I don't think it's the right call - I understand the reasoning but I'm not convinced.
In any case, those talking about "ramping up" the vaccination programme to deal with a million or more a week should remember there are 3 million over 80s and presumably those who have not yet had their first inoculation will still have it.
Pfizer presumably know their product so their comment seems to be of relevance.
To be honest if the four CMO's endorse the change I believe it is hard to argue against
They also argued against mask wearing during the first part of the pandemic.
Are you calling them out again
I'm pointing out the CMOs do make the occasional rick.
But are you calling out Pfizer, you know the people behind that particular vaccine?
That Royal London letter has now been published in full.
Does it justify the tweet? [snipped]
QTWAIN. Disguting ambulance chasing media whoring. What a misrepresentation of the email.
I don't understand how it's a misrepresentation. She has included a direct quote from the email, then said it is a shocking situation, which is a statement of opinion. You may disagree with the opinion, but how is that misrepresentation?
The Tweet exaggerates the email taking a line out of context then hinting that the whole email is "SHOCKING" rather than the most 'shocking' line being the one quoted out of context.
The rest of the email is absolutely not "SHOCKING".
All quotation is "out of context."
When you put this one back into context, what specific part of the context renders it less shocking than the standalone quote?
If I might interject, from the tweet I thought it meant that the letter was shocking, whereas it is (IMHO) a very good letter describing a shockingly bad situation.
I've been wondering whether the disapproval of terms like fighting and battle to describe the situation faced by medical/clinical staff might be fading now.
I don't think it's the right call - I understand the reasoning but I'm not convinced.
In any case, those talking about "ramping up" the vaccination programme to deal with a million or more a week should remember there are 3 million over 80s and presumably those who have not yet had their first inoculation will still have it.
Pfizer presumably know their product so their comment seems to be of relevance.
To be honest if the four CMO's endorse the change I believe it is hard to argue against
They also argued against mask wearing during the first part of the pandemic.
Are you calling them out again
I'm pointing out the CMOs do make the occasional rick.
But are you calling out Pfizer, you know the people behind that particular vaccine?
No need to call Pfizer out. Pfizer and the CMOs are addressing two completely different things: the way to maximize the efficiency of each shot, vs the way to maximize public health benefit.
I don't think it's the right call - I understand the reasoning but I'm not convinced.
In any case, those talking about "ramping up" the vaccination programme to deal with a million or more a week should remember there are 3 million over 80s and presumably those who have not yet had their first inoculation will still have it.
Pfizer presumably know their product so their comment seems to be of relevance.
Pfizer can't answer the question, because the answer depends on R.
If R is higher than some threshold, you are always better off giving as many people as possible a single dose.
Where yours truly takes issue with this logic, is when a group of folks judged especially vulnerable have been promised they would receive their 2nd dose in a timely manner, then have that pledge totally ignored.
Maybe sound epidemiology but BAD strategy and WORSE (to use fav buzzword of quacks, politicos & pundits) ethics.
I don't think it's the right call - I understand the reasoning but I'm not convinced.
In any case, those talking about "ramping up" the vaccination programme to deal with a million or more a week should remember there are 3 million over 80s and presumably those who have not yet had their first inoculation will still have it.
Pfizer presumably know their product so their comment seems to be of relevance.
To be honest if the four CMO's endorse the change I believe it is hard to argue against
I don't believe Pfizer's comment is relevant in the actual context.
The point is to maximize as soon as possible the level of immunity in society. So if Pfizer is 90% effective 12 days after the first shot, and 95% after the 2nd, from a public health perspective, when the pandemic is on the rampage as it currently is, it is better to get more first shots in than to worry about whether delaying a second shot might reduce the increase in effectiveness - even if it renders the second shot of no value.
Dr Ellie Cannon backing the decision on Sky notwithstanding that her practice has to defer second vaccinations
She says we just have to get the vaccine to the public as fast as possible
Family doctors are rebelling against a “grossly unfair” NHS decision to cancel appointments for elderly patients due to have their second Pfizer coronavirus vaccination next week.
GP leaders have encouraged doctors to defy NHS advice and press ahead with booster doses already booked, saying that it is wrong to disappoint vulnerable people at the last minute.
NHS bosses are holding firm, arguing that prioritising giving the first dose to more people will save thousands of lives.
Both the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines require two doses for full protection, but in a significant shift of strategy yesterday ministers said that the NHS should aim to give as many first doses as possible rather than ensure that people had the second within the recommended three or four weeks.
So far 786,000 people have had a first dose, with 264,406 vaccinated over Christmas week. NHS chiefs are pledging that most people living in care homes will be vaccinated within four weeks as they prioritise people over 80 and health and care staff.
Vaccination centres, however, have been told to cancel anyone booked in for a second dose from Monday.
Richard Vautrey, head of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, said that it was “grossly and patently unfair” to reschedule the appointments of tens of thousands of vulnerable patients.
“Local leaders are telling us that is unprofessional and impractical to amend the appointments for thousands of frail elderly patients,” he said.
“The existing commitment made to these patients by the NHS and local clinicians should be respected. If GPs decide to honour these booked appointments in January the BMA will support them. The government must see that it’s only right that existing bookings for the oldest and most vulnerable members of our society are honoured.”
Dr Vautrey said that the change in strategy would cause huge logistical problems for almost all vaccination sites and practices. “For example, to make contact with even just 2,000 elderly or vulnerable patients will take a team of five staff at a practice about a week, and that’s simply untenable,” he said.
The BMA is not opposing the whole of the new strategy, saying that it would be easier to cancel appointments booked further in the future and that it was supportive of prioritising first doses. Dr Vautrey said that many doctors still needed to be convinced and that the government should “as soon as possible publish a scientifically validated justification for its new approach”.
Which group of public servants we rely on to get through this mess are the government going to piss off next?
That post does not show you in a good light. You have every right to be annoyed about the way the school situation has been handled. The BMA on the other hand can go fuck themselves.
Ever considered the possibility that the doctros are unhappy about being ordered to implement a new and unauthorised treatment for which they are professionally liable? Edit: and one that is by definition untested even by the current standards. I.e. human experimentation. On whgich they are v. sensitive.
Anything goes wrong - an allergic reaction - they have no defence at all.
It may well be that their administrators (for commercial chains of GP practices) and/or insurers are making noises.
I’m not sure where I saw it - or if it was even for the UK - but I thought it had been said that there was no legal liability for anyone on the vaccination programme.
Fair enough, but that programme was the originally approved one as per evidence from the trials. Now ...
I think the government has a real problem with the oublic mood now. Some of these figures may be as much to do with this non-co operation as the new strain. Through most of the year on outlets like the Daily Mail, for instance, the ideas and comments that the virus and lockdowns were an anti-civil liberty hoax were quite small in number and marginalised.
On several occasions in the last couple of weeks, these views are suddenly hugely increased, even in the majority. Today there are thousands upon thousands of posts quoting conspiracy sites and facebook news, and I think this is starting to come to the surface in the Trump-style "citizen news" of people going around filming what they imagine to be empty wards as part of the conspiracy.
A worrying time.
There isn't much the government can do to control the situation but stand up every day and tell people to stay at home and not mix with others, but at some point that message becomes something that people no longer want to hear.
People aren't battery hens. They were told that the whole purpose of the track, trace, isolate system was so that a form of "social contract" could be established, that if people followed the rules and got tested and isolated when told - even if they didn't have the virus themselves - then everyone else could lead some sort of relatively normal life.
But clearly it's never really panned out like that and test & trace is just another factor of covid life along with the tier system.
Even if people haven't technically been in lockdown for the full 9 and a bit months, an awful lot of people have been in something reasonably close to some form of lockdown or another over that period, and its clearly beginning to chafe. People sharing conspiracy theories etc. are unarguably nutters, but at the same time it's hard to blame the general population for beginning to get sick of the level of restrictions we are existing under.
Unfortunately, there's no real solution other than to aim to make this lockdown the last one and pump the vaccine out as if the fate of the country depended on it.
So notion that Texas is really way more Democratic than people think, is something you get from smoking jimson weed out in the noonday sun somewhere between El Paso and Sabine Pass.
Can you really smoke Jimson Weed ?
It must be like eating Death Cap Risotto.
YOU can smoke as much as you like! Though PLEASE refrain from operating heavy machinery!
It is not a UK plant (though it occurs in the wild here as an escapee).
The nearest UK plant would be Deadly Nightshade, which has similar levels of atropine.
I would be seriously in awe of someone who smokes Deadly Nightshade Baccy.
You could always try roast Hemlock Water Dropwort. Apparently it tastes just like parsnip...
We had some growing in the garden but I eventually concluded that cultivating it might be a bad idea.
That is the wild plant that has caused the most deaths in the UK.
I have Deadly Nightshade growing in pots in my garden
That Royal London letter has now been published in full.
Does it justify the tweet? [snipped]
QTWAIN. Disguting ambulance chasing media whoring. What a misrepresentation of the email.
I don't understand how it's a misrepresentation. She has included a direct quote from the email, then said it is a shocking situation, which is a statement of opinion. You may disagree with the opinion, but how is that misrepresentation?
The Tweet exaggerates the email taking a line out of context then hinting that the whole email is "SHOCKING" rather than the most 'shocking' line being the one quoted out of context.
The rest of the email is absolutely not "SHOCKING".
All quotation is "out of context."
When you put this one back into context, what specific part of the context renders it less shocking than the standalone quote?
This part:
Dear all,
We hope you had reasonable Christmases. Thank you to those of you who were working, in whatever capacity.
Weekly emails no longer seem sufficient as things are changing so fast. We now have over 90 patients on ACCU across the two floors (6 pods of roughly 15 patient each). The number of people with Covid continues to rise rapidly.
Every hospital in North East London is struggling, some with insufficient oxygen supplies, all with insufficient nursing numbers. Believe it or not, Royal London critical care is coping well relative to some sites. We have often had to help out our neighbours by taking patients they simply do not have capacity to manage. General medical bed numbers (so called ‘G&A beds’) are being increased as well as critical care beds.
Kent is in a similar, if not worse, position. You may have heard on the news that they are sending patients to South West England. The rest of London is probably a couple of weeks behind NEL, but their hospitals too are filling up. NHS London have asked the other sectors to expand capacity in much the same was as we have.
We are currently working on 4E, 4F, 15C, and 15E (both sides). As in the first wave, many nursing staff from a variety of areas have been redeployed to help. ICU nurses from Barts are now a regular feature. We have also been joined by ICU consultants and trainees from Barts.
We will soon by joined by Barts cardiology registrars, to populate a further tier of senior trainees. The anaesthetic department are providing consultants to cover all off-unit calls which would normally be attended by ACCU doctors (trauma calls, code blacks, and cardiac arrests), a consultant to run one of our pods, and will be providing extra airway cover at night (to help with proning/deproning, head turns, managing deteriorations etc.) The comms team is again being boosted in numbers.
No it doesn't. What, in that lot, modifies or detracts from the words quoted?
All of it.
Specifically in the paragraph she edited the sentence. It doesn't say "We are now in disaster mode" it actually says "We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the fact we are now in disaster medicine mode" so she snipped out part of the sentence and falsely capitalised the W of the mid-sentence we to falsely imply that was the start of the sentence. It isn't news that they are in disaster mode, that was previously announced and it is being reiterated.
As the paragraph ends then: "While this is far from ideal, it’s the way things are, and the way they have to be for now."
So she took out the fact it was a reiteration of a previous announcement and that they knew that it is the way things are, and the way they have to be for now - to falsely portray a narrative that it is SHOCKING.
OT, must take issue with OGH when he says that outcome of GA special elections "will have a critical impact on the success of the Biden administration".
Important, heck yes. Critical? Don't agree.
Because even IF Dems flip both of the Peach State seats in US Senate, Uncle Joe will STILL have a monumental task, given the closeness of the numbers, the polarization of the nation AND the continued ravages of COVID, which IMHO will continue through virtually all (if not all) of 2021.
Note that Boris Johnson assures UK that the worst is over, when Joe Biden tells the US the opposite. Which one do YOU believe in more?
Personally, one of the best features re: Biden is his POTENTIAL for being a wheeler-dealer President, thanks to his long and (generally) fruitful senatorial experience.
Haven't PBers lost enough by underestimating Uncle Joe? Sort of the same way Trotskyites lost (even more profoundly) by underestimating the OTHER Uncle Joe??
It is critical. The Biden Team have a laser focus on judicial appointments, with an incredibly laudable goal of increasing professional background diversity (I. E. Get public defenders on the bench etc).
That all goes up in smoke if Cocaine Mitch can block everything.
I don't think it's the right call - I understand the reasoning but I'm not convinced.
In any case, those talking about "ramping up" the vaccination programme to deal with a million or more a week should remember there are 3 million over 80s and presumably those who have not yet had their first inoculation will still have it.
Pfizer presumably know their product so their comment seems to be of relevance.
To be honest if the four CMO's endorse the change I believe it is hard to argue against
They also argued against mask wearing during the first part of the pandemic.
Are you calling them out again
I'm pointing out the CMOs do make the occasional rick.
But are you calling out Pfizer, you know the people behind that particular vaccine?
I am not calling anyone out - I have no medical qualifications other than having seen my youngest son delivered 45 years ago
"The woke have no vision of the future Today's SJWs believe all that needs to be done to bring about a new world is to destroy the old one By John Gray"
JFC Scotland's Covid case numbers have just gone nuclear unless there had been a reporting error.
Holiday catch-up reporting?
No, this is by specimen date figures not reporting date. It is grim.
But not unexpected. Given that Supercovid has infested Cumbria was there any reason to believe it would not rampage around neighbouring Scotland, apart from the innate brilliance of the SNP government basically "eradicating Covid" in the summer?
No, there was not. Ditto most of Europe and the USA, and probably elsewhere - Canada etc.
The UK Strain is everywhere in the West. It is a wildfire out of control. Strict lockdowns are no longer working, or no longer as effective. Vaccines are the only answer
For this reason I think HMG is right to go for a one-jab strategy. We are now in a fateful race against time: can we at least half-vaccinate enough people to stop Covid overwhelming our health systems?
If one dose of Pfizer mostly protects oldsters for a few precious weeks, then, yes, let them wait for jab 2, as we try to get as many people jabbed once, as is humanly possible.
That Royal London letter has now been published in full.
Does it justify the tweet? [snipped]
QTWAIN. Disguting ambulance chasing media whoring. What a misrepresentation of the email.
I don't understand how it's a misrepresentation. She has included a direct quote from the email, then said it is a shocking situation, which is a statement of opinion. You may disagree with the opinion, but how is that misrepresentation?
The Tweet exaggerates the email taking a line out of context then hinting that the whole email is "SHOCKING" rather than the most 'shocking' line being the one quoted out of context.
The rest of the email is absolutely not "SHOCKING".
All quotation is "out of context."
When you put this one back into context, what specific part of the context renders it less shocking than the standalone quote?
This part:
Dear all,
We hope you had reasonable Christmases. Thank you to those of you who were working, in whatever capacity.
Weekly emails no longer seem sufficient as things are changing so fast. We now have over 90 patients on ACCU across the two floors (6 pods of roughly 15 patient each). The number of people with Covid continues to rise rapidly.
Every hospital in North East London is struggling, some with insufficient oxygen supplies, all with insufficient nursing numbers. Believe it or not, Royal London critical care is coping well relative to some sites. We have often had to help out our neighbours by taking patients they simply do not have capacity to manage. General medical bed numbers (so called ‘G&A beds’) are being increased as well as critical care beds.
Kent is in a similar, if not worse, position. You may have heard on the news that they are sending patients to South West England. The rest of London is probably a couple of weeks behind NEL, but their hospitals too are filling up. NHS London have asked the other sectors to expand capacity in much the same was as we have.
We are currently working on 4E, 4F, 15C, and 15E (both sides). As in the first wave, many nursing staff from a variety of areas have been redeployed to help. ICU nurses from Barts are now a regular feature. We have also been joined by ICU consultants and trainees from Barts.
We will soon by joined by Barts cardiology registrars, to populate a further tier of senior trainees. The anaesthetic department are providing consultants to cover all off-unit calls which would normally be attended by ACCU doctors (trauma calls, code blacks, and cardiac arrests), a consultant to run one of our pods, and will be providing extra airway cover at night (to help with proning/deproning, head turns, managing deteriorations etc.) The comms team is again being boosted in numbers.
No it doesn't. What, in that lot, modifies or detracts from the words quoted?
All of it.
Specifically in the paragraph she edited the sentence. It doesn't say "We are now in disaster mode" it actually says "We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the fact we are now in disaster medicine mode" so she snipped out part of the sentence and falsely capitalised the W of the mid-sentence we to falsely imply that was the start of the sentence. It isn't news that they are in disaster mode, that was previously announced and it is being reiterated.
As the paragraph ends then: "While this is far from ideal, it’s the way things are, and the way they have to be for now."
So she took out the fact it was a reiteration of a previous announcement and that they knew that it is the way things are, and the way they have to be for now - to falsely portray a narrative that it is SHOCKING.
Liar, liar pants on fire.
Don't be silly.
You're the one being silly. About a dozen people have replied here (or liked posts replying here) calling it out as nonsense - and you're acting like there's nothing unreasonable.
If that email is "SHOCKING" to you then you don't have a very high "SHOCK" factor.
So notion that Texas is really way more Democratic than people think, is something you get from smoking jimson weed out in the noonday sun somewhere between El Paso and Sabine Pass.
Can you really smoke Jimson Weed ?
It must be like eating Death Cap Risotto.
YOU can smoke as much as you like! Though PLEASE refrain from operating heavy machinery!
It is not a UK plant (though it occurs in the wild here as an escapee).
The nearest UK plant would be Deadly Nightshade, which has similar levels of atropine.
I would be seriously in awe of someone who smokes Deadly Nightshade Baccy.
You could always try roast Hemlock Water Dropwort. Apparently it tastes just like parsnip...
We had some growing in the garden but I eventually concluded that cultivating it might be a bad idea.
That is the wild plant that has caused the most deaths in the UK.
I have Deadly Nightshade growing in pots in my garden
Very easy to add a few leaves of Hemlock Water Dropwort into a mixed salad. Would do the job...if you had murder in mind.
I think the government has a real problem with the oublic mood now. Some of these figures may be as much to do with this non-co operation as the new strain. Through most of the year on outlets like the Daily Mail, for instance, the ideas and comments that the virus and lockdowns were an anti-civil liberty hoax were quite small in number and marginalised.
On several occasions in the last couple of weeks, these views are suddenly hugely increased, even in the majority. Today there are thousands upon thousands of posts quoting conspiracy sites and facebook news, and I think this is starting to come to the surface in the Trump-style "citizen news" of people going around filming what they imagine to be empty wards as part of the conspiracy.
A worrying time.
There isn't much the government can do to control the situation but stand up every day and tell people to stay at home and not mix with others, but at some point that message becomes something that people no longer want to hear.
People aren't battery hens. They were told that the whole purpose of the track, trace, isolate system was so that a form of "social contract" could be established, that if people followed the rules and got tested and isolated when told - even if they didn't have the virus themselves - then everyone else could lead some sort of relatively normal life.
But clearly it's never really panned out like that and test & trace is just another factor of covid life along with the tier system.
Even if people haven't technically been in lockdown for the full 9 and a bit months, an awful lot of people have been in something reasonably close to some form of lockdown or another over that period, and its clearly beginning to chafe. People sharing conspiracy theories etc. are unarguably nutters, but at the same time it's hard to blame the general population for beginning to get sick of the level of restrictions we are existing under.
Unfortunately, there's no real solution other than to aim to make this lockdown the last one and pump the vaccine out as if the fate of the country depended on it.
Yes. People are reaching their psychological limit of isolation, and their limit of trust in government, and the conspiracy perspective is now unfortunately hugely increasing in number as a result.
The vaccines rollouts can't come soon enough - now not just a medical and social emergency - but persuading enough people not just they are safe, but that they are not part of the conspiracy, will shortly be one of the government's biggest tasks.
So notion that Texas is really way more Democratic than people think, is something you get from smoking jimson weed out in the noonday sun somewhere between El Paso and Sabine Pass.
Can you really smoke Jimson Weed ?
It must be like eating Death Cap Risotto.
YOU can smoke as much as you like! Though PLEASE refrain from operating heavy machinery!
It is not a UK plant (though it occurs in the wild here as an escapee).
The nearest UK plant would be Deadly Nightshade, which has similar levels of atropine.
I would be seriously in awe of someone who smokes Deadly Nightshade Baccy.
You could always try roast Hemlock Water Dropwort. Apparently it tastes just like parsnip...
We had some growing in the garden but I eventually concluded that cultivating it might be a bad idea.
That is the wild plant that has caused the most deaths in the UK.
I have Deadly Nightshade growing in pots in my garden
According to wiki, American Jimson weed is in the Nightshade family.
AND it was originally called "Jamestown Weed" after the first (successful) English colony in what's now USA. Check out this quote from early 18th century source:
"The James-Town Weed (which resembles the Thorny Apple of Peru, and I take to be the plant so call'd) is supposed to be one of the greatest coolers in the world. This being an early plant, was gather'd very young for a boil'd salad, by some of the soldiers sent thither to quell the rebellion of Bacon (1676); and some of them ate plentifully of it, the effect of which was a very pleasant comedy, for they turned natural fools upon it for several days: one would blow up a feather in the air; another would dart straws at it with much fury; and another, stark naked, was sitting up in a corner like a monkey, grinning and making mows [grimaces] at them; a fourth would fondly kiss and paw his companions, and sneer in their faces with a countenance more antic than any in a Dutch droll.
In this frantic condition they were confined, lest they should, in their folly, destroy themselves—though it was observed that all their actions were full of innocence and good nature. Indeed, they were not very cleanly; for they would have wallowed in their own excrements if they had not been prevented. A thousand such simple tricks they played, and after eleven days returned themselves again, not remembering anything that had passed."
— Robert Beverley, Jr., The History and Present State of Virginia, Book II: Of the Natural Product and Conveniencies in Its Unimprov'd State, Before the English Went Thither, 1705
So notion that Texas is really way more Democratic than people think, is something you get from smoking jimson weed out in the noonday sun somewhere between El Paso and Sabine Pass.
Can you really smoke Jimson Weed ?
It must be like eating Death Cap Risotto.
YOU can smoke as much as you like! Though PLEASE refrain from operating heavy machinery!
It is not a UK plant (though it occurs in the wild here as an escapee).
The nearest UK plant would be Deadly Nightshade, which has similar levels of atropine.
I would be seriously in awe of someone who smokes Deadly Nightshade Baccy.
You could always try roast Hemlock Water Dropwort. Apparently it tastes just like parsnip...
We had some growing in the garden but I eventually concluded that cultivating it might be a bad idea.
That is the wild plant that has caused the most deaths in the UK.
I have Deadly Nightshade growing in pots in my garden
Ah, yes, well. You and me both. The perils of having a botanist in the family!
I always wonder who tried potatoes and tomatoes first. They just don't look...healthy.
OT, must take issue with OGH when he says that outcome of GA special elections "will have a critical impact on the success of the Biden administration".
Important, heck yes. Critical? Don't agree.
Because even IF Dems flip both of the Peach State seats in US Senate, Uncle Joe will STILL have a monumental task, given the closeness of the numbers, the polarization of the nation AND the continued ravages of COVID, which IMHO will continue through virtually all (if not all) of 2021.
Note that Boris Johnson assures UK that the worst is over, when Joe Biden tells the US the opposite. Which one do YOU believe in more?
Personally, one of the best features re: Biden is his POTENTIAL for being a wheeler-dealer President, thanks to his long and (generally) fruitful senatorial experience.
Haven't PBers lost enough by underestimating Uncle Joe? Sort of the same way Trotskyites lost (even more profoundly) by underestimating the OTHER Uncle Joe??
It is critical. The Biden Team have a laser focus on judicial appointments, with an incredibly laudable goal of increasing professional background diversity (I. E. Get public defenders on the bench etc).
That all goes up in smoke if Cocaine Mitch can block everything.
It really is bizarre the GOP gets as many votes as they do. Other than being about to garner just under half the US electorate, they are in no way shape or form a serious political party right now. They truly deserve to be buried in Georgia.
That Royal London letter has now been published in full.
Does it justify the tweet? [snipped]
QTWAIN. Disguting ambulance chasing media whoring. What a misrepresentation of the email.
I don't understand how it's a misrepresentation. She has included a direct quote from the email, then said it is a shocking situation, which is a statement of opinion. You may disagree with the opinion, but how is that misrepresentation?
The Tweet exaggerates the email taking a line out of context then hinting that the whole email is "SHOCKING" rather than the most 'shocking' line being the one quoted out of context.
The rest of the email is absolutely not "SHOCKING".
All quotation is "out of context."
When you put this one back into context, what specific part of the context renders it less shocking than the standalone quote?
This part:
Dear all,
We hope you had reasonable Christmases. Thank you to those of you who were working, in whatever capacity.
Weekly emails no longer seem sufficient as things are changing so fast. We now have over 90 patients on ACCU across the two floors (6 pods of roughly 15 patient each). The number of people with Covid continues to rise rapidly.
Every hospital in North East London is struggling, some with insufficient oxygen supplies, all with insufficient nursing numbers. Believe it or not, Royal London critical care is coping well relative to some sites. We have often had to help out our neighbours by taking patients they simply do not have capacity to manage. General medical bed numbers (so called ‘G&A beds’) are being increased as well as critical care beds.
Kent is in a similar, if not worse, position. You may have heard on the news that they are sending patients to South West England. The rest of London is probably a couple of weeks behind NEL, but their hospitals too are filling up. NHS London have asked the other sectors to expand capacity in much the same was as we have.
We are currently working on 4E, 4F, 15C, and 15E (both sides). As in the first wave, many nursing staff from a variety of areas have been redeployed to help. ICU nurses from Barts are now a regular feature. We have also been joined by ICU consultants and trainees from Barts.
We will soon by joined by Barts cardiology registrars, to populate a further tier of senior trainees. The anaesthetic department are providing consultants to cover all off-unit calls which would normally be attended by ACCU doctors (trauma calls, code blacks, and cardiac arrests), a consultant to run one of our pods, and will be providing extra airway cover at night (to help with proning/deproning, head turns, managing deteriorations etc.) The comms team is again being boosted in numbers.
No it doesn't. What, in that lot, modifies or detracts from the words quoted?
All of it.
Specifically in the paragraph she edited the sentence. It doesn't say "We are now in disaster mode" it actually says "We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the fact we are now in disaster medicine mode" so she snipped out part of the sentence and falsely capitalised the W of the mid-sentence we to falsely imply that was the start of the sentence. It isn't news that they are in disaster mode, that was previously announced and it is being reiterated.
As the paragraph ends then: "While this is far from ideal, it’s the way things are, and the way they have to be for now."
So she took out the fact it was a reiteration of a previous announcement and that they knew that it is the way things are, and the way they have to be for now - to falsely portray a narrative that it is SHOCKING.
Liar, liar pants on fire.
Don't be silly.
You're the one being silly. About a dozen people have replied here (or liked posts replying here) calling it out as nonsense - and you're acting like there's nothing unreasonable.
If that email is "SHOCKING" to you then you don't have a very high "SHOCK" factor.
I think you have completely misunderstood the situation. Why am I not surprised? What is shocking is the state of affairs described by the email that a UK hospital, in peacetime, says it is in disaster mode. There is no attack on the author of the email. I dunno who these dozen people are but Foxy seems to agree with me. I take it he knows as little about medical matters as Rochdale does about imports, though.
OT, must take issue with OGH when he says that outcome of GA special elections "will have a critical impact on the success of the Biden administration".
Important, heck yes. Critical? Don't agree.
Because even IF Dems flip both of the Peach State seats in US Senate, Uncle Joe will STILL have a monumental task, given the closeness of the numbers, the polarization of the nation AND the continued ravages of COVID, which IMHO will continue through virtually all (if not all) of 2021.
Note that Boris Johnson assures UK that the worst is over, when Joe Biden tells the US the opposite. Which one do YOU believe in more?
Personally, one of the best features re: Biden is his POTENTIAL for being a wheeler-dealer President, thanks to his long and (generally) fruitful senatorial experience.
Haven't PBers lost enough by underestimating Uncle Joe? Sort of the same way Trotskyites lost (even more profoundly) by underestimating the OTHER Uncle Joe??
It is critical. The Biden Team have a laser focus on judicial appointments, with an incredibly laudable goal of increasing professional background diversity (I. E. Get public defenders on the bench etc).
That all goes up in smoke if Cocaine Mitch can block everything.
Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Personally think it's Door #2.
That Royal London letter has now been published in full.
Does it justify the tweet? [snipped]
QTWAIN. Disguting ambulance chasing media whoring. What a misrepresentation of the email.
I don't understand how it's a misrepresentation. She has included a direct quote from the email, then said it is a shocking situation, which is a statement of opinion. You may disagree with the opinion, but how is that misrepresentation?
The Tweet exaggerates the email taking a line out of context then hinting that the whole email is "SHOCKING" rather than the most 'shocking' line being the one quoted out of context.
The rest of the email is absolutely not "SHOCKING".
All quotation is "out of context."
When you put this one back into context, what specific part of the context renders it less shocking than the standalone quote?
This part:
Dear all,
We hope you had reasonable Christmases. Thank you to those of you who were working, in whatever capacity.
Weekly emails no longer seem sufficient as things are changing so fast. We now have over 90 patients on ACCU across the two floors (6 pods of roughly 15 patient each). The number of people with Covid continues to rise rapidly.
Every hospital in North East London is struggling, some with insufficient oxygen supplies, all with insufficient nursing numbers. Believe it or not, Royal London critical care is coping well relative to some sites. We have often had to help out our neighbours by taking patients they simply do not have capacity to manage. General medical bed numbers (so called ‘G&A beds’) are being increased as well as critical care beds.
Kent is in a similar, if not worse, position. You may have heard on the news that they are sending patients to South West England. The rest of London is probably a couple of weeks behind NEL, but their hospitals too are filling up. NHS London have asked the other sectors to expand capacity in much the same was as we have.
We are currently working on 4E, 4F, 15C, and 15E (both sides). As in the first wave, many nursing staff from a variety of areas have been redeployed to help. ICU nurses from Barts are now a regular feature. We have also been joined by ICU consultants and trainees from Barts.
We will soon by joined by Barts cardiology registrars, to populate a further tier of senior trainees. The anaesthetic department are providing consultants to cover all off-unit calls which would normally be attended by ACCU doctors (trauma calls, code blacks, and cardiac arrests), a consultant to run one of our pods, and will be providing extra airway cover at night (to help with proning/deproning, head turns, managing deteriorations etc.) The comms team is again being boosted in numbers.
No it doesn't. What, in that lot, modifies or detracts from the words quoted?
All of it.
Specifically in the paragraph she edited the sentence. It doesn't say "We are now in disaster mode" it actually says "We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the fact we are now in disaster medicine mode" so she snipped out part of the sentence and falsely capitalised the W of the mid-sentence we to falsely imply that was the start of the sentence. It isn't news that they are in disaster mode, that was previously announced and it is being reiterated.
As the paragraph ends then: "While this is far from ideal, it’s the way things are, and the way they have to be for now."
So she took out the fact it was a reiteration of a previous announcement and that they knew that it is the way things are, and the way they have to be for now - to falsely portray a narrative that it is SHOCKING.
Liar, liar pants on fire.
Don't be silly.
You're the one being silly. About a dozen people have replied here (or liked posts replying here) calling it out as nonsense - and you're acting like there's nothing unreasonable.
If that email is "SHOCKING" to you then you don't have a very high "SHOCK" factor.
It would definitely have been SHOCKING before Feb/March. It should still be SHOCKING.
This time a year ago I was on Mustique. How I would like to be back there.
Exactly this time last year I was in the Eva Air Biz Class Lounge at Heathrow, sipping champagne, en route to Bangkok for a few weeks of sun and tranquil work
JFC Scotland's Covid case numbers have just gone nuclear unless there had been a reporting error.
Holiday catch-up reporting?
No, this is by specimen date figures not reporting date. It is grim.
Mutant COVID. It's impossible to contain, honestly the only thing that's going to prevent the hospitals from filling up is a proper national lockdown and a significant ramp up of vaccination.
JFC Scotland's Covid case numbers have just gone nuclear unless there had been a reporting error.
Holiday catch-up reporting?
No, this is by specimen date figures not reporting date. It is grim.
But not unexpected. Given that Supercovid has infested Cumbria was there any reason to believe it would not rampage around neighbouring Scotland, apart from the innate brilliance of the SNP government basically "eradicating Covid" in the summer?
No, there was not. Ditto most of Europe and the USA, and probably elsewhere - Canada etc.
The UK Strain is everywhere in the West. It is a wildfire out of control. Strict lockdowns are no longer working, or no longer as effective. Vaccines are the only answer
For this reason I think HMG is right to go for a one-jab strategy. We are now in a fateful race against time: can we at least half-vaccinate enough people to stop Covid overwhelming our health systems?
If one dose of Pfizer mostly protects oldsters for a few precious weeks, then, yes, let them wait for jab 2, as we try to get as many people jabbed once, as is humanly possible.
It's a tough call, but this is a deadly plague.
Nobody who has tried to make "nur nur ne nur-nur" political point scoring about Covid has so far come out ahead. It has a dogged determination to make a twat out of you. Baptist preachers holding mass services? Dead of Covid. Czech Bye-bye Covid Parties? It's citizens now dying of Covid. Republican "It's only flu" politicians doing a conga-line? On ventilators. Relaxed Swedish "no big dealers"? Watching their economy slide away.
Do not try and take the piss and point score. It will have the last laugh.
JFC Scotland's Covid case numbers have just gone nuclear unless there had been a reporting error.
Holiday catch-up reporting?
No, this is by specimen date figures not reporting date. It is grim.
But not unexpected. Given that Supercovid has infested Cumbria was there any reason to believe it would not rampage around neighbouring Scotland, apart from the innate brilliance of the SNP government basically "eradicating Covid" in the summer?
No, there was not. Ditto most of Europe and the USA, and probably elsewhere - Canada etc.
The UK Strain is everywhere in the West. It is a wildfire out of control. Strict lockdowns are no longer working, or no longer as effective. Vaccines are the only answer
For this reason I think HMG is right to go for a one-jab strategy. We are now in a fateful race against time: can we at least half-vaccinate enough people to stop Covid overwhelming our health systems?
If one dose of Pfizer mostly protects oldsters for a few precious weeks, then, yes, let them wait for jab 2, as we try to get as many people jabbed once, as is humanly possible.
It's a tough call, but this is a deadly plague.
Nobody who has tried to make "nur nur ne nur-nur" political point scoring about Covid has so far come out ahead. It has a dogged determination to make a twat out of you. Baptist preachers holding mass services? Dead of Covid. Czech Bye-bye Covid Parties? It's citizens now dying of Covid. Republican "It's only flu" politicians doing a conga-line? On ventilators. Relaxed Swedish "no big dealers"? Watching their economy slide away.
Do not try and take the piss and point score. It will have the last laugh.
Exactly so. It is almost as if the virus is sentient, and targets anyone - any community, creed, class, or nation - who likes to gloat
On that basis, China is in for a really shit time in 2021. Unless, of course, they invented the disease in the first place
That Royal London letter has now been published in full.
Does it justify the tweet? [snipped]
QTWAIN. Disguting ambulance chasing media whoring. What a misrepresentation of the email.
I don't understand how it's a misrepresentation. She has included a direct quote from the email, then said it is a shocking situation, which is a statement of opinion. You may disagree with the opinion, but how is that misrepresentation?
The Tweet exaggerates the email taking a line out of context then hinting that the whole email is "SHOCKING" rather than the most 'shocking' line being the one quoted out of context.
The rest of the email is absolutely not "SHOCKING".
All quotation is "out of context."
When you put this one back into context, what specific part of the context renders it less shocking than the standalone quote?
This part:
Dear all,
We hope you had reasonable Christmases. Thank you to those of you who were working, in whatever capacity.
Weekly emails no longer seem sufficient as things are changing so fast. We now have over 90 patients on ACCU across the two floors (6 pods of roughly 15 patient each). The number of people with Covid continues to rise rapidly.
Every hospital in North East London is struggling, some with insufficient oxygen supplies, all with insufficient nursing numbers. Believe it or not, Royal London critical care is coping well relative to some sites. We have often had to help out our neighbours by taking patients they simply do not have capacity to manage. General medical bed numbers (so called ‘G&A beds’) are being increased as well as critical care beds.
Kent is in a similar, if not worse, position. You may have heard on the news that they are sending patients to South West England. The rest of London is probably a couple of weeks behind NEL, but their hospitals too are filling up. NHS London have asked the other sectors to expand capacity in much the same was as we have.
We are currently working on 4E, 4F, 15C, and 15E (both sides). As in the first wave, many nursing staff from a variety of areas have been redeployed to help. ICU nurses from Barts are now a regular feature. We have also been joined by ICU consultants and trainees from Barts.
We will soon by joined by Barts cardiology registrars, to populate a further tier of senior trainees. The anaesthetic department are providing consultants to cover all off-unit calls which would normally be attended by ACCU doctors (trauma calls, code blacks, and cardiac arrests), a consultant to run one of our pods, and will be providing extra airway cover at night (to help with proning/deproning, head turns, managing deteriorations etc.) The comms team is again being boosted in numbers.
No it doesn't. What, in that lot, modifies or detracts from the words quoted?
All of it.
Specifically in the paragraph she edited the sentence. It doesn't say "We are now in disaster mode" it actually says "We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the fact we are now in disaster medicine mode" so she snipped out part of the sentence and falsely capitalised the W of the mid-sentence we to falsely imply that was the start of the sentence. It isn't news that they are in disaster mode, that was previously announced and it is being reiterated.
As the paragraph ends then: "While this is far from ideal, it’s the way things are, and the way they have to be for now."
So she took out the fact it was a reiteration of a previous announcement and that they knew that it is the way things are, and the way they have to be for now - to falsely portray a narrative that it is SHOCKING.
Liar, liar pants on fire.
Don't be silly.
You're the one being silly. About a dozen people have replied here (or liked posts replying here) calling it out as nonsense - and you're acting like there's nothing unreasonable.
If that email is "SHOCKING" to you then you don't have a very high "SHOCK" factor.
I think you have completely misunderstood the situation. Why am I not surprised? What is shocking is the state of affairs described by the email that a UK hospital, in peacetime, says it is in disaster mode. There is no attack on the author of the email. I dunno who these dozen people are but Foxy seems to agree with me. I take it he knows as little about medical matters as Rochdale does about imports, though.
You're shocked that in a once in a century pandemic, after a mutant variant has made it spread even more, that things might be in disaster mode?
I would assume a pandemic might be exactly the kind of time to expect disaster healthcare, not warfare.
I rather suspect the UK's healthcare is more stretched by the pandemic than it was by the Iraq War.
That Royal London letter has now been published in full.
Does it justify the tweet? [snipped]
QTWAIN. Disguting ambulance chasing media whoring. What a misrepresentation of the email.
I don't understand how it's a misrepresentation. She has included a direct quote from the email, then said it is a shocking situation, which is a statement of opinion. You may disagree with the opinion, but how is that misrepresentation?
The Tweet exaggerates the email taking a line out of context then hinting that the whole email is "SHOCKING" rather than the most 'shocking' line being the one quoted out of context.
The rest of the email is absolutely not "SHOCKING".
All quotation is "out of context."
When you put this one back into context, what specific part of the context renders it less shocking than the standalone quote?
This part:
Dear all,
We hope you had reasonable Christmases. Thank you to those of you who were working, in whatever capacity.
Weekly emails no longer seem sufficient as things are changing so fast. We now have over 90 patients on ACCU across the two floors (6 pods of roughly 15 patient each). The number of people with Covid continues to rise rapidly.
Every hospital in North East London is struggling, some with insufficient oxygen supplies, all with insufficient nursing numbers. Believe it or not, Royal London critical care is coping well relative to some sites. We have often had to help out our neighbours by taking patients they simply do not have capacity to manage. General medical bed numbers (so called ‘G&A beds’) are being increased as well as critical care beds.
Kent is in a similar, if not worse, position. You may have heard on the news that they are sending patients to South West England. The rest of London is probably a couple of weeks behind NEL, but their hospitals too are filling up. NHS London have asked the other sectors to expand capacity in much the same was as we have.
We are currently working on 4E, 4F, 15C, and 15E (both sides). As in the first wave, many nursing staff from a variety of areas have been redeployed to help. ICU nurses from Barts are now a regular feature. We have also been joined by ICU consultants and trainees from Barts.
We will soon by joined by Barts cardiology registrars, to populate a further tier of senior trainees. The anaesthetic department are providing consultants to cover all off-unit calls which would normally be attended by ACCU doctors (trauma calls, code blacks, and cardiac arrests), a consultant to run one of our pods, and will be providing extra airway cover at night (to help with proning/deproning, head turns, managing deteriorations etc.) The comms team is again being boosted in numbers.
No it doesn't. What, in that lot, modifies or detracts from the words quoted?
All of it.
Specifically in the paragraph she edited the sentence. It doesn't say "We are now in disaster mode" it actually says "We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the fact we are now in disaster medicine mode" so she snipped out part of the sentence and falsely capitalised the W of the mid-sentence we to falsely imply that was the start of the sentence. It isn't news that they are in disaster mode, that was previously announced and it is being reiterated.
As the paragraph ends then: "While this is far from ideal, it’s the way things are, and the way they have to be for now."
So she took out the fact it was a reiteration of a previous announcement and that they knew that it is the way things are, and the way they have to be for now - to falsely portray a narrative that it is SHOCKING.
Liar, liar pants on fire.
Don't be silly.
You're the one being silly. About a dozen people have replied here (or liked posts replying here) calling it out as nonsense - and you're acting like there's nothing unreasonable.
If that email is "SHOCKING" to you then you don't have a very high "SHOCK" factor.
I think you have completely misunderstood the situation. Why am I not surprised? What is shocking is the state of affairs described by the email that a UK hospital, in peacetime, says it is in disaster mode. There is no attack on the author of the email. I dunno who these dozen people are but Foxy seems to agree with me. I take it he knows as little about medical matters as Rochdale does about imports, though.
You're shocked that in a once in a century pandemic, after a mutant variant has made it spread even more, that things might be in disaster mode?
I would assume a pandemic might be exactly the kind of time to expect disaster healthcare, not warfare.
I rather suspect the UK's healthcare is more stretched by the pandemic than it was by the Iraq War.
Indeed, a deadly flu pandemic has been top of the Cabinet Office's non-war National Risk Register since it was created. It falls in the risk category of things we know will happen but not when.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
Texas was Democrat in the Presidential Elections of 1960 - 1964 - and 1968. Lloyd Bentsen was elected Senator there in 1988 and Ann Richards was Democrat Governor until 1994.
I hate to break it to you, time flies for us all, but the last of those was 26 years ago and the fluff about Biden having a chance there proved to be exactly that.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
Texas was Democrat in the Presidential Elections of 1960 - 1964 - and 1968. Lloyd Bentsen was elected Senator there in 1988 and Ann Richards was Democrat Governor until 1994.
I hate to break it to you, time flies for us all, but the last of those was 26 years ago and the fluff about Biden having a chance there proved to be exactly that.
I totally agree re- time flying, but the idea that Texas has been a Republican stronghold for ever and a day is much exaggerated. Hubert Humphrey carried the state in 1968 despite losing the national election. Carter's Southern roots doubtless helped him to prevail there in 1976, but the Democrats have had success more recently in elections for the Senate and Governor. Under George Bush the Republicans appeared totally dominant there , but the last decade has seen the pendulum swing back to the Democrats. The state is probably now a better longterm prospect for them than Missouri.
In this context, perhaps worth pointing out that Republican former Governor, former GOP presidential candidate former Trumpsky Sec of Energy RICK PERRY was first elected to the Texas state house in 1984 - as a Democrat. Indeed, in 1988 he endorsed Al Gore for President.
However, Perry switched parties in 1989 - a clear sign that the times they were a changing.
Of course Democrat Ann Richards WAS election Governor in 1990. However, her victory was largely due to the fact that her GOP opponent was an idiot, plus her own celebrity following her speech to the 1988 Democratic National Convention ("Poor George [HW Bush], he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.") AND she was defeated for re-election in 1994, by George W. Bush no less.
BTW, that was the same year that progressive-populist Democrat Jim Hightower was defeated for election as TX state agricultural commissioner by newly-minted Republican Rick Perry.
Further note that at present, out of more than two dozen Texas statewide elected officials (including justices) all but one are Republican - and THAT office is currently vacant! In fact, think it's been a least twenty years since the Lone State State elected a Democrat to ANY statewide office.
So notion that Texas is really way more Democratic than people think, is something you get from smoking jimson weed out in the noonday sun somewhere between El Paso and Sabine Pass.
ADDENDUM In interests of semi-full disclosure, must point out yours truly was convinced that Democrats would make gains this year in the Lone State State, including flipping a few US House seats AND taking control of the TX sHouse of Reps.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
Texas was Democrat in the Presidential Elections of 1960 - 1964 - and 1968. Lloyd Bentsen was elected Senator there in 1988 and Ann Richards was Democrat Governor until 1994.
I hate to break it to you, time flies for us all, but the last of those was 26 years ago and the fluff about Biden having a chance there proved to be exactly that.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
Texas was Democrat in the Presidential Elections of 1960 - 1964 - and 1968. Lloyd Bentsen was elected Senator there in 1988 and Ann Richards was Democrat Governor until 1994.
I hate to break it to you, time flies for us all, but the last of those was 26 years ago and the fluff about Biden having a chance there proved to be exactly that.
I totally agree re- time flying, but the idea that Texas has been a Republican stronghold for ever and a day is much exaggerated. Hubert Humphrey carried the state in 1968 despite losing the national election. Carter's Southern roots doubtless helped him to prevail there in 1976, but the Democrats have had success more recently in elections for the Senate and Governor. Under George Bush the Republicans appeared totally dominant there , but the last decade has seen the pendulum swing back to the Democrats. The state is probably now a better longterm prospect for them than Missouri.
In this context, perhaps worth pointing out that Republican former Governor, former GOP presidential candidate former Trumpsky Sec of Energy RICK PERRY was first elected to the Texas state house in 1984 - as a Democrat. Indeed, in 1988 he endorsed Al Gore for President.
However, Perry switched parties in 1989 - a clear sign that the times they were a changing.
Of course Democrat Ann Richards WAS election Governor in 1990. However, her victory was largely due to the fact that her GOP opponent was an idiot, plus her own celebrity following her speech to the 1988 Democratic National Convention ("Poor George [HW Bush], he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.") AND she was defeated for re-election in 1994, by George W. Bush no less.
BTW, that was the same year that progressive-populist Democrat Jim Hightower was defeated for election as TX state agricultural commissioner by newly-minted Republican Rick Perry.
Further note that at present, out of more than two dozen Texas statewide elected officials (including justices) all but one are Republican - and THAT office is currently vacant! In fact, think it's been a least twenty years since the Lone State State elected a Democrat to ANY statewide office.
So notion that Texas is really way more Democratic than people think, is something you get from smoking jimson weed out in the noonday sun somewhere between El Paso and Sabine Pass.
ADDENDUM In interests of semi-full disclosure, must point out yours truly was convinced that Democrats would make gains this year in the Lone State State, including flipping a few US House seats AND taking control of the TX sHouse of Reps.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
Texas was Democrat in the Presidential Elections of 1960 - 1964 - and 1968. Lloyd Bentsen was elected Senator there in 1988 and Ann Richards was Democrat Governor until 1994.
I hate to break it to you, time flies for us all, but the last of those was 26 years ago and the fluff about Biden having a chance there proved to be exactly that.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win there they may be more inclined to vote. But the Democratic record in run offs is absymal. They have never won one for the Senate. I personally believe the run off system is designed that way. It penalises a party who may be able to get their marginal voters out for the President but not for anything else.
Its also worth reflecting on how Texas was supposedly going purple. It wasn't. Not even close.
Texas was Democrat in the Presidential Elections of 1960 - 1964 - and 1968. Lloyd Bentsen was elected Senator there in 1988 and Ann Richards was Democrat Governor until 1994.
I hate to break it to you, time flies for us all, but the last of those was 26 years ago and the fluff about Biden having a chance there proved to be exactly that.
I totally agree re- time flying, but the idea that Texas has been a Republican stronghold for ever and a day is much exaggerated. Hubert Humphrey carried the state in 1968 despite losing the national election. Carter's Southern roots doubtless helped him to prevail there in 1976, but the Democrats have had success more recently in elections for the Senate and Governor. Under George Bush the Republicans appeared totally dominant there , but the last decade has seen the pendulum swing back to the Democrats. The state is probably now a better longterm prospect for them than Missouri.
In this context, perhaps worth pointing out that Republican former Governor, former GOP presidential candidate former Trumpsky Sec of Energy RICK PERRY was first elected to the Texas state house in 1984 - as a Democrat. Indeed, in 1988 he endorsed Al Gore for President.
However, Perry switched parties in 1989 - a clear sign that the times they were a changing.
Of course Democrat Ann Richards WAS election Governor in 1990. However, her victory was largely due to the fact that her GOP opponent was an idiot, plus her own celebrity following her speech to the 1988 Democratic National Convention ("Poor George [HW Bush], he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.") AND she was defeated for re-election in 1994, by George W. Bush no less.
BTW, that was the same year that progressive-populist Democrat Jim Hightower was defeated for election as TX state agricultural commissioner by newly-minted Republican Rick Perry.
Further note that at present, out of more than two dozen Texas statewide elected officials (including justices) all but one are Republican - and THAT office is currently vacant! In fact, think it's been a least twenty years since the Lone State State elected a Democrat to ANY statewide office.
So notion that Texas is really way more Democratic than people think, is something you get from smoking jimson weed out in the noonday sun somewhere between El Paso and Sabine Pass.
ADDENDUM In interests of semi-full disclosure, must point out yours truly was convinced that Democrats would make gains this year in the Lone State State, including flipping a few US House seats AND taking control of the TX sHouse of Reps.
Sadly, did NOT happen.
But there has been a swing. The margin of Trump's win there in both 2016 and 2020 was far smaller than that enjoyed by Bush back in 2000 and 2004 . That also extends to the leads that McCain and Romney managed in 2008 and 2012 respectively.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, and increasingly common, online tropes.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
Just noticed the cases figures for today. They look horrendous!
Considering Wales' figure is only (!) 1800, England must be suffering really badly. Do you think the Welsh figure going down is due to the earlier lockdown? Or lack of new variant? I notice the case rate per 100,000 over the last 7 days for England and Wales are very similar now. Perhaps Drakeford will stop being slagged off as much.
Or, of course, we could take note of what Public Health Wales said as they released the figures today..
"Due to a lag in receiving data, cases sampled in recent days will not be fully reflected in these data, so the most recent incidence is likely to be an underestimate."
As regards Drakeford, the problem is not that so much that he has handled it particularly badly -- in truth, most countries in Western Europe have done badly & Drakeford is slap in the middle of the pack.
The problem is that there are posters who tell us how much better Labour would have done in handling the pandemic than the Tories.
In which case, it is reasonable to point out that Labour could show us how good they are by explicit example in the one part of the UK in which they are in Government.
I agree with the caveat, but it has been mentioned for quite a few days now, so I suspect it is just a standard phrase now.
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win the In this context, perhaps worth pointing out that Republican former Governor, former GOP presidential candidate former Trumpsky Sec of Energy RICK PERRY was first elected to the Texas state house in 1984 - as a Democrat. Indeed, in 1988 he endorsed Al Gore for President.
However, Perry switched parties in 1989 - a clear sign that the times they were a changing.
Of course Democrat Ann Richards WAS election Governor in 1990. However, her victory was largely due to the fact that her GOP opponent was an idiot, plus her own celebrity following her speech to the 1988 Democratic National Convention ("Poor George [HW Bush], he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.") AND she was defeated for re-election in 1994, by George W. Bush no less.
BTW, that was the same year that progressive-populist Democrat Jim Hightower was defeated for election as TX state agricultural commissioner by newly-minted Republican Rick Perry.
Further note that at present, out of more than two dozen Texas statewide elected officials (including justices) all but one are Republican - and THAT office is currently vacant! In fact, think it's been a least twenty years since the Lone State State elected a Democrat to ANY statewide office.
So notion that Texas is really way more Democratic than people think, is something you get from smoking jimson weed out in the noonday sun somewhere between El Paso and Sabine Pass.
ADDENDUM In interests of semi-full disclosure, must point out yours truly was convinced that Democrats would make gains this year in the Lone State State, including flipping a few US House seats AND taking control of the TX sHouse of Reps.
Sadly, did NOT happen.
But there has been a swing. The margin of Trump's win there in both 2016 and 2020 was far smaller than that enjoyed by Bush back in 2000 and 2004 . That also extends to the leads that McCain and Romney managed in 2008 and 2012 respectively.
MY point is that it may take a WHILE for pro-Democratic trend evident at top of ticket, to translate into Democratic gains down ballot. OR even at the top. BUT we shall see.
You say that "Democrats have had success more recently in elections" which turn out to be a generation ago. THAT part of your argument certainly does NOT hold water.
There's a limited supply of the vaccine, I'm happy for antivaxxers to head to the back of the queue. Unless they're working in a care or healthcare roll. In that case, VAX OR SACK.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
Personally I very much disagree with the "blood on their hands" school of motivating people to do the right thing. 100% disagree. I think it's an extremely unhelpful line of persuasion. I don't see that tack as being something that's very likely to change people's perspectives on it, merely reinforce the different perspectives that already exist in the population.
You can post as much anti brexit tweets as you want but Brexit has happened and nothing will reverse it
But in truth covid will take over the nation as the number one issue as it causes mayhem over the next few months
With respect Big_G , Covid has already been the number one issue since early March! Brexit has long been 'water under the bridge' for most people - whatever the commentariat might like to think.
Re Texas, you can argue all day re: RECENT electoral swings. BUT to cite Democrat victories from early 1990s is NOT relevant to what's happening in the 2020s.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
Personally I very much disagree with the "blood on their hands" school of motivating people to do the right thing. 100% disagree. I think it's an extremely unhelpful line of persuasion. I don't see that tack as being something that's very likely to change people's perspectives on it, merely reinforce the different perspectives that already exist in the population.
I agree. By accusing people who clearly do not see themselves in that light of being murderers, you effectively mute your own voice. No-one is going to listen to someone who tells them they are stupid or evil, let alone change their beliefs and behaviours on that basis.
JFC Scotland's Covid case numbers have just gone nuclear unless there had been a reporting error.
Holiday catch-up reporting?
No, this is by specimen date figures not reporting date. It is grim.
But not unexpected. Given that Supercovid has infested Cumbria was there any reason to believe it would not rampage around neighbouring Scotland, apart from the innate brilliance of the SNP government basically "eradicating Covid" in the summer?
No, there was not. Ditto most of Europe and the USA, and probably elsewhere - Canada etc.
The UK Strain is everywhere in the West. It is a wildfire out of control. Strict lockdowns are no longer working, or no longer as effective. Vaccines are the only answer
For this reason I think HMG is right to go for a one-jab strategy. We are now in a fateful race against time: can we at least half-vaccinate enough people to stop Covid overwhelming our health systems?
If one dose of Pfizer mostly protects oldsters for a few precious weeks, then, yes, let them wait for jab 2, as we try to get as many people jabbed once, as is humanly possible.
It's a tough call, but this is a deadly plague.
Nobody who has tried to make "nur nur ne nur-nur" political point scoring about Covid has so far come out ahead. It has a dogged determination to make a twat out of you. Baptist preachers holding mass services? Dead of Covid. Czech Bye-bye Covid Parties? It's citizens now dying of Covid. Republican "It's only flu" politicians doing a conga-line? On ventilators. Relaxed Swedish "no big dealers"? Watching their economy slide away.
Do not try and take the piss and point score. It will have the last laugh.
Yep, the folk who were whooping and smacking their flippers at BJ’s ‘Scotland’s services are less resilient’ crack back in March must feel like right twats.
Some people just can't seem to comprehend having a year without a vacation.
Apparently, and brilliantly, he recorded a Christmas pep-talk for Ontario voters, to be broadcast in late December, complete with roaring fire behind him, and glass of egg-nog at his side, as if it was live, and he was talking from his home, where he was sensibly sheltering in place like all good Canadians during a pandemic.
Unfortunately, in reality, he was in the Caribbean.
Some politicians seem to be a very special kind of Stupid. Or Entitled.
Anyway my good lady has me watching the 'Sound of Music' and we reminisced that the last time we went to a Cinema was to watch the original production, I kid you not
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win the In this context, perhaps worth pointing out that Republican former Governor, former GOP presidential candidate former Trumpsky Sec of Energy RICK PERRY was first elected to the Texas state house in 1984 - as a Democrat. Indeed, in 1988 he endorsed Al Gore for President.
However, Perry switched parties in 1989 - a clear sign that the times they were a changing.
Of course Democrat Ann Richards WAS election Governor in 1990. However, her victory was largely due to the fact that her GOP opponent was an idiot, plus her own celebrity following her speech to the 1988 Democratic National Convention ("Poor George [HW Bush], he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.") AND she was defeated for re-election in 1994, by George W. Bush no less.
BTW, that was the same year that progressive-populist Democrat Jim Hightower was defeated for election as TX state agricultural commissioner by newly-minted Republican Rick Perry.
Further note that at present, out of more than two dozen Texas statewide elected officials (including justices) all but one are Republican - and THAT office is currently vacant! In fact, think it's been a least twenty years since the Lone State State elected a Democrat to ANY statewide office.
So notion that Texas is really way more Democratic than people think, is something you get from smoking jimson weed out in the noonday sun somewhere between El Paso and Sabine Pass.
ADDENDUM In interests of semi-full disclosure, must point out yours truly was convinced that Democrats would make gains this year in the Lone State State, including flipping a few US House seats AND taking control of the TX sHouse of Reps.
Sadly, did NOT happen.
But there has been a swing. The margin of Trump's win there in both 2016 and 2020 was far smaller than that enjoyed by Bush back in 2000 and 2004 . That also extends to the leads that McCain and Romney managed in 2008 and 2012 respectively.
MY point is that it may take a WHILE for pro-Democratic trend evident at top of ticket, to translate into Democratic gains down ballot. OR even at the top. BUT we shall see.
You say that "Democrats have had success more recently in elections" which turn out to be a generation ago. THAT part of your argument certainly does NOT hold water.
Reducing the size of the Republican margin can reasonably be viewed as 'success' even though victory has yet to happen. Much the same as a Tory or Labour candidate in a UK constituency being able to slash his opponent's majority!
Anyway my good lady has me watching the 'Sound of Music' and we reminisced that the last time we went to a Cinema was to watch the original production, I kid you not
My wife adores that film - I can't count the times she has watched it
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
That was actually quite scary - the pregnant lady part was also pretty distressing
Only heard a snippet on the radio, so I don’t know if she has sadly passed, but also no context given (age, state of health) etc. Not that that matters really, but as ever in this pandemic, context is important. Message should be heard though but I suspect the twats who just don’t seem to give a f*#k, still won’t.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
Personally I very much disagree with the "blood on their hands" school of motivating people to do the right thing. 100% disagree. I think it's an extremely unhelpful line of persuasion. I don't see that tack as being something that's very likely to change people's perspectives on it, merely reinforce the different perspectives that already exist in the population.
I agree. By accusing people who clearly do not see themselves in that light of being murderers, you effectively mute your own voice. No-one is going to listen to someone who tells them they are stupid or evil, let alone change their beliefs and behaviours on that basis.
But what else you do say to them??? PUT A BLOODY MASK ON
It is a basic message. If people won't hear it, how do you enforce it? Apart from scaring the shit out of them? Serious question.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
That was actually quite scary - the pregnant lady part was also pretty distressing
Only heard a snippet on the radio, so I don’t know if she has sadly passed, but also no context given (age, state of health) etc. Not that that matters really, but as ever in this pandemic, context is important. Message should be heard though but I suspect the twats who just don’t seem to give a f*#k, still won’t.
She passed away - no details of age etc - nor what happened to the baby.
Interesting to me, how PBers (and many others) are so fond of under-estimating Joe Biden. Which has turned into a freaking cottage industry, with seemingly millions dependent upon it for their livelihood & well-being.
Hence the matra > that Biden cannot be nominated > that he cannot be elected > that he's a demented vegetable who cannot tie his shoes without assistance > that (having actually BEEN miraculously elected) he cannot succeed as President > and that most certainly he either will NOT survive one term OR cannot possibly be re-elected.
All of which is IMHO a total crock of you-know-what.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
That was actually quite scary - the pregnant lady part was also pretty distressing
Only heard a snippet on the radio, so I don’t know if she has sadly passed, but also no context given (age, state of health) etc. Not that that matters really, but as ever in this pandemic, context is important. Message should be heard though but I suspect the twats who just don’t seem to give a f*#k, still won’t.
She passed away - no details of age etc - nor what happened to the baby.
Awful to hear. Sadly too many are no longer listening.
The Met office has a warning of icy roads in Devon
From 18:00 GMT on Thu 31 December To 09:00 GMT on Fri 1 January
and forecasts temps of -1 until and including 0900, 0 at 1000, then rising to a max of 3 over the day. What do they think happens to the ice at 0901?
I suspect it is just that they normally use 3 hour steps for weather warnings, so it was a choice of 09:00 or 12:00.
It is much more dangerous at night, anyway.
Not in these parts, the ditches of Dartmoor are full of the cars of moronic daytrippers from Plymouth.
The inherent danger is less during the day, even if there is an increase in muppets. The muppets aren't the Met Office's fault.
I might be unusual but I usually put winter tyres on late Nov - March. It doesn't cost any more as you just wear two sets instead of one and if you use cheap steel rims you don't ruin your alloys either. They work better any time the temperature is below about 8C and not just in snow (although they work extremely well in snow too).
Mind you, I haven't bothered yet this year as I'm not going anywhere...
My guess is that the Republicans win both. But then you already know that.
That is my guess too. That being said, I do wonder if Georgia is about to become a Purple state.
It's possible at the Presidential level. Now that Democrats have learned that they can win the In this context, perhaps worth pointing out that Republican former Governor, former GOP presidential candidate former Trumpsky Sec of Energy RICK PERRY was first elected to the Texas state house in 1984 - as a Democrat. Indeed, in 1988 he endorsed Al Gore for President.
However, Perry switched parties in 1989 - a clear sign that the times they were a changing.
Of course Democrat Ann Richards WAS election Governor in 1990. However, her victory was largely due to the fact that her GOP opponent was an idiot, plus her own celebrity following her speech to the 1988 Democratic National Convention ("Poor George [HW Bush], he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.") AND she was defeated for re-election in 1994, by George W. Bush no less.
BTW, that was the same year that progressive-populist Democrat Jim Hightower was defeated for election as TX state agricultural commissioner by newly-minted Republican Rick Perry.
Further note that at present, out of more than two dozen Texas statewide elected officials (including justices) all but one are Republican - and THAT office is currently vacant! In fact, think it's been a least twenty years since the Lone State State elected a Democrat to ANY statewide office.
So notion that Texas is really way more Democratic than people think, is something you get from smoking jimson weed out in the noonday sun somewhere between El Paso and Sabine Pass.
ADDENDUM In interests of semi-full disclosure, must point out yours truly was convinced that Democrats would make gains this year in the Lone State State, including flipping a few US House seats AND taking control of the TX sHouse of Reps.
Sadly, did NOT happen.
But there has been a swing. The margin of Trump's win there in both 2016 and 2020 was far smaller than that enjoyed by Bush back in 2000 and 2004 . That also extends to the leads that McCain and Romney managed in 2008 and 2012 respectively.
MY point is that it may take a WHILE for pro-Democratic trend evident at top of ticket, to translate into Democratic gains down ballot. OR even at the top. BUT we shall see.
You say that "Democrats have had success more recently in elections" which turn out to be a generation ago. THAT part of your argument certainly does NOT hold water.
Reducing the size of the Republican margin can reasonably be viewed as 'success' even though victory has yet to happen. Much the same as a Tory or Labour candidate in a UK constituency being able to slash his opponent's majority!
Oh, you are talking about a MORAL victory, not the genuine article. Whereas I am talking about the Real McCoy.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
That was actually quite scary - the pregnant lady part was also pretty distressing
Only heard a snippet on the radio, so I don’t know if she has sadly passed, but also no context given (age, state of health) etc. Not that that matters really, but as ever in this pandemic, context is important. Message should be heard though but I suspect the twats who just don’t seem to give a f*#k, still won’t.
The stark fact was he was not treating the elderly but much nearer and less than his age group (58) and the pregnant lady did pass away
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
That was actually quite scary - the pregnant lady part was also pretty distressing
Only heard a snippet on the radio, so I don’t know if she has sadly passed, but also no context given (age, state of health) etc. Not that that matters really, but as ever in this pandemic, context is important. Message should be heard though but I suspect the twats who just don’t seem to give a f*#k, still won’t.
She passed away - no details of age etc - nor what happened to the baby.
I recall a PB discussion early this year, when we all wondered if Covid might be especially bad for pregnant women. Hm.
Also, the idea of Covid "wiping out whole families" clearly implies it is killing young people, even kids. Is that true?
I am not accusing this doctor of hyperbole, but wow, if it if is true.... I'd just like some data to back it up.
MY final post of what has been a year unlike any other.
I hope Mrs Stodge and I can stay safe and well through this until the vaccine reaches us.
That's a hope I extend to all on PB whether lurker or regular contributor. To those who lurk I'd say come into the bearpit - most of the bears are friendly most of the time.
My hope for 2021 is in the rush to get back to "normal" we don't simply try to forget 2020 - while for many it has been a terrible year, for all of us it has given us a chance to reflect on the life we had and the life we have and those things which matter.
MY wish is we put the same resources into a mental health recovery programme we are putting into the vaccination programme. The vaccines will save lives so will proper counselling and other mental health initiatives to allow those who have experienced negative feelings in lockdown to talk them through and move forward.
You can post as much anti brexit tweets as you want but Brexit has happened and nothing will reverse it
But in truth covid will take over the nation as the number one issue as it causes mayhem over the next few months
With respect Big_G , Covid has already been the number one issue since early March! Brexit has long been 'water under the bridge' for most people - whatever the commentariat might like to think.
Trouble is that Brexit is all Boris has got, and his best hope in 2024 is to be able to say "vote for me, or Farmer Jones the EU will be back".
And as for "nothing will reverse it"... The government has won the right to try the experiment. If it works, it will persist. If it fails, then eventually it will be reversed, because the public won't want to stick with a failed experiment. That's democracy, isn't it?
For now, all any of us can do is wait, watch and hope. May the odds be in all our favours in 2021.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
Personally I very much disagree with the "blood on their hands" school of motivating people to do the right thing. 100% disagree. I think it's an extremely unhelpful line of persuasion. I don't see that tack as being something that's very likely to change people's perspectives on it, merely reinforce the different perspectives that already exist in the population.
I agree. By accusing people who clearly do not see themselves in that light of being murderers, you effectively mute your own voice. No-one is going to listen to someone who tells them they are stupid or evil, let alone change their beliefs and behaviours on that basis.
Indeed. Powerful - but NOT persuasive. Unless of course you are already persuaded, in which case it's at best useless.
The Met office has a warning of icy roads in Devon
From 18:00 GMT on Thu 31 December To 09:00 GMT on Fri 1 January
and forecasts temps of -1 until and including 0900, 0 at 1000, then rising to a max of 3 over the day. What do they think happens to the ice at 0901?
I suspect it is just that they normally use 3 hour steps for weather warnings, so it was a choice of 09:00 or 12:00.
It is much more dangerous at night, anyway.
Not in these parts, the ditches of Dartmoor are full of the cars of moronic daytrippers from Plymouth.
The inherent danger is less during the day, even if there is an increase in muppets. The muppets aren't the Met Office's fault.
I might be unusual but I usually put winter tyres on late Nov - March. It doesn't cost any more as you just wear two sets instead of one and if you use cheap steel rims you don't ruin your alloys either. They work better any time the temperature is below about 8C and not just in snow (although they work extremely well in snow too).
No, but a non-zero percentage of the muppets might be put off by a proper warning.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
That was actually quite scary - the pregnant lady part was also pretty distressing
Only heard a snippet on the radio, so I don’t know if she has sadly passed, but also no context given (age, state of health) etc. Not that that matters really, but as ever in this pandemic, context is important. Message should be heard though but I suspect the twats who just don’t seem to give a f*#k, still won’t.
She passed away - no details of age etc - nor what happened to the baby.
I recall a PB discussion early this year, when we all wondered if Covid might be especially bad for pregnant women. Hm.
Also, the idea of Covid "wiping out whole families" clearly implies it is killing young people, even kids. Is that true?
I am not accusing this doctor of hyperbole, but wow, if it if is true.... I'd just like some data to back it up.
The graphs posted seemed to show some increase among something like the 30-60 age groups, possobly because of the sheer amount of cases, but not a huge one as yet. I guess that would be enough to see a few more of the awful cases he must have seen, though.
JFC Scotland's Covid case numbers have just gone nuclear unless there had been a reporting error.
Holiday catch-up reporting?
No, this is by specimen date figures not reporting date. It is grim.
But not unexpected. Given that Supercovid has infested Cumbria was there any reason to believe it would not rampage around neighbouring Scotland, apart from the innate brilliance of the SNP government basically "eradicating Covid" in the summer?
No, there was not. Ditto most of Europe and the USA, and probably elsewhere - Canada etc.
The UK Strain is everywhere in the West. It is a wildfire out of control. Strict lockdowns are no longer working, or no longer as effective. Vaccines are the only answer
For this reason I think HMG is right to go for a one-jab strategy. We are now in a fateful race against time: can we at least half-vaccinate enough people to stop Covid overwhelming our health systems?
If one dose of Pfizer mostly protects oldsters for a few precious weeks, then, yes, let them wait for jab 2, as we try to get as many people jabbed once, as is humanly possible.
It's a tough call, but this is a deadly plague.
Nobody who has tried to make "nur nur ne nur-nur" political point scoring about Covid has so far come out ahead. It has a dogged determination to make a twat out of you. Baptist preachers holding mass services? Dead of Covid. Czech Bye-bye Covid Parties? It's citizens now dying of Covid. Republican "It's only flu" politicians doing a conga-line? On ventilators. Relaxed Swedish "no big dealers"? Watching their economy slide away.
Do not try and take the piss and point score. It will have the last laugh.
Yep, the folk who were whooping and smacking their flippers at BJ’s ‘Scotland’s services are less resilient’ crack back in March must feel like right twats.
There you go, falling into the smug bastard trap....
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
That was actually quite scary - the pregnant lady part was also pretty distressing
Only heard a snippet on the radio, so I don’t know if she has sadly passed, but also no context given (age, state of health) etc. Not that that matters really, but as ever in this pandemic, context is important. Message should be heard though but I suspect the twats who just don’t seem to give a f*#k, still won’t.
The stark fact was he was not treating the elderly but much nearer and less than his age group (58) and the pregnant lady did pass away
There does seem to be an issue with people mistakenly thinking it’s only a serious risk for the elderly. Clearly not, and also unpredictable. Very fit, young folk have suffered (such as the footballers in Newcastle).
MY final post of what has been a year unlike any other.
I hope Mrs Stodge and I can stay safe and well through this until the vaccine reaches us.
That's a hope I extend to all on PB whether lurker or regular contributor. To those who lurk I'd say come into the bearpit - most of the bears are friendly most of the time.
My hope for 2021 is in the rush to get back to "normal" we don't simply try to forget 2020 - while for many it has been a terrible year, for all of us it has given us a chance to reflect on the life we had and the life we have and those things which matter.
MY wish is we put the same resources into a mental health recovery programme we are putting into the vaccination programme. The vaccines will save lives so will proper counselling and other mental health initiatives to allow those who have experienced negative feelings in lockdown to talk them through and move forward.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
That was actually quite scary - the pregnant lady part was also pretty distressing
Only heard a snippet on the radio, so I don’t know if she has sadly passed, but also no context given (age, state of health) etc. Not that that matters really, but as ever in this pandemic, context is important. Message should be heard though but I suspect the twats who just don’t seem to give a f*#k, still won’t.
She passed away - no details of age etc - nor what happened to the baby.
I recall a PB discussion early this year, when we all wondered if Covid might be especially bad for pregnant women. Hm.
Also, the idea of Covid "wiping out whole families" clearly implies it is killing young people, even kids. Is that true?
I am not accusing this doctor of hyperbole, but wow, if it if is true.... I'd just like some data to back it up.
Not necessarily. It could be parents in their sixties and seventies living with their still at home son...
The Met office has a warning of icy roads in Devon
From 18:00 GMT on Thu 31 December To 09:00 GMT on Fri 1 January
and forecasts temps of -1 until and including 0900, 0 at 1000, then rising to a max of 3 over the day. What do they think happens to the ice at 0901?
I suspect it is just that they normally use 3 hour steps for weather warnings, so it was a choice of 09:00 or 12:00.
It is much more dangerous at night, anyway.
Not in these parts, the ditches of Dartmoor are full of the cars of moronic daytrippers from Plymouth.
The inherent danger is less during the day, even if there is an increase in muppets. The muppets aren't the Met Office's fault.
I might be unusual but I usually put winter tyres on late Nov - March. It doesn't cost any more as you just wear two sets instead of one and if you use cheap steel rims you don't ruin your alloys either. They work better any time the temperature is below about 8C and not just in snow (although they work extremely well in snow too).
No, but a non-zero percentage of the muppets might be put off by a proper warning.
Nah. They saw snow and thought it would be a good idea to drive to Dartmoor - during a pandemic. I doubt they'd care whether the warning said 9am or 12am.
Most people don't remember very much of weather forecasts anyway, if they even see them (there have been studies in to this).
He might try it but people are unlikely to be interested or receptive to that.. Most have already moved on.
If you read this forum you are in denial about most people moving on
With respect , we are part of the 'commentariat' and as such far from being representative of the typical voter! I have not encountered people discussing Brexit since last January - it is no longer at forefront of their consciousness. One of the reasons Johnson got his big win was the desperation of voters to move on and 'get Brexit done'. He is unlikely to be rewarded by any serious attempt to dig the issue up again - and I would not expect Starmer to engage. I fully expect it to return to being a minor , peripheral bacground issue as it was at elections pre-2015.
The UK government, and probably other governments too, need to take a new information approach. The conspiracy view is now so widespread, that simply telling people the virus is safe, or shaming them into social distancing or taking the vaccine for others' benefit, is not necessarily going to be quite enough.
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, increasingly common online tropes.
That was actually quite scary - the pregnant lady part was also pretty distressing
Only heard a snippet on the radio, so I don’t know if she has sadly passed, but also no context given (age, state of health) etc. Not that that matters really, but as ever in this pandemic, context is important. Message should be heard though but I suspect the twats who just don’t seem to give a f*#k, still won’t.
The stark fact was he was not treating the elderly but much nearer and less than his age group (58) and the pregnant lady did pass away
There does seem to be an issue with people mistakenly thinking it’s only a serious risk for the elderly. Clearly not, and also unpredictable. Very fit, young folk have suffered (such as the footballers in Newcastle).
One of the great statistical stupidities is the emphasis placed on the fact that the average age of death from coronavirus is 81. But look at, for instance, flu and cancer
Comments
But are you calling out Pfizer, you know the people behind that particular vaccine?
I've been wondering whether the disapproval of terms like fighting and battle to describe the situation faced by medical/clinical staff might be fading now.
Any way, goodnight all, and a happy New Year.
Maybe sound epidemiology but BAD strategy and WORSE (to use fav buzzword of quacks, politicos & pundits) ethics.
She says we just have to get the vaccine to the public as fast as possible
People aren't battery hens. They were told that the whole purpose of the track, trace, isolate system was so that a form of "social contract" could be established, that if people followed the rules and got tested and isolated when told - even if they didn't have the virus themselves - then everyone else could lead some sort of relatively normal life.
But clearly it's never really panned out like that and test & trace is just another factor of covid life along with the tier system.
Even if people haven't technically been in lockdown for the full 9 and a bit months, an awful lot of people have been in something reasonably close to some form of lockdown or another over that period, and its clearly beginning to chafe. People sharing conspiracy theories etc. are unarguably nutters, but at the same time it's hard to blame the general population for beginning to get sick of the level of restrictions we are existing under.
Unfortunately, there's no real solution other than to aim to make this lockdown the last one and pump the vaccine out as if the fate of the country depended on it.
I have Deadly Nightshade growing in pots in my garden
That all goes up in smoke if Cocaine Mitch can block everything.
And spare me from Gray’s preferred visions.
No, there was not. Ditto most of Europe and the USA, and probably elsewhere - Canada etc.
The UK Strain is everywhere in the West. It is a wildfire out of control. Strict lockdowns are no longer working, or no longer as effective. Vaccines are the only answer
For this reason I think HMG is right to go for a one-jab strategy. We are now in a fateful race against time: can we at least half-vaccinate enough people to stop Covid overwhelming our health systems?
If one dose of Pfizer mostly protects oldsters for a few precious weeks, then, yes, let them wait for jab 2, as we try to get as many people jabbed once, as is humanly possible.
It's a tough call, but this is a deadly plague.
But in truth covid will take over the nation as the number one issue as it causes mayhem over the next few months
If that email is "SHOCKING" to you then you don't have a very high "SHOCK" factor.
I am the next generation mirror image Bill Cash.
Covid is very real and mass vaccination is the only way out now
The vaccines rollouts can't come soon enough - now not just a medical and social emergency - but persuading enough people not just they are safe, but that they are not part of the conspiracy, will shortly be one of the government's biggest tasks.
AND it was originally called "Jamestown Weed" after the first (successful) English colony in what's now USA. Check out this quote from early 18th century source:
"The James-Town Weed (which resembles the Thorny Apple of Peru, and I take to be the plant so call'd) is supposed to be one of the greatest coolers in the world. This being an early plant, was gather'd very young for a boil'd salad, by some of the soldiers sent thither to quell the rebellion of Bacon (1676); and some of them ate plentifully of it, the effect of which was a very pleasant comedy, for they turned natural fools upon it for several days: one would blow up a feather in the air; another would dart straws at it with much fury; and another, stark naked, was sitting up in a corner like a monkey, grinning and making mows [grimaces] at them; a fourth would fondly kiss and paw his companions, and sneer in their faces with a countenance more antic than any in a Dutch droll.
In this frantic condition they were confined, lest they should, in their folly, destroy themselves—though it was observed that all their actions were full of innocence and good nature. Indeed, they were not very cleanly; for they would have wallowed in their own excrements if they had not been prevented. A thousand such simple tricks they played, and after eleven days returned themselves again, not remembering anything that had passed."
— Robert Beverley, Jr., The History and Present State of Virginia, Book II: Of the Natural Product and Conveniencies in Its Unimprov'd State, Before the English Went Thither, 1705
I always wonder who tried potatoes and tomatoes first. They just don't look...healthy.
Fuck this year. So much for "2020 Vision" being a thing to be desired. I just want to be seeing it through the rear-view mirror....
They truly deserve to be buried in Georgia.
And anyway Starmer says he accepts it and will not reopen the brexit debate as he wants to move on
But anyway have a Happy New Year and let's hope Drakeford is out in May
It might, however, not be news.
*sob*
Today I learned my oldest friend's mother-in-law is in hospital, dying of this wretched Pestilence.
It surrounds us all. We are besieged.
Do not try and take the piss and point score. It will have the last laugh.
On that basis, China is in for a really shit time in 2021. Unless, of course, they invented the disease in the first place
I would assume a pandemic might be exactly the kind of time to expect disaster healthcare, not warfare.
I rather suspect the UK's healthcare is more stretched by the pandemic than it was by the Iraq War.
The Met office has a warning of icy roads in Devon
From
18:00 GMT on Thu 31 December
To
09:00 GMT on Fri 1 January
and forecasts temps of -1 until and including 0900, 0 at 1000, then rising to a max of 3 over the day. What do they think happens to the ice at 0901?
Some fairly intelligent social observers and ad men need to be employed by governments to explain to people why it's fairly unlikely that Bill and Melinda Gates are using a fake vaccine to initiate a push for global domination and The Great Reset, or "Agenda 201", in another of the various, and increasingly common, online tropes.
The most powerful plea I have ever heard
https://twitter.com/rachelburden/status/1344545310119497728?s=19
MY point is that it may take a WHILE for pro-Democratic trend evident at top of ticket, to translate into Democratic gains down ballot. OR even at the top. BUT we shall see.
You say that "Democrats have had success more recently in elections" which turn out to be a generation ago. THAT part of your argument certainly does NOT hold water.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55503789
It is much more dangerous at night, anyway.
Unless they're working in a care or healthcare roll. In that case, VAX OR SACK.
https://twitter.com/JohnRentoul/status/1344753024317665280?s=19
"Whole families getting wiped out"
That's what happened in Wuhan.
Unfortunately, in reality, he was in the Caribbean.
Some politicians seem to be a very special kind of Stupid. Or Entitled.
You say that "Democrats have had success more recently in elections" which turn out to be a generation ago. THAT part of your argument certainly does NOT hold water.
Reducing the size of the Republican margin can reasonably be viewed as 'success' even though victory has yet to happen. Much the same as a Tory or Labour candidate in a UK constituency being able to slash his opponent's majority!
Message should be heard though but I suspect the twats who just don’t seem to give a f*#k, still won’t.
It is a basic message. If people won't hear it, how do you enforce it? Apart from scaring the shit out of them? Serious question.
Hence the matra
> that Biden cannot be nominated
> that he cannot be elected
> that he's a demented vegetable who cannot tie his shoes without assistance
> that (having actually BEEN miraculously elected) he cannot succeed as President
> and that most certainly he either will NOT survive one term OR cannot possibly be re-elected.
All of which is IMHO a total crock of you-know-what.
I might be unusual but I usually put winter tyres on late Nov - March. It doesn't cost any more as you just wear two sets instead of one and if you use cheap steel rims you don't ruin your alloys either. They work better any time the temperature is below about 8C and not just in snow (although they work extremely well in snow too).
Mind you, I haven't bothered yet this year as I'm not going anywhere...
Oh, you are talking about a MORAL victory, not the genuine article. Whereas I am talking about the Real McCoy.
Also, the idea of Covid "wiping out whole families" clearly implies it is killing young people, even kids. Is that true?
I am not accusing this doctor of hyperbole, but wow, if it if is true.... I'd just like some data to back it up.
MY final post of what has been a year unlike any other.
I hope Mrs Stodge and I can stay safe and well through this until the vaccine reaches us.
That's a hope I extend to all on PB whether lurker or regular contributor. To those who lurk I'd say come into the bearpit - most of the bears are friendly most of the time.
My hope for 2021 is in the rush to get back to "normal" we don't simply try to forget 2020 - while for many it has been a terrible year, for all of us it has given us a chance to reflect on the life we had and the life we have and those things which matter.
MY wish is we put the same resources into a mental health recovery programme we are putting into the vaccination programme. The vaccines will save lives so will proper counselling and other mental health initiatives to allow those who have experienced negative feelings in lockdown to talk them through and move forward.
Happy New Year, everyone.
And as for "nothing will reverse it"... The government has won the right to try the experiment. If it works, it will persist. If it fails, then eventually it will be reversed, because the public won't want to stick with a failed experiment. That's democracy, isn't it?
For now, all any of us can do is wait, watch and hope. May the odds be in all our favours in 2021.
Most people don't remember very much of weather forecasts anyway, if they even see them (there have been studies in to this).
https://www.statista.com/statistics/970800/influenza-deaths-by-age-and-gender-england-wales/
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/mortality/age#heading-Zero
Exactly the same. Coronavirus is not a diseases of the old, it's a disease and that's how diseases kill people.