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StarTopic Great Britain Batshit Islands |ST| Let us cling together

JazzPotatoes

JazzPotatoes

Koopa
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He/Him
Having a look on Famiboards, it doesn't appear we Britons have a UK thread yet. In honour of the latest idiocy and craziness to make the news rounds, what better way to celebrate that having our own Startopic to discuss issues pertaining to our little rock stuck in the Atlantic.

The latest news from Brexit Island:

Boris Johnson apologies for Downing Street party that he maintains never took place, but gives assurances that Covid guidelines were followed at event that never happened

Before taking any questions, Johnson told the Commons he was “also furious to see that clip”, saying: “I can understand how infuriating it would be to think that the people who have been setting the rules have not been following the rules.”

He continued: “I apologise unreservedly for the offence that it has caused up and down the country, and apologise for the impression that it gives.”

To jeers from the opposition benches, Johnson said he had no personal knowledge of any party. He said: “I repeat that I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party, and that no Covid rules were broken.”
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Transphobe Island continues to be institutionally transphobic

During his after-dinner speech at South College, Liddle said that when it comes to gender, the left is against “science or pure facts”, adding: “A person with an X and a Y chromosome, that has a long, dangling penis, is scientifically a man, and that is pretty much, scientifically, the end of the story.”
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Covid Plan B that the Government assured everyone was not going to happen, is probably going to happen

Ministers are expected to sign off new rules to impose home working and vaccine certification across England in the face of rising Covid cases, the Guardian understands.

Downing Street said no final decisions had been made but ministers and officials convened on Wednesday to move to plan B and to begin
imposing some restrictions as early as Wednesday night.
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In other news: The weather has been spectacularly shit even by British standards, people up North still don't have power, and Brexit is still ruining things for everyone.

On the plus side, I've got a cracking cup of Lapsang on the go.

Fellow Britons; Its been a mental couple of days, and it's possibly going to get even worse. How are you holding up?
 
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Tories having a Christmas party when I didn't doesn't annoy me, if anything it makes me wonder how none of them died considering just how deadly Covid is. I mean I'm sat here in the cold because my windows are open as the TV adverts told me Covid is "like smoke" so I'd rather it goes outside and into the neighbours house or gets a random passerby than lurks in mine.

I've managed to dodge the storms as well as I've dodge the Covid, the weather warning for the South West doesn't come north enough for my current place. I do get a chuckle each time they let the Dutch or Irish name them, someone at the Met Office can't accept Brexit.
 
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Plan B is now official, as of next week:

Johnson introduces working from home, stricter mask rules and Covid passes

Boris Johnson has triggered Plan B Covid measures in England including more working from home, vaccine passports and more mandatory wearing of face masks in an effort to stop the spread of Omicron.

As No 10 came under immense pressure over a Christmas party held in lockdown last year, the prime minister gave a press conference on Wednesday evening setting out further restrictions.
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I've been mostly working from home anyways, but I imagine this could get miserable over Christmas if further measures are required in the face of Omicron.
 
JazzPotatoes said:
Plan B is now official, as of next week:

Johnson introduces working from home, stricter mask rules and Covid passes



I've been mostly working from home anyways, but I imagine this could get miserable over Christmas if further measures are required in the face of Omicron.
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For them to lock us down again in the same week they were all caught on tape ignoring last year's lockdown makes me think they are just deliberately taking the piss. See how much they can curtail our freedoms without anyone storming the gates. Sadly the usual rent-a-mob are all fully in lockstep with big pharma this time so there's no chance of any push back.

Only thing we know about this new version is it has a name and its forced in to our ears every day. Killing off small business just to find out it was milder isn't going to help anyone but the billionaires who can sweep in to the voids.
 
Gashead said:
For them to lock us down again in the same week they were all caught on tape ignoring last year's lockdown makes me think they are just deliberately taking the piss. See how much they can curtail our freedoms without anyone storming the gates. Sadly the usual rent-a-mob are all fully in lockstep with big pharma this time so there's no chance of any push back.

Only thing we know about this new version is it has a name and its forced in to our ears every day. Killing off small business just to find out it was milder isn't going to help anyone but the billionaires who can sweep in to the voids.
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It's not a lockdown. They're not requiring anything shuts. Just that you have to wear a damn piece of cloth for it.

Some of you people would have had a aneurysm if you had to experience an actual lockdown or measures like were employed on the mainland.

Like, these changes that I'll have to follow to visit for Christmas, which are being posited as tightened rules, are still lighter restrictions than I've been under living in Germany for months.
 
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Gashead said:
For them to lock us down again in the same week they were all caught on tape ignoring last year's lockdown makes me think they are just deliberately taking the piss. See how much they can curtail our freedoms without anyone storming the gates. Sadly the usual rent-a-mob are all fully in lockstep with big pharma this time so there's no chance of any push back.

Only thing we know about this new version is it has a name and its forced in to our ears every day. Killing off small business just to find out it was milder isn't going to help anyone but the billionaires who can sweep in to the voids.
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The rate this new variant is spreading, it would be negligent to let it go another week. I'm double jabbed, not in a risk group and in my mid forties and I'm laid here day 4 of getting covid, feeling the most ill I have ever felt in my life. No idea if I have Omicron but I was shocked I caught it and that it has been so rough so far.
 
granth said:
The rate this new variant is spreading, it would be negligent to let it go another week. I'm double jabbed, not in a risk group and in my mid forties and I'm laid here day 4 of getting covid, feeling the most ill I have ever felt in my life. No idea if I have Omicron but I was shocked I caught it and that it has been so rough so far.
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Ill in what sense? Because the only people I've known to have it had zero in the way of cough which seems weird. Horrible 24 hour fevers but none of the lung stuff.

I follow the rules, I wear a mask in the supermarket and what not but I fear we will have no highstreets left come march and this already fractured place will have next to no communities left.
 
Gashead said:
Ill in what sense? Because the only people I've known to have it had zero in the way of cough which seems weird. Horrible 24 hour fevers but none of the lung stuff.

I follow the rules, I wear a mask in the supermarket and what not but I fear we will have no highstreets left come march and this already fractured place will have next to no communities left.
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Ill as in I can barely get out of bed. I ache everywhere, have a fever, headache that painkillers can't shift. And I've got worse as it has gone on. Lung stuff tends to happen day 5 to 7, if it is going to happen.
 
granth said:
Ill as in I can barely get out of bed. I ache everywhere, have a fever, headache that painkillers can't shift. And I've got worse as it has gone on. Lung stuff tends to happen day 5 to 7, if it is going to happen.
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Yeah that sounds like what they've all said. Hopefully you get better without the added stuff. Coughing with muscle pain would not be fun.
 
granth said:
The rate this new variant is spreading, it would be negligent to let it go another week. I'm double jabbed, not in a risk group and in my mid forties and I'm laid here day 4 of getting covid, feeling the most ill I have ever felt in my life. No idea if I have Omicron but I was shocked I caught it and that it has been so rough so far.
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Hoping you make a speedy recovery, granth.

All doom and gloom regarding the government aside, it is good that measures are coming in more proactively than last year. The hospitalization rate is inevitably going to go up, and if we let it go back to how things were last year, it would be a horror show.

While I'm miserable about the fact new measures are coming into force, I recognize why it's important they are.

...and why it's important to have a government that leads by example and doesn't actively laugh at the sacrifices made by the public and NHS staff.
 
granth said:
How long did it last for them on average? Because this is bloody miserable.
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Not 4 days. A couple and then like a day of recovery due to the dehydration/headaches and fatigue. But I didn't see any test results or anything so it's only their word that they had it. One said they'd been bed ridden for 23 of the 24 hours in a day and couldn't even finish a whole bowl of soup off. And a bowl of soup and a bottle of lucozade would clear any usual winter bug lol.
 
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I'm supposed to be hearing if our on-site work patterns will change later today but if it's like literally any other time this has happened I'll be told I'm somehow essential and still expected to come in on busy public transport and work in a busy environment and get the added responsibility of having to encourage people to wear masks while getting yelled at about freedoms and inconvenience before I finally get Covid just in time for Christmas.

Boosters are still for people over 40 and 6 months after the second jab, right? I'm so tired of being told how effective they are and how important it is I get one. I know!

Hope you feel better soon and that symptoms don't progress any further @granth.
 
Ramune said:
Boosters are still for people over 40 and 6 months after the second jab, right? I'm so tired of being told how effective they are and how important it is I get one. I know!
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They're for anyone in the UK now if you can find an appointment, I think.

Edit: I was wrong, but they're supposed to be for anyone imminently.
 
Linkstrikesback said:
They're for anyone in the UK now if you can find an appointment, I think.

Edit: I was wrong, but they're supposed to be for anyone imminently.
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Yeah, there's a lot of talk about how they'll extend it out to more people but it's slow going. Hopefully those who are eligible are able to get in and get their boosters now and the weather and holiday season don't make it harder.

I also just found out that our management team (who spend less time on site than us) want "as many people on site as possible this month." 🙃 We've managed to stay open and operate just fine with less of us here in person, most of our vital services to the kind of people who will still be active over Christmas can all be delivered remotely. But oh well.
 
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We've just been notified today that our works Xmas dinner is going to be pushed to January. Honestly, it's for the best. Work have also been very good about encouraging people to work from home, so I actually feel quite lucky in that regard. I know many employers have been making their staff lives hell trying to guilt them back into the office.

Also: The fact that our PM has responded to the current ongoing scandals by having another kid seems, somehow, like the most fitting development.
 
I'm lucky in that, while my work has been floating vague plans for a phased return to the office for a while now, they've never really been particularly aggressive about it. Some of my colleagues were going into the office because they wanted to, but I've been WFH since the first lockdown began and had no plans to go back even before yesterday's announcement.
 
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JazzPotatoes said:
Also: The fact that our PM has responded to the current ongoing scandals by having another kid seems, somehow, like the most fitting development.
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I'm surprised they've not decided to distract us by finally announcing that the queen's deed "entered a new phase."
 
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Zellia said:
This was literally my childhood
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Half my family are from the city the Beano's publisher is based in and my gran's neighbour worked for them so she would give me free copies. There's a Desperate Dan statue in the city centre and everything. Also used to get Broons and Oor Wullie annuals every year. 😭

This was the '90s though, American soft power was infiltrating my reading habits through Goosebumps and Sweet Valley High.
 
Ramune said:
Half my family are from the city the Beano's publisher is based in and my gran's neighbour worked for them so she would give me free copies. There's a Desperate Dan statue in the city centre and everything. Also used to get Broons and Oor Wullie annuals every year. 😭

This was the '90s though, American soft power was infiltrating my reading habits through Goosebumps and Sweet Valley High.
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I've never even been to the UK but I somehow know what all those things are. More of a 2000ad fan personally.
 
Ramune said:
Half my family are from the city the Beano's publisher is based in and my gran's neighbour worked for them so she would give me free copies. There's a Desperate Dan statue in the city centre and everything. Also used to get Broons and Oor Wullie annuals every year. 😭

This was the '90s though, American soft power was infiltrating my reading habits through Goosebumps and Sweet Valley High.
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I was a 90s kid. Beano and Dandy comics, Goosbumps, Animorphs and Spooksville were my reading material growing up.
 
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If any fellow Britons remember watching Cosgrove Hall's Wind In The Willows as a child in the 80s/90s, I was overjoyed to discover all 5 seasons have been uploaded to YouTube, and it holds up just as well as I remember. Better, even: all the references to Gilbert & Sullivan and Marlowe went well over my head as a kid.


wind-in-the-willows-toad.gif
 
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Trip to UK going well: every step of the way in German airport made to show my vaccination, and recent COVID test. On arrival in the UK, simply asked for which country I came from and then allowed to leave the airport.

What a mystery as to how COVID continues to get new variants in to the country.
 
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Linkstrikesback said:
Trip to UK going well: every step of the way in German airport made to show my vaccination, and recent COVID test. On arrival in the UK, simply asked for which country I came from and then allowed to leave the airport. lol
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Yeah same when I came back from Malta last month. On arrival in Malta, temperature check, passport check, entry paperwork check, covid passport check.

Entering the UK, shoved towards the automatic passport readers with zero other checks.

I had two doses of AZ earlier this year so want my booster as soon as possible. I work for a University, but only do a small amount of on campus work, but it's in a city centre and I get there through public transport. Thankfully only have one more day on campus before my mix of annual leave and the Christmas break kicks in, but I want to be able to see relatives - some of whom are old and vulnerable (and thankfully boosted) - while taking as few risks as possible.
 
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I’m thinking of trying to get a booster next week at a local walk-in because their site doesn’t mention age-related eligibility criteria. Might call ahead to check.

My anxiety is back up and I’m supposed to be travelling north to stay with my boyfriend’s family over Christmas. I haven’t socialised with anyone but him for almost two years or been anywhere but my flat and work so even just seeing two other people will be momentous lol. I’m an incredibly unlucky person though so I’m expecting to test positive in the next week or so, or to be struck down during the visit and unable to come back. I’m so tired.
 
You'll be fine, you don't forget how to talk in 2 years, just don't go bringing the hardcore super sex videos you've been watching. Chat about the weather and the sport like everyone else does.

And if you don't like sport just blag it. "England were bad at the cricket" will work for the ashes I expect, "Hamilton was lucky to win/unlucky not to win" depending on what happens tomorrow in the F1, "Man Utd sure are crap at the moment" you can probably use that until May.
 
If you fancy some left field sports banter "England just aren't pulling their weight in the Rugby" should get a conversation going.

If you're asked to follow up, just go with "I'm not saying they're doing terrible, but they need to pull their socks up" then stuff your mouth with Xmas food.
 
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I like tennis but I've never worked with anyone else who does, funnily enough. Also bring up snooker and whoosh, conversation dies in a ditch, just like that.

"Which team do you support?" I often get asked "England", I reply (since I do watch the England matches for some of the championships...occasionally). "Ah" they will nod and walk away. Works every time. If you want more conversation killers, I'm your man.
 
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Ramune said:
I’m thinking of trying to get a booster next week at a local walk-in because their site doesn’t mention age-related eligibility criteria. Might call ahead to check.

My anxiety is back up and I’m supposed to be travelling north to stay with my boyfriend’s family over Christmas. I haven’t socialised with anyone but him for almost two years or been anywhere but my flat and work so even just seeing two other people will be momentous lol. I’m an incredibly unlucky person though so I’m expecting to test positive in the next week or so, or to be struck down during the visit and unable to come back. I’m so tired.
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They've now enabled booster shot booking for over 30s, so I'm getting my booster tomorrow (I'm 32). Good timing.
 
Gashead said:
You'll be fine, you don't forget how to talk in 2 years, just don't go bringing the hardcore super sex videos you've been watching. Chat about the weather and the sport like everyone else does.
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Oh no, you're telling me I shouldn't have packed my hentai collection? This is going to get awkward
 
MisterSpo said:
They've now enabled booster shot booking for over 30s, so I'm getting my booster tomorrow (I'm 32). Good timing.
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I looked at the website and it said over 40s. Is it a regional thing or have they just not updated the website?

Linkstrikesback said:
Oh no, you're telling me I shouldn't have packed my hentai collection? This is going to get awkward
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You'll be fine. Just tell everyone how far gaming has come since Super Mario World.
 
Zellia said:
I looked at the website and it said over 40s. Is it a regional thing or have they just not updated the website?
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Apparently they accidentally opened up the bookings 2 days early - I've just logged on to try and rearrange it, but I'm not allowed to cancel or rearrange my booster jab until tomorrow, which means the appointment would go to waste.
 
Anyone want to take bets on how much longer Johnson is going to stay PM? The latest headlines today are photos of him actually quizmastering a party at Downing St. I can only think there are more leaks planned for the upcoming week.

Personally I'm hoping he's gone by January
 
Zellia said:
I looked at the website and it said over 40s. Is it a regional thing or have they just not updated the website?
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Maybe it’s regional - I’m about to go to a walk-in and their site says it’s available for 16+ I think, unless that was also an error (which I wouldn’t rule out).
Linkstrikesback said:
Oh no, you're telling me I shouldn't have packed my hentai collection? This is going to get awkward
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I know we’re all kidding but last time relatives visited we did have to do a quick check to make sure our bara wasn’t out in the open. Always double check, everyone! Be vigilant!
JazzPotatoes said:
Anyone want to take bets on how much longer Johnson is going to stay PM? The latest headlines today are photos of him actually quizmastering a party at Downing St. I can only think there are more leaks planned for the upcoming week.

Personally I'm hoping he's gone by January
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But who’s gonna take over is the bigger question. 😬
 
JazzPotatoes said:
Anyone want to take bets on how much longer Johnson is going to stay PM? The latest headlines today are photos of him actually quizmastering a party at Downing St. I can only think there are more leaks planned for the upcoming week.

Personally I'm hoping he's gone by January
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Wasn't he "virtually" doing it? he can just feign ignorance to how many people were on each input.

This won't take him down. It's literally nothing in the grand scheme of things. Being bribed by some donor to do up his flat is what he should be being targeted for.
 
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MisterSpo said:
Apparently they accidentally opened up the bookings 2 days early - I've just logged on to try and rearrange it, but I'm not allowed to cancel or rearrange my booster jab until tomorrow, which means the appointment would go to waste.
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Ramune said:
Maybe it’s regional - I’m about to go to a walk-in and their site says it’s available for 16+ I think, unless that was also an error (which I wouldn’t rule out)
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Hm, interesting. I think I'm going to wait for it to be 'official', so to speak. For me it only says 16+ for those at risk, which I'm not.

JazzPotatoes said:
Anyone want to take bets on how much longer Johnson is going to stay PM? The latest headlines today are photos of him actually quizmastering a party at Downing St. I can only think there are more leaks planned for the upcoming week.

Personally I'm hoping he's gone by January
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He's lost the media now, so he's pretty much a dead man walking. I also would not be surprised if they have further compromat and are just waiting to use it for maximum effect. When Boris has been reduced to railing at the BBC for being 'partisan' (I mean, they are, just not how Boris thinks) you know he's desperate.

My guess is he makes it through Xmas while his potential successors sharpen their knives and court media support for their leadership bids. He's gone no later than February, sooner if more damning revelations come out.
 
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Will be an early Christmas present if Johnson is ousted soon. Just depends who takes over...there's some pretty awful people in the Tory party.
 
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Are there any frontrunners for PM if Johnson is out? I almost don’t wanna know…
MisterSpo said:
Had my booster and waiting to leave the vaccine centre. Woop woop.
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Twinning! I just got back. Special shout-out to the woman having a coughing fit on the train back though, probably got it from her anyway. 😭

For anyone in London, I went to Guy’s, and their site still says the walk-in booster is available to anyone 16+ (it was mostly people in their 20s and 30s). You go to this address, they put you down for an appointment at the main hospital, and you can then take the quicker queue there. Took 90 mins all in all which I think was faster than my second jab. https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/f...rus-covid-19-vaccination-site/profile/XOR5F_3

It sounds like it’s different everywhere though. Hopefully everyone can book and get it soon (and with minimal hassle).
 
My galaxy brain take is that any new Tory leader will fail to have the same public appeal as Johnson, so while they will probably be worse politicians with worse policy ideas, they'll be better for Labour, SNP, Greens and Lib Dems come election time. There were stories about Johnson making himself ready for a ten year stint as PM, so the thought of him being gone by January is a warm one.

I believe the current front runners according to the Westminster village are Sunak and Truss. Sunak has the problem of being responsible for tax rises and benefit cuts, while Truss is popular with the membership, but otherwise widely disliked. There's also mention of Hunt giving it another go, as well as an outside chance of Patel putting her name in the ring.

If Priti Patel does end up being Johnson's successor, I can only imagine we'll see the return of hanging as a form of punishment...
 
The very fact that we are discussing the need for a personality to run the country following brexit and covid is a fucking worry lol.

I wonder when the last prime minister voted for competency was? Definitely before Blair but I've no real knowledge of Major outside of shagging around and having a gray puppet on spitting image.
 
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