The ADs seek joy and aubergines

[BogRollBOGOF]

We got a bit cut off there didn't we? Thread 15 now.

I first ventured here when my youngest teen was a baby but didn't really start posting much until about 9 years ago. I found the lack of even rudimentary threading frustrating.

That Unherd article is woeful.

First of all the title - making mask-wearing something "heroes" do?

Em, nope.

I'm not a hero and have no aspirations to be one.

At this stage I'm utterly nauseated by the NHS heroes narrative. It's a really ugly rhetorical device.

Second the subhead:

"If there were a downside of wearing masks, wouldn't we have noticed it by now?"

Um... what?

It lays claim to the virtuous newspaper commentators that support mask wearing and calls any that oppose mask wearing "contrarians".

It's just one long question-begging rant.

Nobody who claims there is no downside to face covering can be taken seriously.

If masks are so obviously great, why haven't we been wearing them for millennia?

It's almost as if faces have functions beyond breathing germs on people.

DD wanted her own payment card and I found the best option was for me to open a starling online account in my name but she has the card. It means I can monitor all in and out on my phone, stop the card at any point, and as her pocket money goes into it she has set up two ‘Savings spaces’ in the account to transfer money into So she’s learning good habits. It also has no bank or other charges unlike the prepaid cards for kids. If your child is over 11 TSB have a similar account.

That reminded me, I have a feeling a high proportion of us on here are very long term MNers

12 or 13 years for me. Funnily enough I was trying to remember my old user name the other day and this morning it popped into my head: PlumpRumpSoggyBaps or PRSB

Last week DP told me that his colleague's wife had been taken into hospital with suspected Covid. As DP sits in a car for hours with his colleague I had a wobble and told him we could only see each other at an approved distance for the time being.
But apparently she tested negative although was told that she shouldn't rely on that being right? even though it was three days into her illness.

Seems dodgy to me.

Smiling
Speaking
Eating
Drinking
Laughing
Non verbal cues
Kissing
Whistling
Singing

Sadly nearly all of those could apparently cause someone's sadly death at the moment.

I'm another one to recommend Starling. Fantastic bank account, especially if spending abroad. I've been on here at least 10 years but lurked for about the last 9 and 3/4! ie only really got brave when I found these threads.

I am grateful for these threads, they are funny and I like it how we have different opinions and that is OK.

This user name since 2013 but as my daughter is 10 and I had a few unsuccessful rounds of ivf in the years before she was born I think I’ve been around a bit longer than that. Can’t rememberers my original user name and the aol account linked to it has also disappeared into the ether.

Finding all the bank account for pre-teens tips v useful.

I really hope Covid is not used as an excuse to make cashless society the New Normal.

torydeathdrug yes good article there from the Guardian, good to see they have improved treatment and the medics are less scared. Should improve things for the future.

What happened with SARS? Was mask wearing mandatory?

SARS burned out - but I think mask wearing did more common in many countries badly affected.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52015486

For many of these countries, mask-wearing was a cultural norm even before the coronavirus outbreak. They've even become fashion statements - at one point Hello Kitty face masks were all the rage in the street markets of Hong Kong.

In East Asia, many people are used to wearing masks when they are sick or when it's hay fever season, because it's considered impolite to be sneezing or coughing openly.

The 2003 Sars virus outbreak, which affected several countries in the region, also drove home the importance of wearing masks, particularly in Hong Kong, where many died as a result of the virus

We do a lot of public transport and anything that stops it being considered accptable behavior to cough and sneeze over people - I'd get behind.

However given that we have a much more individualistic culture in west I don't think mask wearing will stick around - it will gradually petter out as it slowly stops being enforced and fined for.

I think SARS was less contagious but more deadly, perhaps too

theconversation.com/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-the-first-sars-virus-and-why-we-need-a-vaccine-for-the-current-one-but-didnt-for-the-other-137583

Interesting

Been here for about 4 years, despite not being a mother. I found myself working from home about then, and - when I didn't have the work (which was quite a lot at the beginning) - came on here for the Low Carb bootcamp - which helped me lose over 3 stone - hurrah! (partly put back due to lockdown - boo!). From there to Style & Beauty and the bear pit that is AIBU. Which I generally enjoy, except post lockdown when it was so bloody scary...

spudlet talking of bodges we found that not only had a structural beam in our cottage been cut through but the wattle and daub above it had been replaced with concrete blocks. All invisible behind the render until the wall started to bow. We ended up with no outer wall in our bedroom one November.

We have a lot of Chinese students in Durham (usually) and mask wearing has been pretty normal amongst them for as long as I can remember. Have seen a few that coordinate with some quite outlandish outfits!

My personal theory on facemaks is that it gives certain people something to police, because there isn't another Bank Holiday to weep and moan about until August!
I was in the Metropole Hotel at the same time as the doctor who started the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong. I didn't get it (and nobody asked me to quarantine for a fortnight when I get back either).
Some friends messaged last night to see if they could come and stay for the weekend.
Sadly, they have messaged again today to say both of their mother's refused to dog sit for them as they "shouldn't be taking silly risks".
The dog is welcome to stay too, but it's terrified of my cat.
We have made tentative arrangements for July and I am sounding out my neighbour, who has a pet care business, to see if they could babysit the dog overnight if the mothers are still up in arms.
I was looking forward to it

I am pro wearing a face covering in crowded public transport, especially when rush hour returns and we're packed in like sardines. There have been times when I couldn't get tissues out in time to cover a sneeze/cough in a packed Tube compartment. I don't think it'll work in long journeys though, so am a bit conflicted.

But I am completely against mask-wearing becoming the norm in all areas of society.

DH been few times to Hong Kong in last few years and says wearing them is just normal there everyone seems to do it.

I seriously doubt it ever will be here - there's just not the same culture.

Wales changed it's advice when the WHO did - but I agree it's really late to bring them in.

Orangeblossom78 interesting article - I knew Sars and covid were related but hadn't realised they were considered to be closely related.

Ha! hester am not known for my patience!

spudlet a friend in Belgium was furious with the motorbike ban (stress on hospital resources). First day back on her bike? She’s recovering slowly at home from a broken back! 😲

So China did not report the first sars outbreak to WHO either.

Yes that reminds me there was a post on here going on about how covid should be SARS 2 and I thought 'dramatic' but actually it is quite accurate really I suppose. Thank goodness this one is much less severe than SARS 1 for most of us.

NannyPhlegm - I agree I just don't see how masks would work for long journeys.

I'm not sure they're needed in most shops - you're not usually squashed in for long periods in same way as is frequent on some bus and train routes.

I've been around 7 years... I was really bored at about 38 weeks pregnant, sitting around bored stiff with SPD and a very sensitive toddler. It happened to be within a week or so of Maggie Thatcher dying which was a good feather ruffler! It was about 6 months before penis beaker.

Having a tendency to overshare, I name change every so often- the provenence of this one is pretty clear
I tend to go for pokemon themed names (but not always) and have had phases on the Pokemon Go and Flylady threads.

I'm sure the site has become much less sweary (and more whinging about open swearing) and a lot less sarcastic use of strikethrough I liked the direct, but usually respectful style of posting, and the nastiness has diversified. I do wonder if the bitesized sniping culture of Twitter has corrupted a lot of social media, plus pleasant people don't bother arguing with stupid/ closed minds.
It was interesting when meat was discussed early on this thread. Such a range of opinions but no nastiness or getting personal

Here in Portugal wearing a mask is mandatory in certain circumstances. On public transport, in a shop, entering a restaurant, once you sit down you can take the mask off.
If the restaurant has seating outside then you don't have to wear one.
The temperature is rising here and in some shops it's not very pleasant to have to wear one.