Parties have also been able to deliver leaflets and to canvass with facemasks, 1 per door, since Monday
So? Still a pro-independence majority which is what really counts.
On your previous logic, I could argue that the massive defeat of the Tories, ie the single largest unionist party, shows that unionism is something Mr Johnson should reject.
And I'd be tempted to put a bet on Mr Wightman getting an independent's list seat in the Highlands and Islands.
No it does not really count.
There is currently an SNP and Green majority at Holyrood that was elected in 2016 before the Brexit vote.
If the SNP cannot even match the majority they got in 2011 after Brexit then clearly Brexit is no material change in circumstances and the once in a generation 2014 referendum result stands and the UK government will correctly refuse a legal indyref2.
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Noooo - your exotic apostrophes have gone!
Too right. The shame!
I've stuck a lump of blue tac on the rogue ` button. What the F is it for anyway?
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
We just have to tell that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman to stop being an idiot.
It seems PHE, Whitty, Vallance etc fully understand zero COVID idiots are idiots and are not going to give the time of day to that stupidity.
The pandemic is nearing the end. If the LFTs have stopped true positives from going into school, even if some of them are false positives, then they've done their job. Keep the true positives out and help further lift the lockdown. Until lockdown is lifted increasingly isolate the positives, not isolate everyone.
Zero COVID is a stupid idea and the fact that Whitty and Vallance are increasingly spending their time explaining why we need to live with COVID and can't have Zero - and the fact they've said cases may rise and we have to live with that, rather than freak out about the R rate - this shows we are really coming to the very end of this dystopian nightmate.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
Meant to say Ross, apologies for not knowing all of the random Scottish politicians by name.
Murray and Ross are pretty random! Ross disagrees with Boris more often than Murray does!
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
This is indeed the danger. I too am concerned about this. People don't seem to grasp that more testing = more positive tests (not actually more cases).
Yup, all the lateral flow tests are doing is flushing out cases that were there all along, we just didn't know about them. The interesting thing is what happens next week.
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
False positive rates on LFTs can't be higher than the total positive rate. For the 8th of March (latest date to be sure almost all data is in), there were 1,481,812 LFTs given in England to provide 1,012 positives. Thus a positive rate under 0.07%.
Therefore a false positive rate of, at the very worst, under 0.07% That ain't bad, I'd have said.
Well yes. But similarly, it seems unlikely to my non-specialist brain that false positives can be much lower than that. Tests simply aren't - as I understand it - that accurate. So it may well be the case that the majority of the LFTs are positive. That's still a very low false positive rate, as you say, so at the macro level, assuming we make the correct inferences, not a problem. But it's an awful lot of people who we're going to ruin the next fortnight for unnecessarily.
Will we make the right inferences? The signs are better than I feared - noises have been made about decoupling of positive tests from hospitalisations and deaths, and how it is the latter which is more important. I'm pleased to see this. And being clear about the results from LFTs is also encouraging. However, there will always be voices not to reopen, and this does play into their hands, because most people don't [ay enough attention to the details.
And while I know that positive tests aren't the best data we have, they are a) the richest data source, and b) a leading indicator - so it's a little sad that we can't use them in the way we'd like.
Personally, my view is that with the step-change in testing, the baseline is not comparable for at least a week. The fact that cases haven't spiked when testing doubled is enormously encouraging.
Hospitalisations, and especially ICUs, are what I'd guess to be the critical metrics for the Government (as those have different and younger age skews than deaths, and thus will have less visible benefits from vaccination so far). And they desperately need to give the NHS a chance to recover.
Hospitalisations continue to march downwards; the number of admissions as of the 7th was 532, down from 819 a week earlier (and over 4,500 daily admissions at the peak). The number in hospital was 8,977 as of the 9th, down from 12,128 a week earlier (and just short of 40,000 at the peak). The number in mechanical ventilation beds has been remorselessly marching downwards, down to 1,237 from 1,647 a week earlier (was just over 4,000 at the peak).
As long as those trends don't go into reverse over the next two weeks, they're not going to care much what happens to cases unless those go massively spiking right towards the end of the period.
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Noooo - your exotic apostrophes have gone!
Too right. The shame!
I've stuck a lump of blue tac on the rogue ` button. What the F is it for anyway?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
Meant to say Ross, apologies for not knowing all of the random Scottish politicians by name.
Murray and Ross are pretty random! Ross disagrees with Boris more often than Murray does!
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
Meant to say Ross, apologies for not knowing all of the random Scottish politicians by name.
Murray and Ross are pretty random! Ross disagrees with Boris more often than Murray does!
My perpetual excuse explanation is to blame auto-correct.
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Noooo - your exotic apostrophes have gone!
Too right. The shame!
I've stuck a lump of blue tac on the rogue ` button. What the F is it for anyway?
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
We just have to tell that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman to stop being an idiot.
It seems PHE, Whitty, Vallance etc fully understand zero COVID idiots are idiots and are not going to give the time of day to that stupidity.
The pandemic is nearing the end. If the LFTs have stopped true positives from going into school, even if some of them are false positives, then they've done their job. Keep the true positives out and help further lift the lockdown. Until lockdown is lifted increasingly isolate the positives, not isolate everyone.
Zero COVID is a stupid idea and the fact that Whitty and Vallance are increasingly spending their time explaining why we need to live with COVID and can't have Zero - and the fact they've said cases may rise and we have to live with that, rather than freak out about the R rate - this shows we are really coming to the very end of this dystopian nightmate.
Zero Covid is not a stupid idea. Just totally impractical.
What you are so carefully obscuring is that a majority want a referendum within the next 5 years.
We still have to get through coronavirus first, especially if Mr Johnson causes a fourth wave in his panic to reopen the pubs.
I am not sure that Nicola, the current leader of the Scottish Nasty Party, is doing much better than Bozo on the virus in spite of her chutzpah and the reliable gullibility of those that cheer her on.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
What you are so carefully obscuring is that a majority want a referendum within the next 5 years.
We still have to get through coronavirus first, especially if Mr Johnson causes a fourth wave in his panic to reopen the pubs.
42% is not a majority, plus the next 5 years is up to 2026 ie well past the 2024 date for the next UK general election
Those who don't knwo don't count. It's called parliamentary democracy. # #Edit: for once as an improvement, you weren't counting DKs on the no side in the ones who wanted/did not want a referendum within 1 year, to be fair.
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
We just have to tell that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman to stop being an idiot.
It seems PHE, Whitty, Vallance etc fully understand zero COVID idiots are idiots and are not going to give the time of day to that stupidity.
The pandemic is nearing the end. If the LFTs have stopped true positives from going into school, even if some of them are false positives, then they've done their job. Keep the true positives out and help further lift the lockdown. Until lockdown is lifted increasingly isolate the positives, not isolate everyone.
Zero COVID is a stupid idea and the fact that Whitty and Vallance are increasingly spending their time explaining why we need to live with COVID and can't have Zero - and the fact they've said cases may rise and we have to live with that, rather than freak out about the R rate - this shows we are really coming to the very end of this dystopian nightmate.
Zero Covid is not a stupid idea. Just totally impractical.
I think North Korea is the only place in the world where you can have a proper zero Covid-19 policy.
What you are so carefully obscuring is that a majority want a referendum within the next 5 years.
We still have to get through coronavirus first, especially if Mr Johnson causes a fourth wave in his panic to reopen the pubs.
I am not sure that Nicola, the current leader of the Scottish Nasty Party, is doing much better than Bozo on the virus in spite of her chutzpah and the reliable gullibility of those that cheer her on.
It doesn't really matter if she is not doing much better, if people nevertheless feel that she is doing much better.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
We just have to tell that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman to stop being an idiot.
It seems PHE, Whitty, Vallance etc fully understand zero COVID idiots are idiots and are not going to give the time of day to that stupidity.
The pandemic is nearing the end. If the LFTs have stopped true positives from going into school, even if some of them are false positives, then they've done their job. Keep the true positives out and help further lift the lockdown. Until lockdown is lifted increasingly isolate the positives, not isolate everyone.
Zero COVID is a stupid idea and the fact that Whitty and Vallance are increasingly spending their time explaining why we need to live with COVID and can't have Zero - and the fact they've said cases may rise and we have to live with that, rather than freak out about the R rate - this shows we are really coming to the very end of this dystopian nightmate.
Zero Covid is not a stupid idea. Just totally impractical.
No it is stupid because it relies on the whole world having the same policy or accepting endless lockdowns. We're never going to eliminate it to reach "zero COVID" cases or deaths any time soon. The idea needs to be ditched globally and we all need to accept that COVID is going to bring life expectancy down for the next few years while vaccines and treatments are developed to beat it over the long term.
What you are so carefully obscuring is that a majority want a referendum within the next 5 years.
We still have to get through coronavirus first, especially if Mr Johnson causes a fourth wave in his panic to reopen the pubs.
I am not sure that Nicola, the current leader of the Scottish Nasty Party, is doing much better than Bozo on the virus in spite of her chutzpah and the reliable gullibility of those that cheer her on.
Preconceptions, my dear!
Have a look at the recent wave's death etc figures. A proper stats analysis is needed - but the crude figures have been markedly better than the UK average. I agree the performance earlier on wasn't better.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
PS it's actually Scots Pine, on a technical PB-pedantry issue.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Oh dear, there we have it, Scottish exceptionalism on display from the Little Scotlanders. If an English person came out with such trite shit the Nats would be jumping up and down in small brained righteous indignation.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Parties have also been able to deliver leaflets and to canvass with facemasks, 1 per door, since Monday
So? Still a pro-independence majority which is what really counts.
On your previous logic, I could argue that the massive defeat of the Tories, ie the single largest unionist party, shows that unionism is something Mr Johnson should reject.
And I'd be tempted to put a bet on Mr Wightman getting an independent's list seat in the Highlands and Islands.
No it does not really count.
There is currently an SNP and Green majority at Holyrood that was elected in 2016 before the Brexit vote.
If the SNP cannot even match the majority they got in 2011 after Brexit then clearly Brexit is no material change in circumstances and the once in a generation 2014 referendum result stands and the UK government will correctly refuse a legal indyref2.
The people who said the SNP-Green Holyrood majority in 2016 didn't justify another indy referendum cos reasons are definitely convincing when saying an SNP-Green Holyrood majority in 2021 doesn't justify another referendum cos reasons. The ones who have also been saying that even a 'thumping' majority for the SNP wouldn't justify another indy referendum cos reasons are the most convincing of all.
The US have not even approved its use but still won't give any to the EU? Top trolling!
Does suggest approval is imminent, as noted. But why would they give any up? They are under zero obligation to do so. They paid for it, they can do what they want with it.
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Noooo - your exotic apostrophes have gone!
Too right. The shame!
I've stuck a lump of blue tac on the rogue ` button. What the F is it for anyway?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
We just have to tell that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman to stop being an idiot.
It seems PHE, Whitty, Vallance etc fully understand zero COVID idiots are idiots and are not going to give the time of day to that stupidity.
The pandemic is nearing the end. If the LFTs have stopped true positives from going into school, even if some of them are false positives, then they've done their job. Keep the true positives out and help further lift the lockdown. Until lockdown is lifted increasingly isolate the positives, not isolate everyone.
Zero COVID is a stupid idea and the fact that Whitty and Vallance are increasingly spending their time explaining why we need to live with COVID and can't have Zero - and the fact they've said cases may rise and we have to live with that, rather than freak out about the R rate - this shows we are really coming to the very end of this dystopian nightmate.
Zero Covid is not a stupid idea. Just totally impractical.
No it is stupid because it relies on the whole world having the same policy or accepting endless lockdowns. We're never going to eliminate it to reach "zero COVID" cases or deaths any time soon. The idea needs to be ditched globally and we all need to accept that COVID is going to bring life expectancy down for the next few years while vaccines and treatments are developed to beat it over the long term.
Zero Smallpox wasn’t a stupid idea either. It just took centuries to implement. Zero Covid may well be the same - hence impractical.
What you are so carefully obscuring is that a majority want a referendum within the next 5 years.
We still have to get through coronavirus first, especially if Mr Johnson causes a fourth wave in his panic to reopen the pubs.
I am not sure that Nicola, the current leader of the Scottish Nasty Party, is doing much better than Bozo on the virus in spite of her chutzpah and the reliable gullibility of those that cheer her on.
It doesn't really matter if she is not doing much better, if people nevertheless feel that she is doing much better.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Oh dear, there we have it, Scottish exceptionalism on display from the Little Scotlanders. If an English person came out with such trite shit the Nats would be jumping up and down in small brained righteous indignation.
Didn't notice the sarcastic double irony within that, did you?
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
We just have to tell that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman to stop being an idiot.
It seems PHE, Whitty, Vallance etc fully understand zero COVID idiots are idiots and are not going to give the time of day to that stupidity.
The pandemic is nearing the end. If the LFTs have stopped true positives from going into school, even if some of them are false positives, then they've done their job. Keep the true positives out and help further lift the lockdown. Until lockdown is lifted increasingly isolate the positives, not isolate everyone.
Zero COVID is a stupid idea and the fact that Whitty and Vallance are increasingly spending their time explaining why we need to live with COVID and can't have Zero - and the fact they've said cases may rise and we have to live with that, rather than freak out about the R rate - this shows we are really coming to the very end of this dystopian nightmate.
Zero Covid is not a stupid idea. Just totally impractical.
No it is stupid because it relies on the whole world having the same policy or accepting endless lockdowns. We're never going to eliminate it to reach "zero COVID" cases or deaths any time soon. The idea needs to be ditched globally and we all need to accept that COVID is going to bring life expectancy down for the next few years while vaccines and treatments are developed to beat it over the long term.
This is an interesting piece from New Zealand. Ardern's quote sounds exactly like what Johnson said on 22 Feb -
Analysis: When vaccines have rolled out across New Zealand and Covid-19 no longer threatens to overwhelm our health system, we will likely abandon the elimination approach.
How will the pandemic end?
It's a question that few have a definitive answer to, though plausible ideas abound.
Jacinda Ardern says Covid-19 will become endemic and require repeat vaccinations, like the flu.
Epidemiologist Michael Baker suggests the world might eliminate the virus, given the efficacy of the vaccines developed to date. If, however, global efforts fail, then he too concedes that it could come to resemble influenza.
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
We just have to tell that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman to stop being an idiot.
It seems PHE, Whitty, Vallance etc fully understand zero COVID idiots are idiots and are not going to give the time of day to that stupidity.
The pandemic is nearing the end. If the LFTs have stopped true positives from going into school, even if some of them are false positives, then they've done their job. Keep the true positives out and help further lift the lockdown. Until lockdown is lifted increasingly isolate the positives, not isolate everyone.
Zero COVID is a stupid idea and the fact that Whitty and Vallance are increasingly spending their time explaining why we need to live with COVID and can't have Zero - and the fact they've said cases may rise and we have to live with that, rather than freak out about the R rate - this shows we are really coming to the very end of this dystopian nightmate.
Zero Covid is not a stupid idea. Just totally impractical.
No it is stupid because it relies on the whole world having the same policy or accepting endless lockdowns. We're never going to eliminate it to reach "zero COVID" cases or deaths any time soon. The idea needs to be ditched globally and we all need to accept that COVID is going to bring life expectancy down for the next few years while vaccines and treatments are developed to beat it over the long term.
Zero Smallpox wasn’t a stupid idea either. It just took centuries to implement. Zero Covid may well be the same - hence impractical.
No, it's still stupid. Especially those people who are trying to use the idea to keep lockdowns and other such responses available in the short to medium term. There was no policy of "zero smallpox" vaccination drives were about individual safety not to eradicate it. COVID will be the same.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
It's less irony than putting in the mouths of the English words he likes to think they use.
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Noooo - your exotic apostrophes have gone!
Too right. The shame!
I've stuck a lump of blue tac on the rogue ` button. What the F is it for anyway?
The only use I've found for it is in Stata, where it's essential for defining what Stata calls 'macros' (and everyone else calls variables). Right pain when your remote desktop defaults to a different keyboard layout and you can't hunt it down.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
I believe the term Scotch was used in medieval England to describe Scots. Why the Scots take exception to it seems strange, but I certainly wouldn't use such a phrase, it is simply rude, and Mr Divvie's tedious use of it just further underlines his pathetic prejudice against anyone south of the border, and his complete lack of genuine humour or irony.
If the SNP win a majority, but the polls look like a No, what will Sturgeon do? What will the PM do? We could be in the ludicrous situation of Westminster urging Indyref2 and the SNP trying to delay it. Nowt surprises me much these days.
I'd say the SNP cannot afford to get a Referendum AND lose it. That would surely kill Sindy as a serious proposition for a long long time.
That was said with regard to the first one.
But only because it had to be said. If people think there'll be a Referendum along every few years it steers to a No vote. Only those who are very sure about Sindy will vote Yes. Those who are on the fence but risk averse (who are many) will go, "Hmm, I rather fancy Sindy but I'm not sure. Bit scared, so I'll vote No for now. Nothing lost. Can always vote Yes next time. Shouldn't be too long."
The Yes campaign has to nail that sentiment. Say it's now or ever. This equalizes the portentousness of the choice. It makes both Yes and No a decision that will need to be lived with without serious prospect of reversal in the foreseeable future. It's not a fair contest otherwise.
And on top of this point there is the 'material change in circumstances' of Scotland being forcibly removed from the EU when one of the arguments of the No campaign in 2014 was that remaining in the Union would secure their place in the EU.
That is a traditional Tuvalu welcome, it would have been rude to refuse it
There really is no barrel that these people won't scrape is there? The irony of taking a snapshot of someone else's culture and condemning it based on viewing it through a Western cultural lense, and how racist that is, has obviously escaped this twat.
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
We just have to tell that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman to stop being an idiot.
It seems PHE, Whitty, Vallance etc fully understand zero COVID idiots are idiots and are not going to give the time of day to that stupidity.
The pandemic is nearing the end. If the LFTs have stopped true positives from going into school, even if some of them are false positives, then they've done their job. Keep the true positives out and help further lift the lockdown. Until lockdown is lifted increasingly isolate the positives, not isolate everyone.
Zero COVID is a stupid idea and the fact that Whitty and Vallance are increasingly spending their time explaining why we need to live with COVID and can't have Zero - and the fact they've said cases may rise and we have to live with that, rather than freak out about the R rate - this shows we are really coming to the very end of this dystopian nightmate.
Zero Covid is not a stupid idea. Just totally impractical.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
I believe the term Scotch was used in medieval England to describe Scots. Why the Scots take exception to it seems strange, but I certainly wouldn't use such a phrase, it is simply rude, and Mr Divvie's tedious use of it just further underlines his pathetic prejudice against anyone south of the border, and his complete lack of genuine humour or irony.
Actually, he's referencing the deliberate use of 'Scotch' by some posters on this site, usually the ones of a certain political persuasion, who like to use it because it's seen as offensive by some.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
PS it's actually Scots Pine, on a technical PB-pedantry issue.
The US uses Scotch Pine and I must have adopted it from my wife.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
It is an archaic term for people from Scotland, certainly predating it being applied to whisky. For a while (before my time) Scots took offence at its use. Strangely it seems to be certain non Scottish types who are now triggered by Scots using it.
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
I notice that you seem to make authoritative predictions in your head based on current data and with perfect hindsight. Yesterday you thought testing was a dumb idea because we now have vaccines. But we didn't have vaccines roughly 3 months ago and certainly they were no where in sight last summer.
I haven't crunched the numbers for the predictive accuracy of the LFTs for the government's current strategy but I think the modellers might be aware of the diagnostic accuracy of the LFTs and the associated consequences. But I doubt their model is factoring in the impact of those FPs on some 'zero Covid idiot'. Perhaps it should. Perhaps not.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
PS it's actually Scots Pine, on a technical PB-pedantry issue.
The US uses Scotch Pine and I must have adopted it from my wife.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
PS it's actually Scots Pine, on a technical PB-pedantry issue.
Super-pedantry:
It is "Scots pine" - the pine is not capitalised. In fact "Scotch pine" is the US version so might actually be acceptable across the pond.
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
I believe the term Scotch was used in medieval England to describe Scots. Why the Scots take exception to it seems strange, but I certainly wouldn't use such a phrase, it is simply rude, and Mr Divvie's tedious use of it just further underlines his pathetic prejudice against anyone south of the border, and his complete lack of genuine humour or irony.
Look Nige, I'm not going to go on a date with you no matter how hard you try to woo me.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
I believe the term Scotch was used in medieval England to describe Scots. Why the Scots take exception to it seems strange, but I certainly wouldn't use such a phrase, it is simply rude, and Mr Divvie's tedious use of it just further underlines his pathetic prejudice against anyone south of the border, and his complete lack of genuine humour or irony.
Never mind that - a fish supper in Montrose is salmon and chips? Do they batter the salmon, or what? This sounds amazing, and well worth a trip to Montrose in itself.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
PS it's actually Scots Pine, on a technical PB-pedantry issue.
Super-pedantry:
It is "Scots pine" - the pine is not capitalised. In fact "Scotch pine" is the US version so might actually be acceptable across the pond.
For the absence of doubt, use Pinus sylvestris
Ultra-pedantry - add Linnaeus, 1753, of course.
Quite right re vernacular names. But capitalising only the first letter doesn';t work with a lot of folk ...
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
We just have to tell that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman to stop being an idiot.
It seems PHE, Whitty, Vallance etc fully understand zero COVID idiots are idiots and are not going to give the time of day to that stupidity.
The pandemic is nearing the end. If the LFTs have stopped true positives from going into school, even if some of them are false positives, then they've done their job. Keep the true positives out and help further lift the lockdown. Until lockdown is lifted increasingly isolate the positives, not isolate everyone.
Zero COVID is a stupid idea and the fact that Whitty and Vallance are increasingly spending their time explaining why we need to live with COVID and can't have Zero - and the fact they've said cases may rise and we have to live with that, rather than freak out about the R rate - this shows we are really coming to the very end of this dystopian nightmate.
Zero Covid is not a stupid idea. Just totally impractical.
Practicality is part of being a good idea.
It is not just practically a stupid idea. imho it is also a stupid idea in general public health terms. How many extra deaths through non treatment and appalling mental health situations would it entail since to even attempt to achieve it would require endless cycles of lockdown as far as I can see? At least one full lockdown every autumn/winter.
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
I notice that you seem to make authoritative predictions in your head based on current data and with perfect hindsight. Yesterday you thought testing was a dumb idea because we now have vaccines. But we didn't have vaccines roughly 3 months ago and certainly they were no where in sight last summer.
I haven't crunched the numbers for the predictive accuracy of the LFTs for the government's current strategy but I think the modellers might be aware of the diagnostic accuracy of the LFTs and the associated consequences. But I doubt their model is factoring in the impact of those FPs on some 'zero Covid idiot'. Perhaps it should. Perhaps not.
Don't put words in my mouth. I specifically said that testing as we've implemented it is pointless, not that testing is pointless. Testing can be used to keep things under control when used properly, we aren't so it didn't help us in the second wave.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
I believe the term Scotch was used in medieval England to describe Scots. Why the Scots take exception to it seems strange, but I certainly wouldn't use such a phrase, it is simply rude, and Mr Divvie's tedious use of it just further underlines his pathetic prejudice against anyone south of the border, and his complete lack of genuine humour or irony.
Never mind that - a fish supper in Montrose is salmon and chips? Do they batter the salmon, or what? This sounds amazing, and well worth a trip to Montrose in itself.
At least so I was assured by a colleague who was a native of Montrose. The salmon comes out of the Esk there.
But now you raise it I can't recalle that we discussed battering and I'm actually wondering if he meant hotels and pubs to sit in, ie not battered. Certainly there was no shortage of that dish when I visited some years back.
Arbroath smokies (haddock) and chips are howevcer a takeaway thing down the coast at Arbroath - not battered but nuked with a pat of butter.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
I believe the term Scotch was used in medieval England to describe Scots. Why the Scots take exception to it seems strange, but I certainly wouldn't use such a phrase, it is simply rude, and Mr Divvie's tedious use of it just further underlines his pathetic prejudice against anyone south of the border, and his complete lack of genuine humour or irony.
Never mind that - a fish supper in Montrose is salmon and chips? Do they batter the salmon, or what? This sounds amazing, and well worth a trip to Montrose in itself.
I've been to Montrose a few times, sister not far. Had fish and chips there too, a couple of times - never salmon unfortunately. Probably fries quite well, I'd love to try battered salmon.
England hospital beds now below 7k from a peak of 34k, and dropping by c.500 on week days
Time to hold our nerve re cases. Its the hospitals and deaths that should determine the unlocking.
Yes, a bunch of under 16s testing positive really isn't a big deal but now I fear the zero COVID chumps will have their day in the sun based on completely worthless tests.
Fortunately the ONS surveys will give a much clearer picture on cases.
As noted, cases alone should not be the determining factor anyway, but it would still be good to have good data on cases. If cases (from the survey) don't start going up or only go up very slowly then it really is good news.
The problem with hospitalisations/deaths as determining factor is the lag - if they start going up quickly it's already a bit late. But if the ratio of those to survey cases 2-3 weeks before keep dropping then there can be more confidence to not get too concerned about real case increases.
I'm hope the ONS survey have now fixed their issue of repeatedly finding cases from people who had it 6 weeks earlier - for most of Jan & Feb their survey became pretty useless, claiming rates weren't falling despite the obvious.
Many people hold up RT-PCR as the gold standard in testing. It is, in terms of both sensitivity (few false negatives) and with regards to timing (providing useful data early in an infection). However, in terms of providing absolute data on infectiousness (i.e. providing information as to whether viable virions are present), then best is cell culturing - which is also the slowest in producing results.
I presume someone, somewhere, is comparing late stage infection RT-PCR test results with cell culturing results. But I am not aware of any publications on this.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
I believe the term Scotch was used in medieval England to describe Scots. Why the Scots take exception to it seems strange, but I certainly wouldn't use such a phrase, it is simply rude, and Mr Divvie's tedious use of it just further underlines his pathetic prejudice against anyone south of the border, and his complete lack of genuine humour or irony.
Never mind that - a fish supper in Montrose is salmon and chips? Do they batter the salmon, or what? This sounds amazing, and well worth a trip to Montrose in itself.
I've been to Montrose a few times, sister not far. Had fish and chips there too, a couple of times - never salmon unfortunately. Probably fries quite well, I'd love to try battered salmon.
Surely Scotch is a diminutive for Whisky, with which many of us are familiar?
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Noooo - your exotic apostrophes have gone!
Too right. The shame!
I've stuck a lump of blue tac on the rogue ` button. What the F is it for anyway?
I'm a surveyor and have my computer autocorrect it to m² - saves me a lot of faffing about with fonts.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
I believe the term Scotch was used in medieval England to describe Scots. Why the Scots take exception to it seems strange, but I certainly wouldn't use such a phrase, it is simply rude, and Mr Divvie's tedious use of it just further underlines his pathetic prejudice against anyone south of the border, and his complete lack of genuine humour or irony.
Never mind that - a fish supper in Montrose is salmon and chips? Do they batter the salmon, or what? This sounds amazing, and well worth a trip to Montrose in itself.
At least so I was assured by a colleague who was a native of Montrose. The salmon comes out of the Esk there.
But now you raise it I can't recalle that we discussed battering and I'm actually wondering if he meant hotels and pubs to sit in, ie not battered. Certainly there was no shortage of that dish when I visited some years back.
Arbroath smokies (haddock) and chips are howevcer a takeaway thing down the coast at Arbroath - not battered but nuked with a pat of butter.
I knew of the Arbroath smokie. That sounds amazing too. A trip to the north east to eat fish sounds a great project.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Should I risk looking a total dilettante by attempting an answer? WTF not!
Ok, so whisky from Scotland is not "Scotch whisky". It's scotch.
The "scotch" here is not an adjective, it's a noun that means whisky from Scotland, or Scottish whisky.
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Noooo - your exotic apostrophes have gone!
Too right. The shame!
I'm sad. I want them back.
Blame Phil.
I may reinvent them now and again just on replies to your posts. How about that?
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Noooo - your exotic apostrophes have gone!
Too right. The shame!
I've stuck a lump of blue tac on the rogue ` button. What the F is it for anyway?
It deliminates string literals in some programming languages, most notably Javascript. IIRC back in my IBM mainframe days it had some important usage there.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
I believe the term Scotch was used in medieval England to describe Scots. Why the Scots take exception to it seems strange, but I certainly wouldn't use such a phrase, it is simply rude, and Mr Divvie's tedious use of it just further underlines his pathetic prejudice against anyone south of the border, and his complete lack of genuine humour or irony.
Never mind that - a fish supper in Montrose is salmon and chips? Do they batter the salmon, or what? This sounds amazing, and well worth a trip to Montrose in itself.
At least so I was assured by a colleague who was a native of Montrose. The salmon comes out of the Esk there.
But now you raise it I can't recalle that we discussed battering and I'm actually wondering if he meant hotels and pubs to sit in, ie not battered. Certainly there was no shortage of that dish when I visited some years back.
Arbroath smokies (haddock) and chips are howevcer a takeaway thing down the coast at Arbroath - not battered but nuked with a pat of butter.
I knew of the Arbroath smokie. That sounds amazing too. A trip to the north east to eat fish sounds a great project.
More generallty it used to be a real problem findign decent fish to eat because the good stuff got exported - IIRC it drove people such as Derek Cooper that you could go to places such as Mallaig and end up eating the likes of frozen corporate cod ion the hotels. Things have improved but it's still a worry. And of course the fishermen are having a very rough time just now.
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Noooo - your exotic apostrophes have gone!
Too right. The shame!
I'm sad. I want them back.
Blame Phil.
I may reinvent them now and again just on replies to your posts. How about that?
Parties have also been able to deliver leaflets and to canvass with facemasks, 1 per door, since Monday
1. The SNP does not currently have a majority. 2. Today's YouGov poll says the opposite.
The SNP has been projected a majority for months, without it there is no change at Holyrood and clearly no post Brexit mandate for indyref2 and it will affirm the UK government decision to correctly refuse one.
That is a traditional Tuvalu welcome, it would have been rude to refuse it
There really is no barrel that these people won't scrape is there? The irony of taking a snapshot of someone else's culture and condemning it based on viewing it through a Western cultural lense, and how racist that is, has obviously escaped this twat.
You've got that bellend, I've seen people claim the Scots are being oppressed by the Brits/English on a scale not seen since India or Ireland.
I've seen some people say Leslie Evans is the wife of the head of MI5 and it is all a BritNat conspiracy to frame Salmond.
The politics of division, as typified by Mr Divvie. The SNP are the genuine nasty party in these islands. They are driven by spite, unpleasantness, and fake history where they gloss over the fact that of all Britain's leading colonialists, the Scots, like all areas of the British establishment, were massively overrepresented. They were not the colonised, but the colonisers.
You've got that bellend, I've seen people claim the Scots are being oppressed by the Brits/English on a scale not seen since India or Ireland.
I've seen some people say Leslie Evans is the wife of the head of MI5 and it is all a BritNat conspiracy to frame Salmond.
Radicalisation.
It is happening more and more.
I have a friend of a friend, who I kinda know, she has been furloughed for most of the last year, so she spent a lot of time on YouTube watching normal stuff and then got into the conspiracy theory stuff.
She's refusing to get the vaccine because it's all a con to control us by Bill Gates and George Soros.
1) Drakeford is another example of politicking a national emergency. He's clearly concerned that if the notion that we're out of the woods takes hold he'll have less to criticise the government about. 2) Johnson's date of June 21 is not a "return to normal" date it is an end of legal restrictions date; not the same thing. There will likely still be guidance but we shall be free to ignore it if we wish.
Noooo - your exotic apostrophes have gone!
Too right. The shame
I've stuck a lump of blue tac on the rogue ` button. What the F is it for anyway?
It deliminates string literals in some programming languages, most notably Javascript. IIRC back in my IBM mainframe days it had some important usage there.
Single quotes within double quotes? At least on old-fashioned typewriters rather than the vertical ' on computer keyboards
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
PS it's actually Scots Pine, on a technical PB-pedantry issue.
Super-pedantry:
It is "Scots pine" - the pine is not capitalised. In fact "Scotch pine" is the US version so might actually be acceptable across the pond.
For the absence of doubt, use Pinus sylvestris
Ultra-pedantry - add Linnaeus, 1753, of course.
Quite right re vernacular names. But capitalising only the first letter doesn';t work with a lot of folk ...
No, true. It is of course even worse for plants or animals without a proper name, which should have no capitalisation at all (excepting normal grammar rules). "downy birch", "black poplar" etc.
But yes, Pinus sylvestris var. sylvestris L., 1753 for Scottish specimens
I've probably spent a little too long staring at species lists. Sorry.
Back on the original pedantry - did Burns himself not use the term 'Scotch'?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Not sure, but I thionk it is to do with the fact that it was only called that outside Scotland - nobody would call it Scotch/Scots whisky in Scotland, that's the default option. We just call it whisky, or single malt, or Bruichladdich, or whatever.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
I believe the term Scotch was used in medieval England to describe Scots. Why the Scots take exception to it seems strange, but I certainly wouldn't use such a phrase, it is simply rude, and Mr Divvie's tedious use of it just further underlines his pathetic prejudice against anyone south of the border, and his complete lack of genuine humour or irony.
Look Nige, I'm not going to go on a date with you no matter how hard you try to woo me.
Ok, you have at least proved you DO have a sense of humour! Try dropping the "Scotch" thing before the date tho, 'cos it's not funny and it doesn't turn me on.
Putting my non-partisan hat back on: would the UK Government be willing to give up tax and spending powers, i.e. devo max?
Does tax and spend strike you as getting to the heart of the matter? With my limited experience (as a PB Scotch expert), it doesn't seem like it to me. I think it would just encourage drift (possibly why you favour it ).
I think that something like a veto on foreign policy would do a lot more to strengthen the Union. Let's say there's a Council of the Home Nations. It comprises the leaders of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and possibly of London. Major foreign policy things could be voted upon. So, for example, there would be times when Scotland, Wales, NI could outvote the other two, but other times when other combinations won the day. Of course, population-wise, even if you separate London, it is not fair to the English, but it sort of seems right that at times of going to war, etc., we should do something like this.
You've got that bellend, I've seen people claim the Scots are being oppressed by the Brits/English on a scale not seen since India or Ireland.
I've seen some people say Leslie Evans is the wife of the head of MI5 and it is all a BritNat conspiracy to frame Salmond.
Radicalisation.
It is happening more and more.
I have a friend of a friend, who I kinda know, she has been furloughed for most of the last year, so she spent a lot of time on YouTube watching normal stuff and then got into the conspiracy theory stuff.
She's refusing to get the vaccine because it's all a con to control us by Bill Gates and George Soros.
To be fair Microsoft shares are up 60% since the pandemic started - what more PROOF do you want????
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
This is indeed the danger. I too am concerned about this. People don't seem to grasp that more testing = more positive tests (not actually more cases).
The purpose of the LFT should not be to measure prevalence of CV19, but to minimise superspreader events at schools.
Surely with 6% of French cases being the SA/BR variants means that France and the rest of Europe needs to go into the managed quarantine programme? That's a huge proportion.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
PS it's actually Scots Pine, on a technical PB-pedantry issue.
Super-pedantry:
It is "Scots pine" - the pine is not capitalised. In fact "Scotch pine" is the US version so might actually be acceptable across the pond.
For the absence of doubt, use Pinus sylvestris
Ultra-pedantry - add Linnaeus, 1753, of course.
Quite right re vernacular names. But capitalising only the first letter doesn';t work with a lot of folk ...
No, true. It is of course even worse for plants or animals without a proper name, which should have no capitalisation at all (excepting normal grammar rules). "downy birch", "black poplar" etc.
But yes, Pinus sylvestris var. sylvestris L., 1753 for Scottish specimens
I've probably spent a little too long staring at species lists. Sorry.
Back on the original pedantry - did Burns himself not use the term 'Scotch'?
Yes, I believe he did. It is simply "Olde English", or perhaps it is Olde Scotch?
Almost 2k LFT positives in today's figures. Not surprised that PHE have made the data public becuase those tests are, IMO, worthless. The false positive/negative rate on them is far too high to be counted the same as a PCR positive.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, we get a whole bunch of pointless tests pushing up the perceived infection rate. Soon we'll get the usual suspects like that idiot zero COVID Scottish woman talking about how risky the current timetable is etc...
We really shouldn't have bothered with this strategy and just done it without the tests and had weekly PCR testing for teachers as a reduction in transmission vector.
I notice that you seem to make authoritative predictions in your head based on current data and with perfect hindsight. Yesterday you thought testing was a dumb idea because we now have vaccines. But we didn't have vaccines roughly 3 months ago and certainly they were no where in sight last summer.
I haven't crunched the numbers for the predictive accuracy of the LFTs for the government's current strategy but I think the modellers might be aware of the diagnostic accuracy of the LFTs and the associated consequences. But I doubt their model is factoring in the impact of those FPs on some 'zero Covid idiot'. Perhaps it should. Perhaps not.
Don't put words in my mouth. I specifically said that testing as we've implemented it is pointless, not that testing is pointless. Testing can be used to keep things under control when used properly, we aren't so it didn't help us in the second wave.
The same testing that you have used yourself, alongside millions of others. :-)
You've got that bellend, I've seen people claim the Scots are being oppressed by the Brits/English on a scale not seen since India or Ireland.
I've seen some people say Leslie Evans is the wife of the head of MI5 and it is all a BritNat conspiracy to frame Salmond.
The politics of division, as typified by Mr Divvie. The SNP are the genuine nasty party in these islands. They are driven by spite, unpleasantness, and fake history where they gloss over the fact that of all Britain's leading colonialists, the Scots, like all areas of the British establishment, were massively overrepresented. They were not the colonised, but the colonisers.
But they also gloss over things like the Scottish Enlightenment - huge contributions made by Scots to the world, after apparently being made a colonial backwater by the hated English.
Labour will make something of a comeback in Scotland, I think.
I actually think so too, the new leader and that MSP questioning Sturgeon in the inquiry are both significant improvements on the previous team in Scotland. I think the Tories will hold on as well because Murray seems to be up to the job, the level of vitriol from the Nats on here against both unionists leaders (Lab/Tory) shows they now fear the result in May where they didn't under the previous leaders of both Scottish parties.
It's all slipping away from the SNP and as that happens the bitterness levels will only increase from them and their supporters.
Eh? Mr Murray is a Labour MP. Mind, it can be difficult to tell the difference with him and the Tories sometimes.
I think its Douglas Ross, currently MP for Moray, that's being referred to. I saw someone refer to him on twitter as Forres Gump recently which tickled me.
Never change, PB Scotch experts!
Scotch doesn't refer to people. It is used as a compound - Scotch pine or Scotch whisky. Not people. You of all people should know that. Indeed the fact you don't makes me wonder if you are, in fact, Scottish.
Scots irony is often very difficult for non-Scots to cope with.
Random question, but if whisky from Scotland is Scotch whisky, why aren't people from Scotland called Scotch people?
Should I risk looking a total dilettante by attempting an answer? WTF not!
Ok, so whisky from Scotland is not "Scotch whisky". It's scotch.
The "scotch" here is not an adjective, it's a noun that means whisky from Scotland, or Scottish whisky.
The Scotch Whisky Association seem to have their own thoughts on the matter, judging by their own title.
If the SNP win a majority, but the polls look like a No, what will Sturgeon do? What will the PM do? We could be in the ludicrous situation of Westminster urging Indyref2 and the SNP trying to delay it. Nowt surprises me much these days.
I'd say the SNP cannot afford to get a Referendum AND lose it. That would surely kill Sindy as a serious proposition for a long long time.
That was said with regard to the first one.
But only because it had to be said. If people think there'll be a Referendum along every few years it steers to a No vote. Only those who are very sure about Sindy will vote Yes. Those who are on the fence but risk averse (who are many) will go, "Hmm, I rather fancy Sindy but I'm not sure. Bit scared, so I'll vote No for now. Nothing lost. Can always vote Yes next time. Shouldn't be too long."
The Yes campaign has to nail that sentiment. Say it's now or ever. This equalizes the portentousness of the choice. It makes both Yes and No a decision that will need to be lived with without serious prospect of reversal in the foreseeable future. It's not a fair contest otherwise.
And on top of this point there is the 'material change in circumstances' of Scotland being forcibly removed from the EU when one of the arguments of the No campaign in 2014 was that remaining in the Union would secure their place in the EU.
"Say it's now or ever" LOL. That's what Salmond and Nicola said in 2014.
You've got that bellend, I've seen people claim the Scots are being oppressed by the Brits/English on a scale not seen since India or Ireland.
I've seen some people say Leslie Evans is the wife of the head of MI5 and it is all a BritNat conspiracy to frame Salmond.
Radicalisation.
It is happening more and more.
I have a friend of a friend, who I kinda know, she has been furloughed for most of the last year, so she spent a lot of time on YouTube watching normal stuff and then got into the conspiracy theory stuff.
She's refusing to get the vaccine because it's all a con to control us by Bill Gates and George Soros.
To be fair Microsoft shares are up 60% since the pandemic started - what more PROOF do you want????
Microsoft haven't been able to release a decent operating system since 3.1, there's no way they have the talent to fake a pandemic then develop the technology to control our minds and bodies via a 'vaccine'.
Comments
There is currently an SNP and Green majority at Holyrood that was elected in 2016 before the Brexit vote.
If the SNP cannot even match the majority they got in 2011 after Brexit then clearly Brexit is no material change in circumstances and the once in a generation 2014 referendum result stands and the UK government will correctly refuse a legal indyref2.
I've stuck a lump of blue tac on the rogue ` button. What the F is it for anyway?
It seems PHE, Whitty, Vallance etc fully understand zero COVID idiots are idiots and are not going to give the time of day to that stupidity.
The pandemic is nearing the end. If the LFTs have stopped true positives from going into school, even if some of them are false positives, then they've done their job. Keep the true positives out and help further lift the lockdown. Until lockdown is lifted increasingly isolate the positives, not isolate everyone.
Zero COVID is a stupid idea and the fact that Whitty and Vallance are increasingly spending their time explaining why we need to live with COVID and can't have Zero - and the fact they've said cases may rise and we have to live with that, rather than freak out about the R rate - this shows we are really coming to the very end of this dystopian nightmate.
We still have to get through coronavirus first, especially if Mr Johnson causes a fourth wave in his panic to reopen the pubs.
Hospitalisations, and especially ICUs, are what I'd guess to be the critical metrics for the Government (as those have different and younger age skews than deaths, and thus will have less visible benefits from vaccination so far). And they desperately need to give the NHS a chance to recover.
Hospitalisations continue to march downwards; the number of admissions as of the 7th was 532, down from 819 a week earlier (and over 4,500 daily admissions at the peak). The number in hospital was 8,977 as of the 9th, down from 12,128 a week earlier (and just short of 40,000 at the peak).
The number in mechanical ventilation beds has been remorselessly marching downwards, down to 1,237 from 1,647 a week earlier (was just over 4,000 at the peak).
As long as those trends don't go into reverse over the next two weeks, they're not going to care much what happens to cases unless those go massively spiking right towards the end of the period.
#
#Edit: for once as an improvement, you weren't counting DKs on the no side in the ones who wanted/did not want a referendum within 1 year, to be fair.
Have a look at the recent wave's death etc figures. A proper stats analysis is needed - but the crude figures have been markedly better than the UK average. I agree the performance earlier on wasn't better.
Like when you buy a fish supper in Montrose it's always salmon and chips (the local default) rather than haddock. (Or that used to be the case, anyway.)
Analysis: When vaccines have rolled out across New Zealand and Covid-19 no longer threatens to overwhelm our health system, we will likely abandon the elimination approach.
How will the pandemic end?
It's a question that few have a definitive answer to, though plausible ideas abound.
Jacinda Ardern says Covid-19 will become endemic and require repeat vaccinations, like the flu.
Epidemiologist Michael Baker suggests the world might eliminate the virus, given the efficacy of the vaccines developed to date. If, however, global efforts fail, then he too concedes that it could come to resemble influenza.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/covid-19-when-elimination-ends
It is approaching the point where 85+ are as likely to get COVID and be noticed as a case, as children....
65-84 are already well below.
The Yes campaign has to nail that sentiment. Say it's now or ever. This equalizes the portentousness of the choice. It makes both Yes and No a decision that will need to be lived with without serious prospect of reversal in the foreseeable future. It's not a fair contest otherwise.
And on top of this point there is the 'material change in circumstances' of Scotland being forcibly removed from the EU when one of the arguments of the No campaign in 2014 was that remaining in the Union would secure their place in the EU.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/pine/scotch-pine-in-landscapes.htm
I haven't crunched the numbers for the predictive accuracy of the LFTs for the government's current strategy but I think the modellers might be aware of the diagnostic accuracy of the LFTs and the associated consequences. But I doubt their model is factoring in the impact of those FPs on some 'zero Covid idiot'. Perhaps it should. Perhaps not.
It is "Scots pine" - the pine is not capitalised. In fact "Scotch pine" is the US version so might actually be acceptable across the pond.
For the absence of doubt, use Pinus sylvestris
This sounds amazing, and well worth a trip to Montrose in itself.
Quite right re vernacular names. But capitalising only the first letter doesn';t work with a lot of folk ...
2. Today's YouGov poll says the opposite.
https://twitter.com/AMachaggis/status/1369781543376404482?s=20
But now you raise it I can't recalle that we discussed battering and I'm actually wondering if he meant hotels and pubs to sit in, ie not battered. Certainly there was no shortage of that dish when I visited some years back.
Arbroath smokies (haddock) and chips are howevcer a takeaway thing down the coast at Arbroath - not battered but nuked with a pat of butter.
I presume someone, somewhere, is comparing late stage infection RT-PCR test results with cell culturing results. But I am not aware of any publications on this.
You've got that bellend, I've seen people claim the Scots are being oppressed by the Brits/English on a scale not seen since India or Ireland.
I've seen some people say Leslie Evans is the wife of the head of MI5 and it is all a BritNat conspiracy to frame Salmond.
Ok, so whisky from Scotland is not "Scotch whisky". It's scotch.
The "scotch" here is not an adjective, it's a noun that means whisky from Scotland, or Scottish whisky.
It's been an instructive year in lots of ways, quite a few of them not good.
I may reinvent them now and again just on replies to your posts. How about that?
More generallty it used to be a real problem findign decent fish to eat because the good stuff got exported - IIRC it drove people such as Derek Cooper that you could go to places such as Mallaig and end up eating the likes of frozen corporate cod ion the hotels. Things have improved but it's still a worry. And of course the fishermen are having a very rough time just now.
Even Yougov still has the SNP down
https://twitter.com/BallotBoxScot/status/1369992571594899461?s=20
I have a friend of a friend, who I kinda know, she has been furloughed for most of the last year, so she spent a lot of time on YouTube watching normal stuff and then got into the conspiracy theory stuff.
She's refusing to get the vaccine because it's all a con to control us by Bill Gates and George Soros.
But yes, Pinus sylvestris var. sylvestris L., 1753 for Scottish specimens
I've probably spent a little too long staring at species lists. Sorry.
Back on the original pedantry - did Burns himself not use the term 'Scotch'?
I think that something like a veto on foreign policy would do a lot more to strengthen the Union. Let's say there's a Council of the Home Nations. It comprises the leaders of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and possibly of London. Major foreign policy things could be voted upon. So, for example, there would be times when Scotland, Wales, NI could outvote the other two, but other times when other combinations won the day. Of course, population-wise, even if you separate London, it is not fair to the English, but it sort of seems right that at times of going to war, etc., we should do something like this.