trekka

I've been looking at it with interest myself but variants pop up all of the time (admittedly not to the extent of the change the scientists are apparently seeing). I wouldn't worry too much yet - we were days away from re-introducing a lockdown when Omicron appeared (apparently - and that too had a number of concerning changes) but the South Africans were right and it was less deadly (albeit more transmissible) and we hold our nerve. I don't expect a type of lockdown as we have seen previously (as it frankly won't wash with the public, let alone the financial implications) but I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on the rates (difficult when the testing etc has virtually disappeared ). I'll be monitoring and will wear face masks again if there is a need (not a mandatory need, just because I fear for the vulnerable people like my folks or those pensioners who pick up their early morning newspapers). Data reporting is rubbish at the moment due to the lack of clear transparency of testing etc but the Our World in Data website is pretty good. Pic below is from Our World in Data (https://ourworldindata.org/) but you can find the UK reporting stats on the good ol' Government dashboard here (https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/).

Oh shit. Hold on to your butts people, it's going to be a hellluva ride this game.

Oh FFS. Terrible start.

Make that 4-1.

The constitutional case that Donald Trump is already banned from being president (Vox.com) Interesting read on the above link. There's a lot more to it, but here's a little quote:

If we get through this, we have Australia in the semi-final.

Well done, Alex. This should be for the things that cheer you up thread but I'm not posting it in there as it happened years ago. I once lost my wallet. It contained all of my cards etc and I was in a panic. After looking around where I had been for ages (even asking local places if anyone had handed anything in), I went back home super stressed thinking I need to start cancelling the cards. Got there and propped at my front door was a little cardboard box containing my wallet. I probably would have preferred someone to have left a note like you did but the postie leaves packages next to resident's doors inside all of the time as it's pretty secure. I was very grateful for the person who did that (I still don't know who, and I'm guessing I dropped it somehow when taking down the rubbish bags or something before going out).

Shows how much I care about Man City and Arsenal fighting it out for a worthless cup when I'm watching Ghostbusters instead. I was going to shove it on in the background on the laptop but they said "don't cross the streams".

I was waiting for that after reading it back . VT does not disappoint.

I'm up in Brum from Monday for the week and a good mate of mine has decided to throw a BBQ for me at his house. At one point he was threatening to order a whole butchered cow. It turns out that he has been creative and said he has like 10 different small plates for us all to nibble through the evening, almost like a tasting menu with different sauces (fish, chicken, pork, beef and lots of different salads etc). I asked what beers would he like me to bring over and he said "no need! I've bought loads!", but then went on to say bring whatever you fancy. He's a good egg that one - it'll only be me, his girlfriend and him for the night. It'll be my birthday and he's obviously spent a fortune on stuff. When he said bring whatever you fancy, I said don't tempt me.

The number of smokers is reducing anyway. It'll come to a stage where there will be no demand for cigarettes due to a number of reasons (older people who have smoked all of their lives dying from lung cancer etc and the younger folk don't want that happening to them, cost) which is why they're all desperate to push vaping as big as it can get. We could (I'm not saying we will) go down the NZ route and ban anyone being born from a certain date being able to buy cigarettes, in effect wiping it out over time.

I live in a flat/apartment complex and the neighbours are generally okay. I have one lady who moved in about the same time I did (roughly 15 years ago) and whilst we don't really chat much, she is always pleasant, waves to me when we're both outside and comes over to ask how I'm doing etc (I'm on a floor where I have a terrace area). The other side is purely rental as I have new neighbours there every year or so - no real issues with any of them (except for the big stench of weed in the communal hallway that now seems to emanate from it ). Above me, thankfully are now good. I once had this awful man who would stand on his balcony at all hours shouting down his phone just above my bedroom window. He would also smoke like a chimney all day and leave his filthy butts all over my terrace. I would open my door to the terrace and get covered in ash as he would literally be there hanging out of his balcony dropping his ash and butts down below right above where my door opened. I was outside tidying up a few plants one evening (and sweeping up his horrible mess), and there he was just standing there staring down at me dropping his ash down below. I politely asked him not to do it - he didn't say a thing, just smirked at me and carried on. In the end I raised a formal complaint with the management company who said they had been in contact with him. He was still doing it for a good month after - I was tempted to fill his post box with the mess. He left soon after that though.

They obviously offer incentives to go public like the dedicated media advisers available 24/7 etc. Screw that. I'd be out of here as soon as I had confirmation that I was a winner. I wouldn't even worry about the state of the flat or try to sell it - I would be up and gone (and so would close family). Selling little trinkets like small flats can come down the line .

You're probably right but this is the guy who once said he'll "end the war in one day". Basically, his view is that Ukraine must give up land and Russia must agree to say sorry and never to attack again. Who knows what happens after that when inevitably that fails.

You must be joking, right?

Kerch bridge damaged and The Kremlin are halting the export of grain deal .

Brilliant final and I'm so pleased for Carlos.

I don't like him either but I suspect it has a change of top / undies / shorts if he feels a bit sweaty. He didn't need just shy of 7 minutes mind (unless he was struggling to have a massive poop or had to ).

Come on Carlos! Dig deep and beat this horrible word removed.

Not at all but sometimes it comes across as if you're in a baaaaaad mood.

Yeah, that is odd. I'd imagine they're struggling with staff to adequately cook everything ready or something along those lines. For me, they should start letting kids in to queue up for the meals at 11:45 - they'll start eating at say 12:00 and then everyone out by 1PM.