NO. The teachers unions are protecting their members interests. In this case from not dying.

Thats no acting like petulant children. Your as bad as the Daily Mail

They are behaving like petulant children. "Do not engage" "Do not respond to emails" - that is not a constructive way forward, it is playground behaviour.

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Nice summary of where we are now.
https://thecritic.co.uk/were-all-in-the-big-numbers-now/

I liked:
For now: we’re bamboozled with daily changes to the semi-mystical R number (cognoscenti have moved onto Z-scores), but dig below the surface and it’s clear that transmission is now mostly within care homes and hospitals (up to 20% of infections are now nosocomial), and even there it is in rapid retreat.  So why on earth is civil society still locked down?

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They are behaving like petulant children. "Do not engage" "Do not respond to emails" - that is not a constructive way forward, it is playground behaviour.

Its about keeping one single voice. That’s what you’d expect a union to do.

I assume you just as critical as HMG with regards to their boycott off some news broadcasters.

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Nice summary of where we are now.
https://thecritic.co.uk/were-all-in-the-big-numbers-now/

I liked:
For now: we’re bamboozled with daily changes to the semi-mystical R number (cognoscenti have moved onto Z-scores), but dig below the surface and it’s clear that transmission is now mostly within care homes and hospitals (up to 20% of infections are now nosocomial), and even there it is in rapid retreat.  So why on earth is civil society still locked down?

Because without adequate social distancing measures and a robust and full operative test, trace, isolate system, it would result in community infection skyrocketing again. Next.

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 So why on earth is civil society still locked down?

Probably because we're still getting thousands of cases a day, rather than mere hundreds (like the rest of our European neighbours)....

 

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Nice summary of where we are now.
https://thecritic.co.uk/were-all-in-the-big-numbers-now/

I liked:
For now: we’re bamboozled with daily changes to the semi-mystical R number (cognoscenti have moved onto Z-scores), but dig below the surface and it’s clear that transmission is now mostly within care homes and hospitals (up to 20% of infections are now nosocomial), and even there it is in rapid retreat.  So why on earth is civil society still locked down?

 

The gaping hole in that article is it's analysing the situation after measures have been put in place to mitigate CV AND  the event hasn't finished yet - this will especially be the case if we listen to stuff like this and lift restrictions.

"it wasn't worthing doing anything because it hasn't killed many people".

Total rubbish - next please <ding>

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I'm sure the fellow is a great bloke but it all seems like an example of the power of the media propelling a walk in the garden to near Saint hood.

I don't want to appear mean spirited but I do agree. An amazing achievement raising the funds he did which has been recognised  with an honorary military promotion, a birthday flypast and an unprecedented RM post mark....but a Knighthood seems a bit excessive.   

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Doubts over the US vaccine. Should add that the ludicrous article undermining the great results in monkeys of the Oxford vaccine had links with someone connected with the US vaccine. The politics of research and funding...


https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/19/vaccine-experts-say-moderna-didnt-produce-data-critical-to-assessing-covid-19-vaccine/

 

As I recall, the main objection was that the virus wasn't eliminated but remained active in the nose.  Whilst not ideal, if it prevents infection and symptoms it would still be achieving a valuable function.

I've musing on the justifiable criticisms of the government flying around here and elsewhere and thinking that sloppy media coverage deserves at least as much flak.

A key role of the media is to inform, not misinform.

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Because without adequate social distancing measures and a robust and full operative test, trace, isolate system, it would result in community infection skyrocketing again. Next.

Four spent the last 2 months saying that a big part of the population has already contracted it and we are close to immunity, so there is little to worry.  WHo cares about test, trace, isolate? 

A key role of the media is to inform, not misinform.

Like Nick, I am lost for words for describing the state of many of the media in this country (particularly newspapers). Sooner or later their low quality affects how a democracy functions and I think we are seeing the results in our country too.

Part of the problem is the way our society has lost the ability to see the bigger picture. I am not sure why that is.

Take the media - they love to pick up and emote about individual cases - BBC News finds someone with a hard luck story and promotes the story. All well and good - may make for good television - but without context it is irrelevant. What is relevant is hard statistics - how many are affected? What percentage?

It was like the piece in the news about a woman who was unable to use food vouchers at Tescos for her and her child - horrible for her of course, but what we really need to know from a proper News service, is whether those who have such problems are one in ten thousand or one in ten, otherwise it is just a ploy to emote for no good purpose.

 

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Like Nick, I am lost for words for describing the state of many of the media in this country (particularly newspapers). Sooner or later their low quality affects how a democracy functions and I think we are seeing the results in our country too.

Its been happening for over 40 years since the human cancer that is Murdoch took over Fleet Street. 

I still despair that broadcast media still take their cue from newspapers all the time, Why do we have a nightly Press preview on Sky and BBC, not once but twice! Why don't they take stories from internet based news outlets as well

 

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I'm sure the fellow is a great bloke but it all seems like an example of the power of the media propelling a walk in the garden to near Saint hood.

A pensioner approaching their 100th birthday doing a walk around their garden to raise money for any good cause would be highly praiseworthy under any circumstances. However, given that Captain Sir Tom took much time out to do this during the most difficult situation this country has faced since WW2 in order to raise money for the NHS during the biggest crisis it has faced during its existence more than merits the vast media attention on Captain Tom and the amount of praise that he has received.

Not everyone who gets the amount of media attention that he has had recently is anything like as deserving of it.

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Its been happening for over 40 years since the human cancer that is Murdoch took over Fleet Street. 

I still despair that broadcast media still take their cue from newspapers all the time, Why do we have a nightly Press preview on Sky and BBC, not once but twice! Why don't they take stories from internet based news outlets as well

 

You are obsessed with Uncle Rupert for some reason (like many on the left).

What do you think of my post above? That many news organisations emote about the particular, rather than exploring the general (which is what matters to society as a whole).

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As I recall, the main objection was that the virus wasn't eliminated but remained active in the nose.  Whilst not ideal, if it prevents infection and symptoms it would still be achieving a valuable function.

I've musing on the justifiable criticisms of the government flying around here and elsewhere and thinking that sloppy media coverage deserves at least as much flak.

A key role of the media is to inform, not misinform.

That objection was based on misunderstanding and/or misrepresentation. The virus recovered from the monkeys could not be grown in culture. I.e., it was not active virus.

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I don't want to appear mean spirited but I do agree. An amazing achievement raising the funds he did which has been recognised  with an honorary military promotion, a birthday flypast and an unprecedented RM post mark....but a Knighthood seems a bit excessive.   

Agree, but it gets the Dead Body count off the front page for a day, There is only so much teacher and Union bashing the press can do 

 

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You are obsessed with Uncle Rupert for some reason (like many on the left).

What do you think of my post above? That many news organisations emote about the particular, rather than exploring the general (which is what matters to society as a whole).

You seem equally obsessed with the BBC

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Agree, but it gets the Dead Body count off the front page for a day, There is only so much teacher and Union bashing the press can do 

 

The National Education Union is providing plenty of ammunition - they look petulant, when they should be engaging in a constructive manner.

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Home furnishings retailer Dunelm has reopened 39 stores in England as they are an essential retailer

• Blackpool


• Boston


• Bournemouth


• Bristol Cribbs Causeway


• Cambridge


• Chelmsford


• Chester


• Chesterfield


• Coventry


• Croydon


• Dartford


• Derby


• Dunstable


• Erdington


• Greenford


• Hastings


• Hemel


• Hereford


• Leeds


• Lincoln


• Maidstone


• Mansfield


• Northampton


• Norwich


• Nottingham


• Oldbury


• Plymouth


• Romford


• Sheffield Woodseats


• Stockport


• Stockton


• Sunderland


• Swindon


• Telford


• Thurmaston


• Trafford


• Weston-Super-Mare


• Worcester


• York

 

You seem equally obsessed with the BBC

BBC 6-o-clock news is the worst example - they are always finding some individual to promote their hard luck story, regardless of whether the problem is systemic or particular - makes me cringe. Channel-4 news is as left wing biased as they come, but at least they do the legwork, examine the issues and bring on knowledgeable poeple to interview, instead of relying on Gladys from Glamorgan to sob on camera.

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