Tiers Of A Clown

[Bytheloch]

Thread #3456

Released from our dirty T4, but still bamboozled. Let’s keep each other sane on here...

Sorry to disappoint but the Princess Fairy is an extremely lazy baggage. The entire costume and indeed persona exists in her imagination and can only be brought to life by sufficient interrogation. DD3 is her loyal page who is sent wandering hither and thither on errands throughout the woods and the house. DD3 keeps drawing portraits for approval but being very vain the Fairy always finds room for improvement.

Love your tree wbeezer. Your decorations would suit mine perfectly. Our tasteful 3 foot number from our student days is groaning under 20 years of children's additions. Also a bit of remedial gaffer tape this year. We may finally have to admit defeat and say goodbye to it after this year.

For all the Santa sleigh watchers out there.

On 21 December Jupiter and Saturn will align to create a "Christmas Star" last seen 800 years ago.

We’re very excited about the “Christmas star”/“Great conjunction” falling on Yule & hoping for clear skies

That’s Aberdeen (telt again), Aberdeenshire and East Lothian moving up and the rest of us locked in to these tiers until
Christmas (TBC) 🤷‍♀️

Just read the BBC article on drug deaths. Really shocking. They have more than doubled in 5 years. Looks very much like an unintended consequence of tightening prescribing restrictions on Benzodiazepans.

You would think this alone would give them pause for thought as they roll ever further down the Prohibition road.

Well that wasn't entirely unexpected but Falkirk levels are worse than stirling again (when I last looked) and still a 2?

Tiers starting to look like a total farce everywhere. Should just have stuck with one size fits all if 90% of the UK is going to end up tier 3 till March.

Yup. Also scary sounding words about reviewing the Christmas arrangements with the 4 nations re the "new look away from Brexit variant" (which does seem to be different from the summer variant I had thought it might be) and reviewing the restrictions in the higher tiers (presumably closing hospitality totally in T3) over Christmas. So another Happy Tuesday for everyone there...

Also just read the drugs death report. It’s an utterly shameful and shocking headline. I await the thorough questioning over this in Parliament. I won’t hold my breath.
Strong Covid leadership everyone- smoke and mirrors...

We were warned, not a shock Aberdeen has gone up a tier. What is confusing me is that as of next Wednesday we can have the festive restrictions. I know we are being warned against them, but it doesn’t make sense to me logically.

@WaxOnFeckOff

Well that wasn't entirely unexpected but Falkirk levels are worse than stirling again (when I last looked) and still a 2?

Is Falkirk blackmailing the FM over something? There’s no other explanation🤷‍♀️

People are just going to mix indoors it might just be a couple of family groups but the safe option of a meal in a ‘Covid safe’ environment has been removed so they’ll take an alternative route. No point putting in restrictions for Christmas now as plans and food will have been arranged for the easing that was talked about.

I’m still angry re the Falkirk/Stirling fiasco.

A question if I may.

I live in Aberdeenshire which is now entering level three. Can I still drive to Aberdeen (also level three) for non essential business? I guess not, although they are the same level.......

Ask uncle Jason Aurea

I think the reason I'm so about all the Christmas guilt tripping is that if we don't "use" the opportunity they are so reluctantly gifting us, I have absolutely no confidence that we'll be given it again at any point in the next 3-6 months. To be honest, it would be fine for us just to stay at home and not see my parents... we've done it before, or visited them before or after Christmas day depending on various things. They're reasonably healthy, so I have no reason to think it'd be the last Christmas we'd have or anything. So I'd be happy to wait if i thought come Jan or Feb we'd be able to see them. I think others must be like me... its not "Christmas" that we want as such, but the actual possibility of some social contact. If "they" (governments) are so worried about it, they could say, well, don't do it now, but we promise now a set 5 day period, say mid Feb when the vaccine programme is fairly well underway when you can have your 2-3 households without us whinging at you for taking us up on it... But of course they won't. And I'm not willing to wait for some hypothetical point in the future when I'll be able to see my parents again without being accused of wanting to kill them, or being stupid not to wait for "just a little while longer".

Sorry, predictable Tuesday afternoon rant there.

No you can't Aurea. Have your "reasonable excuse" at the ready at all times. Or you could go for a healthy 5 mile walk from the edge of the Shires into Aberdeen proper - I think Aberdonians / Glaswegians heading to the Shires for a walk get the better end of this exemption.

I'm pessimistic about any strategy change before we're through to at least phase 6 on the rollout. That's the problem with holding on when the timespan is indefinite.

@Bytheloch

Also just read the drugs death report. It’s an utterly shameful and shocking headline. I await the thorough questioning over this in Parliament. I won’t hold my breath. Strong Covid leadership everyone- smoke and mirrors...

Yes, totally! And I think what dinnafash said re tightening prescriptions on some drugs possibly leading to the recent rise is worth looking into. The BBC article showed deaths associated with certain drug classes absolutely exploding over the past few years... As with a lot of socioeconomic health related things I'm sure it is an absolute nightmare to make fair and effective policy around, without screwing the vulnerable. But really, the SNP have been in government for long enough now that they should be starting to get a handle on it, surely...and must begin to see that further and further restrictions aren't necessarily the way forward.

NotAnActualSheep that’s it exactly
I don’t care about Christmas but parent& PIL are desperate to see the kids because they don’t know when it will be allowed again after.
We’re sticking to outdoor activities but MIL managed to give us all a cold the last time we did it so I don’t have much faith that it would prevent us/the kids passing them COVID anyway

And yes Stirling/Falkirk thing makes no bloody sense at all but none of it making any sense is about they only consistent thing at this point!

Is Falkirk blackmailing the FM over something? There’s no other explanation🤷‍♀️

I reckon there's some compromising photos of her in that tartan onesie cavorting around the Kelpies.

@celtiethree

People are just going to mix indoors it might just be a couple of family groups but the safe option of a meal in a ‘Covid safe’ environment has been removed so they’ll take an alternative route. No point putting in restrictions for Christmas now as plans and food will have been arranged for the easing that was talked about.

I’m still angry re the Falkirk/Stirling fiasco.

I agree.

Family gatherings in restaurants and hotels would have been a much safer plan.

And interesting about the benzos @Dinnafashyersel

@NotAnActualSheep 🤢

Oh.. I also read yesterday that a report on the Scottish education system due to be released at the start of next year is now not to be until June, so after the elections... Almost as though it might be critical

if we don't "use" the opportunity they are so reluctantly gifting us, I have absolutely no confidence that we'll be given it again at any point in the next 3-6 months

Did you hear her say today "Hopefully this time next year...."

Shoot me now.

I absolutely agree @NotAnActualSheep
We haven't seen my parents since October. We usually see them every week. I'm okay, I could hang on a bit longer. But 14 yr old ds is really sad, really missing them. My poor old dad who is usually the calm and rational one who keeps us all going is really sad. And that's so unlike him.

So we're staying at home from now till Christmas, then we are seeing my parents indoors with the windows open, unless it is actually illegal and there is a high chance someone will end up in jail.

Who thinks Nicola was indeed the one to ask for the 4 nations meeting? Or does she just want to sound like she was the first one to think of it again?

Call Kaye this morning was about the drugs deaths. Did anyone hear it? The first caller was a woman called Anne (I think) whose son was a drug addict and died. She made me cry when she was talking about her boy. Could so easily be any one of us.