Topic: Jockdown II: No Way Out West

[canadagoose]

Never did the takeaway pint thing, I always thought it looked a bit bleak, and I'm not doing it in this weather. Just want to sit in a nice warm pub being accosted by nice warm dogs.

Been going to cafes and drinking peppermint tea instead. To be fair that's healthier and I still get to feel a bit of normality and have a read of my book and watch daft dogs walking past. Would rather do that than get a nice cold pint in a plastic glass and have to stand outside shivering.

Yeah, al-fresco drinking doesn't seem like the most appealing thing to do in December. I've been to cafes a couple of times, but I never saw any dogs. Saw a shiba puppy on Easter Road last week though!

[Blue Jam]

We're near The Meadows so I see loads of the daft fluffy bastards. Saw plenty of Border Terriers yesterday. I like Borders, the tough little buggers. Saw a Newfie the other day too!

I have mentioned elsewhere that a pub near me was doing takeaway pints and I was never tempted because it was all a bit bleak. You'd see groups of blokes hanging around outside, using the car park of a nearby shop as a makeshift beer garden, and going for a piss behind the recycling bins outside Tesco in full view of the queue to get in.

That pub was The Aviator, formerly known as Scotch Hop, and known as The Wayside before that. When lockdown first ended it was open as a proper pub for a while but then closed down for good. The landlord must have made a decent amount of money over lockdown so I assumed they'd just had enough of the bleak clientele. As I type the pub has yet another new landlord and there are people in there busy making yet another attempt to smarten the place up, presumably hoping to attract the kind of clientele who don't piss behind bins. I give it six months.

[GMTV]

LOCKDOON again as of boxing day.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Dad just rang  - looks like the border's closed.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/scotland-travel-ban-lockdown-nicola-sturgeon-b1776619.html

[canadagoose]

So... it'll be Level 4 at Hogmanay, then? That'll be a strange experience. Wonder what'll be on the TV. Surely they can't do their usual stuff; it's all a bit... social.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I kind of smile at the idea of hogmany getting fucked given the likes of underbelly were closing off streets and issuing passes to people that happened to live there a year or so ago.

[dissolute ocelot]

So... it'll be Level 4 at Hogmanay, then? That'll be a strange experience. Wonder what'll be on the TV. Surely they can't do their usual stuff; it's all a bit... social.

Six hours of IM Jolly, I hope. Culminating in burning a wicker Jackie Bird. (Although a few eps of Only An Excuse? would also be a good argument for lockdown.)

[canadagoose]

I kind of smile at the idea of hogmany getting fucked given the likes of underbelly were closing off streets and issuing passes to people that happened to live there a year or so ago.

Ugh, sounds about right. Useless council to blame, I'll bet, giving Underbelly all that power.

[Cuntbeaks]

Six hours of IM Jolly, I hope. Culminating in burning a wicker Jackie Bird. (Although a few eps of Only An Excuse? would also be a good argument for lockdown.)

Only An Excuse was mildly amusing 20+ years ago when the impersonations were of people who were semi relevant.

Unfortunately that's the only impersonations the cunts can do, and they STILL have to say out loud who the person is they're doing an impression of. Just in case.

[Blinder Data]

Millions greeting into their third helping of leftover steak pie. desolation

[Sebastian Cobb]

My old man phoned to say they aren't coming this morning. Sounded pretty mortified but ultimately the right thing to do.

I'll console myself with beer and weed I suppose.

[Garam]

I kind of smile at the idea of hogmany getting fucked given the likes of underbelly were closing off streets and issuing passes to people that happened to live there a year or so ago.

Same. Delighted how much this has fucked Edinburgh council. Hope that when the fringe and hogmanay events return they are less intrusive to residents.

[Blue Jam]

Happy Bank Holiday, Scotchland-dwellers.

I'm going back to werk on Tuesday. Just a Zoom meeting to start with. Maybe back to the lab werk after that but who knows what The Sturge is planning this time. So shitting bored of all this now. Tough new measures are probably needed, just want to get myself a nice vaccine passport and fuck off down the pub.

[Blue Jam]

Same. Delighted how much this has fucked Edinburgh council. Hope that when the fringe and hogmanay events return they are less intrusive to residents.

I'm delighted at how this has fucked over all the Airbnb-owning twats. Had far fewer Airbnb guests to deal with lately, it's been a welcome relief.

Missed The Torchlight Procession but it's been nice not to have the ever-expanding tat fest that is the Christmas Market. Along with the Fringe and Hogmany that's another thing that had been getting intrusively large and disruptive.

What did you all do for New Year? We did our usual thing of taking some Champagne out to The Meadows to watch the fireworks. None at all from the castle but a few smaller displays were still on, and a few small fireworks were set off in The Meadows. Very few people around though, a few couples and small groups but it was pretty quiet, and the piper who usually shows up wasn't present. Very subdued and a bit bleak, but hey, 2020 is over.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Spent the last couple of days trying to sort my sleep pattern out after becoming nocturnal, to limited avail (at the point where I'm tired all day then when I get my head down I nod off for a couple of hours then am wide awake). Gave up and got out of bed at 6am and hopefully that'll knock me out tonight.

Sleep pattern aside, I've been having the Sunday dread of going back to work for days.

I've also stocked up on 5HTP, melatonin and milk thistle. Mostly a load of Holland and Barratt shite but there you go.

[Blue Jam]

"Strict 'stay at home' message about to be announced":

https://twitter.com/nickeardleybbc/status/1346090226461122561

[Blue Jam]

I've also stocked up on 5HTP, melatonin and milk thistle. Mostly a load of Holland and Barratt shite but there you go.

Where did you get your melatonin from? I ordered some from Amazon.com a while back but it still hasn't arrived. A familiar brand, probably legit, seems fairly safe.

Does the 5HTP actually help? Should probably try that myself. I'm about to venture oot of the hoose before The Sturge tells me I can't, might pop to H&B.

[Blue Jam]

Right, off to do some panic-buying before the clock strikes midnight. This is like NYE but shit. Seeya!

[Sebastian Cobb]

Where did you get your melatonin from? I ordered some from Amazon.com a while back but it still hasn't arrived. A familiar brand, probably legit, seems fairly safe.

Does the 5HTP actually help? Should probably try that myself. I'm about to venture oot of the hoose before The Sturge tells me I can't, might pop to H&B.

I don't know if it's still the case, but at one point it wasn't approved for sale here, but it isn't illegal to import. I get mine from https://www.biovea.com/uk/ which I think is based in the US.

I think 5HTP helps slightly but I'm not 100% sure, I never really took it too regularly.

I ventured out earlier and it was horrible, pavements like an ice rink, my glasses steamed up, and I ended up giving up on them, which made assessing the pavements pretty difficult.

[mobias]

When we went into lockdown at the end of last March I thought it would just be for a few weeks, a month at the most. I wonder how long this one will end up lasting? Presumably well beyond the end of the month? Presumably until the vaccination program is in full swing and a fair chunk of the population have been given it? I've always thought the only type of lockdown that actually seems to have any effect is a full blown one. Not this half hearted nonsense that we've had in recent months.

[Blinder Data]

got a feeling it will last till end of Feb or mid-March. not based on anything concrete, just how SG have responded to the pandemic so far and I can imagine cases will likely increase over next few weeks

[Cuntbeaks]

A few days into 2021 and the outlook is already bleaker than anything 2020 could muster.

Not sure what the whole, "Phew, that's 2020 over, 2021 is gonna be amazeballs. LOL", is about.

2021 is gonna be worse that 2020, more cases, more deaths, more variants, more lockdowns, more government bungling, more cronyism, more bad decisions, more entitled maskless cunts etc

Yeah, it's all about the vaccine, apparently. Let's hope so.

[Blue Jam]

It looks like the schools are expected to stay closed "for at least a month". I guess the duration of this new Jockdown will depend on how quickly the vaccines can be distributed.

Not got high hopes there.

[mobias]

Problem is its still not full lockdown like it was last Spring. My boss just called to say we're staying open as usual, because businesses that can't operate from home can remain open. Its such an achilles heel in all this. 

[Blue Jam]

Heard nothing from my employer yet. Got a Zoom meeting tomorrow morning and I'm assuming that's still on.

Also got a dentist appointment coming up and not heard anything about a cancellation yet. I had another appointment in December and they were fully kitted out against the 'vid, dentists and nurses in full hazmat suits with respirators and visors.

I suppose having an extra bank holiday was good as it means the schools didn't open today like they did in England, would be nice to hear an update about werk though.

[Uncle TechTip]

A few days into 2021 and the outlook is already bleaker than anything 2020 could muster.

Not sure what the whole, "Phew, that's 2020 over, 2021 is gonna be amazeballs. LOL", is about.

2021 is gonna be worse that 2020, more cases, more deaths, more variants, more lockdowns, more government bungling, more cronyism, more bad decisions, more entitled maskless cunts etc

Yeah, it's all about the vaccine, apparently. Let's hope so.

They've not planned when to give it to under 50s, and currently they never plan to give it to under 16s. You're in lockdown until the vial is in your arm.

[greencalx]

I suppose having an extra bank holiday was good as it means the schools didn't open today like they did in England, would be nice to hear an update about werk though.

My recollection is that the Jan term tends not to kick off until around the 10th. Always causes problems around this time of year as I’m expected to go back to mark exams but the schools and holiday club are both shut. Everything’s closed this year of course.

Just got an email from the union claiming that the management position is that research = essential so you can go in if you want. However the union has form in misrepresenting the management position...

[mobias]

Not sure what the whole, "Phew, that's 2020 over, 2021 is gonna be amazeballs. LOL", is about.

2021 is gonna be worse that 2020, more cases, more deaths, more variants, more lockdowns, more government bungling, more cronyism, more bad decisions, more entitled maskless cunts etc

Yeah, it's all about the vaccine, apparently. Let's hope so.

Sadly I think you're probably going to be proved right. The new South African variant of the virus thats being reported doesn't fill me with hope. Apparently one of the new vaccines possibly won't work with it. Thats what makes me pessimistic. The virus will keep on mutating discovering new ways of out witting the various vaccines. Those scientists saying we're going to have to live with this virus and manage it it rather than eradicate it are almost certainly on the money I think. 

[dissolute ocelot]

It'll be interesting to see if Nicola's latest announcement has any effect on other businesses, but I suspect some companies are convinced they don't need to do anything and it'll all blow over. Just hearing about a mate who works in construction, several people there have had it (mainly management, it always seems to be management), but they're doing fuck all in the way of social distancing. And someone else I know whose job is 90% copying stuff from one spreadsheet to another (in a tragically unautomated fashion) is still having to go into the office every day because bosses would rather drive 50 miles from COVID hotspots than let anyone work from home. Still, it's not like anyone's dying from it, right.

[dissolute ocelot]

New rules again! The BBC are saying all consumption of alcohol outdoors is banned, but STV says it's just takeaway pint sales that are banned. And takeaways must serve from hatch/doorway, not letting customers in - since many already operate a one person/household at a time policy I don't see this as making much change. No word on stopping construction activity, which is very hard to preserve social distancing at, and no clue how they're going to make people work from home, but it seems cutting down on non-essential shopping and takeaways is the main goal.

EDIT: From the horse's mouth, it's illegal to consume alcohol outdoors on the Scottish mainland (tier 4).