FlyTheNest

Good morfternoon.

Hmmm, but early for that wasn't it?

(though it isn't now)

Morning all.

The Chumocracy continues...

Row as Boris Johnson ally lined up for top job at Office for Students

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... uV3oOUmVTs





But...but Labour did it too!

Barber was a Labour appointee to things - the difference being is that he knew what he was talking about and was effective.

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If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.

A good piece on free speech and Universities

https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... om-thought?

Truss & Foucault.

Liz Truss doesn't know about Foucault, but she also doesn't care

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... tmodernism



The irony was that Truss was signalling that she wanted to get back to relying on facts and evidence and not posturing...

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If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.

The bit about Foucault has apparently been erased from the online version of the speech?

Think that was because it strayed into party politics which apparently isn't allowed on Government websites.

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If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55376727


Other European countries are introducing some pretty tough Christmas restrictions while we trail behind with our Christmas bubbles. Clearly the signs are worrying, though, for the measures in places like Germany and Italy to be felt necessary and we are seeing higher numbers of hospitalization in the South East than first time around so have we taken yet another wrong turn like our belated action earlier in the year?

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"Fall seven times, get up eight" - Japanese proverb

I'm sure that effectively cancelling Christmas for London and the SE (as is currently rumoured) at such short notice will go down well

Anyone who kicks up a fuss over this, when Eid etc were 'cancelled' with less than 24hrs notice, can do one.

Well there is that, granted.

But when we had our PM saying "Starmer wants to cancel Christmas" just *a few days ago*, some people are going to be a bit cross.

Son who lives in Cardiff had already decided not to come home but daughter in Cambridge was...I guess that means she won't now.

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If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.

re the above

https://twitter.com/eggs_horse/status/1 ... 3657478151

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If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.

Ouch.

https://twitter.com/jonathansimons/stat ... 9249013761

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If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.

He speaks for many.

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One world, like it or not - John Martyn

Simon Blackwell
@simonblackwell
BBC just said this was ‘sobering news’. Not if I can help it.

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One world, like it or not - John Martyn

I must confess travelling up to the Borders to spend Christmas with the folks is looking more of a foolhardy endeavour by the day. Even Northumberland, which was only ever dragged into tier 3 by Tyne and Wear, is having some really nasty outbreaks in the South West which are spreading. I'm going to have to have serious words with my Dad on Monday. He wants my brother and I there as it could well be the last Christmas we ever spend with my Mum but fucking hell this is a bastard of a decision.

In more cheerful news I just cooked a Christmas dinner (I like to have one on my own each year...long story) and everything went according to plan. Now I'm on the Port and blue Stilton. If anyone wants any roast potatoes or parsnip I've got quite a lot left over.

As for Johnson, anyone looking at the government's own Covid map over the last couple of weeks could see the number of infections in London and the South East exponentially rising. By all accounts it was him and Sunak who vetoed London going into tier 3 after the November lockdown despite knowing that tier 2 restrictions are like a gnat's piss in the wind in the face of major outbreaks. His spineless inability to make tough decisions until they're forced on him at the very last moment has once again resulted in horrible real life consequences for millions of people. He's a despicable coward and if I hear him say 'alas' one more time in regard to something that is his fault I'm going to divert all my efforts into contriving a situation where my foot gets a good clean shot at his balls.

Oh and I loved the bloke from the Telegraph implying our new super Covid variant must have come from abroad. Well done to Vallance for slapping him down. If anything else was 70% better at anything and came from London and the Shires the Telegraph would be cock-a-hoop, but because it's a killer virus it must have come from those dirty foreigners.

Anyone else care to share their Christmas plans?

(I've moved from the Port to a Bordeaux Merlot I got delivered from a local wine shop that was nearly 30 quid but tastes like something I could have got from Tesco).

Perhaps it's my unrefined palate.

I quite enjoyed watching Boris Johnson suffering a slow puncture. Although it's a great pity that people are paying such a huge price for my fleeting moments of pleasure.

Not sure about the translation.

Yes - the lyrics (which were no great poetical work in the first place) are rather wide of the mark, but it's a pleasing musical arrangement.

A pleasing musical arrangement. I'm glad you approve.

I like cheese.

?

Night night.

Good morning all.

Hancock blaming the public for everything this morning, I see

We've not seen family on Christmas Day since Mum died so it doesn't make any difference to us. Usually we would go to Edinburgh to see niece and family earlier in the month though, last year we all went to the light show at the Botanics, it was lovely.

Apparently my sister was going to go in the 5-day window, she lives in Wakefield. Other sister, who lives on a Scottish island, was incandescent about it so at least we're spared that source of family friction, small mercies and all that.

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One world, like it or not - John Martyn

@Sky'sGoneOut

Re Christmas plans.

I got my husband a bottle of Stolichnaya vodka for Christmas. He then got his Christmas schedule which has him working the Boxing Day bank holiday and decided he might as well get cracking on it early as he won't actually get many opportunities for a drink over the holiday period.

So not only will we not be visiting anyone or having anyone visit us, we won't even be spending much more time together than normal. Which is true of a lot of essential workers every single year, I know, but my husband usually gets bank holidays off and used to work a four day week before Covid impacted schedules so would usually be off a bit more at Christmas. So it's all a bit crappy, really, except the vodka which is very nice indeed.

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"Fall seven times, get up eight" - Japanese proverb

Just one example. FFS.
What's worse, the govt or the journos defending them?



https://twitter.com/tom_usher_/status/1 ... 8800525312

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One world, like it or not - John Martyn

Morning all.

Out for a 90 walk round the streets accompanying 'er out(in)doors delivering Christmas cards to Guides.

I've seen a few "That does it! I'm finished with the Tories!" tweets - almost like they thought that this PM would do a decent job when the chips were down...

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If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.

The responses to that are heartening, though.

Two good articles...on on the PM.

With his sudden U-turn over Christmas, Boris Johnson caps a year of debacles

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... f-debacles

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If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.

And the second on the National trust and renewed attacks on academics by the sillier brand of Tory.

I've been unfairly targeted, says academic at heart of National Trust 'woke' row

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... t-woke-row



Quite. NT members who apparently decided to leave in disgust seem to want a nice walk round a posh house to admire the pictures and furniture, followed by a look in the gist shop and afternoon tea.

But "here's how they got the money to pay for it and live like this"? - dear me, no thank you...

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If I'm not here, then I'll be in the library. Or the other library.

Brexit update

https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ine-missed

Euro tunnel closes this evening for at least 48h

FERRY TERMINAL AT THE PORT OF DOVER IS CLOSED TO ALL ACCOMPANIED TRAFFIC LEAVING THE UK UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO BORDER RESTRICTIONS IN FRANCE

EU announced there will now be no deal in 2020

We’re on our own.

Crisis, what crisis.

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One world, like it or not - John Martyn

What the hell is going to happen to all those wagon drivers???!!!
And how long will the queues be by this time tomorrow?

Project Fear? Surely nobody suggested anything nearly as bad as this.

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One world, like it or not - John Martyn

Real life consequences.

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One world, like it or not - John Martyn

If they end up having to dump that seafood, they should do it outside Downing St.

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One world, like it or not - John Martyn