[Tubby Isaacs]

Thank you, Kreuzy

Hello!!!

[Arrowhead]

What happened to old Dan? Came out of the blue, didn't it?

I think the pressure finally got him, poor bloke. Seems like he disappeared down an internet wormhole of Covid-inspired nonsense.

It was sad to watch unfold, really.

[Boiler]

There's varying levels of it: mate of mine is definitely pro-vaccine but is absolutely, positively on the side of Sumption and his pseudo-civil liberties bollocks - he described lockdown as "house arrest" and the Tories "trying to see what they could get away with".

[Boiler]

Hello!!!

Hello Tubbs!

[Spoonman]

Ultimately, the principles behind civil liberties run into problems if they are taken to be too rigid with no regard for changing circumstances, temporary, local or otherwise. This is especially true if you do not extend your own liberties & privileges, real or perceived, to others around you.

Edit: Good to have you back Boiler!

[Youngian]

There's varying levels of it: mate of mine is definitely pro-vaccine but is absolutely, positively on the side of Sumption and his pseudo-civil liberties bollocks - he described lockdown as "house arrest" and the Tories "trying to see what they could get away with".

I think my mate's a twat but if I told him so he'd probably never speak to me again.

Frivolous white privilege in action. Vaccine passports were used for African pandemics a few years back. AFAIK no one thought it was worth spending 24 years on Robben Island for this allegedly outrageous attack on civil liberties.

[Boiler]

Thanks, Spoony

It may be permanent, it may only be temporary - it depends completely on how my mental health is managed in the future. I'm currently awaiting a full assessment to get to the bottom of the mood swings, the anger issues, the depression, the paranoia, the magical thinking and the anxiety and to see if there is a way forward in all of this.

At least the suicidal ideation has gone...

[MisterMuncher]

Next village over is almost entirely closed down by isolating staff/businesses. All that is meant is that the tourists have come here.

Tonight, the first of the village's pubs has announced they're closing for 10 days

[Samanfur]

Thanks, Spoony

It may be permanent, it may only be temporary - it depends completely on how my mental health is managed in the future. I'm currently awaiting a full assessment to get to the bottom of the mood swings, the anger issues, the depression, the paranoia, the magical thinking and the anxiety and to see if there is a way forward in all of this.

At least the suicidal ideation has gone...

Good to see that you feel up to coming back. Keep taking care of yourself.

[The All New KevS]

And perhaps inevitably after that moronic story the Mail ran on the front page, new cases go up from 25k to 27k.

They may had well have just printed a photo of George W Bush on that aircraft carrier.

[Bones McCoy]

It's been a while, but I've finally got my own mem.

[kreuzberger]

As of today, that's both my kids now being max-vaxed.

On reflection, I wish I had bred a little harder. I could have laced them all up and started mining bitcoin.

[Tubby Isaacs]

And perhaps inevitably after that moronic story the Mail ran on the front page, new cases go up from 25k to 27k.

They may had well have just printed a photo of George W Bush on that aircraft carrier.

Up above 31k today. Hard to know what to make of it, but the victory lap looks premature.

On that theme.

Bizarrely, one of the experts cited is Keir Starmer. Even if he and the four experts cited are wrong (infections are way higher than the reported positive cases) they won't be as wrong as some of the Spectator's own were last year. And if Starmer's an expert worthy of mention, what about Sajid Javid who said 100k could happen?

[The All New KevS]

Worth noting that those who were saying last week, "look, it's gone down day by day" are suddenly saying "ah, but you've got to look week on week".

[Tubby Isaacs]

I'm not sure what would have caused this rise. Bit early for freedom day, isn't it? And judging by my area, all still very cautious. Shops strongly preferring masks, and most people happy to oblige.

Maybe just one of those things and will fall again soon.

[MisterMuncher]

Anecdotally, you can think of any restriction as being partially lifted as soon as a date is given for it being lifted, as a certain percentage will stop taking it seriously.

Pretty much the reason roadmap dates are a fucking pox on the whole operation.

[Boiler]

Well, once we get to the "don't isolate even if contacted" stage I think the figures will rocket.

Remaining cautious, yesterday I picked up a pack of LFTs whilst they remain free.

[Boiler]

From today's New York Times:

C.D.C. Internal Report Calls Delta Variant as Contagious as Chickenpox https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/heal ... uLsRbXONkQ

(hopefully that should work for non-subscribers)

[Andy McDandy]

I'm not sure what would have caused this rise. Bit early for freedom day, isn't it? And judging by my area, all still very cautious. Shops strongly preferring masks, and most people happy to oblige.

Maybe just one of those things and will fall again soon.

At least in my area (Liverpool for home, Cumbria for work), more people were shedding the masks before 19/7 than after. Add on the good weather and people congregating outdoors. The government's bullish attitude and the sudden isolation of Javid, Johnson etc seemed to put the mockers on the great unmasking.

[Nigredo]

Essex has mainly been of the "It's just the flu" opinion even whilst hospitals were treating patients in car parks due to overwhelmed capacity.