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May 6th – the return of real elections and lots of data for political nerds to get stuck into – poli

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  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,220
    TOPPING said:

    Foxy said:

    TOPPING said:

    Foxy said:

    Floater said:
    Where I am, ice cream vans often do drug dealing as a side line, with the cold stuff just for show.
    Weren't they always just a front for something else? The ice-cream wars, etc?

    And "where you are"? What, quaint Leicestershire villages?
    So told to me by a patient in CID. Ice cream van businesses are also good for money laundering too apparently.

    I am not sure if you are aware of "County Lines" but drug dealing is quite a thing in market towns.
    So you are telling me that "Rum and Raisin" is not the most intoxicating thing on the menu?
    One of my very early jobs was working opposite a regular ice-cream van stand. They seemed such nice people. :smile:

    Then again - https://twistedfood.co.uk/the-unbelievable-true-story-behind-glasgows-ice-cream-wars

    Bill Forsyth made a good movie about it.
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087072/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
  • Time_to_LeaveTime_to_Leave Posts: 2,547
    edited February 2021

    Given the almost universally 'good' data, how much trouble are Johnson and Co. going to have sitting on pressures to ease here?

    That's what I meant about the cases almost dropping too much yesterday.


    I predict a big focus on numbers in hospital at 5pm.
  • EndillionEndillion Posts: 4,976

    UK vaccinations

    image
    image
    image
    image

    I know it's the teacher in me, but is there any chance you could change the title of your last graph to "Nation vaccinations fraction of population"? Thinking we have got only 0.2% done is a bit startling.
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    etc
    I do hope you typed that post out properly, without touching the CTRL key (or equivalent shortcuts).
  • Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has claimed it's 'perfectly possible' the UK will be giving coronavirus vaccines to children by the end of the year.

    Get those little plague spreaders jabbed....

    Vaccinations for children have carried on during lockdown. We had the Y9s in (one at a time) a few weeks ago to get which ever jab they were due under normal circumstances.
    Yep my son had his Yr 9 jabs a couple of weeks ago. All very efficient and quickly (and safely) done at the school. In and out in a few minutes.
  • Endillion said:

    This looks a bit needy.

    That's really, really embarrassing for them.

    Why would you do that?
    He's not actually begging for a call. He's just grandstanding that Biden hasn't called, and hammering the point home that the Democrat party isn't Israel's friend.
    Biden is going to be President of the United States of America for the next four years whether they like it or not.

    Is grandstanding and hammering the point home that the Democrat Party isn't Israel's friend really in Israel's best interests?

    There's a reason people who were happy to point and laugh at Trump before he was elected like Boris only did so behind his back after he was elected, until Biden was elected as his successor. Discretion is the better part of valour afterall.
  • Nigelb said:

    TOPPING said:

    Foxy said:

    TOPPING said:

    Foxy said:

    Floater said:
    Where I am, ice cream vans often do drug dealing as a side line, with the cold stuff just for show.
    Weren't they always just a front for something else? The ice-cream wars, etc?

    And "where you are"? What, quaint Leicestershire villages?
    So told to me by a patient in CID. Ice cream van businesses are also good for money laundering too apparently.

    I am not sure if you are aware of "County Lines" but drug dealing is quite a thing in market towns.
    So you are telling me that "Rum and Raisin" is not the most intoxicating thing on the menu?
    One of my very early jobs was working opposite a regular ice-cream van stand. They seemed such nice people. :smile:

    Then again - https://twistedfood.co.uk/the-unbelievable-true-story-behind-glasgows-ice-cream-wars

    Bill Forsyth made a good movie about it.
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087072/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
    Bill Forsythe made some quite awesomely good films.
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 9,877

    This looks a bit needy.

    That's really, really embarrassing for them.

    Why would you do that?
    More to the point how many prank calls is the pm of israel got incoming
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,933

    Wor Lass back from the surgery. Jabbed-up with Pfizer Biontech.

    Several GP practices are combining at the one centre, so they can get through a batch in one go.

    The grand cru, very nice. ;)
  • This looks like really good news:

    image

    Those are great numbers.
  • Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has claimed it's 'perfectly possible' the UK will be giving coronavirus vaccines to children by the end of the year.

    Get those little plague spreaders jabbed....

    Vaccinations for children have carried on during lockdown. We had the Y9s in (one at a time) a few weeks ago to get which ever jab they were due under normal circumstances.
    Yep my son had his Yr 9 jabs a couple of weeks ago. All very efficient and quickly (and safely) done at the school. In and out in a few minutes.
    I'm beginning to think we do vaccinations pretty well as a country. One of the big advantages of the NHS.

    Did I read that in some countries they were insisting that it had to be a doctor doing it, or was that just my imagination (which is entirely possible)?
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,357
    Endillion said:

    UK vaccinations

    image
    image
    image
    image

    I know it's the teacher in me, but is there any chance you could change the title of your last graph to "Nation vaccinations fraction of population"? Thinking we have got only 0.2% done is a bit startling.
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    etc
    I do hope you typed that post out properly, without touching the CTRL key (or equivalent shortcuts).
    Shhhhhhh

    What teacher doesn't see.....
  • Pagan2 said:

    This looks a bit needy.

    That's really, really embarrassing for them.

    Why would you do that?
    More to the point how many prank calls is the pm of israel got incoming
    The phone number containing '555' looks like a distinctly American made-for-Hollywood fake phone number.
  • Endillion said:

    UK vaccinations

    image
    image
    image
    image

    I know it's the teacher in me, but is there any chance you could change the title of your last graph to "Nation vaccinations fraction of population"? Thinking we have got only 0.2% done is a bit startling.
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    etc
    I do hope you typed that post out properly, without touching the CTRL key (or equivalent shortcuts).
    Shhhhhhh

    What teacher doesn't see.....
    I really appreciate all the work you put in to produce those graphs, and I feel bad for being picky, but not bad enough to have kept quiet.
  • On the subject of Israel, are there any numbers on how their neighbours are doing, particularly the Palestinians? Just as we have had the debate here in the UK about what to do to help others after we are jabbed up, I would hope a similar debate is going on in Israel. It could make a small but significant difference to perceptions in the Middle East.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,208
    edited February 2021

    TOPPING said:

    Yep. There has been literally liquidity flight, along with the dependent firms and that is gone. Until we negotiate something different. But London is always good at innovation so we shall see I'm sure some interesting products.

    On the previous thread I mentioned Lord Mandelson's webinar organised by DLA Piper yesterday. He covered the point about regulation of financial services, and was quite nuanced about it. He said that on balance he agreed with the government that a financial centre as important as ours should not be a 'rule-taker' from the EU, and that this would inevitably lead to some loss of EU-sourced business, but he was moderately positive on the possibility of this being compensated for by new opportunities (in Fintech etc). However, this would depend on us getting the regulatory regime right; we needed to be flexible and fast-moving, but should be very careful not to trash the UK's reputation by slapdash regulation. He was also concerned about other things the government is doing which might discourage financial organisations and small, entrepreneurial companies from setting up here.

    In other words, there are opportunities in our new non-EU status, but he was concerned that the government wasn't taking a sufficiently joined-up approach to make the most of them.
    Agree with Mandelson on financial services regulation. The key thing is compliance, not regulation. You are only compliant for a territory if the regulator in that territory says you are. Regulators are reluctant to accredit operators in other jurisdictions they have no control over. Apart from wanting to keep the business for themselves, the risk is too high. Also people and processes are compliant or non compliant; brass plates don't cut it. Compliance applies to clients as much as providers. The large-volume highly-regulated cross-border transactional business is gone, or going I think. The UK is best focusing on less-regulated activity that draws on expertise it has already built up.
  • Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has claimed it's 'perfectly possible' the UK will be giving coronavirus vaccines to children by the end of the year.

    Get those little plague spreaders jabbed....

    Vaccinations for children have carried on during lockdown. We had the Y9s in (one at a time) a few weeks ago to get which ever jab they were due under normal circumstances.
    Yep my son had his Yr 9 jabs a couple of weeks ago. All very efficient and quickly (and safely) done at the school. In and out in a few minutes.
    I'm beginning to think we do vaccinations pretty well as a country. One of the big advantages of the NHS.

    Did I read that in some countries they were insisting that it had to be a doctor doing it, or was that just my imagination (which is entirely possible)?
    Yep I believe both France and Spain from what I have read on here.
  • Looks like good news for all of us, and no doubt Boris and HMG
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,086
    edited February 2021

    Looks like good news for all of us, and no doubt Boris and HMG

    Its ok, Sky News still think its all a problem.....because he is now a victim of his own success....

    I think they have been on the same commentary course as the Indian Cricket commentators.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,710

    Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has claimed it's 'perfectly possible' the UK will be giving coronavirus vaccines to children by the end of the year.

    Get those little plague spreaders jabbed....

    Vaccinations for children have carried on during lockdown. We had the Y9s in (one at a time) a few weeks ago to get which ever jab they were due under normal circumstances.
    Yep my son had his Yr 9 jabs a couple of weeks ago. All very efficient and quickly (and safely) done at the school. In and out in a few minutes.
    I'm beginning to think we do vaccinations pretty well as a country. One of the big advantages of the NHS.

    Did I read that in some countries they were insisting that it had to be a doctor doing it, or was that just my imagination (which is entirely possible)?
    I believe that is true of Germany. They do have some odd restrictive practices there.
  • What's going on with the mic in the Bozzer press conference?
  • Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has claimed it's 'perfectly possible' the UK will be giving coronavirus vaccines to children by the end of the year.

    Get those little plague spreaders jabbed....

    Vaccinations for children have carried on during lockdown. We had the Y9s in (one at a time) a few weeks ago to get which ever jab they were due under normal circumstances.
    Yep my son had his Yr 9 jabs a couple of weeks ago. All very efficient and quickly (and safely) done at the school. In and out in a few minutes.
    I'm beginning to think we do vaccinations pretty well as a country. One of the big advantages of the NHS.

    Did I read that in some countries they were insisting that it had to be a doctor doing it, or was that just my imagination (which is entirely possible)?
    Yep I believe both France and Spain from what I have read on here.
    I was jabbed by a pharmacist this morning. It hurt less than when my cat jumped on me just now...
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,600
    Boris's hair looks weird. Has Carrie gone at him with the clippers down the middle of his skull???
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,357

    Endillion said:

    UK vaccinations

    image
    image
    image
    image

    I know it's the teacher in me, but is there any chance you could change the title of your last graph to "Nation vaccinations fraction of population"? Thinking we have got only 0.2% done is a bit startling.
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    etc
    I do hope you typed that post out properly, without touching the CTRL key (or equivalent shortcuts).
    Shhhhhhh

    What teacher doesn't see.....
    I really appreciate all the work you put in to produce those graphs, and I feel bad for being picky, but not bad enough to have kept quiet.
    Well, you did read them... which is a compliment.

    I thought.... ahem... "interest in details" were one of the defining characteristics of PB?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,086
    edited February 2021

    Boris's hair looks weird. Has Carrie gone at him with the clippers down the middle of his skull???

    Come the next GE he will be baldy bald.
  • contrariancontrarian Posts: 5,818

    Looks like good news for all of us, and no doubt Boris and HMG

    Problem now shifts to containing pressures to ease restrictions.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,086
    edited February 2021
    The sound quality of this press conference via Sky News is something akin to a local village fete....just waiting for him to announce the raffle winner before passing over for the welly throwing competition.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,550
    kle4 said:

    Are we nearly there yet?


    There is a rather sinister and nauseating attitude among many PBers that journalists ought to refrain from asking the questions that are exercising the minds of the public.

    I can tell you that – outside the PB bubble – millions of families are trying to plan holidays, weddings and other trips – and want to see a clear route out of this.

    The idea that the press shouldn't ask these questions regularly or hold the government's hands to the fire over timetable fully deserves the following billing:

    Only on PB
    If the same questions are asked over and over again to the exclusion of other points then I dont see why that cannot be criticised. Are journalists obliged to ask only the things that exercise people, even if asked very recently and other matters might hold the government to account more? Are people not permitted to object to what may or may not be an inane question?

    People may be a bit harsh on the journalists, perhaps, but I think the implication they cannot be criticised for their choices is a bit bizarre, particularly when it's often people who would prefer questions which would not paint the government in a fine light so it's not about giving the gov an easy ride.
    There is a big difference between questions where we would all like the answer but we know that no-one knows the answer or the timetable for an answer (like foreign holidays in 2021) and questions where we know perfectly well there is an answer and they don't want to tell us.

    There are too many of the first.

  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    Stocky said:

    I said we would be doing well if we got down to averaging 700 deaths a day by the end of this week. Currently we are on 788. In with a chance.....

    Below (data: NHS England only) is a good illustration of how deaths are falling and that the April peak was never reached:

    https://twitter.com/cricketwyvern/status/1358778749576183808/photo/1
    What do you mean the April peak was never reached?
  • Still very large numbers in hospital.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001

    Bill Forsythe made some quite awesomely good films.

    That Sinking Feeling is a masterpiece
  • The sound quality of this press conference via Sky News is something akin to a local village fete....just waiting for him to announce the raffle winner before passing over for the welly throwing competition.

    Same on the BBC when I switched over to them.
  • felixfelix Posts: 15,164

    Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has claimed it's 'perfectly possible' the UK will be giving coronavirus vaccines to children by the end of the year.

    Get those little plague spreaders jabbed....

    Vaccinations for children have carried on during lockdown. We had the Y9s in (one at a time) a few weeks ago to get which ever jab they were due under normal circumstances.
    Yep my son had his Yr 9 jabs a couple of weeks ago. All very efficient and quickly (and safely) done at the school. In and out in a few minutes.
    I'm beginning to think we do vaccinations pretty well as a country. One of the big advantages of the NHS.

    Did I read that in some countries they were insisting that it had to be a doctor doing it, or was that just my imagination (which is entirely possible)?
    Yep I believe both France and Spain from what I have read on here.
    In spain it's registered nurses and now dentists and vets also.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,933

    The sound quality of this press conference via Sky News is something akin to a local village fete....just waiting for him to announce the raffle winner before passing over for the welly throwing competition.

    Ah, they finally fixed it.
  • Looks like they fixed it now. Must have had Radiohead live sound engineer set up the audio this afternoon.
  • Endillion said:

    UK vaccinations

    image
    image
    image
    image

    I know it's the teacher in me, but is there any chance you could change the title of your last graph to "Nation vaccinations fraction of population"? Thinking we have got only 0.2% done is a bit startling.
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    I Must Use Proper Units On My Graphs
    etc
    I do hope you typed that post out properly, without touching the CTRL key (or equivalent shortcuts).
    Shhhhhhh

    What teacher doesn't see.....
    I really appreciate all the work you put in to produce those graphs, and I feel bad for being picky, but not bad enough to have kept quiet.
    Well, you did read them... which is a compliment.

    I thought.... ahem... "interest in details" were one of the defining characteristics of PB?
    And Physics teachers.
  • Boris's hair looks weird. Has Carrie gone at him with the clippers down the middle of his skull???

    Come the next GE he will be baldy bald.
    And when that happens, he'll be like Samson, having lost all his power.
  • Really a nothing to say press conference today. Clearly despite the leaks of this early vaccine real world data they don't want to talk about it yet.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,440
    RobD said:

    Need to be a bit careful, a lot of the criticism from medical professions was limited to specifically the dosing regime for Pfizer, not AZN.

    But the study trailed in the Times suggested the one-dose strategy for Pfizer was paying off.
    Has that come from the Sun' 'scoop' though? The classic reporting what someone else has reported?
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,208
    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    @CarlottaVance et al: Who is this David Keating you keep retweeting and why do you do it?

    The EU's chief apologist on twitter it seems.
    But why? If Angela Merkel or Ursula Von Der Leyen is doing the tweeting, maybe fair enough. I don't keep retweeting one of the stupider apologists for Brexit...
    Why not? It's quite amusing the lengths he goes to to claim the EU is doing just as well as the UK.
    Really? This guy is literally nobody ...
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001

    Looks like they fixed it now. Must have had Radiohead live sound engineer set up the audio this afternoon.

    Well, he can't go on tour anymore...
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,933

    RobD said:

    Need to be a bit careful, a lot of the criticism from medical professions was limited to specifically the dosing regime for Pfizer, not AZN.

    But the study trailed in the Times suggested the one-dose strategy for Pfizer was paying off.
    Has that come from the Sun' 'scoop' though? The classic reporting what someone else has reported?
    Sam Coates also said that he understands the figures reported are absolutely correct, I think his words were.
  • Scott_xP said:

    Looks like they fixed it now. Must have had Radiohead live sound engineer set up the audio this afternoon.

    Well, he can't go on tour anymore...
    Thank god for that....Brexit bonus.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,209
    The EU discriminating within the Anglosphere? That looks like classic divide & rule. They seek to drive a wedge between us and our cousins.
  • ANOTHER FUCKING HOLIDAYS QUESTION!
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,600
    Laura K wondering if she should be booking her summer holidays.....
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001

    Thank god for that....Brexit bonus.

    They can still play Glasto. Just not Paris or Berlin.
  • ANOTHER FUCKING HOLIDAYS QUESTION!

    Called it....after 2 weeks ago being all "why aren't we becoming a prison island"....
  • Early data from ZOE app about vaccinations,

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vReTwfEithg
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,933
    FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    @CarlottaVance et al: Who is this David Keating you keep retweeting and why do you do it?

    The EU's chief apologist on twitter it seems.
    But why? If Angela Merkel or Ursula Von Der Leyen is doing the tweeting, maybe fair enough. I don't keep retweeting one of the stupider apologists for Brexit...
    Why not? It's quite amusing the lengths he goes to to claim the EU is doing just as well as the UK.
    Really? This guy is literally nobody ...
    You could say that for a huge number of tweets posted here. I'm not sure why you are so agitated by this particular one?
  • ANOTHER FUCKING HOLIDAYS QUESTION!

    You really have to despair at some journalists questions
  • Wulfrun_PhilWulfrun_Phil Posts: 4,780
    edited February 2021

    Tests levelling off....


    The leading indicator - the daily reported case rate - has dropped to the level of around 4 months ago in early October. Then cases were rising rapidly, now they're falling rapidly. And we're conducting roughly 2.5 times the number of tests than we did then, so there will be more false positives in the latest figures, as well as more true positives being revealed just due to the volume of testing.

    The death rate by actual date of death is now well below the peak of last Spring and also falling at a much faster rate.

    If this positive trend continues unchanged for much longer, I don't think the Government will be able to maintain the line that things should stay exactly as they are for at least another month.
  • Why not be honest about the "can I book a holiday?" question. The answer is, depends on how risk averse you are. You can if you like, but only if you are happy to have it indefinitely deferred or lose your money.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001
    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,357

    Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has claimed it's 'perfectly possible' the UK will be giving coronavirus vaccines to children by the end of the year.

    Get those little plague spreaders jabbed....

    Vaccinations for children have carried on during lockdown. We had the Y9s in (one at a time) a few weeks ago to get which ever jab they were due under normal circumstances.
    Yep my son had his Yr 9 jabs a couple of weeks ago. All very efficient and quickly (and safely) done at the school. In and out in a few minutes.
    I'm beginning to think we do vaccinations pretty well as a country. One of the big advantages of the NHS.

    Did I read that in some countries they were insisting that it had to be a doctor doing it, or was that just my imagination (which is entirely possible)?
    The biggest advantage might well not be the NHS as such, but that we have had a massive and sustained campaign on vaccinations over many years.

    I believe that we have, compared to the world at large, a high take up rate of the various vaccinations for common illnesses.
  • dr_spyndr_spyn Posts: 11,300
    I can only conclude that some journalists have booked non refundable holidays.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,126

    ANOTHER FUCKING HOLIDAYS QUESTION!

    Boris is probably the right person to ask about fucking holidays. Regular ones though?
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,933
    edited February 2021
    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
  • contrariancontrarian Posts: 5,818

    Tests levelling off....


    The leading indicator - the daily reported case rate - has dropped to the level of around 4 months ago in early October. Then cases were rising rapidly, now they're falling rapidly. And we're conducting roughly 2.5 times the number of tests than we did then, so there will be more false positives in the latest figures, as well as more true positives being revealed just due to the volume of testing.

    The death rate by actual date of death is now well below the peak of last Spring and also falling at a much faster rate.

    If this positive trend continues unchanged for much longer, I don't think the Government will be able to maintain the line that things should stay exactly as they are for at least another month.
    Yup. That is Johnson's problem now.

    Looks like Sturgeon and Drakeford were right on schools.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,036
    Travel App. Good grief.
  • Black_RookBlack_Rook Posts: 8,905
    RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    A large fraction of the population, I would imagine - hence the endless questions.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,933

    RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    A large fraction of the population, I would imagine - hence the endless questions.
    Are you sure, or is it just the journalists asking them?
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,126
    RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    I just find it odd that criticising them for asking certain questions is deemed wrong, therefore essentially meaning no one should ever critique a journalists performance.

    No more criticising Peston, Bolton, Cole, any of them.
  • BluestBlueBluestBlue Posts: 4,556

    Boris's hair looks weird. Has Carrie gone at him with the clippers down the middle of his skull???

    Come the next GE he will be baldy bald.
    And when that happens, he'll be like Samson, having lost all his power.
    Samson's been a pretty good omen for Boris before. One of my favourite political cartoons:

    https://twitter.com/ThePrintIndia/status/1170676448715141120
  • RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    A large fraction of the population, I would imagine - hence the endless questions.
    Looks as if you can relax now after today's good news on AZN
  • FloaterFloater Posts: 14,207

    Why not be honest about the "can I book a holiday?" question. The answer is, depends on how risk averse you are. You can if you like, but only if you are happy to have it indefinitely deferred or lose your money.

    Yeah - I have booked one in UK (full option to defer if needed and I can cancel with no penalty up to a couple of weeks before we go)

    plus Cruise out of the States for 2022 - again very customer friendly terms for deferral / cancellation

    Even the UK break I have booked is for September to ensure plenty of vaccine roll out first
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,440
    Alistair said:

    Scottish case fall seems to be decelerating.

    Less than optimal.

    In theory if R stays the same, it should be a half-life decay (so curving, rather than straight line). UK cases overall at the moment look more like a linear, which implies R may be decreasing over time (vaccine effect, esp in NHS, more of us have had Covid). I'd also be wary of lumpy data (UK is bigger numbers, so smoother). Lets see in 2-3 weeks.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,710
    Scott_xP said:

    Bill Forsythe made some quite awesomely good films.

    That Sinking Feeling is a masterpiece
    A great heist movie!

    https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscription/film/watch-that-sinking-feeling-1979-online
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001
    RobD said:

    Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?

    I'll bet BoZo does
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,036
    Argh!!! Hols again!
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,600
    Fuck off about your holidays.....
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,933
    Scott_xP said:

    RobD said:

    Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?

    I'll bet BoZo does
    Opinion polls suggest the majority aren't planning to, and only ~10% expect to.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    I do. I want to be somewhere hot.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,126
    RobD said:

    RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    A large fraction of the population, I would imagine - hence the endless questions.
    Are you sure, or is it just the journalists asking them?
    And in any case journalists dont simply ask a question as the public are interested. They never have - they will ask very good and bad questions despite the publics apathy or interest. It's a ridiculous suggestion.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,600
    IshmaelZ said:

    RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    I do. I want to be somewhere hot.
    Go to hell?
  • Tests levelling off....


    The leading indicator - the daily reported case rate - has dropped to the level of around 4 months ago in early October. Then cases were rising rapidly, now they're falling rapidly. And we're conducting roughly 2.5 times the number of tests than we did then, so there will be more false positives in the latest figures, as well as more true positives being revealed just due to the volume of testing.

    The death rate by actual date of death is now well below the peak of last Spring and also falling at a much faster rate.

    If this positive trend continues unchanged for much longer, I don't think the Government will be able to maintain the line that things should stay exactly as they are for at least another month.
    Yup. That is Johnson's problem now.

    Looks like Sturgeon and Drakeford were right on schools.
    There's a date in the diary for schools now: 08 March.

    For most normal people once there's a date in the diary people can and will plan for that date - there won't be much pressure whatsoever to change the date once the date is in the diary because people will be setting their plans for that date. Schools will be putting plans in place for that date already.

    If there was no date then of course people would be wanting something said, but that ship has sailed now. There's a date - its a few weeks off, but people have it in their diary and will work towards that. Chopping and changing that now isn't going to happen. It would really mess schools around to change it now.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,036
    IshmaelZ said:

    RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    I do. I want to be somewhere hot.
    Summer in Cape Town or Rio?
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,208
    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    @CarlottaVance et al: Who is this David Keating you keep retweeting and why do you do it?

    The EU's chief apologist on twitter it seems.
    But why? If Angela Merkel or Ursula Von Der Leyen is doing the tweeting, maybe fair enough. I don't keep retweeting one of the stupider apologists for Brexit...
    Why not? It's quite amusing the lengths he goes to to claim the EU is doing just as well as the UK.
    Really? This guy is literally nobody ...
    You could say that for a huge number of tweets posted here. I'm not sure why you are so agitated by this particular one?
    I'm not agitated. Baffled why people think it's so interesting that this guy needs to be retweeted dozens of times in one thread. Scott for example posts loads of tweets that he thinks are interesting or which he approves of. You may or may not agree with him, but at least he has something to say. Also he tweets from lots of sources, not just the same one each time. But this Keating man, a complete nonentity, gets multiply tweeted for only one reason - to suggest he's an idiot. Anyway, enough of this...
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,933
    FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    @CarlottaVance et al: Who is this David Keating you keep retweeting and why do you do it?

    The EU's chief apologist on twitter it seems.
    But why? If Angela Merkel or Ursula Von Der Leyen is doing the tweeting, maybe fair enough. I don't keep retweeting one of the stupider apologists for Brexit...
    Why not? It's quite amusing the lengths he goes to to claim the EU is doing just as well as the UK.
    Really? This guy is literally nobody ...
    You could say that for a huge number of tweets posted here. I'm not sure why you are so agitated by this particular one?
    I'm not agitated. Baffled why people think it's so interesting that this guy needs to be retweeted dozens of times in one thread. Scott for example posts loads of tweets that he thinks are interesting or which he approves of. You may or may not agree with him, but at least he has something to say. Also he tweets from lots of sources, not just the same one each time. But this Keating man, a complete nonentity, gets multiply tweeted for only one reason - to suggest he's an idiot. Anyway, enough of this...
    I don't think anyone is only posting Keating either, so I'm not sure why you are making that comparison.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,440

    It will be quite close, but I think the government should beat the target by approx 300k, assuming no more acceleration. It might reach 15 million by Sunday without requiring the final counting day on Monday.

    If it has a bumper weekend, it could smash the target.

    Having spoken to staff at the vaccine site in Bath, I now believe we are trying hard to ensure NO-ONE in categories 1-4 has not had the chance of a jab by the 15th, to prevent the inevitable wankers in the media proclaiming Government lies about vaccination, when they claim to have done all in 1-4. (Awful sentence construction...).
    They could clearly have done many more in Bath this week, but I think they are holding back from calling say over 65 or over 60s up until the 1-4 are complete.
  • It will be quite close, but I think the government should beat the target by approx 300k, assuming no more acceleration. It might reach 15 million by Sunday without requiring the final counting day on Monday.

    If it has a bumper weekend, it could smash the target.

    Having spoken to staff at the vaccine site in Bath, I now believe we are trying hard to ensure NO-ONE in categories 1-4 has not had the chance of a jab by the 15th, to prevent the inevitable wankers in the media proclaiming Government lies about vaccination, when they claim to have done all in 1-4. (Awful sentence construction...).
    They could clearly have done many more in Bath this week, but I think they are holding back from calling say over 65 or over 60s up until the 1-4 are complete.
    My GP sent out a notice asking anyone in group (tier? cohort? what is the correct term?) 5 to get in touch.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,410
    Wow. That was quick.
  • Black_RookBlack_Rook Posts: 8,905

    RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    A large fraction of the population, I would imagine - hence the endless questions.
    Looks as if you can relax now after today's good news on AZN
    I'm feeling more positive again about the vaccines, and to be honest I over-reacted when the bad news from South Africa came out. I think a lot of us are getting worn down by this, some at a faster rate than others. There have also been a lot of genuine setbacks throughout this rotten experience, and I keep expecting more to roll along.

    On which topic - I remain concerned about the borders. No amount of good work here will help if we import a vaccine-evading variant and it runs amok.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,486
    I didn't see the presser but the idea that journalists shouldn't ask the question is:

    ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.

    This is a major issue that is exercising the mind of much of the public, and with good reason.

    PBers has a hugely disproportion faction that aren't bothered about getting away.
  • Boris's hair looks weird. Has Carrie gone at him with the clippers down the middle of his skull???

    Come the next GE he will be baldy bald.
    And when that happens, he'll be like Samson, having lost all his power.
    Samson's been a pretty good omen for Boris before. One of my favourite political cartoons:

    https://twitter.com/ThePrintIndia/status/1170676448715141120
    Samson's hair was cut off and grew back. Oh, and he destroyed himself in the process of bringing down the Temple.

    Once Boris's hair goes, that's it. Or is Carrie like Delilah?

    (Maybe, like Bertie Wooster, I should put in for a Scripture Knowledge Prize)
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,486

    Argh!!! Hols again!


    What's wrong with asking this exactly?

  • It will be quite close, but I think the government should beat the target by approx 300k, assuming no more acceleration. It might reach 15 million by Sunday without requiring the final counting day on Monday.

    If it has a bumper weekend, it could smash the target.

    Having spoken to staff at the vaccine site in Bath, I now believe we are trying hard to ensure NO-ONE in categories 1-4 has not had the chance of a jab by the 15th, to prevent the inevitable wankers in the media proclaiming Government lies about vaccination, when they claim to have done all in 1-4. (Awful sentence construction...).
    They could clearly have done many more in Bath this week, but I think they are holding back from calling say over 65 or over 60s up until the 1-4 are complete.
    That would be a little disappointing. More death and disease would be prevented by getting on with some of groups 5-6 now, but if you're right then politics is causing them to do the suboptimal thing. At least it's not a huge difference and hopefully they will be increasing the rate soon.

    On a personal note, one (not very close) member of my family is now on a ventilator, and being considered for ECMO. He's only 40, wife and two kids.

    --AS
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,486

    It will be quite close, but I think the government should beat the target by approx 300k, assuming no more acceleration. It might reach 15 million by Sunday without requiring the final counting day on Monday.

    If it has a bumper weekend, it could smash the target.

    Having spoken to staff at the vaccine site in Bath, I now believe we are trying hard to ensure NO-ONE in categories 1-4 has not had the chance of a jab by the 15th, to prevent the inevitable wankers in the media proclaiming Government lies about vaccination, when they claim to have done all in 1-4. (Awful sentence construction...).
    They could clearly have done many more in Bath this week, but I think they are holding back from calling say over 65 or over 60s up until the 1-4 are complete.
    Yes, makes sense.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,933

    I didn't see the presser but the idea that journalists shouldn't ask the question is:

    ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.

    This is a major issue that is exercising the mind of much of the public, and with good reason.

    PBers has a hugely disproportion faction that aren't bothered about getting away.

    Are people really clamouring for this? Polls suggest otherwise.
  • FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    RobD said:

    FF43 said:

    @CarlottaVance et al: Who is this David Keating you keep retweeting and why do you do it?

    The EU's chief apologist on twitter it seems.
    But why? If Angela Merkel or Ursula Von Der Leyen is doing the tweeting, maybe fair enough. I don't keep retweeting one of the stupider apologists for Brexit...
    Why not? It's quite amusing the lengths he goes to to claim the EU is doing just as well as the UK.
    Really? This guy is literally nobody ...
    You could say that for a huge number of tweets posted here. I'm not sure why you are so agitated by this particular one?
    I'm not agitated. Baffled why people think it's so interesting that this guy needs to be retweeted dozens of times in one thread. Scott for example posts loads of tweets that he thinks are interesting or which he approves of. You may or may not agree with him, but at least he has something to say. Also he tweets from lots of sources, not just the same one each time. But this Keating man, a complete nonentity, gets multiply tweeted for only one reason - to suggest he's an idiot. Anyway, enough of this...
    1. He represents a strain of thinking on questions over the EU & UK, mainly "The EU can do no wrong, the UK can do no right", and appears on multiple EU English language broadcasters.
    2. He's frequently unintentionally hilarious.
  • RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    A large fraction of the population, I would imagine - hence the endless questions.
    Looks as if you can relax now after today's good news on AZN
    I'm feeling more positive again about the vaccines, and to be honest I over-reacted when the bad news from South Africa came out. I think a lot of us are getting worn down by this, some at a faster rate than others. There have also been a lot of genuine setbacks throughout this rotten experience, and I keep expecting more to roll along.

    On which topic - I remain concerned about the borders. No amount of good work here will help if we import a vaccine-evading variant and it runs amok.
    I am pleased as you did seem very stressed but that is understandable

    As far as our borders are concerned the predicted reduction to just 1,000 daily arrivals across the UK, with pre flight tests plus 2 test over 8 days, should be manageable
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,600
    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    PB. It's a waste of a fucking question. Two, actually....
  • Black_RookBlack_Rook Posts: 8,905

    Tests levelling off....


    The leading indicator - the daily reported case rate - has dropped to the level of around 4 months ago in early October. Then cases were rising rapidly, now they're falling rapidly. And we're conducting roughly 2.5 times the number of tests than we did then, so there will be more false positives in the latest figures, as well as more true positives being revealed just due to the volume of testing.

    The death rate by actual date of death is now well below the peak of last Spring and also falling at a much faster rate.

    If this positive trend continues unchanged for much longer, I don't think the Government will be able to maintain the line that things should stay exactly as they are for at least another month.
    Yup. That is Johnson's problem now.

    Looks like Sturgeon and Drakeford were right on schools.
    There's a date in the diary for schools now: 08 March.

    For most normal people once there's a date in the diary people can and will plan for that date - there won't be much pressure whatsoever to change the date once the date is in the diary because people will be setting their plans for that date. Schools will be putting plans in place for that date already.

    If there was no date then of course people would be wanting something said, but that ship has sailed now. There's a date - its a few weeks off, but people have it in their diary and will work towards that. Chopping and changing that now isn't going to happen. It would really mess schools around to change it now.
    Re: Wales and Scotland - AIUI they have a smaller proportion of the population infected than England and Northern Ireland, so it's not wholly surprising if they're moving sooner in accordance with local circumstances.

    I just hope that nobody jumps the gun and lets all the kids back too quickly. Young'uns first, then watch what (if any) effect that has on the Plague, hopefully.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,486

    IshmaelZ said:

    RobD said:

    Scott_xP said:

    https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1359551718594338821

    PB. They shouldn't ask that question..!!!

    It's a dumb question. Who on earth wants to go on a foreign holiday in the middle of a global pandemic?
    I do. I want to be somewhere hot.
    Summer in Cape Town or Rio?

    Obviously not, you do write some facetious shite.

    How about France in June half term or Majorca in September? These are reasonable questions to ask even if the answer is no.
  • solarflaresolarflare Posts: 3,706
    Forget people booking new holidays this year, what % of people hoping for a holiday are hoping to go on the one they pushed back from last year?
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,036
    BBC still banging on about holidays
This discussion has been closed.