deegee

Not been in this thread for months but you can see the big risk now is the ongoing mental health issues folk have, after two years of this carry on. In Stirling this afternoon, and a guy in his mid 20’s, looked fairly fit/ physically healthy enough yet he was stoating up the road towards the shopping centre with full mask on and literally full-on “March 2020” and bouncing away from other pedestrians. Each to their own, maybe the fella had some vulnerable parent/ partner but after two years and knowing what we know about transmission and masks etc, I can only think this sudden resurrection of COVID in the news (for a version of a springtime flu) has caused a load of folk to suddenly think it’s back to the “end of the world” This is the price we are seeing now, along with socially isolated people/ children struggling or reluctant to return to normal society.

Seems it’s not an unpopular opinion after reading last few comments but I switched telly over and caught a few minutes of Glastonbury...the whole event and experience looks awful. Then again as said by others, you couldn’t pay me to attend one of these festivals but the whole hassle, living like a tramp for days, paying through the nose for literally everything, having to put up with over excited “festival goers” and attention- seekers, watching has- been singers behind a sea of flags and girls on the shoulders on lads in the vain hope they get seen on tv...nope, not for me and I’d close the curtains if this shite was going on in my back garden.

Need some opinions folks on beef olives! I bought some yesterday in a nice butcher in Stonehaven (Charles McHardy on Market Square). Cooked them tonight in the oven but we were surprised to find the filling was oatmeal. I’m all my 52 years, I’ve always had sausage meat stuffing in my beef olives. Is oatmeal stuffed beef olives a North Eastern thing or is sausage meat a weird Stirlingshire thing? I have to say the ones tonight weren’t very nice despite looking great on the plate.

53 next month. If we qualify next time I’m pushing 58 but considering last time I watched us at a World Cup match getting pumped 3-0 by Morocco in 1998, I am not holding my breath anytime soon. I’ll probably be a grandfather before and I wasn’t even a father if you split the times before last and next Scottish participation

Possibly not an unpopular opinion, however even prior to the match tonight, I had no desire to be bothered with the Qatar World Cup. A lousy “paid for” festival of wealth bought on the bodies of 6k+ Asian workers doesn’t sit easy with me and I’m fairly relaxed we won’t be there. I’ll be in my 60s before I see Scotland in a World Cup but that’s better than enjoying this upcoming nonsense.

….and he’s off! Lester Piggott, aged 86 who won 9 Derby races won’t be around for next week’s Derby

Sounds like it was quite a brutal rammy in Glasgow the other night… https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/8796726/glasgow-gang-war-erupts-metal-rods/amp/

Thanks; that’s a very insightful response. I think, like most conflicts, it can be very dynamic. You have to factor in variables such as motivation, numbers of forces and armoury as well as the terrain and weather etc. I just wasn’t sure of the strategic plan for Ukraine. As @Bairnardosaid, there’s going to be some back- office negotiation going I too; whether futile or fruitful, I’d imagine there’s pressure on all sides to actually try and find some resolution. Ultimately I pity whoever end up ruling eastern Ukraine as it looks like a scene from Stalingrad in the 1940s and it’s heartbreaking to see the total destruction of the area and people.

I was focused on my Mum as she passed away from cancer in February 20 but I was aware of the virus creeping into Europe. The sights in early Marchfrom Italy were horrific and like something from a sci-fi movie. I thought we’d get “a touch of it” and we actually booked a holiday to Croatia on March 13th, for a July trip. I thought it would be done by June if I’m being honest.

As well as her dancing and “jiggling” video, she’s been back at her day- job, posting pics on holiday in a bikini. The starfish clearly opens herself up to jokes.

Do the more informed folks in this thread think the rearming of the Ukrainian army with fresh supply of tanks etc is for the Ukrainians to mount a counter attack on their lost territory or is it to defend from the Russians expanding out? obviously the clear agenda from the western nations is to give the Russians a bloody nose without direct involvement but I’m wondering what the Ukrainian plan is?

@oaksoftpossibly nailed it on the head the other week, regards virtue signalling middle classes probably clinging on to wearing masks. I was in Waitrose yesterday and probably 60-70% masks, including outside in the car park and the garden/ plants section outside the shop. Funnily enough only one or two staff had masks on. Everywhere else I was this week, including Glasgow airport and on a BA flight to Heathrow has seen masks scarcely seen, including the BA crew on both trips, which surprised me as I thought the airlines might cling on a while.

I haven’t returned mine. Received a reminder letter which was promptly binned. I’m at personal liberty to decide the government doesn’t need to know my (fairly mundane) personal business and certainly the last two years of seeing all governments get drunk on the opportunity to be authoritarian has left me cold on the notion of offering anything willingly to the bureaucrats.

I’ve been to a few opera performances, mainly at Edinburgh Festival Theatre. Seen Tosca among others and I’ve always had an amazing time. From the first minute of my first opera about a decade ago; Barber of Seville, I was blown away with the intensity, vivid use of colour, passion in acting and singing as well as the stage set- ups. Whether a tragedy like Tosca or a more fun opera (Pirates of Penzance). I don’t mind other types of traditional theatre shows and we seen Guys and Dolls in Liverpool on a weekend away a few years ago as well as enjoying ballet at Christmas on a couple occasions, however nothing beats the opera for a unique experience, in my humble opinion.

For me, the thing that is currently grinding my gears is “service charge” added to more and more restaurants without telling you. I’d always rather give a tip for good service rather than be press- ganged into it. I’d also prefer the cash went directly to the staff than through the (likely) reduction due to “service charges” by the owners, when paying by card or a service charge! I don’t get anything online so don’t need to pay couriers. I had a haircut in London last week which was good but cost £35. Still left the barber £3 and that’s the norm for the barber. Taxis get a £1-2 tip but their default moaning about absolutely everything means I’d pay more to escape them lol.

Tbh that’s my other half and her family to a tee. She insists she needs to wear one as “it’s the rules” etc, with no thought that she didn’t bother for a minute when we were in England last month. Her family are big on SNP (although she grudgingly agrees the rules since summer 2020 have no sense or science). There will be a core of neurotic and hypochondriac folks who will remain terrified of their shadows for some time I suspect but hopefully most folk just drop this horrible mask theatre asap.

Yip; I was in Dublin last week with work and was surprised to see not a mask inside Dublin airport and they’ve moved on, despite being at times, as bonkers as us with their rules. It goes without saying that England have moved on. Even the police in the airport in London had no masks nor did 99% of staff and passengers. I heard a doctor on the radio the other day (BBC London) saying, in response to Nicola’s extension to mask- wearing, that omnicrom was actually the best “vaccine” as it was relatively mild and gave the very best immunity. Compare and contrast to some other nations, who have a fetish over preventing a cold in most cases.

It’s still quite eye-opening to see how some folk and businesses are treating this in Scotland. Following on from my work trip to London yesterday, where an SNP MP was sitting next to me maskless the entire flight as well as during her walk through Glasgow airport terminal, I had the reverse today when visiting a company near Aberdeen. There office is closed to visitors until you scan a QR code on a poster, fill in a questionnaire and then another health questionnaire. When I entered the office, the receptionist (behind a glass screen) asked me to put on a mask and fill in another questionnaire and wear an ID tag. Which I had to pick up myself as a safety measure etc! All of this to go outside and meet a customer in his office who was in a room nearby and no masks were worn. I then went to Portlethen ASDA for petrol and noted a van with a home made sign, dishing out free LFT kits to all and sundry. A rambling story of my morning but shows how some folk still have this virus inside their heads.

It’s been a couple of years since I was last there but Monteiths on the High Street was a really enjoyable meal and experience. Another place where I’ve enjoyed some excellent steaks is Kyloe, situated above the Rutland Hotel (I’m sure it’ll be wheelchair friendly though with a lift). I’ve been to other decent central Edinburgh restaurants but these two spring to mind, are handy for the locations you are looking for, and seem to suit the eating preferences and not be repetitive compared to your other evenings.

One SNP MP clearly didn’t read the memo from her Leader in Edinburgh. She was sitting near me in row 3 of the London City to Glasgow flight this evening and had no mask on after boarding and didn’t bother to put it on when landing, leaving the plane or walking through the terminal. Now I am not taking any moral high ground as I too had the mask off mostly and certainly didn’t wear it walking the length of terminal to the car park, however I don’t get paid to comply and preach to the public about following the rules.

The SNP government have made a rod for their own back, since December’s restrictions. Damned now if the do, damned if they don’t. Ditch masks will create an outcry from folk who will rightly point out cases are as high as ever and they want “to keep safe”. You could also query the merit in December’s bin fire of the hospitality industry, all caused by Nicola! !Keep masks and we’ll be a total outlier and surely folk will push back and decide for themselves whether to wear a rag on their face, when the evidence clearlshows they make zero difference.

Our two. Baby Cat is very petite and is aged 9 and was inherited from my Aunt. Kitten (Toby) is now 15 months old and is growing large but he has a lovely coat.

Not my cat but next door’s cat, who basically lives between here and there, especially when there is some cold meat or tuna on the go here!