Coronavirus Pandemic

[Whiteball]

There's nothing I'd love more than to do away with "buying lots of random shit every year" it's a massive environmental waste and a pain in the arse

For the past forty-something years people around me have understood that I demand no gifts, cards or other acknowledgements from them on particular dates (including holidays, weddings and birthdays) as they will receive none from me. It seems to work.

Same here, never felt compelled to 'conform' to other peoples whims and fantasies.

[Cloudane]

I find it hard to get out of without coming across a right grumpy grinchy old bastard

[gilesgoat]

I find it hard to get out of without coming across a right grumpy grinchy old bastard

This year apart from the kids of my bro that can't wait to have something from "Babbo Natale" I only got gifts for 4 people because I really wanted to and "they needed it" .. ( one is my mum ) ..

One of the gifts I got for someone .. I only hope I won't be punched ( hard ) in the face next time we'll meet

What can I say ? "Some places" were PESTERING me all the time with "want one of this ? Want one free (*) ? Want one more ? Want one ? WANT ONE ??" !!



(*) "free" as "free if you spend over 40 pounds or such" ...

[edit] - and NO I did NOT spend over 40 pounds, I just bought it !

[zip accident]

There's nothing I'd love more than to do away with "buying lots of random shit every year" it's a massive environmental waste and a pain in the arse

For the past forty-something years people around me have understood that I demand no gifts, cards or other acknowledgements from them on particular dates (including holidays, weddings and birthdays) as they will receive none from me. It seems to work.

It's not about demanding gifts, it's about the joy of giving, you should never give more than you can afford, it's little things that are best, I found some £1 (not "Rubic's" brand) puzzle cubes and those will be going to almost everyone (there will be other things, but I anticipate those cubes giving some fun, and in some cases quite extreme puzzlement ("why the f*** would he give me this" as much as the puzzle itself, and sometimes that's also good)).

It's a northern European thing, it's about harsh winters. The Xtians nicked it because it was embarrassing to have their converts dying off when the non-converts didn't. Australia is equatorial enough that it doesn't matter, possibly New Zealand too, but the Falklands and anywhere that far South would almost certainly benefit from a post solstice celebration in June.

[Harlequin]

For the past forty-something years people around me have understood that I demand no gifts, cards or other acknowledgements from them on particular dates (including holidays, weddings and birthdays) as they will receive none from me. It seems to work.

It's not about demanding gifts, it's about the joy of giving …

I do give gifts, sometimes, when I feel a desire to get something for a particular person or I can afford to help out a friend in need or if a particular thing jumps out at me as something a particular person should have (which quite a few Llamasofties here have experience of). I hardly ever do so because of pre-determined dates, though.

[zip accident]

For the past forty-something years people around me have understood that I demand no gifts, cards or other acknowledgements from them on particular dates (including holidays, weddings and birthdays) as they will receive none from me. It seems to work.

It's not about demanding gifts, it's about the joy of giving …

I do give gifts, sometimes, when I feel a desire to get something for a particular person or I can afford to help out a friend in need or if a particular thing jumps out at me as something a particular person should have (which quite a few Llamasofties here have experience of). I hardly ever do so because of pre-determined dates, though.

That is entirely up to you.

I generally don't do birthdays, because I forget when they are coming along, but I do try for Xmas/Yule (I don't believe in either of the religions), because it's so easy to remember.

As I see it, the cost of things is between me and the shop (so long as the goods are legitimately purchased and not shoddy), and the value is between me and the recipient.

[KlaxonCow]

Religions dilute the real meaning of Christmas for me.

[NorthWay]

Religions dilute the real meaning of Christmas for me.

English has converted to "Christmas" ("Kristmesse" in Norwegian), but Norwegian has somehow stayed with the heathen "jul". I guess it was easier to hijack it than face the ire of us savages.

[KlaxonCow]

Well, this is the Justice Secretary telling us that the police don't conduct retrospective investigations:



This is surprising, seeing as, like, all crimes are retrospective in nature, due to the nature of the forward motion of time.

But, well, he is the Justice Secretary, so maybe this is his way of, umm, announcing that the police are now only going to operate on a Minority Report "Pre-Crime" basis from now on?

Only future crimes before they've even happened. All past crimes? You've got away with them, mate. The police don't do that anymore, apparently. No less than the Justice Secretary's just said so.

[gilesgoat]

Religions dilute the real meaning of Christmas for me.

English has converted to "Christmas" ("Kristmesse" in Norwegian), but Norwegian has somehow stayed with the heathen "jul". I guess it was easier to hijack it than face the ire of us savages.

Wasn't all about a goat going around ASKING for presents OR ELSE ? ( Joulupukki ) ?

[Cloudane]

I like to try and stick to consumables if possible, at least then it's not just more plastic waste or whatever.

And yeah, giving when you feel there's something someone might enjoy. Just sent a bunch of chocolate to a friend in the US (they don't get proper cadburys!), not something I'd be doing often (it's bloody expensive and hard work!) but as a one off "I think they'll appreciate this"

[merman]

It's just theory so far but I found it interesting to read

Some experts suggest omicron variant may have evolved in an animal host

When COVID-19 variants arise, the accepted wisdom is that the constellation of mutations they contain developed in an immunocompromised person who contracted the virus and couldn’t shake the infection. But some scientists have an alternative theory for where the latest variant of concern, omicron, may have acquired the unusual mutations that stud its spike protein.

They speculate the virus could have evolved in another animal species.

The theory goes that some type of animal, potentially rodents, was infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus sometime in mid-2020. In this new species, the virus evolved, accumulating roughly 50 mutations on the spike protein before spilling back over into people.

The full article here:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/som ... -323089174

That was the concern that led to Denmark slaughtering thousands of mink - that it had jumped species and could be worse when given back to humans.

There is still more than one theory that other species were involved in “starting” COVID-19, in that while bats are generally considered the starting point it is possible that the multiple mutations that made it worse than SARS were acquired from being hosted in other species that reacted differently to bats. So when it jumped to humans (through the wet markets of Wuhan) it was even more complex and unusual for the human immune system to deal with.

Omicron is interesting to the virologists because it has so many changes from Delta - not only on the spikes, but also on the surface and inside. As others said, Omicron does seem to be more transmissible based on the early data - and even if it is less lethal in the long run, the number of people hospitalised is going to jump dramatically everywhere.

[F-ZeroOne]

Got my booster today. Moderna for the record. No side effects so far other than a very mildly sore arm, which may just be from the actual act of injection.

[Cloudane]

Same here, got mine on a walk in today, Moderna, sore arm but it was an army operation and delivered in a very army-like way (painfully )
Also some tiredness but that's normal for me on a Sunday

[F-ZeroOne]

Yeah, that was one thing I noticed - the jab was a bit more painful than I remember the AZ doses being, more like the flu jab I got the other week. "Painful" is perhaps a bit too loaded a word, "sharper" might be better.

I did feel a little lightheaded this afternoon but that might be because it hasn't been an overly restful week for me.