The ADs get ready to rumble then have a nice cuppa tea

[BogRollBOGOF]

Watch us wreck the mike, watch us wreck the mike, watch us wreck the mike.
Psych.

Now gather nicely in groups of no more than six...
Unless you're outdoors in Wales...

Oh well, come on in whatever the laws where you are. Plenty of space in this bubble of sanity

@Jourdain11 yes Rishi probably a bit of a voice of reason, but then he’s on a bit of a tight leash and he knows it.. I wonder how outspoken he can be?

Steve Baker is known as a bit of a a .. er..maverick anyway isn’t he, and he would be against it as a libertarian which I think he is, and I don’t think his voice would hold any sway with the media or the masses ... And Ken Clarke already had the whip removed once in the last year! I don’t know, it feels like it’s generally the ones with absolutely nothing to lose? (Although yes absolutely I would listen to Ken Clarke if it were me!!)

What I really REALLY want is someone with something to lose to put their job on the line publicly, or better yet Starmer to come out with it and finally open up the debate because other than that BBC article it’s not open.

I wouldn’t even ask for much.. they can keep the stupid rule of 6 and all of it .. just Boris needs to rule out another full lockdown. If achieves nothing.

They won't have another full lockdown- he described that as a 'nuclear deterrent'- I think they may go for no mixing households as a next step though unfortunately.

I also think they are going for 'flattening the curve' rather than 'supression' now but they can't say that due to concern about criticism, hence keeping up the narrative of suppressing. Rather than being honest...actions speak louder than words.

And here I was trying to 'buck up'. Tbh, that sounds worse. Destruction of normal human interaction will be complete.

Tbh, if I didn't have DH and the DC who all seem to love and need me for some bizarre reason, I would be considering my options.

What I have trouble getting my head around is that we live in a democracy, yet we are essentially being dictated to. Where is all the discussion and votes on these measures? Did they take place? (I am quite willing to accept I missed this bit). Where exactly has our choice gone? Don't MP's talk to their constuent at all and gauge the groundswell of opinion? No, actually, don't answer that; I think I know the answer!
I am getting beyond angry that Whitty's (et al) 'predictions' are being quoted as fact. The 'if' has turned into a 'when'. This was absolutely deliberate on the part of the government; they knew eactly how the media would report apparently sensational figures. God, we are so being manipulated.

Although practicing civil disobedience is probably a good idea.

@Reedwarbler currently no they don't have to answer to Parliament. They are ruling by decree. Sir Graham Brady of the 1922 committee is desperately trying to change that. The coronavirus act comes up for review next week and he wants to ensure that all new measures go through the house.

There is currently a pitifully low number of people who have signed a petition supporting this move. If you agree perhaps sign it too?

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/313310

@Reedwarbler

What I have trouble getting my head around is that we live in a democracy, yet we are essentially being dictated to. Where is all the discussion and votes on these measures? Did they take place? (I am quite willing to accept I missed this bit). Where exactly has our choice gone? Don't MP's talk to their constuent at all and gauge the groundswell of opinion? No, actually, don't answer that; I think I know the answer! I am getting beyond angry that Whitty's (et al) 'predictions' are being quoted as fact. The 'if' has turned into a 'when'. This was absolutely deliberate on the part of the government; they knew eactly how the media would report apparently sensational figures. God, we are so being manipulated.

I agree, its horrific. And the way people have just willingly accepted it. That scares me far more than bloody covid.

Has anyone seen the 'Boris is great' thread thats running at the moment? The number of people on there who think he made a great speech and are blaming all the "idiots who didnt stick to the roolz" - how can they not see they've fallen for the oldest political trick in the book? Divide and conquer. Never mind the fact that our woeful excuse for a government have fucked up at every single step of the way. All of the chances they have had to get on top of this fricking virus, but no - lets blame each other instead. Boris told us to.

I utterly despair.

Is it like this in other countries?? Or just "Great" Britain??

@Ibake Thanks for that - signed.

The number of people on there who think he made a great speech and are blaming all the "idiots who didnt stick to the roolz" - how can they not see they've fallen for the oldest political trick in the book? Divide and conquer.

Yes I’m always just so confused by the amount of people on here who seem to think that viruses spread through “selfishness”. The idea that anyone who goes on holiday (and keeps the airlines afloat) is selfish, that anyone who uses any service other than Tesco once a week whilst looking sufficiently miserable is selfish.

How is it no surprise that the common cold is spreading the way it is now in autumn and when schools go back but yet it’s just Covid that could have been prevented? Why are we surprised that CV is coming back but not cold, flu, chicken pox etc..? Are all viruses and contagious diseases in the world only out there through selfishness? And why is this one containable when no other virus is?

Stopping households from mixing is practically full lockdown anyway. If consenting adults decide to take the minuscule risk for the sake of their mental health and mix, do the police need to have a warrant to search the house? Or can they just storm in and find grandparents hiding in the cupboard?

Great @Reedwarbler, thanks. I've just seen this. Would be great if correct. I've always kept abreast of current affairs but never really got to grips with the machinations of politics. This situation has changed all of that for me. Fascinating how it all works.

thecritic.co.uk/graham-bradys-covid-rebellion-has-the-numbers-to-succeed/

Number of kids today sobbing and not wanting to into school because they're in a class bubble that's mixed up for the new year away from their friends was stupid. It's fucking cruel on them - it's so bloody cruel. Why oh why are WE selfish for not wanting to put young children through this - but the posters shrieking how they're vulnerable and we need a full lockdown to protect them aren't? That's what I can't get - how a dumpy middle aged housewife who has kids suffering and needing to access NHS services which have been stopped and have an education is selfish for doing so. I'm not asking for the kids to do death congas, or lick lamposts, or breathe aggressively... just to be able to go to school, find out if they actually still have any vision in one eye and come home again.

I don't get it either. I am on the side of letting everybody lead their life as they see fit with regards to reasonable law. I want everyone to have access to libraries, gyms, museums, theatres, and yes, pubs. How is that selfish?

Murderous DH has gone off to work today with what is blatantly a cold. He called the GP and they said, no Corona symptoms, you're good to go. I'm sure some here would cry SELFISH, MURDERER, but is that not the sensible way to go? He hasn't any Corona market symptoms, so why waste a test or spend 14 days in isolation unnecessarily?

I guess school may send him away for the greater good, but I bet they won't. Would they really want to spend unnecessary money on a supply for 14 days? (Not to mention that the supply could have been in 3 schools already this term and it's thereforebbreaking the bubble monumentally!).

Corona marker symptoms... not market, lol.

@ISaySteadyOn

I don't get it either. I am on the side of letting everybody lead their life as they see fit with regards to reasonable law. I want everyone to have access to libraries, gyms, museums, theatres, and yes, pubs. How is that selfish?

Not selfish to me.

Ultimately to a large extent, if you want a quiet, reclusive life you can go and have it. Employment is the most awkward factor, but socially no one has ever actually forced social interractions on others. There has always been the word "no".

If you were of the persuasion of wanting to stay in, get deliveries, quarantine/ santitise them, deregister the kids from school and homeschool them, WFH and have no social interractions, go ahead knock yourself out. It's my opinion that such an extreme is not a healthy way for the vast majority to live, but hey it's an opinion, and I value the rights that we have in this country to publically express them, unlike the much reverred China (having been to Hong Kong, China and Tibet, it concerns me greatly that Hong Kong is being assimilated into the same oppresion like the rest of China)

Just don't let your fear dictate that everyone else must succumb to your opinion.

(Obviously a general "you" and not applicable to any ADs)

While half of MN probably has me down as an anti-mask crackpot (OK, I hate the things on a multitude of levels). I think there are places where their supposed benefits are not sufficient to outweigh the consequences e.g. not in school classrooms, but public transport is more reasonable) I might even think that somebody wearing one in the middle of nowhere is not very well informed about the benefits of masks and general risks of spread. But I will not bay to have someone stripped of the right to wear one just because I have a difference of opinion.

I feel for the workers now being forced to go through the discomfort of wearing them for prolonged periods. Very different to having the option avaliable.

I'm waiting to hear what the plan is at work- do we have to wear masks if we're behind the till screens? Is it masks or are visors ok? Are they gonna start rationing stuff BEFORE the manic panic buying starts? Are the customers going to be a complete pain in the arse again re rationing? (Don't answer the last question, I reckon that's a given) So pissed off.

I managed to wear a mask around Tescos this morning (by tunnel visioning and making a silly noise every time I breathed out to give me something to focus on) - I'm now still trying to bring my heart rate and anxiety levels back down to normal drinking herbal tea (and I hate herbal tea - it's like pretty smelling dishwater).

I guess I'm still just not trying hard enough.

@BogRollBOGOF MN seems full of people who are delighted to stay in and never see anyone. I got into an argument with a poster a while back who was saying finally the world is catering to introverts with wfh, online learning etc. And I was saying nobody ever forced you to work in an office, go to the gym, socialise. If you don’t want to do those things then don’t. And don’t assume it’s what all introverts want either. Fuck off making me out to be an evil bastard because I actually like going out to work and having a separation between home and the office.

I am not sure I would class myself as an introvert but I am definitely not an extrovert but 6 months of WFH and no end in sight is getting me down. I want a balance.

The supermarket near me is back tunnelling people into queues again. Going to be giving that a miss for a while then.

All of this sucks any enjoyment out of life but we aren't allowed to say that because we should be grateful for being 'safe'

i think im probably more of an introvert - but i hated lockdown. I dont want to WFH 5 days a week 52 weeks a year. I don't want to keep ds at home all the time. I miss my family, and friends.

I feel very.... bleak. And i work in the NHS but in a field that's pretty much totally unrelated to covid but has continued to work (think biggest side effect of self isolation - we are busy) so i guess things feel sort of half normal in that i am working but i am constantly on edge wondering when school are going to phone and and i am going to have to WFH and home school poor ds for two weeks.

I literally dont know when it will be legal to see my family again. I cant see how that is ok in this day and age. It baffles me that all these measures are just put in place and we just have to "suck it up" because its what is perceieved as best for us.

I feel like Boris and his government are abusive parents. Hurting us, shouting, screaming, hitting and emotionally manipulating us, and telling us its all our own fault that daddy acts this way.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/22/boriss-message-nation-cant-behave-fault/

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/22/governments-comms-exercise-fear-mongering-without-context/

I'm quite in introvert too but like to have some autonomy and choice..

For me Boris now feels like the teacher who has completely lost control of a class and is just racking up more and more playtime lost as they continue to talk instead of getting their coats on. That's what it feels like when his only real means of trying to achieve anything is to whack another zero on the fine amounts with the threat of sending us to the isolation booths if we carry on pinging elastic bands at Dominc's head

But, sir, he deserved it!

@TrustTheGeneGenie

i think im probably more of an introvert

I'm definitely an introvert. I enjoy company but on my terms and I need my alone time. The thought of spending 24/7 cooped up in the same house as someone with no space to get away would drive me to ...

Yes, exactly this - telling us it's all our fault. Well, none of us wanted this, and it's the fault of an extremely infectious virus, but we are being spoken to as if it's all down to us that it's spread everywhere. But that's not caused by us, that's just the nature of a virus, and we live in a heavily populated country where, in order to live our lives, and be productive members of society, we have to be near other people a lot of the time. These ever increasing fines and threats about what will happen if we don't behave, well, I feel like I'm being treated like a child, and that is what makes me feel so impotent and angry. If everyone shut themselves in for 4 weeks, it would go away, but as soon as we came out again, it would be back. I don't know what the answer is, but the current regime simply isn't cutting it. The population of the UK isn't the enemy, covid is.
And I get even more angry, because, despite moaning on here, I have not broken any laws or guidance and have done everything the government has requested, but it is still not enough. It's like the whole class being placed in detention for one miscreant.
I just wish we could be spoken to as rational adults, and, you know, perhaps asked what we would like to do about the situation?