Fascinating how the map of the UK shows how Covid is retreating to the north. Isle of Wight, west Devon and South Hams now down to tiny case numbers. Very few strongholds of the Bastard Bug until you get into North Wales and the Midlands.
There is a fascinating geography dissertation to be written about this. The pattern is exactly the same as the last time the tide went out last summer. Why should these places be higher? Density? (But why not London?) Climate? (But why not the adjacent rural areas?) Socio-economic mix? Connectivity?
Obesity
Fascinating - could be. Some analysis to be done. Although instinctively I would think obesity would not affect numbers of positive tests; rather, it would affect how seriously ill you get.
Or both? If you are obese you are more likely to get symptoms bad enough that you will get tested, perhaps. And in a community prone to obesity pools of infection will linger, like sinters in the spring - in hospitals, in people with Long Covid, and so on.
It is obvious that morbid overweightness is a major determinant in how an individual or a nation suffers from this horrible bug
One of my long covid (And very much not obese) friends who got the bug has a very obese wife who he mentioned got away with only slight breathlessness whilst he went through the ringer ! Being male and over 50 is a massive detriment no matter how fit you are in terms of virus outcome. One thing about the vaccine, it'll work best if you're not obese mind.
Yes. I put on a chunk in this here Lockdown 3. But I've now lost 6 pounds and I've got 5 to go, to hit my target weight. The virus is really an alarm call for us all. Drop the lard
Here here. I'm down from 12st 12 to 11st 13 . Another 8lbs to 10lbs to go. Mucb better for the loss
Yet at the same time asking the US to send them supplies......
Weren't we assured by various euphiles on here that the whole thing was just for monitoring and they wouldn't be using the permission system to block exports? Have any of those people apologised for being wrong?
I didn't think the EU would actually block exports, and I was wrong.
Yeah I'm in that camp too, I didn't think they'd be idiotic enough to actually do it, I'd still be shocked if they ban exports to the UK given how heavily reliant the Pfizer production process is on UK exports but now I wouldn't rule it out.
This is exactly the the kind of misstep that the UK should be seizing on with low CT rates and generous long term investment allowances. Instead we're putting taxes up and limited allowances to just two years.
Well, I must admit that - given the hostility between the UK and the EU - I though that if it did happen, then it would be the UK which would be affected. Australia is a particular surprise.
It's also been done (as has much in EU-land of late) in the most cack-handed way possible.
If the EU had called up Australia, it could probably have cut a deal with them. Australia isn't going to be opening up its borders any time soon, and they could probably have been bought off one way or another. (Indeed, Scott Morrison made noises to that extent.)
I`d inquired about Nichomar who I`d noticed hadn`t posted since 19 January and was aware that he was in hospital.
I`ve received a message from Nichomar`s daughter today.
Nichomar dies of cancer on 22 January.
His daughter is pleased that we are thinking about him and has asked me to pass on the bad news to you all.
Nichomar has been posting for near-on six years and his posts totalled 7500.
Very sad day.
RIP - He was a couple of hours up the coast from where I live. I guessed from his posts that his health was precarious. Especially sad that his last year or so has been in the shadow of lockdowns most of the time. There are many others in a similar position and it does make it all the more frustrating that the vaccine rollout remains painfully slow in Spain and hidebound by the silly limitations on AZN to under 55s only. I hope he didn't suffer unduly.
Our occasional reminder that Meghan managed to fall out with her own father (and siblings) long before she'd fallen out with her husband's. Presumably a white man who married (albeit then divorced) a black woman is immune from charges of racism? Especially as, if I understand correctly, he is still on terms with their other children.
Yet at the same time asking the US to send them supplies......
Weren't we assured by various euphiles on here that the whole thing was just for monitoring and they wouldn't be using the permission system to block exports? Have any of those people apologised for being wrong?
I didn't think the EU would actually block exports, and I was wrong.
Yeah I'm in that camp too, I didn't think they'd be idiotic enough to actually do it, I'd still be shocked if they ban exports to the UK given how heavily reliant the Pfizer production process is on UK exports but now I wouldn't rule it out.
This is exactly the the kind of misstep that the UK should be seizing on with low CT rates and generous long term investment allowances. Instead we're putting taxes up and limited allowances to just two years.
Well, I must admit that - given the hostility between the UK and the EU - I though that if it did happen, then it would be the UK which would be affected. Australia is a particular surprise.
It's also been done (as has much in EU-land of late) in the most cack-handed way possible.
If the EU had called up Australia, it could probably have cut a deal with them. Australia isn't going to be opening up its borders any time soon, and they could probably have been bought off one way or another. (Indeed, Scott Morrison made noises to that extent.)
Probably why they went after the Aussies. Softest fruit available since least likely to lead to a backlash.
Would like this here to be honest (with caveats). I broke the law at the weekend to meet with my parents (both vaccinated more than 4 weeks ago, me 3.5 weeks ago). Not zero risk, but with current prevalance and the levels of care we have taken, pretty close to.
You should be sent for 2 weeks in a Travelodge as punishment ;-)
Can I choose where? And do I have to pay? It'll get me out of lab classes for the week, so maybe I'll take the hit...
It has to be one of those really old style shit ones at some crap service station, where you get kept awake all night by the sound of the lorries....where as a poor kid from Stoke, my parents would take us to stay as a "treat".
One of my Scottish nieces, when quite young, genuinely thought they were staying at the motorway services Travelodge for the entire 7 day holiday... Bless. Also my wife once insisted we get a room change as the room was too big... (It was freaking her out for some reason).
Suits was never a top tier show. It was a mediocre soap opera about people delivering cliche dialogue. The quality was not there. Meghan was right to leave.
The Royals is a real top tier show. It has extreme melodrama, an international audience, a huge locations budget & cracking storylines. Meghan was right to join.
It is really hard to keep people hooked and coming back day after day. But, Meghan has been given an all time great storyline. This could run and run.
Testing results announced today up 60% on last week - figures this week are going to be a joke.
Cases down 13% regardless, but clearly would have been a much bigger fall without the extra load of false positives
You have no evidence for such an assertion. False positives was a bullshit hypothesis when it was advanced last autumn, and it's bullshit now unless you can come up with actual evidence.
Similarly herd immunity, which you were touting upthread.
--AS
What a weird aggressive post.
I am quoting the government's own estimate of false positives for lateral flow tests, which is 0.31%, so an extra 300,000 tests conducted compared to the same day last week would generate another 900 false positives, and so the case fall looks like 13% rather than the reality of more like 30%.
False positives are a fact of life for any test no matter how many childish swear words you want to bring out.
The stats for lateral flow tests for school kids should be shown in stats as a separate column. Millions of tests. Done by amateurs. Some are going to be false +.
I doubt they're in the figures today; only 800,000 tests were done for our current case load; it was higher on three days last week. The average over the last fortnight has been just short of 700,000.
I was told by my wife (who is volunteering to administer them at school) that the LTF will not show on the UK figures for number of tests taken.
A positive result WILL show when the positive LTF goes on to become a positive PCR.
Our occasional reminder that Meghan managed to fall out with her own father (and siblings) long before she'd fallen out with her husband's. Presumably a white man who married (albeit then divorced) a black woman is immune from charges of racism? Especially as, if I understand correctly, he is still on terms with their other children.
He was getting plenty of negative press around the time of the wedding, so it'd be quite the turnaround to be supported now.
Fascinating how the map of the UK shows how Covid is retreating to the north. Isle of Wight, west Devon and South Hams now down to tiny case numbers. Very few strongholds of the Bastard Bug until you get into North Wales and the Midlands.
There is a fascinating geography dissertation to be written about this. The pattern is exactly the same as the last time the tide went out last summer. Why should these places be higher? Density? (But why not London?) Climate? (But why not the adjacent rural areas?) Socio-economic mix? Connectivity?
I have maintained for many months. It is the cultural habit of popping into the neighbours' houses at the drop of a hat.
Isn't that a bit of a hackneyed stereotype though? Is it really the case that northerners announce themselves on your doorstep daily and enter for tea/wine/a bit of the other uninvited?
I would say it is a stereotype. But like most contains more than a grain of truth.
Suits was never a top tier show. It was a mediocre soap opera about people delivering cliche dialogue. The quality was not there. Meghan was right to leave.
The Royals is a real top tier show. It has extreme melodrama, an international audience, a huge locations budget & cracking storylines. Meghan was right to join.
It is really hard to keep people hooked and coming back day after day. But, Meghan has been given an all time great storyline. This could run and run.
Hey! I liked Suits. I think the Royals is a bit too melodramatic even by comparison.
Testing results announced today up 60% on last week - figures this week are going to be a joke.
Cases down 13% regardless, but clearly would have been a much bigger fall without the extra load of false positives
You have no evidence for such an assertion. False positives was a bullshit hypothesis when it was advanced last autumn, and it's bullshit now unless you can come up with actual evidence.
Similarly herd immunity, which you were touting upthread.
--AS
It would help if the government would explain the process for guarding against false positives. If every positive test by lateral flow must be confirmed by PCR then I would think the true false positive count would be miniscule. But if there are no safeguards then there will be some false positives; its simply a statistical fact. The farago back in september about this was instructive. Clearly the increase in cases was not due to false positives (to any realistic viewer). But with 900,000 tests a day, checks do need to be in place.
AIUI the in-school testing this week is (inexplicably) not subject to confirmatory PCR, but after this week the home tests all will be. The FP of lateral flow tests is overstated by PHE, most studies show ~0.1%, so (assuming they are included in the case numbers at all) we'll see a few hundred/small thousands of those this week and nothing much after that.
For PCR itself, false positives are practically impossible except for contamination, and contamination is less likely the less virus there is around generally. One difficulty of measuring FP at such levels is the lack of a ground truth against which to compare, except for banked pre-covid blood. That's also a difficulty of measuring the FN rate of lateral flow testing, of course.
--AS
That is my understanding - but I cannot understand why all the lateral flow positives are required to have a PCR. We have the capacity.
I hadn't realised it but the government are spending £2.8bn on lateral flow tests this year. It seems like a complete and utter waste of money given how well the vaccine programme is going. We should be in a position to cut the testing system down to maybe 10% of what it is today in just a few months, I don't understand why so much has been budgeted for it and at the same time why the government is claiming poverty on pay rises for NHS staff. There is a serious lack of joined up thinking at the Treasury on basically everything.
Yet at the same time asking the US to send them supplies......
Weren't we assured by various euphiles on here that the whole thing was just for monitoring and they wouldn't be using the permission system to block exports? Have any of those people apologised for being wrong?
I didn't think the EU would actually block exports, and I was wrong.
Yeah I'm in that camp too, I didn't think they'd be idiotic enough to actually do it, I'd still be shocked if they ban exports to the UK given how heavily reliant the Pfizer production process is on UK exports but now I wouldn't rule it out.
This is exactly the the kind of misstep that the UK should be seizing on with low CT rates and generous long term investment allowances. Instead we're putting taxes up and limited allowances to just two years.
Well, I must admit that - given the hostility between the UK and the EU - I though that if it did happen, then it would be the UK which would be affected. Australia is a particular surprise.
It's also been done (as has much in EU-land of late) in the most cack-handed way possible.
If the EU had called up Australia, it could probably have cut a deal with them. Australia isn't going to be opening up its borders any time soon, and they could probably have been bought off one way or another. (Indeed, Scott Morrison made noises to that extent.)
I wonder if Mario Draghi's experience dealing with the banking sector as a public official may have given him some strange ideas about how to operate. Talking about 'suffocating' them when the constraint is production capacity is crazy.
Suits was never a top tier show. It was a mediocre soap opera about people delivering cliche dialogue. The quality was not there. Meghan was right to leave.
The Royals is a real top tier show. It has extreme melodrama, an international audience, a huge locations budget & cracking storylines. Meghan was right to join.
It is really hard to keep people hooked and coming back day after day. But, Meghan has been given an all time great storyline. This could run and run.
Hey! I liked Suits. I think the Royals is a bit too melodramatic even by comparison.
Should the Tories be worried? Not sure. The position is that at the latter part of a pandemic with public finances shot to bits and a dodgy Brexit we have a PM who, according to the figures in the article is thought to be:
Incompetent Indecisive Untrustworthy and Weak though marginally Likeable.
That party is in the lead in almost every poll, and has taken over from Labour as the party of the non big-city working class, and remains the party of rural England. Anyone can name four or five thinkable successors to Boris. It is hard to name a Labour successor who could beat any of them in a fight. A top tier of Labour heavy hitters are out of the fight. There have been few sightings a new generation of Browns, Blairs, Smiths and - remember him? - Goulds.
If there is a *shown* increase in cases (False positive or simply picking up more true positives) due to more LFTs, it should show up as a 1 off blip and then decrease again.
Looking at that photo I've realised why Meghan slightly unnerves me, even as I am compelled to look at her. She is the spitting image of a young girlfriend I had about 20 years ago, who I loved very much but who went on to break my heart. Like Meghan she was mixed race (in her case Indian, Jewish, Portuguese, English), like Meghan she was strikingly beautiful.
It is remarkable, the power of female beauty, over men.
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad. I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit. Thank you all. I wish you all well. Take care.
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad. I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit. Thank you all. I wish you all well. Take care.
Very sorry for your loss, and he will be much missed.
Testing results announced today up 60% on last week - figures this week are going to be a joke.
Cases down 13% regardless, but clearly would have been a much bigger fall without the extra load of false positives
You have no evidence for such an assertion. False positives was a bullshit hypothesis when it was advanced last autumn, and it's bullshit now unless you can come up with actual evidence.
Similarly herd immunity, which you were touting upthread.
--AS
What a weird aggressive post.
I am quoting the government's own estimate of false positives for lateral flow tests, which is 0.31%, so an extra 300,000 tests conducted compared to the same day last week would generate another 900 false positives, and so the case fall looks like 13% rather than the reality of more like 30%.
False positives are a fact of life for any test no matter how many childish swear words you want to bring out.
The stats for lateral flow tests for school kids should be shown in stats as a separate column. Millions of tests. Done by amateurs. Some are going to be false +.
I doubt they're in the figures today; only 800,000 tests were done for our current case load; it was higher on three days last week. The average over the last fortnight has been just short of 700,000.
I was told by my wife (who is volunteering to administer them at school) that the LTF will not show on the UK figures for number of tests taken.
A positive result WILL show when the positive LTF goes on to become a positive PCR.
Well that eliminates any worries about 'false positives', the FP rate from PCR tests is nil except if the lab screws up and contaminates a sample.
Labour has been found guilty of being a racist party, now Keir Starmer wants to investigate possible racism and that is the wrong thing to do? He didn't say anyone was racist, he just called for an objective investigation.
Surely this is exactly the right lesson to have learned from the Corbyn era, he can't win
You've spotted this.
If we lean left economically - Same old Labour. Generous with OPM till it runs out. If we don't - What are Labour for? If we stand up for progressive values - Labour sneering at the traditional working class. If we don't - What are Labour for? If we oppose this Tory government on the pandemic - Labour playing politics. If we don't - What are Labour for?
The risk is we end up a dog chasing its own tail. A dog, furthermore, denuded of confidence by reading too much into GE19 and too little into GE17.
So for me, it's too late to change tack on the pandemic, but let's start asserting ourselves and owning our story on the other 2 areas. It's time to put a rocket up our own arse.
I want to see an imaginative and strong left economic offering. Contemporary not Corbynite redux. And I want to see us be strong on progressive values with no hint of an apology for it. They are great values. They are our values. Let's argue for them.
We take that "What are Labour for?" completely out of the equation and we counter those remaining and dreary old chestnut Tory attack lines of "Spendthrift" and "Sneery" with gusto and emotional and intellectual honesty. We treat the voters with respect.
In particular we explain, in whatever way works best in this dumbed down Britain that the "Boris" brand and its Brexit populism has created and is exploiting to the hilt, how our policies will materially and sustainably improve the lives of all these people we are supposedly sneering at, when the Tories offer nothing but cheap thrills.
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad. I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit. Thank you all. I wish you all well. Take care.
Very sorry for your loss, and glad that we could provide your father with some companionship when he needed it.
Labour has been found guilty of being a racist party, now Keir Starmer wants to investigate possible racism and that is the wrong thing to do? He didn't say anyone was racist, he just called for an objective investigation.
Surely this is exactly the right lesson to have learned from the Corbyn era, he can't win
You've spotted this.
If we lean left economically - Same old Labour. Generous with OPM till it runs out. If we don't - What are Labour for? If we stand up for progressive values - Labour sneering at the traditional working class. If we don't - What are Labour for? If we oppose this Tory government on the pandemic - Labour playing politics. If we don't - What are Labour for?
The risk is we end up a dog chasing its own tail. A dog, furthermore, denuded of confidence by reading too much into GE19 and too little into GE17.
So for me, it's too late to change tack on the pandemic, but let's start asserting ourselves and owning our story on the other 2 areas. It's time to put a rocket up our own arse.
I want to see an imaginative and strong left economic offering. Contemporary not Corbynite redux. And I want to see us be strong on progressive values with no hint of an apology for it. They are great values. They are our values. Let's argue for them.
We take that "What are Labour for?" completely out of the equation and we counter those remaining and dreary old chestnut Tory attack lines of "Spendthrift" and "Sneery" with gusto and emotional and intellectual honesty. We treat the voters with respect.
In particular we explain, in whatever way works best in this dumbed down Britain that the "Boris" brand and its Brexit populism has created and is exploiting to the hilt, how our policies will materially and sustainably improve the lives of all these people we are supposedly sneering at, when the Tories offer nothing but cheap thrills.
Win or lose with a purpose.
Not sure spendthrift has quite the power it once had.
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad. I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit. Thank you all. I wish you all well. Take care.
No - thank your father, talking with him here was very much our pleasure. He was a good man, take care of yourself and your family and my very sincerest condolences.
A suggestion in a Whatsapp Group that the Sussexes should lose their titles. It does seem odd that they hold on to them, given that they regard the entire institution of the royal family as bigoted, cruel and exclusive
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad. I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit. Thank you all. I wish you all well. Take care.
Thank you for posting this. Know that your father was a much-valued part of this, our strange community. We will miss him and his astute contributions. We wish you and your family well with our sympathies.
A suggestion in a Whatsapp Group that the Sussexes should lose their titles. It does seem odd that they hold on to them, given that they regard the entire institution of the royal family as bigoted, cruel and exclusive
Yet at the same time asking the US to send them supplies......
Weren't we assured by various euphiles on here that the whole thing was just for monitoring and they wouldn't be using the permission system to block exports? Have any of those people apologised for being wrong?
I didn't think the EU would actually block exports, and I was wrong.
Yeah I'm in that camp too, I didn't think they'd be idiotic enough to actually do it, I'd still be shocked if they ban exports to the UK given how heavily reliant the Pfizer production process is on UK exports but now I wouldn't rule it out.
This is exactly the the kind of misstep that the UK should be seizing on with low CT rates and generous long term investment allowances. Instead we're putting taxes up and limited allowances to just two years.
Well, I must admit that - given the hostility between the UK and the EU - I though that if it did happen, then it would be the UK which would be affected. Australia is a particular surprise.
It's also been done (as has much in EU-land of late) in the most cack-handed way possible.
If the EU had called up Australia, it could probably have cut a deal with them. Australia isn't going to be opening up its borders any time soon, and they could probably have been bought off one way or another. (Indeed, Scott Morrison made noises to that extent.)
Younger son, who lives in Bangkok does quite a lot of business with Australia.Last time we spoke, at the weekend, he was talking about maybe being able to go there soon.
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad. I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit. Thank you all. I wish you all well. Take care.
No - thank your father, talking with him here was very much our pleasure. He was a good man, take care of yourself and your family and my very sincerest condolences.
Yet at the same time asking the US to send them supplies......
Weren't we assured by various euphiles on here that the whole thing was just for monitoring and they wouldn't be using the permission system to block exports? Have any of those people apologised for being wrong?
I didn't think the EU would actually block exports, and I was wrong.
Yeah I'm in that camp too, I didn't think they'd be idiotic enough to actually do it, I'd still be shocked if they ban exports to the UK given how heavily reliant the Pfizer production process is on UK exports but now I wouldn't rule it out.
This is exactly the the kind of misstep that the UK should be seizing on with low CT rates and generous long term investment allowances. Instead we're putting taxes up and limited allowances to just two years.
Well, I must admit that - given the hostility between the UK and the EU - I though that if it did happen, then it would be the UK which would be affected. Australia is a particular surprise.
It's also been done (as has much in EU-land of late) in the most cack-handed way possible.
If the EU had called up Australia, it could probably have cut a deal with them. Australia isn't going to be opening up its borders any time soon, and they could probably have been bought off one way or another. (Indeed, Scott Morrison made noises to that extent.)
I wonder if Mario Draghi's experience dealing with the banking sector as a public official may have given him some strange ideas about how to operate. Talking about 'suffocating' them when the constraint is production capacity is crazy.
It's an especially crass term given the nature of the disease we're dealing with.
Looking at that photo I've realised why Meghan slightly unnerves me, even as I am compelled to look at her. She is the spitting image of a young girlfriend I had about 20 years ago, who I loved very much but who went on to break my heart. Like Meghan she was mixed race (in her case Indian, Jewish, Portuguese, English), like Meghan she was strikingly beautiful.
It is remarkable, the power of female beauty, over men.
And maybe that's why I also sympathise with Harry
It makes you wonder how much of world history over the millennia has been actuated by female beauty and the pursuit of it by powerful men.
To be fair, it did air at 11pm on the East coast, so there will be a lot of catch up viewing today.
Also, it's not the Superbowl.
No it didn’t: it aired 8pm - 10pm Eastern. Didn’t you know that most things get shown in Eastern/Central first then rebroadcast in Mountain/Pacific two hours later?
A suggestion in a Whatsapp Group that the Sussexes should lose their titles. It does seem odd that they hold on to them, given that they regard the entire institution of the royal family as bigoted, cruel and exclusive
You know, we could have a system where one's standing and title is determined by some sort of popular vote...
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad. I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit. Thank you all. I wish you all well. Take care.
My deepest sympathy, glad we could be here to give him a bit of company
Looking at that photo I've realised why Meghan slightly unnerves me, even as I am compelled to look at her. She is the spitting image of a young girlfriend I had about 20 years ago, who I loved very much but who went on to break my heart. Like Meghan she was mixed race (in her case Indian, Jewish, Portuguese, English), like Meghan she was strikingly beautiful.
It is remarkable, the power of female beauty, over men.
And maybe that's why I also sympathise with Harry
It makes you wonder how much of world history over the millennia has been actuated by female beauty and the pursuit of it by powerful men.
Looking at that photo I've realised why Meghan slightly unnerves me, even as I am compelled to look at her. She is the spitting image of a young girlfriend I had about 20 years ago, who I loved very much but who went on to break my heart. Like Meghan she was mixed race (in her case Indian, Jewish, Portuguese, English), like Meghan she was strikingly beautiful.
It is remarkable, the power of female beauty, over men.
And maybe that's why I also sympathise with Harry
It makes you wonder how much of world history over the millennia has been actuated by female beauty and the pursuit of it by powerful men.
Pretty much most of it, I reckon
Was this the face that launched a thousand ships and burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Looking at that photo I've realised why Meghan slightly unnerves me, even as I am compelled to look at her. She is the spitting image of a young girlfriend I had about 20 years ago, who I loved very much but who went on to break my heart. Like Meghan she was mixed race (in her case Indian, Jewish, Portuguese, English), like Meghan she was strikingly beautiful.
It is remarkable, the power of female beauty, over men.
And maybe that's why I also sympathise with Harry
It makes you wonder how much of world history over the millennia has been actuated by female beauty and the pursuit of it by powerful men.
Pretty much most of it, I reckon
It's why I think it's a good thing when the people in charge aren't particularly physically attractive, as was the case with for instance John Major and George HW Bush and their wives. It shows a society has managed to move on from that stage.
Labour has been found guilty of being a racist party, now Keir Starmer wants to investigate possible racism and that is the wrong thing to do? He didn't say anyone was racist, he just called for an objective investigation.
Surely this is exactly the right lesson to have learned from the Corbyn era, he can't win
The allegation is that a Royal individual said something offensive to Meghan. So let's say the investigator finds that indeed, a Royal individual did say something offensive to Meghan. Then what? What is the happy outcome that is achieved? It's not a very clever suggestion, and worse, it's never going to be seen as a very clever suggestion.
What it tells me is that Starmer's republican sentiments actually probably go quite deep, which is interesting. He's always seemed quite non-ideological.
Testing results announced today up 60% on last week - figures this week are going to be a joke.
Cases down 13% regardless, but clearly would have been a much bigger fall without the extra load of false positives
You have no evidence for such an assertion. False positives was a bullshit hypothesis when it was advanced last autumn, and it's bullshit now unless you can come up with actual evidence.
Similarly herd immunity, which you were touting upthread.
--AS
What a weird aggressive post.
I am quoting the government's own estimate of false positives for lateral flow tests, which is 0.31%, so an extra 300,000 tests conducted compared to the same day last week would generate another 900 false positives, and so the case fall looks like 13% rather than the reality of more like 30%.
False positives are a fact of life for any test no matter how many childish swear words you want to bring out.
The stats for lateral flow tests for school kids should be shown in stats as a separate column. Millions of tests. Done by amateurs. Some are going to be false +.
I doubt they're in the figures today; only 800,000 tests were done for our current case load; it was higher on three days last week. The average over the last fortnight has been just short of 700,000.
I was told by my wife (who is volunteering to administer them at school) that the LTF will not show on the UK figures for number of tests taken.
A positive result WILL show when the positive LTF goes on to become a positive PCR.
A suggestion in a Whatsapp Group that the Sussexes should lose their titles. It does seem odd that they hold on to them, given that they regard the entire institution of the royal family as bigoted, cruel and exclusive
Yeah the way to show the Royal Family isn't bigoted is to keep Andrew as a Prince but strip the black girl who dared to speak up of her title.
Looking at that photo I've realised why Meghan slightly unnerves me, even as I am compelled to look at her. She is the spitting image of a young girlfriend I had about 20 years ago, who I loved very much but who went on to break my heart. Like Meghan she was mixed race (in her case Indian, Jewish, Portuguese, English), like Meghan she was strikingly beautiful.
It is remarkable, the power of female beauty, over men.
And maybe that's why I also sympathise with Harry
It makes you wonder how much of world history over the millennia has been actuated by female beauty and the pursuit of it by powerful men.
Pretty much most of it, I reckon
It's why I think it's a good thing when the people in charge aren't particularly attractive, as was the case with for instance John Major and George HW Bush and their wives. It shows a society has managed to move on from that stage.
So it wasn't Prince Philip nor the Queen who were behind the comments on the skin colour of Archie.
How do we know?
Operah is doing morning television and said H wanted to make it clear it wasn't his grandmother and grandfather,
Harry has two sets of grandparents, and he only used the singlular. He might have been referring to the Spencers (both of whom are dead, so obviously WOULDN'T have been able to refer to skin colour). Maybe he's being very very sneaky.
*checks notes* I think the Hewitts are dead too, just to cover all bases (*Ducks and runs*)
Labour has been found guilty of being a racist party, now Keir Starmer wants to investigate possible racism and that is the wrong thing to do? He didn't say anyone was racist, he just called for an objective investigation.
Surely this is exactly the right lesson to have learned from the Corbyn era, he can't win
The allegation is that a Royal individual said something offensive to Meghan. So let's say the investigator finds that indeed, a Royal individual did say something offensive to Meghan. Then what? What is the happy outcome that is achieved? It's not a very clever suggestion, and worse, it's never going to be seen as a very clever suggestion.
What it tells me is that Starmer's republican sentiments actually probably go quite deep, which is interesting. He's always seemed quite non-ideological.
How about an apology?
They can go a long way. And be a learning experience to stop this happening again.
A suggestion in a Whatsapp Group that the Sussexes should lose their titles. It does seem odd that they hold on to them, given that they regard the entire institution of the royal family as bigoted, cruel and exclusive
Have they not given them up voluntarily yet ?
Badging yourself "Sussex Royal" does suggest a slight ambivalence about them. I'd be more impressed if they said Feck yer dukedom, we're plain Mr and Mrs Mountbatten Markle from here on in.
Testing results announced today up 60% on last week - figures this week are going to be a joke.
Cases down 13% regardless, but clearly would have been a much bigger fall without the extra load of false positives
You have no evidence for such an assertion. False positives was a bullshit hypothesis when it was advanced last autumn, and it's bullshit now unless you can come up with actual evidence.
Similarly herd immunity, which you were touting upthread.
--AS
What a weird aggressive post.
I am quoting the government's own estimate of false positives for lateral flow tests, which is 0.31%, so an extra 300,000 tests conducted compared to the same day last week would generate another 900 false positives, and so the case fall looks like 13% rather than the reality of more like 30%.
False positives are a fact of life for any test no matter how many childish swear words you want to bring out.
The stats for lateral flow tests for school kids should be shown in stats as a separate column. Millions of tests. Done by amateurs. Some are going to be false +.
I doubt they're in the figures today; only 800,000 tests were done for our current case load; it was higher on three days last week. The average over the last fortnight has been just short of 700,000.
I was told by my wife (who is volunteering to administer them at school) that the LTF will not show on the UK figures for number of tests taken.
A positive result WILL show when the positive LTF goes on to become a positive PCR.
Well that eliminates any worries about 'false positives', the FP rate from PCR tests is nil except if the lab screws up and contaminates a sample.
That`s assuming my wife is correct, of course (I daren`t question her).
My concern when I heard this was that people my freak about a sudden rise, post-school opening, in new infections without realising that this wouldn`t imply an increase in the positivity rate.
Just noticed my two local primary schools aren't going back until tomorrow which might explain the queue outside the school outfitter's this lunchtime.
Looking at that photo I've realised why Meghan slightly unnerves me, even as I am compelled to look at her. She is the spitting image of a young girlfriend I had about 20 years ago, who I loved very much but who went on to break my heart. Like Meghan she was mixed race (in her case Indian, Jewish, Portuguese, English), like Meghan she was strikingly beautiful.
It is remarkable, the power of female beauty, over men.
And maybe that's why I also sympathise with Harry
It makes you wonder how much of world history over the millennia has been actuated by female beauty and the pursuit of it by powerful men.
Pretty much most of it, I reckon
It's why I think it's a good thing when the people in charge aren't particularly attractive, as was the case with for instance John Major and George HW Bush and their wives. It shows a society has managed to move on from that stage.
We could go back to eunuchs being officials?
Didn't POTUS #45 already test THAT strategy? WIth less-than-stellar results!
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad. I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit. Thank you all. I wish you all well. Take care.
Just called 119 again. Apparently my GP surgery should have allocated my NHS number to Group 6 to allow me to book online but if it's not working it means they haven't.
I'm absolutely furious because I was told by my GP in early February that it was all set up. They are total waste of spaces.
I'm going to have to keep it together when I call them tomorrow...
A suggestion in a Whatsapp Group that the Sussexes should lose their titles. It does seem odd that they hold on to them, given that they regard the entire institution of the royal family as bigoted, cruel and exclusive
Speaking as someone 'from' West Sussex, nevertheless I've always found the title of Duke and Duchess of Sussex sounded a bit fake and a had a hint of tackiness about it (to me). This is not the fault of the couple of course, I don't know how they assigned the county. Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their son Archie sounds a bit like what a Hollywood scriptwriter with not very good research would call an aristocratic family.
Testing results announced today up 60% on last week - figures this week are going to be a joke.
Cases down 13% regardless, but clearly would have been a much bigger fall without the extra load of false positives
You have no evidence for such an assertion. False positives was a bullshit hypothesis when it was advanced last autumn, and it's bullshit now unless you can come up with actual evidence.
Similarly herd immunity, which you were touting upthread.
--AS
What a weird aggressive post.
I am quoting the government's own estimate of false positives for lateral flow tests, which is 0.31%, so an extra 300,000 tests conducted compared to the same day last week would generate another 900 false positives, and so the case fall looks like 13% rather than the reality of more like 30%.
False positives are a fact of life for any test no matter how many childish swear words you want to bring out.
The stats for lateral flow tests for school kids should be shown in stats as a separate column. Millions of tests. Done by amateurs. Some are going to be false +.
I doubt they're in the figures today; only 800,000 tests were done for our current case load; it was higher on three days last week. The average over the last fortnight has been just short of 700,000.
I was told by my wife (who is volunteering to administer them at school) that the LTF will not show on the UK figures for number of tests taken.
A positive result WILL show when the positive LTF goes on to become a positive PCR.
Well that eliminates any worries about 'false positives', the FP rate from PCR tests is nil except if the lab screws up and contaminates a sample.
That`s assuming my wife is correct, of course (I daren`t question her).
My concern when I heard this was that people my freak about a sudden rise, post-school opening, in new infections without realising that this wouldn`t imply an increase in the positivity rate.
It sounds sensible, basically we should catch more true positives with this approach which will give us some of the most honest figures in the world* but will help us stamp out the actual virus.
* Mexico, Syria, Brazil and a whole host of other places are nowhere near correct actual covid cases
Just called 119 again. Apparently my GP surgery should have allocated my NHS number to Group 6 to allow me to book online but if it's not working it means they haven't.
I'm absolutely furious because I was told by my GP in early February that it was all set up. They are total waste of spaces.
I'm going to have to keep it together when I call them tomorrow...
Hmm looks like my suspicion of GP surgery incompetence wasn't wrong
A suggestion in a Whatsapp Group that the Sussexes should lose their titles. It does seem odd that they hold on to them, given that they regard the entire institution of the royal family as bigoted, cruel and exclusive
Have they not given them up voluntarily yet ?
Badging yourself "Sussex Royal" does suggest a slight ambivalence about them. I'd be more impressed if they said Feck yer dukedom, we're plain Mr and Mrs Mountbatten Markle from here on in.
I think they can drop the Mountbatten bit, if they're being truthful.
Just called 119 again. Apparently my GP surgery should have allocated my NHS number to Group 6 to allow me to book online but if it's not working it means they haven't.
I'm absolutely furious because I was told by my GP in early February that it was all set up. They are total waste of spaces.
I'm going to have to keep it together when I call them tomorrow...
Hmm looks like my suspicion of GP surgery incompetence wasn't wrong
They told me on the phone in February that they had looked at my records and that I was in Group 6. I had a suspicion that they were just palming me off and clearly they were.
Begs belief. GP surgeries are just crap. I've been with at least 6 of them in my life and they've all been crap.
Just called 119 again. Apparently my GP surgery should have allocated my NHS number to Group 6 to allow me to book online but if it's not working it means they haven't.
I'm absolutely furious because I was told by my GP in early February that it was all set up. They are total waste of spaces.
I'm going to have to keep it together when I call them tomorrow...
Labour has been found guilty of being a racist party, now Keir Starmer wants to investigate possible racism and that is the wrong thing to do? He didn't say anyone was racist, he just called for an objective investigation.
Surely this is exactly the right lesson to have learned from the Corbyn era, he can't win
The allegation is that a Royal individual said something offensive to Meghan. So let's say the investigator finds that indeed, a Royal individual did say something offensive to Meghan. Then what? What is the happy outcome that is achieved? It's not a very clever suggestion, and worse, it's never going to be seen as a very clever suggestion.
What it tells me is that Starmer's republican sentiments actually probably go quite deep, which is interesting. He's always seemed quite non-ideological.
How about an apology?
They can go a long way. And be a learning experience to stop this happening again.
I am flabbergasted at the utterly insupportable pish you go in for sometimes. You actually think we should have an official investigation into whether a snarky Royal once said something off-colour to Meghan Markle? I mean really. REALLY? How does that remotely accord to respect for the taxpayer, proportionality in the justice system, actual real people having actual real problems?
So it wasn't Prince Philip nor the Queen who were behind the comments on the skin colour of Archie.
How do we know?
Operah is doing morning television and said H wanted to make it clear it wasn't his grandmother and grandfather,
Harry has two sets of grandparents, and he only used the singlular. He might have been referring to the Spencers (both of whom are dead, so obviously WOULDN'T have been able to refer to skin colour). Maybe he's being very very sneaky.
*checks notes* I think the Hewitts are dead too, just to cover all bases (*Ducks and runs*)
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad. I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit. Thank you all. I wish you all well. Take care.
Deepest condolences.
I hadn't heard the news. Of course my best wishes for you all.
No problem, all threads are currently crashed by certain Windsor personages .
Make the memories good ones; I lost my mum just before we locked down and I now need to think about remembering long-term.
Just called 119 again. Apparently my GP surgery should have allocated my NHS number to Group 6 to allow me to book online but if it's not working it means they haven't.
I'm absolutely furious because I was told by my GP in early February that it was all set up. They are total waste of spaces.
I'm going to have to keep it together when I call them tomorrow...
Hmm looks like my suspicion of GP surgery incompetence wasn't wrong
Good luck GG. Your call of course but I suggest you’ll get a better outcome if you keep it calm and polite.
Labour has been found guilty of being a racist party, now Keir Starmer wants to investigate possible racism and that is the wrong thing to do? He didn't say anyone was racist, he just called for an objective investigation.
Surely this is exactly the right lesson to have learned from the Corbyn era, he can't win
The allegation is that a Royal individual said something offensive to Meghan. So let's say the investigator finds that indeed, a Royal individual did say something offensive to Meghan. Then what? What is the happy outcome that is achieved? It's not a very clever suggestion, and worse, it's never going to be seen as a very clever suggestion.
What it tells me is that Starmer's republican sentiments actually probably go quite deep, which is interesting. He's always seemed quite non-ideological.
How about an apology?
They can go a long way. And be a learning experience to stop this happening again.
I am flabbergasted at the utterly insupportable pish you go in for sometimes. You actually think we should have an official investigation into whether a snarky Royal once said something off-colour to Meghan Markle? I mean really. REALLY? How does that remotely accord to respect for the taxpayer, proportionality in the justice system, actual real people having actual real problems?
I didn't call for an investigation.
I answered what could come out of the investigation if one was held. An apology could help put things behind for everyone and rebuild respect.
But I don't give a damn if an investigation happens or not.
Just called 119 again. Apparently my GP surgery should have allocated my NHS number to Group 6 to allow me to book online but if it's not working it means they haven't.
I'm absolutely furious because I was told by my GP in early February that it was all set up. They are total waste of spaces.
I'm going to have to keep it together when I call them tomorrow...
Hmm looks like my suspicion of GP surgery incompetence wasn't wrong
Good luck GG. Your call of course but I suggest you’ll get a better outcome if you keep it calm and polite.
I will be calm and polite, but its frustrating constantly being palmed off by receptionists who always treat you as an inconvenience.
Just called 119 again. Apparently my GP surgery should have allocated my NHS number to Group 6 to allow me to book online but if it's not working it means they haven't.
I'm absolutely furious because I was told by my GP in early February that it was all set up. They are total waste of spaces.
I'm going to have to keep it together when I call them tomorrow...
Hmm looks like my suspicion of GP surgery incompetence wasn't wrong
Good luck GG. Your call of course but I suggest you’ll get a better outcome if you keep it calm and polite.
I will be calm and polite, but its frustrating constantly being palmed off by receptionists who always treat you as an inconvenience.
In my experience, even when you stay calm and polite if you dare to challenge them over any error they become shouty and abusive. I was told, after one receptionist swore at me for daring to ask why a repeat prescription had been sent to the wrong pharmacy twice, that it’s to invoke their ‘difficult patient policy’ which enables them to escalate.
Can’t help but feel if it would be better just to point out the error, keeping it brief, and follow it up in writing if you want to.
I am very sorry to hear that news. We had some interesting cats and he was a great poster. I used to enjoy picturing him on the veranda in the sun. Thank you for telling us and all the best wishes in the world.
Just called 119 again. Apparently my GP surgery should have allocated my NHS number to Group 6 to allow me to book online but if it's not working it means they haven't.
I'm absolutely furious because I was told by my GP in early February that it was all set up. They are total waste of spaces.
I'm going to have to keep it together when I call them tomorrow...
Hmm looks like my suspicion of GP surgery incompetence wasn't wrong
Good luck GG. Your call of course but I suggest you’ll get a better outcome if you keep it calm and polite.
I will be calm and polite, but its frustrating constantly being palmed off by receptionists who always treat you as an inconvenience.
Sadly not an uncommon experience. I always try to be calm with admin staff, as I have been in that position and they often are not given enough resources, but often enough to be a trend when I speak to GP or NHS staff they cannot disguise how much they regard your call as an inconvenience, even when it is correcting an error.
A suggestion in a Whatsapp Group that the Sussexes should lose their titles. It does seem odd that they hold on to them, given that they regard the entire institution of the royal family as bigoted, cruel and exclusive
Have they not given them up voluntarily yet ?
Badging yourself "Sussex Royal" does suggest a slight ambivalence about them. I'd be more impressed if they said Feck yer dukedom, we're plain Mr and Mrs Mountbatten Markle from here on in.
Neither of them is actually related to the royal family, after all?
Testing results announced today up 60% on last week - figures this week are going to be a joke.
Cases down 13% regardless, but clearly would have been a much bigger fall without the extra load of false positives
You have no evidence for such an assertion. False positives was a bullshit hypothesis when it was advanced last autumn, and it's bullshit now unless you can come up with actual evidence.
Similarly herd immunity, which you were touting upthread.
--AS
What a weird aggressive post.
I am quoting the government's own estimate of false positives for lateral flow tests, which is 0.31%, so an extra 300,000 tests conducted compared to the same day last week would generate another 900 false positives, and so the case fall looks like 13% rather than the reality of more like 30%.
False positives are a fact of life for any test no matter how many childish swear words you want to bring out.
The stats for lateral flow tests for school kids should be shown in stats as a separate column. Millions of tests. Done by amateurs. Some are going to be false +.
I doubt they're in the figures today; only 800,000 tests were done for our current case load; it was higher on three days last week. The average over the last fortnight has been just short of 700,000.
I was told by my wife (who is volunteering to administer them at school) that the LTF will not show on the UK figures for number of tests taken.
A positive result WILL show when the positive LTF goes on to become a positive PCR.
A suggestion in a Whatsapp Group that the Sussexes should lose their titles. It does seem odd that they hold on to them, given that they regard the entire institution of the royal family as bigoted, cruel and exclusive
Yeah the way to show the Royal Family isn't bigoted is to keep Andrew as a Prince but strip the black girl who dared to speak up of her title.
Just called 119 again. Apparently my GP surgery should have allocated my NHS number to Group 6 to allow me to book online but if it's not working it means they haven't.
I'm absolutely furious because I was told by my GP in early February that it was all set up. They are total waste of spaces.
I'm going to have to keep it together when I call them tomorrow...
Hmm looks like my suspicion of GP surgery incompetence wasn't wrong
Good luck GG. Your call of course but I suggest you’ll get a better outcome if you keep it calm and polite.
And even better if you can manage to have a light hearted side conversation to bring a bit of interest to what is a boring and repetitive job.
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad. I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit. Thank you all. I wish you all well. Take care.
My sincere condolences. I had no idea he was ill, so sorry he didn't make it.
Speaking of ex girlfriends I went to the DeepNostalgia machine to animate the photo of another ex girlfriend. The result is, literally, haunting. It is her youthful self returned to life (she's not actually dead but she's ten years older). I had no videos of her from then, now I do
Labour has been found guilty of being a racist party, now Keir Starmer wants to investigate possible racism and that is the wrong thing to do? He didn't say anyone was racist, he just called for an objective investigation.
Surely this is exactly the right lesson to have learned from the Corbyn era, he can't win
You've spotted this.
If we lean left economically - Same old Labour. Generous with OPM till it runs out. If we don't - What are Labour for? If we stand up for progressive values - Labour sneering at the traditional working class. If we don't - What are Labour for? If we oppose this Tory government on the pandemic - Labour playing politics. If we don't - What are Labour for?
The risk is we end up a dog chasing its own tail. A dog, furthermore, denuded of confidence by reading too much into GE19 and too little into GE17.
So for me, it's too late to change tack on the pandemic, but let's start asserting ourselves and owning our story on the other 2 areas. It's time to put a rocket up our own arse.
I want to see an imaginative and strong left economic offering. Contemporary not Corbynite redux. And I want to see us be strong on progressive values with no hint of an apology for it. They are great values. They are our values. Let's argue for them.
We take that "What are Labour for?" completely out of the equation and we counter those remaining and dreary old chestnut Tory attack lines of "Spendthrift" and "Sneery" with gusto and emotional and intellectual honesty. We treat the voters with respect.
In particular we explain, in whatever way works best in this dumbed down Britain that the "Boris" brand and its Brexit populism has created and is exploiting to the hilt, how our policies will materially and sustainably improve the lives of all these people we are supposedly sneering at, when the Tories offer nothing but cheap thrills.
Win or lose with a purpose.
Not sure spendthrift has quite the power it once had.
It shouldn't, should it?
But I expect plenty of "We are spending loads and yet Labour want to spend MORE!"
Yet at the same time asking the US to send them supplies......
Weren't we assured by various euphiles on here that the whole thing was just for monitoring and they wouldn't be using the permission system to block exports? Have any of those people apologised for being wrong?
I didn't think the EU would actually block exports, and I was wrong.
Yeah I'm in that camp too, I didn't think they'd be idiotic enough to actually do it, I'd still be shocked if they ban exports to the UK given how heavily reliant the Pfizer production process is on UK exports but now I wouldn't rule it out.
Max - can you point me at a ref for the Pfizer process involving UK facilities?
A suggestion in a Whatsapp Group that the Sussexes should lose their titles. It does seem odd that they hold on to them, given that they regard the entire institution of the royal family as bigoted, cruel and exclusive
Have they not given them up voluntarily yet ?
Badging yourself "Sussex Royal" does suggest a slight ambivalence about them. I'd be more impressed if they said Feck yer dukedom, we're plain Mr and Mrs Mountbatten Markle from here on in.
Neither of them is actually related to the royal family, after all?
I don't know. The issues surrounding his paternity must have been another cross for Harry to bear while growing up (and we don't know and have no business asking what the truth is and whether he now knows it). I feel desperately sorry for him and am beginning to think the best argument for abolishing the monarchy, is in their own interest.
Labour has been found guilty of being a racist party, now Keir Starmer wants to investigate possible racism and that is the wrong thing to do? He didn't say anyone was racist, he just called for an objective investigation.
Surely this is exactly the right lesson to have learned from the Corbyn era, he can't win
You've spotted this.
If we lean left economically - Same old Labour. Generous with OPM till it runs out. If we don't - What are Labour for? If we stand up for progressive values - Labour sneering at the traditional working class. If we don't - What are Labour for? If we oppose this Tory government on the pandemic - Labour playing politics. If we don't - What are Labour for?
The risk is we end up a dog chasing its own tail. A dog, furthermore, denuded of confidence by reading too much into GE19 and too little into GE17.
So for me, it's too late to change tack on the pandemic, but let's start asserting ourselves and owning our story on the other 2 areas. It's time to put a rocket up our own arse.
I want to see an imaginative and strong left economic offering. Contemporary not Corbynite redux. And I want to see us be strong on progressive values with no hint of an apology for it. They are great values. They are our values. Let's argue for them.
We take that "What are Labour for?" completely out of the equation and we counter those remaining and dreary old chestnut Tory attack lines of "Spendthrift" and "Sneery" with gusto and emotional and intellectual honesty. We treat the voters with respect.
In particular we explain, in whatever way works best in this dumbed down Britain that the "Boris" brand and its Brexit populism has created and is exploiting to the hilt, how our policies will materially and sustainably improve the lives of all these people we are supposedly sneering at, when the Tories offer nothing but cheap thrills.
Win or lose with a purpose.
Not sure spendthrift has quite the power it once had.
Personally I'd settle for a .. er .. *New* Labour.
I've emailed the IBD nursing team at my hospital about it too. Hopefully they can offer some advice or even call the GP surgery on my behalf.
Potentially just ask them to add your NHS number to the national group 6 list so you can book outside your GP's surgery. (Assuming that they can do that, but I don't see why not - they presumably have confirmation of your NHS number and know that you are eligible to be in Group 6)
I've emailed the IBD nursing team at my hospital about it too. Hopefully they can offer some advice or even call the GP surgery on my behalf.
I think sadly that group 6 is the area where things have been fudged. I have a family member with a very rare immune disorder which isn’t on the easy computer tick list for priority. Their consultant said “make sure your gp gets you on the priority list”.
All the GP said was “oh I don’t know anything about the vaccines, it’s nothing to do with me. Email this random email address”.
Email address: < we have received your message please do no reply to this address >
Pleased to see the Covid case rate is still going down at a rapid rate - from 69.0 per 100k yesterday to 65.1 today - and the death count in double figures again. Of course, as far as the cases go it'll probably only be a day or two before the little Plague spreaders reignite the whole dumpster fire, but we can enjoy it whilst it lasts.
Total hospital patients still just under 11k - looks like England is keeping up to date but rest of country taking its time reporting, so updated UK totals haven't been reported since last Thursday.
Comments
I'm down from 12st 12 to 11st 13 .
Another 8lbs to 10lbs to go.
Mucb better for the loss
It's also been done (as has much in EU-land of late) in the most cack-handed way possible.
If the EU had called up Australia, it could probably have cut a deal with them. Australia isn't going to be opening up its borders any time soon, and they could probably have been bought off one way or another. (Indeed, Scott Morrison made noises to that extent.)
--AS
Still stupid and cackhanded.
Also my wife once insisted we get a room change as the room was too big... (It was freaking her out for some reason).
Suits was never a top tier show. It was a mediocre soap opera about people delivering cliche dialogue. The quality was not there. Meghan was right to leave.
The Royals is a real top tier show. It has extreme melodrama, an international audience, a huge locations budget & cracking storylines. Meghan was right to join.
It is really hard to keep people hooked and coming back day after day. But, Meghan has been given an all time great storyline. This could run and run.
A positive result WILL show when the positive LTF goes on to become a positive PCR.
But like most contains more than a grain of truth.
Very sad news.
Incompetent
Indecisive
Untrustworthy
and Weak
though marginally
Likeable.
That party is in the lead in almost every poll, and has taken over from Labour as the party of the non big-city working class, and remains the party of rural England. Anyone can name four or five thinkable successors to Boris. It is hard to name a Labour successor who could beat any of them in a fight. A top tier of Labour heavy hitters are out of the fight. There have been few sightings a new generation of Browns, Blairs, Smiths and - remember him? - Goulds.
No. Labour should look at the numbers and worry.
It is remarkable, the power of female beauty, over men.
And maybe that's why I also sympathise with Harry
I’m Nichomar’s daughter - never actually noticed the Nichomar/Nichochar thing before.
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to those who posted condolences on hearing the news about Dad.
I knew my dad loved a bit of political debate, but I had no idea he’d become part of such an online community.
You would have all provided him with much-needed companionship and healthy conversation, particularly in the past year when the cancer and the situation with COVID prevented him getting out and about so much and meant we weren’t able to visit.
Thank you all. I wish you all well.
Take care.
Take care.
If we lean left economically - Same old Labour. Generous with OPM till it runs out.
If we don't - What are Labour for?
If we stand up for progressive values - Labour sneering at the traditional working class.
If we don't - What are Labour for?
If we oppose this Tory government on the pandemic - Labour playing politics.
If we don't - What are Labour for?
The risk is we end up a dog chasing its own tail. A dog, furthermore, denuded of confidence by reading too much into GE19 and too little into GE17.
So for me, it's too late to change tack on the pandemic, but let's start asserting ourselves and owning our story on the other 2 areas. It's time to put a rocket up our own arse.
I want to see an imaginative and strong left economic offering. Contemporary not Corbynite redux. And I want to see us be strong on progressive values with no hint of an apology for it. They are great values. They are our values. Let's argue for them.
We take that "What are Labour for?" completely out of the equation and we counter those remaining and dreary old chestnut Tory attack lines of "Spendthrift" and "Sneery" with gusto and emotional and intellectual honesty. We treat the voters with respect.
In particular we explain, in whatever way works best in this dumbed down Britain that the "Boris" brand and its Brexit populism has created and is exploiting to the hilt, how our policies will materially and sustainably improve the lives of all these people we are supposedly sneering at, when the Tories offer nothing but cheap thrills.
Win or lose with a purpose.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/
Nah, that would never work.
and burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
What it tells me is that Starmer's republican sentiments actually probably go quite deep, which is interesting. He's always seemed quite non-ideological.
That will show em.
Maybe he's being very very sneaky.
*checks notes* I think the Hewitts are dead too, just to cover all bases (*Ducks and runs*)
They can go a long way. And be a learning experience to stop this happening again.
My concern when I heard this was that people my freak about a sudden rise, post-school opening, in new infections without realising that this wouldn`t imply an increase in the positivity rate.
Just noticed my two local primary schools aren't going back until tomorrow which might explain the queue outside the school outfitter's this lunchtime.
I'm absolutely furious because I was told by my GP in early February that it was all set up. They are total waste of spaces.
I'm going to have to keep it together when I call them tomorrow...
* Mexico, Syria, Brazil and a whole host of other places are nowhere near correct actual covid cases
Begs belief. GP surgeries are just crap. I've been with at least 6 of them in my life and they've all been crap.
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/princess-dianas-ex-james-hewitt-19984345
No problem, all threads are currently crashed by certain Windsor personages
Make the memories good ones; I lost my mum just before we locked down and I now need to think about remembering long-term.
I answered what could come out of the investigation if one was held. An apology could help put things behind for everyone and rebuild respect.
But I don't give a damn if an investigation happens or not.
Can’t help but feel if it would be better just to point out the error, keeping it brief, and follow it up in writing if you want to.
I am very sorry to hear that news.
We had some interesting cats and he was a great poster.
I used to enjoy picturing him on the veranda in the sun.
Thank you for telling us and all the best wishes in the world.
Speaking of ex girlfriends I went to the DeepNostalgia machine to animate the photo of another ex girlfriend. The result is, literally, haunting. It is her youthful self returned to life (she's not actually dead but she's ten years older). I had no videos of her from then, now I do
Try it. Mesmerising. Spellbinding.
https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia
But I expect plenty of "We are spending loads and yet Labour want to spend MORE!"
Thanks
Starting off with the TU link gone.
https://twitter.com/PeterAdamSmith/status/1368981104766705675?s=20
https://twitter.com/PeterAdamSmith/status/1368981109132890113?s=20
SNP staffer accuses two MPs of sexual harassment https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/uk-politics/2955514/snp-complaint/
All the GP said was “oh I don’t know anything about the vaccines, it’s nothing to do with me. Email this random email address”.
Email address: < we have received your message please do no reply to this address >
MP: no answer
Total hospital patients still just under 11k - looks like England is keeping up to date but rest of country taking its time reporting, so updated UK totals haven't been reported since last Thursday.
Really terrible news re @nichomar - condolences to the family.