ADs and their pampered poodles

[BogRollBOGOF]

Here we are again, gaining sequels even more rapidly than the Fast and the Furious...

I really don't feel there's a way out of this now. Like this is life now.

Errrr how is this a surprise
bbc.in/3o8Xero

to all struggling now.

I’ve just been out for a walk with the dog and bumped into someone I’ve not seen for a while. He lost his old dog just before Christmas and was absolutely devastated. This morning he had a new rescue companion with him and they both looked so happy. It was lovely to see and cheered me up - once I’d wiped away a few tears.

I’m not usually one for memes but did see one recently which said “the virus now needs to do daily briefings on the dangers of the government” thought it was quite apt.

for everyone who needs them.

"Clothes sales slumped 25%, the biggest drop in 23 years when records began, official figures suggest"

What a surprise. Lock people up, tell them they are not human but disease spreaders, mental health plummets, no point looking after yourself so no point buying nice clothes, clothes sales plummet.

@LivinLaVidaLoki

"Clothes sales slumped 25%, the biggest drop in 23 years when records began, official figures suggest"

Is that all?

I impulse bought a dress in the supermarket in hot weather because it reminded me of 1995
I've bought some running gear from Decathlon and online independents.

Didn't go into a clothes shop in 2020.

Admittedly I'm at the stage of life where I don't buy much; I'm not trendy, don't go out at night, don't work. I have a large collection over the years that fits and lasts. But normally, I'm tempted to buy something at some point, but there is no temptation to even go to a shop. I haven't set foot in the shopping centre in town since 24 July. The supermarket can be arduous enough.

Our council have now decided to shut all car parks where there's a bit of land to walk dogs all isolated areas of course

I am fuming about the constant fear mongering which the government use each time they want to introduce even more outrageous restrictions to our rights and freedoms. Because of this fear, nobody dares to question it but now countries around the world are all but banning their citizens from leaving their own country. It’s absolutely insane. I am SO angry!! Why wasn’t this necessary last year when it was new and much further away from becoming endemic than it is now?

@Lostinacloud yes, I feel similar. Plus still taken aback by the awful language used in last night's Boris briefing... "obey"! No recognition of the fact that people have had their lives torn apart, and are living with out hope or a coherent plan from their gov.

@Lostinacloud I completely agree with fear mongering.

I have now got to the stage where I am yelling at the radio when the many public announcement ads come on, saying things like "the person who pushed that shopping trolley before you, or held your shopping basket handle, is HIGHLY LIKELY to have covid19"

No they aren't HIGHLY LIKELY to have it.

Then they say "One in three people have it with no symptoms" which makes it sound like a third of the population has it without symptoms.

No wonder people are driving around alone in their cars with face masks on.

I just despair with it all, sometimes I just see no end to it.

These threads are a sanctuary for me when I can't cope with the news anymore, and I'd really like say a huge thank you to the regulars who post on here. I think you are helping a lot more people than you realise.
Thank you

@Pennypie, what a nice thing to say.

Wish me luck, all. Doing zoom dance class in half an hour. Musical theatre stuff.

Sorry for the silly question but if the May local elections go ahead and people like Boris lose their seat, what happens in terms of the government? Assume he can’t remain as PM. Must become more interested in politics and how it works.

Local elections, not general elections - we're not due a general election till 2024. Johnson isn't up for re-election, this is local councillors (and the Mayor of London), plus the devolved administrations.

Ah thank you. Shame though!

Morning ... I’ve been feeling too bleurgh to go on MN or social media - I’m on my last day of isolation and not leaving the house for the last six days has completely sapped my motivation to do anything. Typically just as (a sort of) freedom is in sight, I’m coming down with a cold. I’m 100% sure it’s a cold - it feels exactly like all the other colds I’ve had 2-3 times a year for 50+ years but of course there’s now the nagging doubt in my mind that maybe it’s not ... so I’m feeling a bit shit but can’t tell my sisters or friends as pretty much everyone I know has gone full-on dementory again. I’m sad that when (if?) this is all over I won’t have any friends left and I didn’t have that many to begin with. DD’s talking about leaving home after her exams to do a live-in job on an eventing yard which means I’ll be left with nocturnal ASD ds2 and (d)h who seems permanently irritated with everything and who perceives going to bed later than 9 and getting up later than 5:30 as some kind of moral weakness... so even if coronavirus miraculously disappears, I’m still looking at a pretty bleak future

I'm so so worried that Boris Johnson will be replaced by Gove

I’ve just ventured onto MSM and see the Daily Fail have a campaign to get computers for children struggling with lessons at home. Why not put that energy into getting children back into school with their friends where they belong.

I agree with the scaremongering. That stuff around the mortality rate yesterday was some of the most mitigated speech I’ve ever seen.

Even Ferguson’s statement was extremely qualified — mights and maybes all over the shop, and a reminder that they don’t yet have much data — it felt like something that could be very easily walked back from if needed.

Apparently of all the people who die, they only know which variant they had in about 8% of cases.

"Clothes sales slumped 25%, the biggest drop in 23 years when records began, official figures suggest"

I'm actually quite surprised by this, I'd thought that my teenage DD was keeping the British fashion industry going single-handed

I see sales of athleisure have increased though.

@Buzzinwithbez

I'm so so worried that Boris Johnson will be replaced by Gove

My worry is Hancock, but that's partly because Gove hadn't occurred to me.

Do you think it will get to a point where the scaremongering backfires? I’m at the point now where I don’t actually believe a word that is said at these briefings because of the lies and doom. Can’t believe I’m the only one who has become even more sceptical.

Rishi. I bloody hate Rishi because of the way he's treated the Excluded and he just lies and dissembles in briefings by giving an answer that might be technically correct but isn't actually the answer to the question he's been asked. And he keeps saying "Yes, but look at all these other people we've given amazing financial support too" which is just cruel and making things worse. Then he gets pictured with his £180 coffee mug and lots of Brand Rishi photos and posters. These seem to be psychopathic tendencies you don't want in your future leader.

@Iheartmysmart

Do you think it will get to a point where the scaremongering backfires? I’m at the point now where I don’t actually believe a word that is said at these briefings because of the lies and doom. Can’t believe I’m the only one who has become even more sceptical.

Me too. I told DH to watch last nights briefing (he had recorded it) in another room as I didn't even want to hear the rubbish that comes out of them anymore. I simply don't trust anything as they lost me on all the back tracking, ramping up the fear and all the maybes etc.

Oh and DH is much better from covid now. Took about the same amount of time to get over it as any other bad cold/infection he catches. And despite how infectious it was I didn't catch it despite no SD in this house.

I saw this quote in a Times article on my news app that made me think WTF???
The article was about best and worst case scenarios for lockdown ending. Is it me, or is this Professor Woolhouse implying that schools need to stay shut because otherwise the parents will be out licking door handles? Wowzers.

I think Gove's day has been and gone - he didn't get many votes from MPs in the last leadership election. I think more likely Sunak, though I agree with TabbyStar's concerns.

@Iheartmysmart, I think you may be right. My personal prediction is a lot of quiet non-compliance from next month - people who've been holding off seeing elderly and vulnerable relatives for fear of infecting them won't stay away when those people have been vaccinated. And once you have mass disobedience, a sensible Government recognises that the legislation doesn't have public consent any more. (I realise that begs a question, and I don't think for a second that this is a sensible Government...)

But I think everything I valued has gone. My DD won't sing in a choir or play in an ensemble again. I won't get to take her to the theatre or travel with her. I don't suppose she's going back to her primary school (Y6), and her first year of secondary school is probably going to be fucked up too.

I would never have had her if I'd realised that the Government could arbitrarily decide that it was fine for her not to have an education or see another child for months at a stretch. They've stopped even talking about live performance in theatres and concert halls. My employer is selling off office space because they (wrongly, I think) reckon no-one will want to come back. My mother is too frightened to see anyone. My MIL actually rather hoped to catch Covid and die, because she has vascular dementia and as an HCP she knows what's coming - Covid looked like a merciful end by comparison. What is the point of carrying on living if everything that makes life worthwhile is gone?