Guilt Free Railing 14

[WouldBeGood]

😱 I think we will need this thread.. could it be the last?!

He committed lobbying fraud into the 100s of thousands. He was found by a cross party committee to have done so but his Tory cronies then tried to change the rules to allow him to appeal. He weaponised the suicide of his wife and suggested that it was an unlawful and aggressive investigation into his actions that caused her to commit suicide. It's just vile.

The whole grubby thing - in Owen's version his lobbying was a public service that needed to be kept quiet because money...who knew Boris had a red line?

Railing against Devi again: she was saying how well Germany has been dealing with Covid, with vaccine passports and FFP3 masks: oops! Cases soaring there.

When will she just go away?!

Cardiff University have published a report that mask affect the way people interact - no shit sherlock - when are ScotGov going to sort this out?

I'm sure not before spring at the earliest - had emails about another online nativity this year today, per scot gov guidance. Sigh...

So again, many large gatherings back, but school events get held to a higher standard.

@Lockdownbear can’t believe people get paid for that!

Where is the opposition to masks on kids?

It’s bizarre, noone is speaking up despite the fact it’s now clear from England and Germany that they don’t make a difference!

DS tells me they are to keep masks on in drama class unless actually performing 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

It's education as a whole that's held to a different standard @mapleleavesreturn
Universities have to have 1m distancing in Scotland (as well as masks) which means larger classes have to be online.
And many college courses here are still 100% online.
While higher education in other countries is operating a lot more normally.

Despite the fact the same students can go to pubs, cinemas, nightclubs etc with no social distancing.
But obviously those things are more important than education

The mind boggles really, all sorts of group events going on - I don't think the by court comparisons on measures are ever detailed enough to show the differences. Written like that it's hard to understand re schools and universities.

My son is at university in England (although he's Scottish). He says everything is more or less back to normal both socially and academically, nor does he have to show his covid passport at events.

Large lectures of more than 50 students have to wear face masks inside. That's all!

Why can't Scotland behave the same?

Because Scot Gov don't give a monkeys about education or children.

That interesting @Aurea
Have there been outbreaks of covid associated with the university?
I certainly haven't heard about any on the scale we had last year.

Meanwhile in Scotland DS1 has one hour every 2 weeks face to face.

There's student are going to lose confidence in being out in amongst other people and all the stuff they should be doing at college and uni.
I can't decide if it's worse or better for kids away from home, they are at least forced to mix with flat mates.
But kids stuck in bedrooms for days at a time is bound to lead to MH issues, maybe not in all kids but some are bound to have long term issues.

Long term problems are being stored up for young people.

In more unintended consequences of the SG’s vaccine passports, a nightclub in Edinburgh is covering its dance floor with extra seating to avoid having to comply.

I'm half surprised more young people aren't organising buses to Carlisle and Newcastle.
Maybe they are we just don't know about it

It will be interesting to see if ONS data in a week or two follows zoe app trend which is showing its starting to equalise and come down in England ..... Without restrictions!

I'm hoping it does and hoping it starts to force the debate again that children and uni students should not be forced to do half the measures they are because it doesn't make any difference but has negative impacts on learning!

WouldBeGood Tiki Bar in Glasgow has done the same thing.

He hasn't heard of any particular outbreaks. They are all bi-weekly testing as well. Plenty of general bugs going around but not testing positive for covid in significant numbers.

It's a big city with a large international contingent as well.

My younger son will be applying for uni next year and it makes me appreciate the positives of an English university with less restrictions versus a Scottish one with many more restrictions - shame about the tuition fees though. However as the degree courses are a year less, employment should be a year earlier which should mitigate some of the additional costs of the tuition fees.

My second son will probably still end up at a Scottish uni though..........

Have just booked the kids special Christmas trip (for November inset days so it's going to be a loooong run in) in England.
Not faffing about with masks on and off is a large part of the appeal.
It's mostly outdoor anyway and I could not bear the thought of an expensive Santa train or similar with a mask. Because it isn't just the masks, it all the additional anxiety and lack of relaxation and just enjoying yourself that comes with it.
I've spent a lot more money in England than Scotland this year despite living three plus hours from the border

Sounds brilliant @calmdown14

We have a few things booked but thankfully most are outdoors.
We are travelling to England for Christmas this year to see friends and family and have booked a lovely hotel so don't have to do a crazy winter drive in one go. It's actually been 4 years since our last Christmas down south but I wanted to see family after last year and would be nice to escape the no entry without a mask sign for a bit!

I haven't even thought about a Santa visit this year, but now you have me thinking ...

We took a train trip last night, my LO doesn't ever remember being on a train before.

Cases are significantly down in England despite no restrictions.

I was asking about Platform before: they’re advertising no vaccine passports required.

10,000 down today as compared to last Saturday for example