(AND SOME VERY CHEERING NEWS)
Masks, which have remained obligatory in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (not to mention most of Europe) in most indoor situations, have once against become obligatory in England.
And you would think that the world had come to an end.
More than 20 Tory MPs voted against their government’s Covid regulations for mask wearing in England and the health minister who was obliged to introduce the legislation was heckled and booed by her own back benchers.
Amongst those who voted against the regulations were some names I guess you would expect to see on the far right of the right-wing Tory party of today:
Steve Baker, Graham Brady, Andrew Bridgen, Christopher Chope, Philip Davies, Jackie Doyle-Price, Richard Drax, Mark François, Philip Holloone, Mark Jenkinson, Craig Mackinlay, Esther McVey and Charles Walker.
Steve Baker, who gives me the impression of a slightly (slightly? Munguin) deranged person, accused his own government of “once again choosing that downward path towards, frankly, hell” by bringing in a new law telling people to wear masks in shops. “I intend to chart a course towards heaven and I hope honourable members will come with me,” he says.
HELL? If Hell is having to wear a mask on a bus, when I thought it was raging fires and intolerable pain, what have all these sinners been worrying about?
Mr Baker and many others, who presumably are also charting a course for Heaven, are still refusing to wear them in the Commons chamber despite it now being passed in the Commons.
It’s odd how wearing a piece of cloth over their mouths and noses to protect yourself and other people who potentially might suffer the effects of the virus more seriously than you, is considered such an infringement of liberties and human rights, but…
I don’t know for certain how effective a mask is… and I know that there are many different kinds of mask available, but it makes sense that a mask, any mask, will prevent droplets which we all exhale, being transmitted as far as they would otherwise be, especially when we are speaking, coughing and sneezing.
How accurate this diagram is, I do not know, but it certainly encouraged me to mask up when I saw it some long time ago.
I’m getting more and more angry with people who won’t put on a mask in public places to the point where I am now pretty obviously rude to them.
How are others coping?
**********
SOME GOOD NEWS
An opinion poll has put support for independence at 55%, the highest level seen in polling data since the election.
The Ipsos Mori survey for STV News showed 55% backing for Yes and 45% for No among likely voters when undecideds were excluded.
Independence support in each Scottish region: Highlands & Islands: 65% Glasgow: 64% Central: 59% Lothian: 56% Mid Scotland & Fife: 52% West: 51% North East: 50% South: 47%
That’s a YES majority in 6/8 regions. Source: Ipsos MORI, 22-29 November 2021. Undecideds excluded.
***********
MUNGUIN'S NEW REPUBLIC 
Don’t know if you can open this link
But us a very good illustration of the reason mask work
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I can’t open it, Niko.
Is that the John Hopkins illustration where you can see the droplets as they are blown out??
If so, it was the one I was looking for. I’ll try going incognito.
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https://www.ansys.com/en-gb/covid-19-simulation-insights
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Opens for me! I think that the NY Times allows ten articles per month before the paywall blocks you. I’ve also found that the Times keeps the count by individual browsers, and also usually allows additional articles on the same browser using incognito/private viewing. So multiple browsers and incognito viewing provide additional content.
It’s a similar situation with the Washington Post the last time I checked.
Off topic, but perhaps useful info:
I play cat and mouse with the Washington Post. I once got a special offer one year digital subscription to the Post for $40. Then, one year later, they auto-renewed the subscription for $100, which I immediately cancelled. Then they asked me if I would like to continue at the $40 rate. Which I did. Every year thereafter, when they’ve tried to charge me $100 rate, I cancel the subscription and they give me the $40 rate again. For about three years running now!
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I tried incognito and I tried being in Chicago (it was cold) and it didn’t work.
Most odd.
I have noticed though that all sorts of things can be cheaper if you persist or show a disinclination to continue.
A few times recently I’ve looked at some product or other on line and as I move to load another page I get a message telling me that I have a 15% discount (which, had I made the purchase straight away, I would NOT have had).
$100 down to $40 is fairly spectacular.
But it’s an odd way to show loyalty to a customer, to more than double costs, but offer the lower figure to a new customer!
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Yes Tris, the “introductory” prices are usually the best deal. Then they usually sign you up for auto-renewal at full price. But in the case of the Post, I discovered that they’d rather let you keep the reduced rate than have you cancel and not send them any more money at all. 🙂
Sorry that the Times didn’t work, even in Chicago. Maybe they’ve changed the way they operate their paywall. I have a friend in New York City who has a subscription to the print edition of the Times, and with that full subscription, he gets to give one friend a free digital subscription. So he lets me piggy back on his subscription.
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I had an account at the Washington Post many years ago, purely to take part in the Style Invitational competition. Some of them were inspired…!
For example; “Add, subtract or change one letter of a word and give it its new definition”.
The one that stuck was, “Reintarnation – coming back to life as a hillbilly”.
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Hahaha Derek…….I love “reintarnation!” I wish the Post still had that as a feature.
The “Old Gray Lady” (New York Times) is so obsessive in its journalistic accuracy that its precisely worded…..and occasionally more or less irrelevant……. “corrections” are often read for humorous effect. I just Googled these internet pieces which might or might not open in Munguin’s. If not, a Google search on “funny New York Times corrections” will usually yield some entertaining reading.
The Times article about its own corrections in 2019 (below), leads off with some single letter corrections that make a difference:
——————————-
One of the very first corrections of the year proved a single letter can make a world of difference in meaning.
Correction: “An earlier version of this article misstated the name of an organization that has documented a crackdown on journalists in Saudi Arabia. It is the Committee to Protect Journalists, not the Committee to Project Journalists.”
So did one later in the year — although you can probably guess why the writer had horses in mind.
Correction: “An earlier version of this briefing misstated the name of the Kentucky Derby winner. It is Country House, not Country Horse.”
Another single-letter correction scrambled President Trump’s family tree.
Correction: “Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article misstated the given name of President Trump’s first wife. It is Ivana, not Ivanka.”
—————————————
https://theweek.com/articles/469508/years-9-most-hilariousnew-york-timescorrections
https://www.buzzfeed.com/tomvellner/it-is-twilight-sparkle-the-nerdy-intellectual
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Er yeah exclude everybody until you get a majority.,,,works in the USA 🇺🇸
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I think they only excluded the ‘don’t knows’, which is normal practice.
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Strange world in that westmonster.
An MP from the Yorkshire area of englandland, third generation immigrant asks the doris ‘When are you coming for ME’. He was asking about the new nationality act by patel.
Shouts of ‘Disgrace’ from the tory benches.
Yet when the doris says he’s going ahead with forcing ‘boat people’ crossing La Manche by pushing them back to France. Cheers.
These ‘humans’ are showing signs of Fascism.
Interesting facts;
Fort George in Scotland cost the Scottish people a whole year’s GDP to suppress the natives.
Scottish Power are charged £20m a week to send electricity to Wales from Hunterston, a windfarm in the Bristol Channel are Given £7m a week as a subsidy. The longest cable is from Norway and they get free access to the grid.
Are you convinced on Independence yet?
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https://ballotbox.scot/ipsos-mori-november-2021
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The Ipos-Mori woman being interviewed on STV this evening about the poll was suggesting that the lead for Yes might be down to the unpopularity of Johnson in Scotland at present.
So,presumably for those people who have changed their minds based on that premise,a change of leadership in England’s Tory party,might make them decide that independence is not for Scotland after all.
Hope the poll woman is wrong,we shall see.
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That’s not unreasonable, I suppose. I assume she has some statistics which would support that, rather than a gut feeling (which is what I have about it).
But I was looking at figures the other day which suggested that Liz Truss was the most popular of the cabinet ministers with the Tory membership. Given the way that PMs are chosen, I can’t imagine that, if she replaced Johnson, things would change much… I remember that Frostie the No man was next and that the semi sentient Dorries was high up the list too. Johnson was last.
Even if they called another general election, because, goodness, it’s been 2 years since the last one and on the current record, that means it’s time for another one, the Tories would be returned.
I think the dip in the Tory popularity because of the drunken mess of his speech to the CBI has passed into history.
But I think the government here needs to work hard on this (whist not letting go of the Covid situation and leaving itself open to that kind of criticism from Dumbo) and take advantage of how strongly people hate the way we are being governed from London atm.
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Can only think that Johnson is allowed to continue because,
he hasn’t squandered the 80 seat lead, yet.
(thanks to a useless opposition)
they (1922 committee) are fearful of split/faction
I’m quite sanguine, if it is factions that stays their hand, whilst Johnson is a good recruiting officer for indy, any replacement is likely to be as good. To keep the peace it will need to be another one from the rabid sector of the party. All, from that sector will do no harm to our independence polls.
But what do I know, I was thinking that the recent media airing of Hancock might have been his support gang lifting him up above the parapet, just to keep his “hat in the ring.” And it now looks like he might be getting lined up for the sacrificial distraction (the unredacted Alpha contract suddenly appearing).
Being ignorant makes so much more, just that bit more plausable.
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I’m inclined to agree.
Mos of the reasonably intelligent and centred Tories were either chucked out of the party by Johnson or they left, unable to stand for a party that would accept a hard Brexit when everything we were sold suggested a very soft one.
All they have left is people you wouldn’t leave in charge of making the coffee.
Frost, Sunak, Dorries, Raab, the Cheese woman… would all be just as useful to our cause as Johnson is
I just cannot see Hancock ever being acceptable, but hey, I didn’t think Johnson could be either.
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“How are others coping?”
At my local shopping centre I’m noticing more and more unmasked. Tends to be under 35s. (I’m obviously excluding under 5s and those wearing exemption lanyards – the latter tends to be folk over 50s.) Quite a few un-nosed but few chin wearers. The latter really annoys me – don’t flipping bother if you are going to take the piss.
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Yep, I notice particularly older blokes who cover mouth but not nose, and younger women who take offense when I make a very very obvious u-turn or swerve… along with a glare, if they are coming towards me in an aisle.
Teenagers around here seem to be the best at wearing masks, which is impressive.
But people are getting fed up with the restrictions, I think. It does make you wonder what happened to that Blitz spirit the Brexiteers talk so fondly of (although none of them actually lived through it).
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Here in Extremadura, western Spain, mask wearing by everyone. Even noticed small children playing in school playgrounds all wear masks.😷
My husband and I (early and mid 60s) had our boosters this morning 😊
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Yes. It seems that, although there is some resistance in other countries, they are tending to obey the law.
Scotland is a lot better… as I assume is Wales and NI, but of course, in England they stopped all the regulations and left it up to companies to deal with…
And companies, by and large, can’t enforce regulations.
Some people think that they are above that sort of thing… mostly the gammon types.
Do you know how the Brits on the Costas are doing?
Congratulations on your boosters.
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I don’t know anyone on the costas, but I’ve read that residents of Spain from other countries, including from Britain, adhere to the mask wearing as it is the law. However holiday makers from england I believe think they don’t need to wear masks as they don’t in England. Very sad.
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Yes, we get that here too, Tatu.
One particularly thick woman told me that Boris Johnson, who was the Prime Minister of all the UK said you didn’t have to wear one, so she wouldn’t.
Ho hum.
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When approaching the unmasked, cough, sniff, pretend sneeze and complain about a raw, sore throat within earshot.
I sometimes has a positive effect on them, will at least unnerve them.
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LOL Brilliant.
Actually my mate did that in a shop. Two women not wearing masks came right up to us. I immediately moved away, making it very obvious that I was uncomfortable being in the same place as them, but Nik too his mask off and coughed loudly in their direction, and when they moved he followed them still coughing! Of course he wasn’t really coughing, but it scared them. I hope they spent the night worrying about it.
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Good to see the poll bar chart of Leader’s popularity has been inverted, when I first looked at the original it seemed to be suggesting the ‘Clown’ was leading!!!
Simply tricks can mislead, with stats!
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Yes. I suppose at first glance it could be misleading.
I wish we could see what people think of DRoss.
Probably ….WHO?
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i am on the yougov panel and for the last few months on their daily chat panel. Surprisingly, given they are very english eccentric, the majority support mask wearing and the general restrictions including passports.What to do? let the majority call out the nutters and embarrass them in public, and watch them slink away.
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Yes. I’m for that, but I guess people also have to take into consideration that the nutters, instead of getting embarrassed, may be nasty.
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Honestly, so much research has been done to show that masks reduce transmission of the virus it beggars belief that some idiots refuse to wear them. Depending on which type the effectiveness differs, but, if you wear two masks, one of those blue ones underneath a good fitting cloth mask, it is very very effective in stopping droplets to yourself and from others. I wasn’t happy when a woman collecting a return item for a well known outlet, came to our door, mobile in hand to take a photo, no mask, no distancing grrr. Masks are also good in reducing exposure to pollution and the less hazardous pollen etc. Wouldn’t be without one, only thing is people still recognise me when I’d rather they couldn’t. Maybe I need a whole new style lol!
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I wear glasses and sometimes, with a mask on, they steam up.
So I bought on of those fitted plastic face coverings, but it hurt my nose.
If you wear the two together you avoid both steaming and a sore nose bridge.
Of course, you get some funny looks, but hey… I can hack that!
It’s the “infringement of liberty” crap I can’t stand. How much more liberty damaging is it to be in ICU with a ventilator doing your breathing? How free are you then?
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Article, among many.
https://phys.org/news/2021-10-breezy-masks-outdoors-coronavirus-exposure.html
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I see that in some countries they are being advised to wear masks outdoors.
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Good grief, such hateful ignorance! Some people actually have health conditions which make them exempt from wearing masks! Not just ’emotional distress’, but in danger of collapse. Will you ban them from normal life? This is downright ignorance, ableism & discrimination. I am exempt, but struggle on to use it, even though it makes me unwell & have to cut shopping trips short, due to ignorance such as this. Having been beaten up, I can assure you that discrimination is real.
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People who are medically exempt from wearing a mask are issued with an appropriate lanyard in Scotland.
Of course that doesn’t stop them passing on the virus, and I will always avoid being too close to them, but I would never attack them for it.
They should, however do their best not to get too close to other people. For whatever reason they are not wearing a mask. they can transit the disease, possibly to someone who is immunodeficient and whom they will kill.
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There is no legal requirement to wear a mask, carry or show an exemption card, if you have a disability which means that you are mask exempt. To ask someone is actually discrimination. Please read up on disability discrimination.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own
Scroll down to ‘if you are not able to wear a face covering’, and ‘Exemption cards’.
‘If you have an age, health or disability reason for not wearing a face covering:
– you do not routinely need to show any written evidence of this
– you do not need to show an exemption card
This means that you do not need to seek advice or request a letter from a medical professional about your reason for not wearing a face covering’.
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If I were in that situation I would absolutely make sure that those around me knew that I was not wearing a mask because I had a medical exemption.
Otherwise people might think I was an ignorant uncaring bastard who simply didn’t give a toss if he killed a few old folk or people with kids on with immunodeficiency.
If you can’t be bothered to do that, then take the consequences for people ignoring and avoiding you, or being downright rude.
A friend of mine, wearing a mask, but and a very sick parent in a care home, had to get off the bus because some ignorant lout sat down beside her on the bus, maskless and refused to move.
If she took Covid into a care home, she could kill dozens of people.
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Totally disgusted that you should make this about political point scoring. Thanks to all my super clever, ‘caring fellow’ Scots.
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It’s not about political point scoring… but I would have to say that it seems to be only Tories in the House of Commons who pointed refuse to wear masks.
I understand that Mr Rees Mogg has said that Conservative MPs and fraternal, but, do they realise that they are obliged to also meet members of staff… including those who may not be Tories, and thus fraternal… people like cleaners and catering staff, admin people, security people?
Incidentally, I’m not sure that a fraternal relationship actually guards against Covid transmissions.
I’ll happily criticise an SNP, Alba, Labour or Green member of parliament if they take that attitude too.
Nothing to do with politics and everything to do with knowing how horrific this disease can be, having listened on a daily basis to a doctor who worked a Covid ward, recount the horrors of what he was watching.
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BTW, I got rid of your last two comments because while I’ve no objection to people disagreeing, I expect it to be done politely.
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diplomatic as ever. more so than I could ever be!
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That’s why Munguin pays me so much!!!
🙂
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