ADs won't tut when you're stuck in a rut, we're all too busy pouring Amaretto in our porridge

[BogRollBOGOF]

Welcome into another thread of alternative reality as we try to nagivate through the Coronacoaster of life.

We may be up, down, spinning around (generally in confusion at the next random edict drawn up on the back of a fag packet) but never sucking the joy out of life.

GCSE and A-level exams in Wales cancelled for 2021

Looks like they'll be some kind of national assesments in classrooms in spring - or some attempt to get consistency.

Not sure if that helps DD1 or not -I think her and her teachers probably need to know how each subject is being affected. There are mocks happening next few weeks and GCSE assesments for some bits of GCSE in some subjects.

@wanderings except the millennium bug was a real issue that was only averted by people like me working very hard over a few years to replace old software. There was some hysteria but it was a genuine problem. And I don't think Tony Blair ever claimed your mobile phone would kill you. Weapons of mass destruction, give you that one. I had dealings with Saddam Hussein in a previous role and I'm he would have been quite happy to encourage the belief but he should have applied more critical thinking.

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/a-as-levels-gcses-wales-19253279

This does sound sensible way forward given the situation - teacher assesment and external marked class assesments - just have to wait and see how it impacts each GCSE.

except the millennium bug was a real issue that was only averted by people like me working very hard over a few years to replace old software. There was some hysteria but it was a genuine problem.

I never understand why that's always dismissed - I was coming into industry just at the end and met many colleagues doing last bits or moving on from updating the legacy code.

In fact many of my workplaces had a more general look at all their legacy code for years afterwards as that situation had been such a problem.

@countrygirl99 Incidentally, were you on a "government plan" to replace software? I applied for one such, but the reply I received implied there was no government scheme at all, just Blair's hot air.

As for the mobile phone thing; I concede that wasn't Blair's thing (although he would have loved to tell us to "put away our phones", just like he loved telling us to "get out of our cars", and in many ways, his government was the rise of the "nanny state"). But's it was all part of government and the media constantly crying wolf about something, meaning there's little credibility when it really matters.

I’m a bit worried that the vaccine will be mandatory if you want to travel. Having had a severe allergic reaction to a childhood jab I’ve not had any since. The risk to me from Covid would have to outweigh the risk of any possible reaction. Over 50 and a bit too fond of wine and chocolate so slightly overweight but no other existing health conditions. Hopefully I’ll be way down the list!

Did “your mobile phone is killing you” come from government though?

Friends daughter year 13 in Wales is deferring, the threat of not being allowed to defer and book a year later has not swayed her at all. Sensible head on those shoulders.

Anyone seen my motivation? Trudging through journal articles trying to write this assignment with a bastard of a word count limit to it and my will to live is just disappearing rapidly. It's probably my second least favourite area of the course at the moment (cranial nerves will always be number 1 on my shitlist) which does not help matters).

And the uni changed our referencing style this year as well. Thanks guys - not enough upheaval for you?

More lockdown victims - according to the 'i' this morning, new diagnoses for type 2 diabetes were 70% down in April compared with expected rates based on 10 year trends. Death rates in people with type 2 diabetes in England were twice as high.

@Iheartmysmart

I’m a bit worried that the vaccine will be mandatory if you want to travel. Having had a severe allergic reaction to a childhood jab I’ve not had any since. The risk to me from Covid would have to outweigh the risk of any possible reaction. Over 50 and a bit too fond of wine and chocolate so slightly overweight but no other existing health conditions. Hopefully I’ll be way down the list!

I've wondered about this. I can see it being mandatory to travel to some places but if you're far down the list does that realistically mean we're grounded until we are offered it? Because that essentially means anyone under 65 or with kids ain't going anywhere abroad for potentially years and personally I can't cope with that.

I hope for your sake it is not made mandatory! I mean flu vaccine and many others aren't are they.

@Iheartmysmart

I’m a bit worried that the vaccine will be mandatory if you want to travel. Having had a severe allergic reaction to a childhood jab I’ve not had any since. The risk to me from Covid would have to outweigh the risk of any possible reaction. Over 50 and a bit too fond of wine and chocolate so slightly overweight but no other existing health conditions. Hopefully I’ll be way down the list!

Are you allergic to eggs @Iheartmysmart?

@justasking111

Friends daughter year 13 in Wales is deferring, the threat of not being allowed to defer and book a year later has not swayed her at all. Sensible head on those shoulders.

I don't blame her - I'd be a bit wary about going next year as well.

Lucky I suppose we have a few more years with DD1 for things to return to normal.

If vaccines are mandatory for travel, I reckon there'll be ways of getting them even if you're not on the "list". Possibly not until all older and vulnerable adults have had theirs, but I'm not sure that will take that long? If it all carries on being positive news, then I could see the really vulnerable population being vaccinated by the end of next year. At that point, I reckon you'll be able to buy the vaccine privately if you need it to travel.

Children are a bit of a different issue as it's not looking like the vaccines will be licensed for them at the moment - but could a country really demand that children must be vaccinated with an unlicensed (for them) vaccine in order to visit? That seems unlikely to me.

@justasking111 Yes I’m allergic to eggs plus some nuts, raw fruit and other random things. Plus I have eczema and hay fever. I’m a walking allergy!

If vaccines are mandatory for travel, then presumably the travel industry and airlines will be pushing for a way round it in the short-term, given so many potential travellers are younger people? Another summer of limited travel will finish off most airlines otherwise...

@DominaShantotto Facebook still likes to remind me of when my posts from 10 years ago were just a number. It was communication of my word count to my fellow students how close we were to finishing the assignment (which naturally was due in the next day). Keep going!! It will be worth it in the the end.

@Reedwarbler

More lockdown victims - according to the 'i' this morning, new diagnoses for type 2 diabetes were 70% down in April compared with expected rates based on 10 year trends. Death rates in people with type 2 diabetes in England were twice as high.

See also TB. Diagnoses down to 75% of usual. Possibly less mixing means fewer cases, or possibly more people with undiagnosed TB wandering about. And if you're worried about Covid you should be really worried about TB.

@DominaShantotto, On Old Olympus' Towering Top ...

Grrrr... I only do rude ones or the Harry Potter related one for the damned things.

Dear God I've ventured into a thread on AIBU about couples or families shopping together. Someone said it was 'clingy, controlling and weird ' if a couple shopped together. What are these people on?

@wanderings a not a government scheme. 2 different private sector employers. Both needed to completely replace their order processing, stock processing and financial software. I had friends working for utility companies also replacing critical software.

I have never done as much reading as for this bloody assignment - 4 sub sections on a completely different topic than the last - each one seems to need as much reading as the whole bloody lot normally takes.

500 word limit per section - I'm at 499 499 500 which I call epic win so far.

Just the mental capacity act stuff to go

Catching up. Hello all. @HitchikersGuide the phone sex line comparison is bob-on. 'Would you like me to talk exponential growth for you?'

We've had a fun couple of days. One of our local Compliance Foghorns has done a racist all over the residents' forum re who he does and doesn't see COMPLYING locally. The nasty, swivel-eyed, racist berk. More than a few people handed him his arse. It all got quite shouty.

I'm having a low motivation month day. Supposed to be cracking on with a big writing job for a regular client. Every time I open the file it's like my brain diverts to basic mode. So I have to go and do something practical like empty the tumble dryer. I'm really lucky and grateful to have this piece of work and if I didn't we'd be in real trouble financially. But for some reason my mind won't engage. Everything feels samey and grey. And that's on antidepressants.

Re 'families shopping together' I've hidden that one, it jumped the shark early. I'm getting quite trigger-happy with the 'Hide this thread' button now. Judgy people, judging judgily.

I do wonder whether there will be much drive to make a vaccination mandatory to travel.

I live somewhere that was banking on a lot of tourism for a big event this year (now next year). I think they will heavily encourage the residents to get the vaccine but I think they will probably allow tourism, probably with a test, rather than lose tourism for the foreseeable. Let's face it most of Europe let us dirty germ-ridden brits in this summer rather than lose tourism. I can't see it being mandatory to have the vaccine. Especially if they can do a quicker test at check-in (there's a 10 minute blood test here but it gives more false positives than the PCR so if you get a positive you have to retest with the PCR) but I think things will be more of a faff for a few years at least.

Once again feel out of touch with the rest of the site. I would like the GCSEs to go ahead- for them to have the change of doing their exams.