Be Excellent To Each Other

Has anyone checked if there's a sneaky Barnard Castle exemption in the new regulations?

I've found the ideal theme song for HMG's response to the pandemic, Bill Nelson's Red Noise "Stop / Go / Stop" (available on Spotify). Very prophetic, considering it's from 1978.

To central information
(From intelligence patrol)
We all must follow orders
Obey remote control

There's something in my suitcase
There's something up my sleeve
Inserted while you're sleeping
It regulates your speed

On/Off/Stop/Go/Stop

Don't try to be a hero
No reason for a fight
Your full co-operation
Is what we need tonight

Conversion takes a moment
You'll hardly even bleed
Each painless installation
Is fully guaranteed

On/Off/Stop/Go/Stop

Shadows creep and walls have eyes
We can sanitize your mind in half the time it takes to sign your name

The mental health department
Will make you fit to serve
We'll sever your connections
And seal off every nerve

All hail the neuro-surgeons
Salute the central shaft
It just takes one incision
To clear the psychopath

On/Off/Stop/Go/Stop

Oh, fuck off

https://twitter.com/CarlSMcQueen/status ... 2967561216

NEW: The woman behind Clap for Our Carers, Annemarie Plas, has confirmed it will return from 8pm this Thursday. This time, widening its message to #clapforheroes to "acknowledge every hero who has played their part through the pandemic".

— Carl McQueen (@CarlSMcQueen) January 6, 2021

We're only in Lockdown 3.11 for Workgroups because people stopped clapping the first time.

Meanwhile, Lockdown NT is still quietly under development in the background, but will eventually be our saviour.

So, the kids aren't in school and their teacher is sending them invites via the schools Outlook to various online lessons... The only problem is, and it's quite a big problem, the times are clearly all wrong.

The last lesson occurred '4 hours ago (Thu 07/01/2021 00:00 - 00:30)'

That ain't right surely? I've looked through the settings and there's nothing I can do to change the time as they've got limited access on Outlook online. Very strange.

That's also tomorrow.

Sounds like someone, either you or them, has their time zone set incorrectly.

That's exactly what I thought and I'm pretty sure it's them. This is the youngsters school email account, my other daughters is fine.

Still.. The school want them to spend all day in front of a Teams 'lesson' which doesn't exactly seem ideal. The kids aren't exactly thrilled at the prospect as you can imagine.

Take your child to work day comes sooner every year.

How old are they, TV? D’s school have sent him worksheets for the week, which he completed in about 15 minutes (for the entire week), and the plan is to do the same ongoing. We’ve done those, of course, but we’ve decided to just do our own thing. An entire day’s zoom meeting seems draining for any age.

Can confirm.

They're 7 and 8 so years 2 and 4.

During the first lock down we were sent work sheets which we completed really easily so I think the school are trying something else. I'm not knocking the school as it's a less than ideal situation but logistically, it's a nightmare. I need my PC so that'll leave one on a laptop and one on my ipad.. All in different rooms.

Luckily Mrs Vision is a teacher so she'll be able to teach them while she's not working but yeah, I wouldn't like to be on Teams all day every day so I'm not going to force it.

Would another laptop help?

I'm not sure it would thanks. The school have sort of offered in a round about way but they're OK using the ipad. It looks like the work they'll be doing will be via a pen and paper rather than online so there's no typing involved.

The really issue here is that being taught via Teams/Zoom is rubbish for anyone, let alone two kids so young.

I wonder if they are trying to relieve some of the pressure on parents to work from home and homeschool by trying to engage via screen and therefore take some of the childcare duties on? It’s admirable, if so, but also very, very difficult. Maybe they’ll settle into a routine of sorts? If not the school will likely revise their ideas.

I’d like a few more tasks set by school, but Darwin is only in reception, and I don’t think they do much ‘work’ there as such.

(Edited for repetition)

Here’s one for you, TV, Darwin started his first spreadsheet: he’s compiling dinosaur statistics.

Probably said this before:

(one of) The shitty(-ier) things about WFH is as a day like today draws to a close, I can't turn to my colleague who sits next to me and say "Thursday Club" and then at five past five we're in Ma Boyles calling everyone wankers.

Never been in Ma Boyles. I aim to fix that error one day

In the summer you can go sit in the churchyard next to it with your pint. That's nice.

Don't forget, there's that new bar in the bottom of the Liver Building. Might be open now

Well, not now.

Had the vaccine this morning. Feeling fine and normal so far.

But while I'm here I would just like to take a moment to say how much I am enjoying using Microsoft Teams to stay connected and organized. And to accomplish more together across work, school, and life with Microsoft Teams.

Superb

whazzat dude doing with your head, DP?

Thanks for the update Bill.

Centenarian house lapper Captain Tom has got pneumonia and the 'rona.
Probably nothing to do with having fucked off to Barbados on December

Oh, fuck off

https://twitter.com/Dunibear/status/1356664480390934528

I’ve been asked if I can help to raise awareness for a doorstep clap at 8pm this evening for Captain Sir Tom Moore... I think it’s the least we can do for a true, true hero 💙#RIPCAPTAINTOM pic.twitter.com/sIXapMVVYg

— Debbie (@Dunibear) February 2, 2021

I'm now 5G enabled and growing a second head.

Yes, I had my first vaccine shot today.

Europe's oldest nun survives covid with a shot and a wimple.

Was just talking to a friend who's mother is unwell enough to be in hospital with a fair risk of death, and his brother in law is also in and not expected to survive.
Not good at all, and it likely spread to them when his nephew caught it while in hospital for something unrelated.

My next door neighbour (at the old flat)’s dad had a small stroke and a fall at the beginning of December. His resulting injuries from the fall kept him in hospital over Christmas, then I think they kept him in to assess the affects and underlying cause of the strike as he wasn’t recovering as expected, then he caught Covid about ten days ago, whilst in the hospital and now is in a coma, and slipping away.

She texts me every day, and I just wish I had words that had more power to take some of that pain away. Her poor mother is in pieces. She hasn’t been able to see her husband and they had to say goodbye over the phone. The thought of it is just squeezing my chest tight.

Yep, I can tell you first-hand twice over that it’s shit

Losing a loved one is hard at the best of times but at the moment it must be terrible. I've just been speaking to one of my neighbours who's mom passed away a week ago. It was the funeral today and everyone had to remain 2 metres apart, no hugging, no singing, no comforting loved ones... Absolutely horrible.

These last few posts have been utterly heartbreaking to read

For Lent, I'm giving up hope.

Does that mean you took all the hope you had and made hope pancakes yesterday ?
If so pics please !

And what do you want us to do if we think you've been sneaking a little bit of hope in when no one is looking ?

Have you told her? (BTW, names should be capitalised.)

I am jabbed!

So far I feel like I've got off lightly after a big night out. Muzzy head threatening but not quite achieving headache, maybe a touch of reflux.

A quick pint of tea and 4 chocolate hob nobs helped the head, may explain the reflux.

The medical centre I went to was really well set up, loads of people to direct to the available rooms and then to the waiting areas (I got an upstairs storeroom with bare breeze block and exposed insulation but it was dry and warm). Really well done.

I've had a letter through for a vaccine appointment. Don't know why I'm eligible and neither do the helpline, my doctor's surgery, the local health board, or the online help but they all said to go along anyway. I feel a bit guilty but apparently if I don't go, it will go wanting at the end of the day and I'm also nervous that if I don't accept now, it means I don't get put back on the end of the list to get in the future.

It’s likely different in Scotland in some respects, but in certain areas here in England they have an excess of vaccines, so are vaccinating people from other groups because nobody wants the vaccines to go to waste.

I read that online but surely if they were going to do that, via appointment letter a week in advance, they should default to the next priority list? My mother in law is in the 60-65 category so she'd be a better choice to get it ahead of me but I can't give mine to her.

I’m only aware of it from a friends and family standpoint, but from what I’ve seen it appears to be based on which doctors surgery you attend. I’ve known some completely healthy under 30s offered it from one surgery but someone twice the age not offered it from a surgery down the road.

Good news everybody (well, most of us)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56208674

Over 40's respresent!

I’m still under 40, but I’ve got my first jab tomorrow anyway due to being clinically vulnerable.

I’m going tomorrow. None of the people I phoned could explain why but they all said I should go along so I will. I used to have a needle phobia so I’m a little anxious but going to be as brave as I can

Running a D&D campaign is technically an Essesntial Occupation, so you've been bumped up the list a bit.