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The New Year appeal: Help keep PB going and make it ad-free – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 12,126
edited December 2020 in General
imageThe New Year appeal: Help keep PB going and make it ad-free – politicalbetting.com

At the end of April we made an appeal to PBers for support because advertising revenue had almost all dried up because of the pandemic. Response from users was really much more than we thought and it has given us the resources to keep going. It has also given me the confidence to try to make the site in the future not dependent on display advertising revenue.

Read the full story here

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Comments

  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,417
    edited December 2020
    First ..unlike in the queue for a vaccine....
  • Trump has unfinished business. A republic he wants to destroy still stands. It is, for him, not goodbye but hasta la vista. Instead of waving him off, those who want to rebuild American democracy will have to put a stake through his heart.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole-trump-has-unfinished-business-a-republic-he-wants-to-destroy-still-stands-1.4435655
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Done
  • Wasn’t the last appeal supposed to be partly for an improved mobile app? Since then it’s been almost unusable on my phone.

    Will donate as long as it’s not for fecking ‘improvements’.
  • GaussianGaussian Posts: 831
    Far too late. Even in Scotland the new variant is already over 40%.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,314
    FPT

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    They shouldn't have much difficulty meeting the immigration salary threshold:

    Salaries in the tech industry are considerably higher than the national average at £53,318, up four per cent on 2019 figures despite low inflation.

    Yep, salary should not be an issue. Speed is the challenge. Up to now, any ambitious programmer, engineer or developer from the EU could turn up in London and get work almost immediately. We can't lose that, as momentum is so important when you are building a company.

    Yes, a real test of the new immigration system will be the speed of processing work visas. It needs to allow people on tourist visas or passport stamps to quickly transfer to a work visa, with a job offer meeting the immigration requirements.

    As a reference, in the UAE this process takes a week or two maximium to process a visa for a worker for a specific employer or someone from abroad setting up a new business.
    Are you allowed to look for work on a tourist visa?
    You are in the UAE, and U.K. tourist visas are a lot less restrictive - most Western nationalities can enter U.K. for business meetings (interviews) without too many questions.
    So really the lack of “free movement” is going to make little difference for those inbound. People can still come here, apply for jobs, and accept them. The only difference is slightly more red tape? At least for those from the EU anyway.
    “Free Movement” was always about EU immigrants’ ability to get an NI number and work, rather than enter the country in the first place. There was still a paperwork process.

    The new system doesn’t discriminate by nationality, only by skill level and salary from people with any passport. In theory, it now becomes much easier to hire non-EU workers in medium level skilled roles than previously, at the expense of minimum-wage unskilled EU workers under the previous scheme - a scheme that led to huge bureaucracy when hiring an American or an Indian on a £100k salary, who will be clearly a net contributor to the Exchequer.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,473
    I am in, keep up the good work guys!
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,691
    Well done Mike, Robert, TSE.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,773

    Wasn’t the last appeal supposed to be partly for an improved mobile app? Since then it’s been almost unusable on my phone.

    Will donate as long as it’s not for fecking ‘improvements’.

    +1

    On a tablet the site is, depending on the number of tweets spammed into the thread, often unusable, either taking ages to reload while jumping about as the pictures load, or repeatedly crashing and trying to reload. Sorting that out would make a big difference.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,773
    Scott_xP said:
    If vets decide to charge £100 for copying information already recorded in the pet passport and vaccination record onto a separate form, that would be pretty outrageous.
  • GaussianGaussian Posts: 831
    Sandpit said:

    One suggestion: there has to be a way to toggle on/off the Twitter embed, at times it’s made the site unusable this year on mobile devices. I now have it blocked completely.

    For me they only show up as links. Playing with Firefox's settings to work out why, it appears it's the "Strict" tracking protection level that does it.
  • A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21
  • Done.

    I think - I had problems with the paypal confirmatory process.
  • FishingFishing Posts: 4,946
    edited December 2020

    Trump has unfinished business. A republic he wants to destroy still stands. It is, for him, not goodbye but hasta la vista. Instead of waving him off, those who want to rebuild American democracy will have to put a stake through his heart.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole-trump-has-unfinished-business-a-republic-he-wants-to-destroy-still-stands-1.4435655

    American democracy survived a civil war, two world wars, a great depression and a cold war. It will survive even having a reality TV star as President.

    People should worry about countries where democracy really is under threat.
  • Sandpit said:

    FPT

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    They shouldn't have much difficulty meeting the immigration salary threshold:

    Salaries in the tech industry are considerably higher than the national average at £53,318, up four per cent on 2019 figures despite low inflation.

    Yep, salary should not be an issue. Speed is the challenge. Up to now, any ambitious programmer, engineer or developer from the EU could turn up in London and get work almost immediately. We can't lose that, as momentum is so important when you are building a company.

    Yes, a real test of the new immigration system will be the speed of processing work visas. It needs to allow people on tourist visas or passport stamps to quickly transfer to a work visa, with a job offer meeting the immigration requirements.

    As a reference, in the UAE this process takes a week or two maximium to process a visa for a worker for a specific employer or someone from abroad setting up a new business.
    Are you allowed to look for work on a tourist visa?
    You are in the UAE, and U.K. tourist visas are a lot less restrictive - most Western nationalities can enter U.K. for business meetings (interviews) without too many questions.
    So really the lack of “free movement” is going to make little difference for those inbound. People can still come here, apply for jobs, and accept them. The only difference is slightly more red tape? At least for those from the EU anyway.
    “Free Movement” was always about EU immigrants’ ability to get an NI number and work, rather than enter the country in the first place. There was still a paperwork process.

    The new system doesn’t discriminate by nationality, only by skill level and salary from people with any passport. In theory, it now becomes much easier to hire non-EU workers in medium level skilled roles than previously, at the expense of minimum-wage unskilled EU workers under the previous scheme - a scheme that led to huge bureaucracy when hiring an American or an Indian on a £100k salary, who will be clearly a net contributor to the Exchequer.
    Visas are also - slightly to moderately - less attractive to those coming from the EU.

    Your visa is tied to your job now. If you're young and single, no big deal. If you have a family you've uprooted, that gives your employer a bit more power over you.

    Speaking as an American, it still doesn't make it that much easier to hire from the states. Most anyone coming over here will want a relocation package, unless they're (a) young and single, as above or (b) have a skill on the shortage list, like nurses.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,190
    edited December 2020

    First ..unlike in the queue for a vaccine....

    I have donated. I am now fully expectant that Robert Jenrick can put a word in for me to get my prefential treatment.

    Isn't that how donations work?
  • GadflyGadfly Posts: 1,191
    The ad blocker add-on, Ublock Origin, will make embedded Tweets appear as links, which then makes PB fly.

    Install the add-on, find your way into its dashboard, and set-up a filter to block platform.twitter.com as follows:




  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,344
    Sorry to be thick, but where is the donate button? Or how does one do so?
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,190

    Sorry to be thick, but where is the donate button? Or how does one do so?

    It is yellow and says "donate".
  • Had strong suspicions that she was a bit dim, now confirmed.

    https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika/status/1344297736875732997?s=21
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,190

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    Only a Brexiteer would have "french fries" for breakfast!
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,050
    edited December 2020

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    That looks like the kind of breakfast in a greasy spoon in London I haven't seen for a while. "The full English" can look a lot better than that.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,141
    The case numbers are *possibly* showing a move in the right direction.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 28,789
    edited December 2020
    FPT:

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    They shouldn't have much difficulty meeting the immigration salary threshold:

    Salaries in the tech industry are considerably higher than the national average at £53,318, up four per cent on 2019 figures despite low inflation.

    Yep, salary should not be an issue. Speed is the challenge. Up to now, any ambitious programmer, engineer or developer from the EU could turn up in London and get work almost immediately. We can't lose that, as momentum is so important when you are building a company.

    Yes, a real test of the new immigration system will be the speed of processing work visas. It needs to allow people on tourist visas or passport stamps to quickly transfer to a work visa, with a job offer meeting the immigration requirements.

    As a reference, in the UAE this process takes a week or two maximium to process a visa for a worker for a specific employer or someone from abroad setting up a new business.
    Are you allowed to look for work on a tourist visa?
    You are in the UAE, and U.K. tourist visas are a lot less restrictive - most Western nationalities can enter U.K. for business meetings (interviews) without too many questions.
    So really the lack of “free movement” is going to make little difference for those inbound. People can still come here, apply for jobs, and accept them. The only difference is slightly more red tape? At least for those from the EU anyway.
    Regardless of what politicians say, or even voters want, we need immigration, so it will continue.
    Red wall voters are going to go absolutely apeshit. There are two key issues: migration and prosperity. There are too many foreigners and not enough jobs/opportunities/prospects. So they were told to vote for Brexit. Whichever group of Europeans they objected to - Romanians, Somalians etc - would not only stop coming but go away so that they wouldn't have to suffer any longer the indignity of people who don't look or sound like them. With fewer Syrians having left the EU there will be more jobs with better pay and a chance for their bairns to do better than them.

    So what will they do when the Tories throw at them that the economy is struggling so we need them to make sacrifices like working longer hours for less whilst further migration is called for from eastern Europe to deal with staffing crises in our care homes the NHS and agriculture?

  • A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    Only a Brexiteer would have "french fries" for breakfast!
    Only a remainer would think those are french fries!
  • felixfelix Posts: 15,147
    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,344

    Sorry to be thick, but where is the donate button? Or how does one do so?

    It is yellow and says "donate".
    Nothing of that description on my screen.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118

    Sandpit said:

    FPT

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    They shouldn't have much difficulty meeting the immigration salary threshold:

    Salaries in the tech industry are considerably higher than the national average at £53,318, up four per cent on 2019 figures despite low inflation.

    Yep, salary should not be an issue. Speed is the challenge. Up to now, any ambitious programmer, engineer or developer from the EU could turn up in London and get work almost immediately. We can't lose that, as momentum is so important when you are building a company.

    Yes, a real test of the new immigration system will be the speed of processing work visas. It needs to allow people on tourist visas or passport stamps to quickly transfer to a work visa, with a job offer meeting the immigration requirements.

    As a reference, in the UAE this process takes a week or two maximium to process a visa for a worker for a specific employer or someone from abroad setting up a new business.
    Are you allowed to look for work on a tourist visa?
    You are in the UAE, and U.K. tourist visas are a lot less restrictive - most Western nationalities can enter U.K. for business meetings (interviews) without too many questions.
    So really the lack of “free movement” is going to make little difference for those inbound. People can still come here, apply for jobs, and accept them. The only difference is slightly more red tape? At least for those from the EU anyway.
    “Free Movement” was always about EU immigrants’ ability to get an NI number and work, rather than enter the country in the first place. There was still a paperwork process.

    The new system doesn’t discriminate by nationality, only by skill level and salary from people with any passport. In theory, it now becomes much easier to hire non-EU workers in medium level skilled roles than previously, at the expense of minimum-wage unskilled EU workers under the previous scheme - a scheme that led to huge bureaucracy when hiring an American or an Indian on a £100k salary, who will be clearly a net contributor to the Exchequer.
    Visas are also - slightly to moderately - less attractive to those coming from the EU.

    Your visa is tied to your job now. If you're young and single, no big deal. If you have a family you've uprooted, that gives your employer a bit more power over you.

    Speaking as an American, it still doesn't make it that much easier to hire from the states. Most anyone coming over here will want a relocation package, unless they're (a) young and single, as above or (b) have a skill on the shortage list, like nurses.
    I would have thought the type of immigration we ant to encourage was (b), so it should be made easier. I doubt many people would care if Freedom of Movement was still allowed for public sector jobs like Nursing, Doctors, Teachers and what have you where the state decide the wages. In fact I reckon it would be welcomed. It was the competition for wages it created in low to medium paid jobs that made people vote Leave, in my opinion.
  • AnneJGPAnneJGP Posts: 3,053
    Thanks to OGH and everyone who helps with the site. I don't often post but lurking is usually part of my day.

    Good morning, everyone. Stay safe and a Happy New Year.
  • stjohnstjohn Posts: 1,861
    edited December 2020
    Done.

    Many thanks once again to Mike, Robert, TSE and all the team for providing such a brilliant blog and website.

    PB. A home for the feckless. (And some who couldn't). All human life is there.

    Happy New Year. :)
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,190

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    Only a Brexiteer would have "french fries" for breakfast!
    Only a remainer would think those are french fries!
    The irony would have worked too, I guess if I'd said 'sauted' potatoes.
  • Fishing said:

    Trump has unfinished business. A republic he wants to destroy still stands. It is, for him, not goodbye but hasta la vista. Instead of waving him off, those who want to rebuild American democracy will have to put a stake through his heart.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole-trump-has-unfinished-business-a-republic-he-wants-to-destroy-still-stands-1.4435655

    American democracy survived a civil war, two world wars, a great depression and a cold war. It will survive even having a reality TV star as President.

    People should worry about countries where democracy really is under threat.
    That's too complacent.

    There were ties shortly after Nov 3rd when for the first time in my life I thought US Democracy really was in jeopardy. Had the result been a little closer I think Trump may indeed have tried to cling on illegitimately to office.
  • Happy to donate. I love this place.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited December 2020
    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that we are being over cautious. I wouldn't have a go at anyone who didnt wear a mask. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose). And we had both sets of Grandparents round, seperately, at Christmas (they all babysit anyway so it didn't really make a difference)

    Sceptic seems too often to be used to mean "Absolutely vehemently against". "Rebel" would probably be more accurate for the supposed sceptics

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,851
    felix said:

    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

    You've always got the Express if you want balance
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154

    Sorry to be thick, but where is the donate button? Or how does one do so?

    It is yellow and says "donate".
    Nothing of that description on my screen.
    Have you opened the thread header?

    @rkrkrk @Omnium - bet settled.
  • isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited December 2020

    isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
    People who would have died of flu die from Covid, then we over react to the big daily death number as if those people would not have died usually, I think

  • FeersumEnjineeyaFeersumEnjineeya Posts: 4,363
    edited December 2020

    isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
    Yes, the nurse I was talking to about the vaccine study the other day remarked on how few cases of flu there are this year. She put it down to flu being prevented by the same measures implemented to reduce the spread of Covid.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,800
    isam said:


    People who would have died of flu die from Covid, then we over react to the big daily death number as if those people would not have died usually, I think

    There may be other factors - fewer people going out (especially the elderly) so perhaps fewer road accidents and the like. I do agree we need to look at the totality of statistics rather than just pick on deaths due to influenza (or indeed Covid).

    As an example, how do numbers of deaths due to domestic accidents this year compare to other years - more of us have been at home longer so you'd think more people would have died in domestic accidents but is that correct?

  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,344
    ydoethur said:

    Sorry to be thick, but where is the donate button? Or how does one do so?

    It is yellow and says "donate".
    Nothing of that description on my screen.
    Have you opened the thread header?

    @rkrkrk @Omnium - bet settled.
    Thanks; donated.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,231

    Wasn’t the last appeal supposed to be partly for an improved mobile app? Since then it’s been almost unusable on my phone.

    Will donate as long as it’s not for fecking ‘improvements’.

    Don't know which browser you use, but I have just downloaded one called 'Brave'. There's an option to remove Twitter plugins (you just see a link instead so can click if you're curious). All other PB functions work perfectly and the site has sped up no end. This is using vanilla - vf.politicalbetting.com
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,190
    felix said:

    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

    The headers are fine, and they certainly don't preclude the "Boris is gorgeous" echo posts down each thread, even if the thread headers are about, say the US Election.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,800
    felix said:

    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

    Without being unkind, my friend, it's not OGH's or TSE's business to provide balance. It's his site - no one forces you, me or anyone else to come into the bearpit.

    I've put up a handful of articles over the years - why not try it? I'm sure you are articulate enough to put forward an argument - prepare for it to be challenged of course - but if you want "balance", you can provide it.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,473
    felix said:

    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

    I have written a few. Mike and TSE welcome headers as contributions as well financial ones, particularly when there is a betting angle.
  • IanB2 said:

    Scott_xP said:
    If vets decide to charge £100 for copying information already recorded in the pet passport and vaccination record onto a separate form, that would be pretty outrageous.
    I'm sure this wasn't at the instigation of the UK. But if the French etc wish to put unnecessary petty barriers in the way of UK visitors boosting their economy this Summer, that's their choice. In practice, I don't think that this sort of petty restriction will last very long. Either there will be minor changes to the treaty by mutual agreement to mutual benefit, or a string of bilateral arrangements between the UK and those countries that don't want to play silly games.
  • RH1992RH1992 Posts: 788
    edited December 2020
    Scott_xP said:
    Sorry, I appreciate that there are barriers going up and that some of them haven't become clear until recently which will cause a lot of confusion, but the CE mark no longer being valid has been known about for months, and yet this business person has become aware with 24 hours notice? I might be missing something obvious, but this just seems to be wilful ignorance rather than Brexit.
  • RH1992 said:

    Scott_xP said:
    Sorry, I appreciate that there are barriers going up and that some of them haven't become clear until recently which will cause a lot of confusion, but the CE mark no longer being valid has been known about for months, and yet this business person has become aware with 24 hours notice? I might be missing something obvious, but this just seems to be wilful ignorance rather than Brexit.
    It's so ridiculous that I doubt the tweet to be honest.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,851

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    That looks like the kind of breakfast in a greasy spoon in London I haven't seen for a while. "The full English" can look a lot better than that.
    If you squint at it it looks a lot like Nigel Farage's face
  • isam said:

    isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
    People who would have died of flu die from Covid, then we over react to the big daily death number as if those people would not have died usually, I think

    Hi Isam,

    long time no see. Sorry to disagree with you on my first response to you but we are seeing overall somewhere around 70,000 excess deaths in 2020 compared to the 5 year average which includes a pretty bad flu year in it. That is around 13% excess deaths for the year. And that is in spite of all the restrictions. I don't think it is at all the case of over reacting and disagree that those people would have died anyway.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,575
    Donation made - keep up the good work!
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,555
    Brexit = Bureaucracy
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,473
    isam said:

    Sandpit said:

    FPT

    Sandpit said:

    Sandpit said:

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    They shouldn't have much difficulty meeting the immigration salary threshold:

    Salaries in the tech industry are considerably higher than the national average at £53,318, up four per cent on 2019 figures despite low inflation.

    Yep, salary should not be an issue. Speed is the challenge. Up to now, any ambitious programmer, engineer or developer from the EU could turn up in London and get work almost immediately. We can't lose that, as momentum is so important when you are building a company.

    Yes, a real test of the new immigration system will be the speed of processing work visas. It needs to allow people on tourist visas or passport stamps to quickly transfer to a work visa, with a job offer meeting the immigration requirements.

    As a reference, in the UAE this process takes a week or two maximium to process a visa for a worker for a specific employer or someone from abroad setting up a new business.
    Are you allowed to look for work on a tourist visa?
    You are in the UAE, and U.K. tourist visas are a lot less restrictive - most Western nationalities can enter U.K. for business meetings (interviews) without too many questions.
    So really the lack of “free movement” is going to make little difference for those inbound. People can still come here, apply for jobs, and accept them. The only difference is slightly more red tape? At least for those from the EU anyway.
    “Free Movement” was always about EU immigrants’ ability to get an NI number and work, rather than enter the country in the first place. There was still a paperwork process.

    The new system doesn’t discriminate by nationality, only by skill level and salary from people with any passport. In theory, it now becomes much easier to hire non-EU workers in medium level skilled roles than previously, at the expense of minimum-wage unskilled EU workers under the previous scheme - a scheme that led to huge bureaucracy when hiring an American or an Indian on a £100k salary, who will be clearly a net contributor to the Exchequer.
    Visas are also - slightly to moderately - less attractive to those coming from the EU.

    Your visa is tied to your job now. If you're young and single, no big deal. If you have a family you've uprooted, that gives your employer a bit more power over you.

    Speaking as an American, it still doesn't make it that much easier to hire from the states. Most anyone coming over here will want a relocation package, unless they're (a) young and single, as above or (b) have a skill on the shortage list, like nurses.
    I would have thought the type of immigration we ant to encourage was (b), so it should be made easier. I doubt many people would care if Freedom of Movement was still allowed for public sector jobs like Nursing, Doctors, Teachers and what have you where the state decide the wages. In fact I reckon it would be welcomed. It was the competition for wages it created in low to medium paid jobs that made people vote Leave, in my opinion.
    The visa situation will be a turnoff for EU Doctors and Nurses, but not so much as withdrawal of recognition of qualifications*. Most come with the intention of staying a year or two, even if they wind up staying longer. They now will go to Germany, Sweden or France for such experience, as it is hassle free. This won't be a problem for the unskilled, provided that they are on the shortage list.

    *existing staff have grandfather rights.
  • Foxy said:

    felix said:

    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

    I have written a few. Mike and TSE welcome headers as contributions as well financial ones, particularly when there is a betting angle.
    Plus one. I share a similar view on politics to you felix and I've contributed a few threads which have been accepted and published.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited December 2020

    isam said:

    isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
    People who would have died of flu die from Covid, then we over react to the big daily death number as if those people would not have died usually, I think

    Hi Isam,

    long time no see. Sorry to disagree with you on my first response to you but we are seeing overall somewhere around 70,000 excess deaths in 2020 compared to the 5 year average which includes a pretty bad flu year in it. That is around 13% excess deaths for the year. And that is in spite of all the restrictions. I don't think it is at all the case of over reacting and disagree that those people would have died anyway.
    Hello there Richard

    I mean in the second wave, where non Covid deaths are way below the five year average
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited December 2020
    Foxy said:

    felix said:

    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

    I have written a few. Mike and TSE welcome headers as contributions as well financial ones, particularly when there is a betting angle.
    Yes, if you mention that, upon scrutiny, the polling for a Leader shows they might not catch the public's imagination, its worth a thread...

    https://twitter.com/keiranpedley/status/1338449337232273411?s=20
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,502
    Donated - a small price for many hours of pleasure.

    Many will know that I'm a big fan of the Swiss political system and of their culture generally, but the current situation illustrates a problem in crisis times of a system based on private insurance. They don't have a central database of everyone, so they've asked people over 75 to apply for vaccination by the internet, saying vaguely that if people can't usee internet access (OK, a rarity in Switzerland, but not unknown among the very old) they should get friends or family to apply. They are now swamped in applications and need to sort out the priorities (Oldest? Sickest?) and check that everyone really is over 75. Nor can they use GPs yet, because they don't have an overview of which GPs have sufficient numbers of elderly patients to use up a Pfizer box of 975 before it expires.

    By contrast, the centralised NHS is rolling the vaccinations out like a military operation - which may not be to everyone's taste, but really suits the crisis.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,344
    The Indie is suggesting that there's a confusion in Government advice over how long a British passport is valid for Europe. We were, for quite a while, able to renew our passports before they expired. Thus my current ten year on was issued in Dec 2012, but expires in August 2023, which takes account of the unexpired portion of my previous one. So, on the face of it I ought to be able to use it for travel to Europe until February 2023, but apparently EU rules mean it won't actually be valid from June 2022.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,639

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    I find myself wondering how many of the ingredients come, or are significantly likely to come, from or through the EU.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,575

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    Only a Brexiteer would have "french fries" for breakfast!
    No Danish bacon though.

    Seriously, is that what a 'full English' is reduced to post Brexit?

    Bacon, mushrooms, tomato, and black pudding required... and chuck the chips!
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,551
    edited December 2020

    Sorry to be thick, but where is the donate button? Or how does one do so?

    It is yellow and says "donate".
    Nothing of that description on my screen.
    It doesn't appear on the Vanilla site. Click on "Read the full story here" in the header and you will be taken to the main site where the donate button appears.

    EDIT: I see you've found it.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,314
    Foxy said:

    felix said:

    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

    I have written a few. Mike and TSE welcome headers as contributions as well financial ones, particularly when there is a betting angle.
    Indeed. Well done to all the contributors above the line, it’s much more difficult than you’d think to write an article.

    I tried one last year on aviation regulation and Brexit, at a time when most of the media had no clue what they were talking about, and couldn’t get out of an acronym soup when trying to work through the issues in layman’s terms.
  • isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
    Yes, the nurse I was talking to about the vaccine study the other day remarked on how few cases of flu there are this year. She put it down to flu being prevented by the same measures implemented to reduce the spread of Covid.
    My personal suspicion is that some people are being labelled as dying of covid rather than with covid.
  • RH1992RH1992 Posts: 788
    edited December 2020

    RH1992 said:

    Scott_xP said:
    Sorry, I appreciate that there are barriers going up and that some of them haven't become clear until recently which will cause a lot of confusion, but the CE mark no longer being valid has been known about for months, and yet this business person has become aware with 24 hours notice? I might be missing something obvious, but this just seems to be wilful ignorance rather than Brexit.
    It's so ridiculous that I doubt the tweet to be honest.
    Gavin Esler has no right to bang on about pro Brexit media peddling lies when he readily retweets stuff like that.

    In fact, from 11pm he is essentially one of the founders of the group of new extreme pro-European reverse UKIP style fringe who want us to go full fat in to the EU incl Euro, along with Adonis, Grayling and Maugham.
  • isam said:

    isam said:

    isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
    People who would have died of flu die from Covid, then we over react to the big daily death number as if those people would not have died usually, I think

    Hi Isam,

    long time no see. Sorry to disagree with you on my first response to you but we are seeing overall somewhere around 70,000 excess deaths in 2020 compared to the 5 year average which includes a pretty bad flu year in it. That is around 13% excess deaths for the year. And that is in spite of all the restrictions. I don't think it is at all the case of over reacting and disagree that those people would have died anyway.
    Hello there Richard

    I mean in the second wave, where non Covid deaths are way below the five year average
    I don't think it really helps to try and differentiate in that way. We know that flu seasons vary widely in their impacts from one year to the next so it is entirely possible this was a low flu season and all those excess deaths from Covid would not have otherwise died of flu. In the end the only valid measure for me is overall excess deaths. The fact we have had 70,000 excess deaths (perhaps higher when the last figures emerge given that traditionally week 52 is a low death rate week) and all that in spite of the lockdowns indicates to me that this was/is a valid concern and that without lockdown and the other measures things would have been far, far worse
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    Scott_xP said:
    "ists" the new "eers"... worth a try!
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,575

    Donated - a small price for many hours of pleasure.

    Many will know that I'm a big fan of the Swiss political system and of their culture generally, but the current situation illustrates a problem in crisis times of a system based on private insurance. They don't have a central database of everyone, so they've asked people over 75 to apply for vaccination by the internet, saying vaguely that if people can't usee internet access (OK, a rarity in Switzerland, but not unknown among the very old) they should get friends or family to apply. They are now swamped in applications and need to sort out the priorities (Oldest? Sickest?) and check that everyone really is over 75. Nor can they use GPs yet, because they don't have an overview of which GPs have sufficient numbers of elderly patients to use up a Pfizer box of 975 before it expires.

    By contrast, the centralised NHS is rolling the vaccinations out like a military operation - which may not be to everyone's taste, but really suits the crisis.

    I assume though that you have never been and advocate of a private insurance based health system versus the NHS?
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,800


    That looks like the kind of breakfast in a greasy spoon in London I haven't seen for a while. "The full English" can look a lot better than that.

    At last, a subject on which I can speak with authority :)

    That isn't anywhere near a "Full English" - it's a "Third English" at best. From the cafe in the Barking Road yesterday, my takeaway order was:

    2 fried eggs
    1 slice fried bread ("fried slice" as we call it)
    2 Sausages
    Mushrooms
    Bubble & Squeak

    For those who enjoy bacon, black or white pudding I would welcome you at the table any time. Wanting your eggs scrambled rather than fried is decadent but acceptable. Baked beans or chips with breakfast are an abomination and the very work of the Devil himself.

    Obviously, those who prefer a well smoked kipper or proper kedgeree have my respect - it's not standard fare in East Ham but I've sampled them elsewhere and they make a more than pleasant change and those who enjoy them are more than welcome to them especially if they have the advantage of being able to source the proper ingredients.

    The strange thing is I don't miss the commute, the office, the colleagues or even the family that much - what I've missed is sitting in the cafe with the Racing Post with the band of socially distanced antisocial old gits.

  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,208
    RH1992 said:

    Scott_xP said:
    Sorry, I appreciate that there are barriers going up and that some of them haven't become clear until recently which will cause a lot of confusion, but the CE mark no longer being valid has been known about for months, and yet this business person has become aware with 24 hours notice? I might be missing something obvious, but this just seems to be wilful ignorance rather than Brexit.
    What you are missing, I think, is that the fundamental complaint is about Brexiteers willfully imposing business and livelihood destroying red tape on companies like hers, rather than the fact she only got a couple days notice. But she is right on that point too. There was talk about the UK/EU deal containing conformity agreement. That it didn't only became clear when the EU published the document on the 26th December.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,851

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    Only a Brexiteer would have "french fries" for breakfast!
    No Danish bacon though.

    Seriously, is that what a 'full English' is reduced to post Brexit?

    Bacon, mushrooms, tomato, and black pudding required... and chuck the chips!
    Absolutely. It sums up the ambition of the Brexiteers better than anything I've read anywhere
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,473
    isam said:

    Foxy said:

    felix said:

    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

    I have written a few. Mike and TSE welcome headers as contributions as well financial ones, particularly when there is a betting angle.
    Yes, if you mention that, upon scrutiny, the polling for a Leader shows they might not catch the public's imagination, its worth a thread...

    https://twitter.com/keiranpedley/status/1338449337232273411?s=20
    Yes, I have never been a Starmer fan, and think it very likely that he will be challenged, possibly even this year.

    If Labour just support government policy, what is the point? And he is fabulously dull and wooden. My money is on Rayner, but I have always had a soft spot for the flame haired firebrand!
  • rkrkrkrkrkrk Posts: 8,214
    ydoethur said:

    Sorry to be thick, but where is the donate button? Or how does one do so?

    It is yellow and says "donate".
    Nothing of that description on my screen.
    Have you opened the thread header?

    @rkrkrk @Omnium - bet settled.
    Good on you!
  • A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    That looks like the kind of breakfast in a greasy spoon in London I haven't seen for a while. "The full English" can look a lot better than that.
    Seriously? This guy wakes up feeling trapped in an unelected bureaucracy?

    I'll wager he didn't even think about it until Farage started getting a spot on BBC's QT every week.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,575
    isam said:

    isam said:

    isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
    People who would have died of flu die from Covid, then we over react to the big daily death number as if those people would not have died usually, I think

    Hi Isam,

    long time no see. Sorry to disagree with you on my first response to you but we are seeing overall somewhere around 70,000 excess deaths in 2020 compared to the 5 year average which includes a pretty bad flu year in it. That is around 13% excess deaths for the year. And that is in spite of all the restrictions. I don't think it is at all the case of over reacting and disagree that those people would have died anyway.
    Hello there Richard

    I mean in the second wave, where non Covid deaths are way below the five year average
    I asume that non Plague deaths were much reduced in England during the 1350s.
  • Scott_xP said:
    Yet another very stupid post given that it has been very widely known that Johnson senior, along with the other Johnson sibling, were very anti-Brexit. I would no more condemn the PM for the views of his father and brother than I would Corbyn for the views of his anti-vaxxer brother.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,639
    edited December 2020
    stodge said:


    That looks like the kind of breakfast in a greasy spoon in London I haven't seen for a while. "The full English" can look a lot better than that.

    At last, a subject on which I can speak with authority :)

    That isn't anywhere near a "Full English" - it's a "Third English" at best. From the cafe in the Barking Road yesterday, my takeaway order was:

    2 fried eggs
    1 slice fried bread ("fried slice" as we call it)
    2 Sausages
    Mushrooms
    Bubble & Squeak

    For those who enjoy bacon, black or white pudding I would welcome you at the table any time. Wanting your eggs scrambled rather than fried is decadent but acceptable. Baked beans or chips with breakfast are an abomination and the very work of the Devil himself.

    Obviously, those who prefer a well smoked kipper or proper kedgeree have my respect - it's not standard fare in East Ham but I've sampled them elsewhere and they make a more than pleasant change and those who enjoy them are more than welcome to them especially if they have the advantage of being able to source the proper ingredients.

    The strange thing is I don't miss the commute, the office, the colleagues or even the family that much - what I've missed is sitting in the cafe with the Racing Post with the band of socially distanced antisocial old gits.

    On an issue of taxonomic classification/PB pedantry, in the realms of the boreal pole 'slice' could be a chunk of square/Lorne sausage, and there is such a thing as a fried drop scone or a fried slice of fruit dumpling. But basically very sensible.

    Craster kipper, or kedgeree made with finnan haddock, definitely options.

    Edit: and I forgot to add, in the Cymric realms, laver bread.

    And donation made, with thanks for the hard work in keeping this site running.
  • stodge said:


    That looks like the kind of breakfast in a greasy spoon in London I haven't seen for a while. "The full English" can look a lot better than that.

    At last, a subject on which I can speak with authority :)

    That isn't anywhere near a "Full English" - it's a "Third English" at best. From the cafe in the Barking Road yesterday, my takeaway order was:

    2 fried eggs
    1 slice fried bread ("fried slice" as we call it)
    2 Sausages
    Mushrooms
    Bubble & Squeak

    For those who enjoy bacon, black or white pudding I would welcome you at the table any time. Wanting your eggs scrambled rather than fried is decadent but acceptable. Baked beans or chips with breakfast are an abomination and the very work of the Devil himself.

    Obviously, those who prefer a well smoked kipper or proper kedgeree have my respect - it's not standard fare in East Ham but I've sampled them elsewhere and they make a more than pleasant change and those who enjoy them are more than welcome to them especially if they have the advantage of being able to source the proper ingredients.

    The strange thing is I don't miss the commute, the office, the colleagues or even the family that much - what I've missed is sitting in the cafe with the Racing Post with the band of socially distanced antisocial old gits.

    I would be decadent then.

    Although if well made, proper kedgeree were available then I would be having that instead.

    Makes my actual breakfast this morning (a bowl of Fruit and Fibre) seem fairly sad...
  • Carnyx said:

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    I find myself wondering how many of the ingredients come, or are significantly likely to come, from or through the EU.
    I was weirdly thinking what a horrible plate, completely unsuited to the meal, and probably costs way too much too.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    Foxy said:

    isam said:

    Foxy said:

    felix said:

    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

    I have written a few. Mike and TSE welcome headers as contributions as well financial ones, particularly when there is a betting angle.
    Yes, if you mention that, upon scrutiny, the polling for a Leader shows they might not catch the public's imagination, its worth a thread...

    https://twitter.com/keiranpedley/status/1338449337232273411?s=20
    Yes, I have never been a Starmer fan, and think it very likely that he will be challenged, possibly even this year.

    If Labour just support government policy, what is the point? And he is fabulously dull and wooden. My money is on Rayner, but I have always had a soft spot for the flame haired firebrand!
    Personally I think Jess Phillips mixes the passion of the Corbynites with the policies of the Blairites best. 50/1 monster monster!
  • isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
    Partially - masks plus social distancing will mean much less flu this year.

    One other morbid factor is that many of the tens of thousands who died earlier this year can't die a second time this winter. Many of those who died earlier this year could have died ten years from now or later - but some of them would have died this winter, but can't die this winter since they're already dead.

    Once Covid is behind us we should see below (pre-Covid) average deaths for a couple of years as people who died from Covid won't now die from whatever would have killed them later on.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,344
    Barnesian said:

    Sorry to be thick, but where is the donate button? Or how does one do so?

    It is yellow and says "donate".
    Nothing of that description on my screen.
    It doesn't appear on the Vanilla site. Click on "Read the full story here" in the header and you will be taken to the main site where the donate button appears.

    EDIT: I see you've found it.
    Yes, thanks to Ydoethur; I had to 'drag' the piece away from the page to find it, though.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118

    isam said:

    isam said:

    isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
    People who would have died of flu die from Covid, then we over react to the big daily death number as if those people would not have died usually, I think

    Hi Isam,

    long time no see. Sorry to disagree with you on my first response to you but we are seeing overall somewhere around 70,000 excess deaths in 2020 compared to the 5 year average which includes a pretty bad flu year in it. That is around 13% excess deaths for the year. And that is in spite of all the restrictions. I don't think it is at all the case of over reacting and disagree that those people would have died anyway.
    Hello there Richard

    I mean in the second wave, where non Covid deaths are way below the five year average
    I asume that non Plague deaths were much reduced in England during the 1350s.
    Probably, yes. A lot of people who would have died anyway died of the plague.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118

    isam said:

    I would say I was a lockdown sceptic in that I abide by most of the rules (wearing a mask in shops, socially distancing, not visiting people) whilst having a nagging suspicion that I am being had over. I dont think I would act any different if Boris had said "There is a nasty disease out there, do what you think best to avoid catching or spreading it" (probably wouldnt wear a mask I suppose).

    But I do think that there is something a bit weird about this



    Red being Covid deaths per week, Amber Weekly deaths above the 5 year average, Blue Weekly deaths above the 5 year average not inc Covid. The current year always has a higher death rate than the 5 year average at this time of year - without Covid we would be way below. So either the restrictions are meaning people arent dying of anything else, or lots of people dying of Covid would have died anyway, and we are double counting to an exten when "981!" people die in a day from it

    Flu deaths will be way down, explains most of it?
    Partially - masks plus social distancing will mean much less flu this year.

    One other morbid factor is that many of the tens of thousands who died earlier this year can't die a second time this winter. Many of those who died earlier this year could have died ten years from now or later - but some of them would have died this winter, but can't die this winter since they're already dead.

    Once Covid is behind us we should see below (pre-Covid) average deaths for a couple of years as people who died from Covid won't now die from whatever would have killed them later on.
    Good point, I hadn't thought of that
  • RH1992RH1992 Posts: 788
    isam said:

    Foxy said:

    isam said:

    Foxy said:

    felix said:

    Donated - I find the headers relentlessly one-sided but the site is overall way better than most other media options for information and political gossip. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

    I have written a few. Mike and TSE welcome headers as contributions as well financial ones, particularly when there is a betting angle.
    Yes, if you mention that, upon scrutiny, the polling for a Leader shows they might not catch the public's imagination, its worth a thread...

    https://twitter.com/keiranpedley/status/1338449337232273411?s=20
    Yes, I have never been a Starmer fan, and think it very likely that he will be challenged, possibly even this year.

    If Labour just support government policy, what is the point? And he is fabulously dull and wooden. My money is on Rayner, but I have always had a soft spot for the flame haired firebrand!
    Personally I think Jess Phillips mixes the passion of the Corbynites with the policies of the Blairites best. 50/1 monster monster!
    Phillips is toxic to anyone left of Starmer despite the fact I think she's great. Sadly she'd never win a leadership election.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,473
    edited December 2020

    Donated - a small price for many hours of pleasure.

    Many will know that I'm a big fan of the Swiss political system and of their culture generally, but the current situation illustrates a problem in crisis times of a system based on private insurance. They don't have a central database of everyone, so they've asked people over 75 to apply for vaccination by the internet, saying vaguely that if people can't usee internet access (OK, a rarity in Switzerland, but not unknown among the very old) they should get friends or family to apply. They are now swamped in applications and need to sort out the priorities (Oldest? Sickest?) and check that everyone really is over 75. Nor can they use GPs yet, because they don't have an overview of which GPs have sufficient numbers of elderly patients to use up a Pfizer box of 975 before it expires.

    By contrast, the centralised NHS is rolling the vaccinations out like a military operation - which may not be to everyone's taste, but really suits the crisis.

    You are quite right. Indeed centralised databases and a requirement for GP registration are why our flu immunisation rates are so much better than other countries. I would expect covid vaccine rates to be as good when supplies permit. The biggest reason given to not have it in folk I know is that they have already got antibodies.



  • RH1992 said:

    RH1992 said:

    Scott_xP said:
    Sorry, I appreciate that there are barriers going up and that some of them haven't become clear until recently which will cause a lot of confusion, but the CE mark no longer being valid has been known about for months, and yet this business person has become aware with 24 hours notice? I might be missing something obvious, but this just seems to be wilful ignorance rather than Brexit.
    It's so ridiculous that I doubt the tweet to be honest.
    Gavin Esler has no right to bang on about pro Brexit media peddling lies when he readily retweets stuff like that.

    In fact, from 11pm he is essentially one of the founders of the group of new extreme pro-European reverse UKIP style fringe who want us to go full fat in to the EU incl Euro, along with Adonis, Grayling and Maugham.
    Absolutely. Bloody remainers complaining about the facts. The should Shut Up and enjoy the benefits of Brexit.

    I read the tweet and thought "that isn't right, she still has a year". Which was the advice before the deal was signed. Amazingly that isn't now the case. Some products will have to have new markings as of tomorrow! Another one of the fabulous benefits of this omnishambles.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,344
    edited December 2020

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    That looks like the kind of breakfast in a greasy spoon in London I haven't seen for a while. "The full English" can look a lot better than that.
    Seriously? This guy wakes up feeling trapped in an unelected bureaucracy?

    I'll wager he didn't even think about it until Farage started getting a spot on BBC's QT every week.
    I'm told that Farage, in his trader days, used to make new members of staff sing Jerusalem or some such 'patriotic' ditty.

    On the breakfast; no black or white pudding or laverbread!
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,639

    Carnyx said:

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    I find myself wondering how many of the ingredients come, or are significantly likely to come, from or through the EU.
    I was weirdly thinking what a horrible plate, completely unsuited to the meal, and probably costs way too much too.
    Also weird placemat. Cake stand thingy? Chips also a bit upmarket. I don't think it is a greasy spoon but someone's house. Which makes the selection odder. More like a midday meal.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,509
    a

    A really shit version of something ‘British’ to celebrate Brexit? Well done that man.
    https://twitter.com/artforlifept2/status/1344557283985010689?s=21

    Only a Brexiteer would have "french fries" for breakfast!
    I took then for slices of deep fried pineapple.
This discussion has been closed.