FlyTheNest

Morning all.

Good morning.

Our Minister for Vaccines came out of hiding to be interviewed after the 8am Today news - impossible to listen to what he was saying to the "er...er...er..." all the time. It was probably very interesting but eventually gave up and switched off.

Good morfternoon.

Georgia Senate runoffs: Democrat Raphael Warnock wins against Kelly Loeffler

Democrats within striking distance of taking control of the upper chamber in triumph that marks dramatic moment in American politics (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... e-loeffler

RogerOThornhill wrote:Good morning.

Our Minister for Vaccines came out of hiding to be interviewed after the 8am Today news - impossible to listen to what he was saying to the "er...er...er..." all the time. It was probably very interesting but eventually gave up and switched off.

Like listening to radio interference. I gave up too, despite having waited a long time to hear what inaccurate rubbish he had spent so long concocting.

Good news from the US.


The BBC excelled themselves yesterday with Gupta on Today and Toby Young on Newnight. Maitlis and Dunt did a good job of shredding him, but why on earth was he there, 99/100 scientists/doctors say the same things but they have to have 1 lunatic for 'balance'.
Climate change all over again.

Re the US...

Lindsey Graham
@LindseyGrahamSC
If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.
10:03 PM · May 3, 2016·TweetDeck

Yep. You do.

Apparently, schools are a vector.

In epidemiology, a disease vector is any agent which carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism;[1][2] agents regarded as vectors are organisms, such as intermediate parasites or microbes. The first major discovery of a disease vector came from Ronald Ross on 20 August 1897. Sir Ronald Ross discovered the Malaria pathogen when he dissected a mosquito.(Wikipedia)

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less." (Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll)

I'm old enough to remember Sunday, when schools were safe.

Hope everybody remembers to take their Christmas stuff down today if they haven't already.

Or what you will . . .

I didn't realise we got Christmas dec reminders as part of our Flythenest service
All down here. Our cat is very pleased to get his bean bag back, which had been moved to make way for the tree. I say "his". It's really our daughter's bean bag, but he has taken complete ownership of it and will sit and stare sulkily at her if she dares to use it when playing on the Xbox.

Politics wise, I'm pretty concerned that the government appears to be endorsing so many children to be allowed to continue to attend school for various reasons that those who remain home, like my daughter, will actually be in the minority and potentially disadvantaged. If true, it's hard to see how schools will manage what will essentially be a double workload of providing full teaching for those at home and full childcare for those in school. Schools can focus on homeschooling or they can focus on making schools safe with testing but I can't see how they can focus on both and we will probably end up with the worst of all worlds as a result. Ten long months after schools first shut there appear to still be many, many children without access to laptops and now, it seems, all those children are being allowed to attend schools that are supposedly closed. It's an absolute joke, if true.

It would be in the Government's interest to continue not providing that remote learning kit that they keep promising, wouldn't it?

I'm still churning over in my mind the fact that one of the reasons given for mixing vaccines for the second shot is that there might not be a record of what recipients were given the first time round. That rather troubling statement doesn't seem to have bothered anyone else or, at least, not so's I've noticed. Sounds unlikely, although worrying if actually the case. Surely not another lie?

PorFavor wrote:I'm still churning over in my mind the fact that one of the reasons given for mixing vaccines for the second shot is that there might not be a record of what recipients were given the first time round. That rather troubling statement doesn't seem to have bothered anyone else or, at least, not so's I've noticed. Sounds unlikely, although worrying if actually the case. Surely not another lie?

If there's no record of a first shot how will it even be possible to know someone needs a second shot anyway. It's a very unlikely scenario, I think. What we really need to know, and be assured, is that we are ensuring supply for second shots before the first is given, so we don't ever get to the point of mixing vaccines "because it's the only one we've got available". It just shouldn't happen.

Yes, the Georgia results are heartening. And given the map, it means the Dems have a fair chance of holding on to the Senate in 2022 (the House may be a different matter sadly)

Of course the WHO has basically said that although what we're doing is completely against their recommendations and other countries should not do likewise, it's understandable that a country that has dropped the ball to the degree the UK has and is experiencing major, uncontrolled spread, might take such desperate measures. In other words, they think we're being reckless but they've got their fingers crossed for us and hope it works.

Which is hardly reassuring

Willow904 wrote:
If there's no record of a first shot how will it even be possible to know someone needs a second shot anyway. It's a very unlikely scenario, I think. What we really need to know, and be assured, is that we are ensuring supply for second shots before the first is given, so we don't ever get to the point of mixing vaccines "because it's the only one we've got available". It just shouldn't happen.

I hadn't thought of it in terms of "no record at all" (just "no record of what you had when you had it") - but if that's the case, as it could well be, you're right.

Any road up, any vaccine given pre the date of the approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine (if there's a record) would, of necessity have been the Pfizer one. Wouldn't it?

Gavin Williamson even manages to fluff his big line.

PorFavor wrote:I'm still churning over in my mind the fact that one of the reasons given for mixing vaccines for the second shot is that there might not be a record of what recipients were given the first time round. That rather troubling statement doesn't seem to have bothered anyone else or, at least, not so's I've noticed. Sounds unlikely, although worrying if actually the case. Surely not another lie?

I understood people were being given a card recording date/vaccine, certainly they are in Wales, but I can well believe there's no central record, it would mean a new field on the NHS database, perhaps. So you turn up for your second jab and it's pot luck.

I'm not too worried about this one though, BBCNews24 do a Q&A in the mornings and some weeks ago someone asked this question, could they mix vaccines between the first and second shot. Maybe about the time the Pfizer one was approved. The presenter guessed that the answer was no, but both the experts said that because of the way the vaccines work it should be ok.
Ideally you wouldn't be trialling it in the middle of the pandemic but the CMOs think it's the way to go.

PorFavor wrote:Gavin Williamson even manages to fluff his big line.

It's impossible to decide which of them's worst.

Williamson possibly weighs more on the incompetent side of the scale, against Patel's evil.

gilsey wrote:

PorFavor wrote:I'm still churning over in my mind the fact that one of the reasons given for mixing vaccines for the second shot is that there might not be a record of what recipients were given the first time round. That rather troubling statement doesn't seem to have bothered anyone else or, at least, not so's I've noticed. Sounds unlikely, although worrying if actually the case. Surely not another lie?

I understood people were being given a card recording date/vaccine, certainly they are in Wales, but I can well believe there's no central record, it would mean a new field on the NHS database, perhaps. So you turn up for your second jab and it's pot luck.

I'm not too worried about this one though, BBCNews24 do a Q&A in the mornings and some weeks ago someone asked this question, could they mix vaccines between the first and second shot. Maybe about the time the Pfizer one was approved. The presenter guessed that the answer was no, but both the experts said that because of the way the vaccines work it should be ok.
Ideally you wouldn't be trialling it in the middle of the pandemic but the CMOs think it's the way to go.

Apparently, Pfizer has said "No". But admittedly they'll have a financial interest.

PorFavor wrote:Any road up, any vaccine given pre the date of the approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine (if there's a record) would, of necessity have been the Pfizer one. Wouldn't it?

You would think that the vaccination centre would know which one they had on any given day, certainly for the near future, although that might break down if/when they get north of 1m/day.

I've just come in and turned on my TV and there's some kind of horrible smear on the screen...oh wait no, it's Gavin Williamson.

PorFavor wrote:
Apparently, Pfizer has said "No". But admittedly they'll have a financial interest.

Because they haven't trialled it, but as we've given them an indemnity against any liability for anything at all going wrong they're not responsible for the outcome.
Not ideal, no.

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Hope everybody remembers to take their Christmas stuff down today if they haven't already.

It's just occurred to me - do I have to throw out the bowl of festive clementines (which, apart from cards, is my only concession to Christmas decorations)?

PorFavor wrote:

Willow904 wrote:
If there's no record of a first shot how will it even be possible to know someone needs a second shot anyway. It's a very unlikely scenario, I think. What we really need to know, and be assured, is that we are ensuring supply for second shots before the first is given, so we don't ever get to the point of mixing vaccines "because it's the only one we've got available". It just shouldn't happen.

I hadn't thought of it in terms of "no record at all" (just "no record of what you had when you had it") - but if that's the case, as it could well be, you're right.

At the vets they have little stickers they put in your cat's vaccination card so you have a record too. They don't say "Leukaemia vaccine" or whatever, it's "brand name";"product name" ; "batch no";" expiry date". If you lose your card and move vets, for instance, you may end up with no record and there needs to be guidance for vets on what to do in such circumstances. I'm assuming (hoping?!) that this is a similar sort of thing and not really something that is expected to happen in anything other than a very small number of cases. I guess we will see....

Virus, variant, vaccine, vector.

Hands, face, space, vest.

Been watching the American news channels and it's been mentioned a few times now that the 'proud boys' and other assorted rabbles of far right ballbags have been much more easily controlled by the police than the Black Lives Matters protesters in the past because they all refuse to wear any kind of face covering. This leaves them with no protection against pepper spray, so despite all their ludicrous body armour they've been easily dispersed, corralled and outmaneuvered by regular cops on bicycles and there are reports of them fighting amongst themselves in frustration.

Diddums.

PorFavor wrote:

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Hope everybody remembers to take their Christmas stuff down today if they haven't already.

It's just occurred to me - do I have to throw out the bowl of festive clementines (which, apart from cards, is my only concession to Christmas decorations)?

Won't they be past their best by now anyway?

AnatolyKasparov wrote:

PorFavor wrote:

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Hope everybody remembers to take their Christmas stuff down today if they haven't already.

It's just occurred to me - do I have to throw out the bowl of festive clementines (which, apart from cards, is my only concession to Christmas decorations)?

Won't they be past their best by now anyway?

Not at all - they're "rolling" clementines. They haven't been the same ones for the whole festive period. What sort of household do you run?

I'm sure we're all shocked that the new Chairman of the BBC is not only a major donor to the Tory Party but a director of the Centre for Policy Studies.

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I guess this is a "well it could have been worse"...

Giuliani is requesting "trial by combat" on proving election fraud. Interesting interpretation of what he counts as evidence.

A righteously smug near celebratory vibe happening on MSNBC, they're just laughing at Trump now.

They're certain Ossoff is going to win and by more than half a percent so he'll avoid a recount, Perdue has nowhere left still counting to get enough votes. Last time I watched the network news channels after the Presidential election even the liberal channels had the Republicans as favourites in the Georgia run offs, and Fox news was smirking about Biden being a 'lame duck' president without the Senate. How times have changed.

And all the networks are saying it's thanks to Trump. Across the political spectrum there's rare bipartisan agreement that his antics screwed the Republicans in Georgia and has left the party in toxic disarray with considerable blood letting to come. And like a turd that won't flush they've no idea how to get rid of him.

Happy Days.

Is there an annual clementine-rolling festival somewhere in the vicinity of PF's locale?

It appears, at the moment I’m writing this, that Democratic candidates have won both of the US Senate races in Georgia, with the Rev Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff defeating the Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... hite-house" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm happy

Good evening, everyone.

Many Republicans in Congress now standing and applauding Arizona's Republicans beginning the doomed attempt to subvert a democratic election by objecting to the electoral college count.

Madness.

Let the GOP bloodbath begin.

Is today the first 1000 plus deaths from Covid day, then?

While Mitch McConnell finally makes a speech repudiating Trump's nonsense while criticising members of his own party, outside Trump supporting thugs violently try to force their way in past police (who they accuse of being traitors) after the Mango Mussolini invited them to march on the Capitol building.

Nothing fascistic about any of this whatsoever, no siree.

Northern Ireland facing food supply disruption over Brexit, MPs told

Trucks arriving at GB ports lack paperwork needed to enter region, business leaders say (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... t-mps-told

Even on Fox news now they're talking about defending the constitution and the rule of law against the rule of the mob. A mob raised and fired up by Donald Trump. They actually sound shocked and rattled by what's going on.

No mention of their own culpability of course.

I'm off to watch the football.

Here's a link to view this ongoing attempted right wing coup on Fox.

They're inside the building now.

https://watchnewslive.tv/fox-news-live-stream-usa/

Sky'sGoneOut wrote:Even on Fox news now they're talking about defending the constitution and the rule of law against the rule of the mob. A mob raised and fired up by Donald Trump. They actually sound shocked and rattled by what's going on.

No mention of their own culpability of course.

Yes, it's funny that they've just caught on as to how it all ends.

Its a completely half arsed coup - but if there was any doubt before that the POTUS was getting arrested in barely a fortnight, there surely isn't now.

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Is today the first 1000 plus deaths from Covid day, then?

horrifying

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Its a completely half arsed coup - but if there was any doubt before that the POTUS was getting arrested in barely a fortnight, there surely isn't now.

Good. He's a bad guy.

PorFavor wrote:

Northern Ireland facing food supply disruption over Brexit, MPs told

Trucks arriving at GB ports lack paperwork needed to enter region, business leaders say (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... t-mps-told

I see clearly my best interests are best served working in a team with my peers
Cooperation is pleasant
Domination shatters peace, wastes lives and resources

Bloody hell, even his "go home" speech still has the claims of electoral fraud!

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US.
WTF.
(but indeed - who didn't see this coming)