Anti dementors say lockdown can just fucking do one now, we're going for chips.

[SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito]

New thread! I think this brings the total to 12?

Our grass has been cut - our council have been very visibly doing a lot of outdoor work. I saw the street cleaning vehicle for the first time, on Thursday, though. I think that's more a symptom of the fact that places like McDonlds are opening up again!

Nice LOTR reference there, Willow! I wonder if they have facemasks with the white hand of Sauron on the front?
Thanks😄
I think it will be big black face masks with the white hand on them😉

@Dowser

Khione Have you looked at boron for arthritis

Funnily enough I was researching this just this week. I'll definitely give that a go.

@Nihiloxica How can we get you a place on SAGE?

Councils are going to be utterly fucked by this, believe me. Their income from things like parking has dropped substantially and millions of pounds worth of extra costs have been incurred. Unlike the government, Councils have to return a balanced budget at the end of the financial year, and the government are not meeting the shortfall.

If your grass isn’t being cut it’s not a merry excuse not to, it’s because the staff who would normally do it are self isolating or redeployed to the COVID response. I have four members of staff redeployed - one in a care home, one at the cemetery and two in public health. And the consequence of that is I am dealing with complaints that we aren’t as responsive as usual.

@PickAChew we are told it is not safe for our council workers to cut the grass sat on their lawn tractors in the open air, god help us. Nor is it safe for them to empty public bins which are sealed up still. They did relent on a bit of grass hedge cutting where it was found to be dangerous at road junctions.

I was thinking today what would be the best time for a teacher to get pregnant, you could then enjoy the summer holidays, shield because of pregnancy then move into maternity leave. I bet a few have thought about it.

Our cemeteries are locked down, the grass waving merrily, this has upset people who like to visit regularly. I know my father buried there would love it and see it as a wildlife haven this summer. I do wonder if this leaving nature to get on with it will be good for lots of insects and in turn our bird populations.

Yes what is to stop the abuse of track and trace? If someone tested positive, and during his 14 isolation he didn't want his business rivals getting ahead and taking advantage, so he claimed he had been near them at close quarters for 15 minutes?

I work in a micro business and that is very much a possible scenario as far as I can tell!

If someone tested positive, and during his 14 isolation he didn't want his business rivals getting ahead and taking advantage

Or his ex meeting her new boyfriend.

I understood that for the track and trace you had to be closer than a metre for 15 minutes or more - and that the tracers were trained like the VD tracers, which is designed to filter malicious connections. So various questions are asked which can be cross checked. I think some may get through but it should rule out most malicious reports.

I reread it as I thought -

1. track and trace - 15 mins at 1m to be at risk.
2. Real life - don't go within 2 m of anyone you don't live with.

Something doesn't add up

I should have listened and not gone on that thread. Oh my.

Is anyone else getting the feeling that a massive meltdown and opinion shift is happening over Scottish education? Scottish usforthem started a couple of days ago and has 1.4k members. I know people in the SNP and Yes movement who are so very angry.

The SNP's core voter base is the 30-40 demographic and they have taken an axe to it.

It still hasn't dawned on the more stupid ones. This is one of the SNP MSPs in response to a Tory posting about the education debacle on Twitter.

Apparently Swinney said today that education will continue as part time for a whole year. Our children are being failed.
It’s the Scottish elections in May. I reckon they’ll just blame everything on COVID rather than their incompetence. Sturgeon is pushing the treasury to extend furlough, which just shows how dependent on Westminster we really are.

@allnamesaregone they can get in the fucking sea right now. I just hope that people kick up a fuss. I met a granny of one of my sons classmates and she was like "its rubbish but what can you do?"

I straight away said I'd emailed all my councillors, our director of education, all my MSPs and I was going to write to John Swinney as well.

If you're a lurker reading this, please take action now to help our children. Join usforthem Scotland.

I'm at the point where my previously kind, happy, well engaged 8 year old is showing worrying signs of depression. I cannot do this anymore.

@Willitneverend that tweet 🤦🏻‍♀️

Apologies if this has already been mentined but I really hope that Rishi doesn't cave into Nicola's demands for furlough to be extended. Whilst I think furlough has been a very good thing and has prevented (hopefully) more redundancies than would have been the case, I can't help but feel that by extending it, it'll be more reason for schools not to reopen. More people sat at home on 80% pay, more reason not to send the kids back. In my opinion employers need now to be forced to get their workers back in (do away with the 2 metre rule!) and then maybe all those on furlough will want and need the schools to reopen and the tide will fully turn.

What do others think? Am I being unreasonable?

This is not a furlough bashing post by the way, I'm fully in agreement with it, just not in agreement with it being extended again.

Or if extended, only for the very, very few.

Morning fellow murderers.
Just caught up with the thread. Looks like I dodged a bullet falling asleep last night and missing the Primarche death thread.

Though might pop over for shits and giggles. Isnt it strange that before I discovered these threads something like that would have sent me into a tailspin but now I can see them for how ridiculous they are.

Hi all long term antidementing lurker but the Scottish education thing has pushed be over the edge. That and an NHS worker (clinical) I know screaming on social media about how everyone driving more than 5 miles is a MURDERER and that everyone at the BLM protests is going to CREATE A SURGE and PEOPLE DYING ALONE. I actually think they are projecting their fears about being redeployed but they are just scaring everyone.

These threads have kept me sane.

I have an under 3, I actually feel sick about what restrictions Swinney is going to place on private childcare today .

Apparently categorically this is only the 1st wave and someone is just making sure we all realise that the 2nd wave will be something else entirely!😲
Glad we have these people who know more than any 'expert' and can see into the future for us.

@Willitneverend I need to find that original tweet - Bowie is my MP, his response to Cummings was woeful (he’s a Tory vice chair, so natch he toed the line)but maybe he’s redeemed himself

Just seen an aibu about people misunderstanding the r number. Linking to a couple of good articles and explaining how we shouldn't live our lives in fear of it as it's less reliable at lower infection levels.

65% think she is BU

What struck me though was how many 'I am a scientist and you're talking bollocks' (paraphrasing).

Is "I am a scientist" the new "i have a friend high up in the NHS?"

Also "science" is pretty broad. Your point is no more valid than the OP if you're a geologist is it?

Thank you @TheGreatWave and @LadyOfTheImprovisedBath. I know I'm being silly. I don't feel as bad about the whole hospital thing this morning. DS doesn't know why we're going and he won't be happy when he finds out. I've said I'll take him for McDonalds later though if he behaves.

@allyjay I agree furlough shouldn't be extended unless those businesses really can't open as in they aren't allowed. I think everyone healthy (adults and kids) need to go back to what they were doing before just with increased hygiene. I think the distancing stuff should be dropped to help the economy. Those who want to take the risk can. I really don't see how the 'new normal' shopping can possibly look attractive or enjoyable to anyone. I'm not a big shopper and the main attraction to it for me is the drink&cake/lunch/friends that go with it.

I signed the us for them thing the other day. I'm hoping to hear something positive about schools today. DS is year1 so should be back but the council have stopped it.

My husband has turned into a dementor. I was asking him when he was bringing his staff back and he said never. That they will pop in for a briefing a couple of times a week and then do the grunt work from home. So I raised graduate mentoring, unsuitable working conditions from home, creative collaboration, social connections making the team more productive, performance management, health and safety at home

And all I got was THE OFFICE IS FINISHED THIS IS THE NEW NORMAL