are crap superhero sequels. Documentaries, and stand-up comedy specials, kept me sane during the pandemic.
Oh, and James Webb Space Telescope launches tonight on Christmas Day! 🚀
I'm surprisingly nervous about this launch. The JWST will be such an amazing tool, but there is so much that can go wrong ...
And they can go wrong: the Lucy probe launched a few months ago has had trouble with a solar panel not deploying. I haven't heard any news on it, but it *may* be a very big deal for its target orbit.
If you and I feel nervous, imagine how those who have been working on it for 25 years are feeling right now!
There’s more than 300 critical operations in the deployment phase, and if it goes wrong there’s no recovery options except to build another one.
Presumably because there will be ten times as many infections but 40% fewer will need to stay in hospital.
I still say it was a mistake when they stopped teaching children to do arithmetic.
You're gonna have to slowly accept that COVID-19 is going to end up a contributory virus to the common cold/flu, causing lots of misery but something we live with.
We can see progress towards this end game in the reduction from 10 days to 7 days isolation. It will take a brave politician, but eventually someone will make the call to abolish isolation all together.
As @ydoethur , doctor friends and others have pointed out - staffing shortages will become a bigger danger and cost than the virus itself in the near future.
Presumably because there will be ten times as many infections but 40% fewer will need to stay in hospital.
I still say it was a mistake when they stopped teaching children to do arithmetic.
You're gonna have to slowly accept that COVID-19 is going to end up a contributory virus to the common cold/flu, causing lots of misery but something we live with.
We can see progress towards this end game in the reduction from 10 days to 7 days isolation. It will take a brave politician, but eventually someone will make the call to abolish isolation all together.
As @ydoethur , doctor friends and others have pointed out - staffing shortages will become a bigger danger and cost than the virus itself in the near future.
I think the isolation requirement will end by March
Ah, an old one but a good one. I think my favourite iteration is from 2016.
Bill Clinton is walking along a beach when he sees a bottle. He picks it up ans tries to rub the sand off. A genie suddenly appears out of it, and in gratitude for escaping, offers Clinton one wish.
Clinton doesn't hesitate. 'Peace in the Middle East,'
The genie goggles. 'What? Peace between the Israelis and Palestinians? The Iranians and Saudis? The Kurds and Turks? After all the centuries of conflict? The massacres? The theft of land and property? I'm good, but I'm not that good. Choose something more realistic.'
Clinton thinks hard. 'I know!' he says suddenly. 'I'd like you to get people to like Hilary. To see that she's not completely stupid, and does care about others, and can get things done. And then, maybe she'll be elected President and stop nagging me for being more successful than her.'
There's a long silence.
Then the genie says. 'OK. The Middle East. Does it include India and Pakistan? Need to know what I'm dealing with here.'
Comments
Is there any film series that has ever come back for a 4th a long time after the third, and the 4th was anything other than a disappointment?
Goodnight 👍
Which you might consider a bit middlebrow.
But it gets better every time you watch it. Doing Christmas tropes both well and originally is a tough ask, 70 years into the medium. But it's better than any Christmas film. When we do sitcoms well in this country, we do them very well indeed.
I would also slot The Office Christmas special and the first three Royle Family Christmas specials into the same category.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hxfiSkGUdk
on which note, goodnight everyone!
Went to see the first one about 3 times, was looking forward to the second film, but for some reason never got round to watching it or any of the others. Maybe it's because sequels are often so disappointing, with the exception of Star Wars.
Needed my degree and transcript translated into Chinese and notarised. Which wasn't straightforward as Senate House didn't issue transcripts. So. I had to get London University to issue an entirely brand new document.
TRO's have existed for decades everywhere. We used to go to the HK one yearly to renew work permits.
I suspect his position on lockdown is because he has put too much store in the opinions of the scientific community who seem to be wholesale in favour irrespective of cost.
Edit correction, one friend from Greenpeace and one from Friends of the Earth.
Missed all the trans allegories back then, but they seem obvious now. Innocent days...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-59764029
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgyFpfMx05M
He is making direct comparisons between raw numbers of cases and hospitalisations between two waves that have markedly different amounts of testing....we are testing far more (literally LFT tests are a national pastime), but makes no adjustment for this in his charts...then goes right at the end, errrh more testing, positivity rate as a %...shakes head...
It works really well just as straight sci-fi, which is what makes it so clever.
Amongst many other things (Switch? Neo?), apparently oestrogen hormone pills available at the time were red...
Until JP Morgan released their model findings, nobody was challenging anything in a thorough mathematical way. It was all I think....or I cherry picked a stat....the press conferences and "grilling" of politicians / eggheads is always the political journalists who have the square root of f##k all idea about the details, no matter what Prof Peston thinks.
Brian Eno was unavailable.
Hospitalisations: 195 (previously 129)
Deaths: 18 (previously 14)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1043466/20211222_OS_Daily_Omicron_Overview.pdf
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1043098/20211221_OS_Daily_Omicron_Overview.pdf
Younger people are less likely to go to hospital anyway.
But younger people are also far less likely to be double (and more importantly triple) jabbed.
So, are they the ones catching it (and showing up in the tests) because they've not got the same degree of vaccine coverage, or because they're socialising. Or some mixture of both.
It’s the same reason MSNBC secretly loved Donald Trump, now he’s not there ratings have tanked.
https://www.axios.com/omicron-variant-covid-dominant-cdc-347f6459-7cd3-4b7c-8d95-e0f4c3da15d0.html
On a more serious note, the Ukranian Mrs Sandpit pretty much agrees with The NY Times long read yesterday, about rising tensions and propoganda coming out of Moscow. Something is definitely happening. Apparently Mr Putin is doing one of his half-day addresses to the nation today, so we shall see what he has to say.
If they have sorted it, good news, but I equally haven’t time to waste checking that a bunch of stupid failures have sorted out basic mistakes that a bright six year old would have avoided to start with.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Soviet_coup_d'état_attempt
Dominic Minghella
@DMinghella
Replying to @Anna_Soubry and @celticmaid4
Friend of mine had her passport pinched in a train station in Rome. She didn't realise it was gone until they ran after her - to GIVE IT BACK. A British passport had no value to the thieves.
9:29 AM · Dec 21, 2021·Twitter for Android
https://twitter.com/DMinghella/status/1473224194628493313
Trust in Facebook and other tech companies has plunged among Americans in the past decade, with more than 70 per cent saying they do not have faith in the social media giant’s handling of their personal information, a survey has found. Only 10 per cent of Americans believe Facebook has a positive impact on society, according to the survey by The Washington Post and Schar School. It follows a barrage of incendiary claims about the company by the whistleblower Frances Haugen in October. The survey found that 72 per cent of internet users trusted Facebook “not much” or “not at all” to manage their data responsibly." (£)
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/americans-lose-faith-in-facebook-and-other-big-tech-57cs8tg9j
#DeathPenaltyForAdulterers
You were asking about this the other day:
Covid: Doubts that ex-teachers will return by January
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-59761859
Another reason why it won’t be happening.
It is genuinely stunning that the DfE are so stupid they don’t even know what their own procedures are or how long they take.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/22/nhs-may-set-up-field-hospitals-in-carparks-to-cope-with-omicron-covid
Oh, and James Webb Space Telescope launches tonight on Christmas Day! 🚀
US Army lab poised to announce a single vaccine, effective against all SARS-type viruses.
https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2021/12/us-army-creates-single-vaccine-effective-against-all-covid-sars-variants/360089/
“We decided to take a look at the long game rather than just only focusing on the original emergence of SARS, and instead understand that viruses mutate, there will be variants that emerge, future viruses that may emerge in terms of new species. Our platform and approach will equip people to be prepared for that.”
Tomorrow 34 years ago sgt Al Powell helped thwart a British led terrorist attack on Nakatomi Tower, Los Angeles. Lest we forget.
And Good Morning everyone. Back above freezing today. Is it a day for cautious optimism?
Actual implementation and planning wasn't something they cared about.
And DBS checks are only easy if the DBS did one recently. Eek Twin A got an enhanced one back for Scouting within a day but that was only because she did 1 6 weeks ago for the Music Service.
If the last DBS check was 20 years ago it's going to take ages to compile all the data together.
Die Hard is not a Christmas movie but because it's set of Christmas Eve we'll watch it as part of a Christmas Double bill with Love Actually.
Surely, if you are watching it as part of a Christmas double bill surely you have confirmed it's at least vaguely a Christmas movie.
Then again lawyers will happily argue black is white if there is money in it, so I can see why TSE argues for something he has himself contradicted.
By the time any of them come into classrooms this wave will be over.
Which is why I think there could be major problems in January unless the testing requirement is abandoned. People can shout and scream and stamp their feet but if 30% of staff and students* end up isolating schools will have to shut.
*I very much hope that prediction is as an inaccurate as the average model by Christina Pagel.
We've got one person who's come back in several times on that basis since retiring in the summer. It won't make up for the six who have just quit.
Edit - although that does rather prove your point, come to think of it. But they won't be coming back...
Thus to preserve the integrity of Christmas I shall watch a proper Christmas film beforehand, Love Actually.
'Dear unjabbed...give Britain the best gift this Xmas. Book your jab NOW!'
"26 reasons why post-millennial movies are so awful"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPMfCJpfhdo
Eldest Granddaughter as, effectively, the hostess is organising some games for After Lunch. OKC, as patriarch, will probably exercise the patriarch's traditional right of a short doze, possibly with added snoring!
Powell: 'The government needs to be doing more to control cases'
Host: 'What would you do? Would you have a 2 week circuit break as Sir Keir Starmer has called for in the past?'
Powell: 'It was a while ago he said that, we're not calling for that. But the Government need to be clearer.'
Host: 'So if you're not calling for restrictions, what would need to change for you to call for restrictions'.
Powell: 'There are a range of factors [lists six or seven factors] so its not possible to say. People want to make plans and the Government needs to be clear what needs to change for them to bring in restrictions'
Powell taking her lead so well with Captain Hindsight. Call for action, but no idea what action. No idea what threshold for action, but calls for the Government to be clear on it. What a bad joke our Opposition is, they're just a complete empty suit hoping that the Government destroy themselves, no iota of original thought or leadership or even Opposition at all.
And they can go wrong: the Lucy probe launched a few months ago has had trouble with a solar panel not deploying. I haven't heard any news on it, but it *may* be a very big deal for its target orbit.
She's the Brownite answer to Richard Burgon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B082FX8LL5/ref=s9_acsd_hps_bw_c2_x_4_i?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=QQ81DNHF5N4P3G6KV6DH&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=0236b327-d2ec-4267-b79b-96e12bb7b9be&pf_rd_i=5400977031
For anyone who cares or wants a brief profile of all 55 Prime Ministers.
I still say it was a mistake when they stopped teaching children to do arithmetic.
They're get sick and now claim it's not Covid but Anthrax
https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7wz5a/people-got-sick-at-a-conspiracy-conference-theyre-sure-its-anthrax
Exactly how stupid are these unvaccinated people. Haven't they noticed that Trump and co are operating on a do as I say (while I do the exact opposite myself) basis.
If everyone's going to get Covid sooner or later, as Whitty advised half a year ago, then yes its very good news if they all get a milder version instead. Are you expecting everyone to get it ten times each now?
"“There’s a 99.9% chance it’s anthrax,” Oltmann said on his podcast, even though no one had tested positive for anthrax poisoning and none of the other 3,500 attendees have so far reported suffering the effects of anthrax."
Evidence for Darwin effects mounts every day ...
https://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-booed-by-supporters-as-he-admits-having-covid-booster-jab-12501167
There’s more than 300 critical operations in the deployment phase, and if it goes wrong there’s no recovery options except to build another one.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=aICaAEXDJQQ
Everything crossed for them.
We can see progress towards this end game in the reduction from 10 days to 7 days isolation. It will take a brave politician, but eventually someone will make the call to abolish isolation all together.
As @ydoethur , doctor friends and others have pointed out - staffing shortages will become a bigger danger and cost than the virus itself in the near future.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/12/23/prof-lockdowns-apocalyptic-omicron-claims-undermine-faith-vaccines/
Bill Clinton is walking along a beach when he sees a bottle. He picks it up ans tries to rub the sand off. A genie suddenly appears out of it, and in gratitude for escaping, offers Clinton one wish.
Clinton doesn't hesitate. 'Peace in the Middle East,'
The genie goggles. 'What? Peace between the Israelis and Palestinians? The Iranians and Saudis? The Kurds and Turks? After all the centuries of conflict? The massacres? The theft of land and property? I'm good, but I'm not that good. Choose something more realistic.'
Clinton thinks hard. 'I know!' he says suddenly. 'I'd like you to get people to like Hilary. To see that she's not completely stupid, and does care about others, and can get things done. And then, maybe she'll be elected President and stop nagging me for being more successful than her.'
There's a long silence.
Then the genie says. 'OK. The Middle East. Does it include India and Pakistan? Need to know what I'm dealing with here.'