After just watching that bbc press conference someone needs to send this bloke on a public speaking course. Incapable of staying on point, incapable of a short answer, and incapable of even making any sense.how is this man our pm!

Yep, I would say pretty much everything apart from clothing I get from my local bike shop even my last bike came from my local. Can I find parts cheaper online most likely but my local are good people and these days I feel like I would much rather give my money to them than CRC or similar online shop.

I just couldn’t be arsed with the mess and faff

This is pretty much the number one reason I use my lbs. I don’t enjoy working on my bike i want to spend my time riding it. Im lucky to have a few so never miss a weekend riding if there is a wait on parts.

For road and gravel im a 100% speed craft fan – the lenses are so good i can basically stare right at the sun and not squint. My biggest worry with fakes would be the quality of the lens.

When independence chat gets thrown about the first thought i have is so how will you pay for this new independence. I would put the chances of a currency union with England being slim to none. If you haven’t got that worked out its all a non starter.

Post your trendy crocs pics here 😂

I don’t own any. You claimed “Crocs never have been, or even will be “on trend”” and i just pointed out a few high fashion brands and designers that mean thats not really true. end of discussion really.

Crocs never have been, or even will be “on trend”.

Surely one of the joys of getting older is being able to afford really nice shoes?

Alife, Nicole McLaughlin, Balenciaga and even Adidas have all done collabs with Crocs not too long ago which pretty much puts them on trend. Maybe not in your opinion but wider fashion world they are.

North Face hoodie, trakkies and crocs is acceptable for late 40’s isn’t it?

You know Crocs are pretty much well on trend right now?

similar issue in my house. I like music when working partner wants / need silence. I got some Sony WH-1000XM3. Now the 4s are out you might be able to pick up some XM3s for that budget. They are bluetooth but can also be wired in.

Excellent idea! Is your next post going to be suggesting a particular colour and geometric design, or are you going to spare us that ludicrous analogy.

The ludicrous analogy was to highlight how ludicrous some of the suggestions from people have been, clearly its ridiculous just like saying being outside is a 50 grand fine or a year in the clink for putting lives in danger.

Can you really not see why that doesn’t sit well with people?

I can see it, i just don’t agree with the language people have used or that these people should be punished in some sort of way. thats all im gonna say, clearly we will never agree. My views are just not as extreme as others.

Alternatively, we want to protect ourselves from the wilful stupidity of anti-vaxxers. I have zero sympathy for the anti-vaxx brigade – absolutely fed up of having to accommodate the stupidity of other people. To me, it’s no different from laughing at the Darwin Awards…

I will tell you what… how about we make all the anti vaxers wear a badge so “we can “protect ourselves from the wilful stupidity of anti-vaxxers”…

Just because you have right on your side doesn’t make you right. Clearly some people are incapable of rational thinking when it comes to this, and i get it its an emotive issue with people already living with higher stress levels than normal. im out. trying not to get into endless debates these days here its pointless.

Can they expand the vaccination passport to cover more aspects of life? No proof of vaccine, no entry to pub/restaurant/chippy/cinema/shopping center/spanish holiday home…

Reread what you have just said. You basically want to punish people because they wont get a jab and have a different view from you.

im glad that’s the feeling but reading this thread what also amazes me is the language people are using about people who don’t want the vaccine for any reasons that’s personal to them. Scanning these pages we have had “dim and parasitic”, “she’s an idiot”, “They’re choosing to be selfish ****”, “To not have it makes them selfish ****.” Having a vaccine is a personal choice if they don’t want it move on. Have a godo day all its super sunny outside so im gonna move my desk to the garden table.

I have no problem with those who literally can’t be vaccinated not having it as it could kill them. Those who can have it, should. To not have it makes them selfish ****.

What happened to people’s right to choose what they put in their body? btw, im not an anti vaxer i will get it when ever that happens, but I do support peoples right do choose what they want.

im more inline with Lungs stance, make your position clear and after that they do what they want.

Well I like him.

hahahahaha…. i guess someone has to.

My bosses office desk after being sabotaged before lockdown #1 (for giggles, too cluttered for me!)

Dam, where the hell do you work? if that happened at my place it would be a serious HR call. I don’t even think that would have gone down well in my agency days.

As for my at home set up, no photo its just the kitchen table but looks out to the garden so its not too bad. I can’t wait to go back to a office. I really like the home / work mental and physical separation.

Yep, as of Monday i think they said stay local order ends and the message is stay local is you can. All i know is next week i shall be able to ride my mountain bike for the first time this year after riding nothing but gravel since December. I can’t bloody wait!

Im an in-house product designer would honestly just put it on linkedin then get in touch with a recruitment agent who will do the rest for you.

Heres a question how do you know you’re not in THE 4% or someone else’s 4%. My take everyone has the capacity to be in the 4% so let’s just be nice and little less judgemental of others… unless of cause they say lets shoot people with mental health issues. Thats clearly stupid.

I would honestly just try and let stuff go. Call out the really bad stuff like someone saying those with mental health issues should be shot and just not let the little stuff get to you. It can’t be good feeling miserable and mad at people all the time. Maybe your wife’s right try and see the good in people. However this is easy for me to say being in a little left wing bubble with all my friends and colleagues.

The UK’s successful vaccine roll out was thanks to “greed” and “capitalism”’

I mean because those are always nice traits to have as a person. Its not wonder priti patel is such an idiot with him as her boss. I think its unfair to say I hate boris I don’t know him to hate him, but he and I are so far apart with fundamental values I just don’t get what people see in him.

Greed and capitalism are what saw us take over the world and that ended well didn’t it and left us with a nice reputation across the globe.

yep. Feel like its just life now and we will be in this state of social distancing / lockdown forever.

I could quite easily knock 7 bells out of a lot of teenagers and young adults. I blame the lack of discipline in schools, i blame parents who refer to their kids as ‘mate’…

Or it could just be years of living in poverty and all the issues that encompasses that such as depression, lack of social care, home issues that go unchecked and a million other things. You can’t just say kids lack respect you need to look at the cause and its not just parents calling their kids “mate.” My brother and I call his son dude… does that mean hes gonna end up like the kids you describe or is the cause only linked to people that call their kid “mate.” You should call up Bojo as you have clearly just solved a massive social issues we need to stop parents calling their kids mate.

quote most often seen in the local paper to describe the stabbing victim…

Thats laughable you should stick to the DM.

Social distancing pretty much ceased in any meaningful way last summer

Personally I feel like within my friends group its done subconsciously now. At first it felt odd standing 2m from someone having a conversation now it’s just normal life. One thing we need to remember is when you see a group in the park who are closer than 2m (or in a group of more than 2) transmission is incredibly low – stats I have suggest it could 1/1000 cases come from socialising outside. But obviously from a statistical point of view there are so many variables when coming up with figures for outside transmission.

You know what dude lets just call it a day and not derail this thread further. Your point is it was done on purpose you have a few quotes I posted one from hancock which sounds like additional checks are being one. I really can’t be bothered to pick things apart any more.

You win the indian gov’ are holding back supplied on purpose and Hancock isn’t telling the truth. Have a good evening, I can’t be bothered to endlessly debate stuff on this forum any more.

I guess that’s my point right it all depends on how you interpret it.

It may not be helpful but as piemonster’s post proves my speculation has proved correct. The Indians have an infection spike and pulled the plug on vaccine exports.

I guess this is all in how you interpret the reason. I can’t read the FT article as its behind a paywall but did read this comment from Handcock

“In the last week, we’ve had a batch of 1.7 million doses delayed because of the need to retest its stability”

That doesn’t sound like “holding back” to me it sounds like due diligence. And would we hold back vaccines instead of helping others 100% this is the country that ALWAYS acts with its own interests first – but what can you expect from a nation that’s basically founded on superiority.

Gawd some manky folk on here. Of course you should wash every day otherwise you stink of either BO or some gawdaful stuff to mask your BO

Agree, its like saying if I don’t eat anything for a day do I still need to brush my teeth, the answer to that is also yes.

If I was after a long travel hardtail (i sorta am) my money would be on a moxie or bfe max.

Messed up or the Indians want it for themselves?(wouldn’t blame them a bit if that is the case)

Demonstrates we need to be self sufficient in vaccine production

You really think thats what they would do? The whole nationalisation them vs us attitude to vaccines isn’t helpful. Its pretty much the entire narrative the gov’ have pushed through this whole pandemic.

What led to this conclusion?

Basically little faith in our gov’ to do anything right. ( vaccine roll out is an NHS suceess not a gov one)

And before we get into any single track what about this and that.

1. No im not saying i will pay for a jab and jump the queue
2. im not saying i deserve it more than anyone else
3. yes i know im low risk as a fit 30 something working from home.
4. Yes I would be willing to pay for the jab in the future if the nhs stop doing / jab all the people that really need it.

I’m just disappointed that having got so close it looks likely it’s going to be put back for me and those in lower age brackets. Oh well. The light at the end of the tunnel is just a bit further away than it was thought.

I don’t know how old you are but im in my 30s and have totally given up on the idea of me getting a jab unless I pay for it. Also, going by the Zoe app it looks like cases are creeping up again ever so slightly. But, i guess that’s what happens when you open up.

This isn’t entirely true. Many people have enough innate intelligence to realise at a very young age that education and hard work are a viable escape route from that life.

I would be careful about the use of phrases such as “hard work” that suggest those who didn’t “escape” didn’t because they didn’t “work hard.” It falls into the same category of Boris Johnson getting over covid because of his “strength” and “courage” which also suggest if you don’t get over covid its because you are weak and lack courage. Which we all know is rubbish.

This was a London piece, yes? There are millions of people in London who can’t afford to own/run a car but still suffer from the air quality and congestion forced on them by those that use their car every day.

Yeh, one of the bits in the video is from Dulwich Village an area not far from me I would call upper middle class.

Bobbins, there’s a world of difference between a management role where you have to think on your feet, take responsibility for your performance, your teams performance and often things out of your control and the traditionally working class roles, trades, machine operator, warehouse work etc. where you are only responsible for your own performance. Something a lot of working class people will never get to experience or understand, partly because their mindset won’t allow them to progress into these roles. Still, lot of rubbish management out there as well.

It is definitely a state of mind, not an income thing or though the two are often linked.

I mean… just wow where do you even start with that. I guess just laugh at the ignorance.

I find it amazing how people deny their middle class status. I grew up very working class mum was a florist biological dad a green grocer, now im firmly middle class.

But back to the OP if a planter in streets is you’re biggest stress in the day you don’t have it that bad.

i mean its almost like we have a PM whos childhood dream was apparently to be king of the world. Hes going about it the right way.

I really wanted a fake perfect looking lawn but the fact it gets hot and my girlfriend likes to spend her summer laying on it it got vetoed pretty quick. On reflection and as already said there is a lot living in your grass so on that note I think if you can keep the real grass you should.

Err so you’re suggesting it’s important to notice someone’s skin colour, racial background, based on the way they look and alter your behaviour based on that superficial impression? I think you might be the one who might be having an uncomfortable conversation with HR.

Yes it is and if you can’t see that then we cannot have a discussion as we will never agree. I suggest you go away and do some reading. These days saying things like “I don’t see colour” is really incentive and not really a most up to date way of thinking / talking about race. Its not so much about altering your behaviour its about understanding and listening why someones background / past experiences may mean their interpretation of an incident is different to yours

Eh, surely that’s where we want to be going, colour of someones skin is so unimportant it doesn’t register any more than eye colour.

erm…. can. open. worms… everywhere. why don’t you try that line with your friendly hr manager.

I am not sure why. Perhaps its because its unimportant to me ( both her race and her status) and perhaps its in part because I never really looked at her but until the press mentioned it I never noticed. Not unable to see but simply not noticed

Which ones mixed race? do yo see why with an uninterested glance I could not tell? Ok photoshop and such but even so

Im not getting into it dude, we could go round and round talking about how its your privilege to not see race and so on but its not going to get us anywhere. You said you didn’t notice she was mix raced and I simply commented because that comment from you and the initial one I found absurd, because shes clearly (well to me any way) mixed race.

I did not recognise her as mixed race before the press started on about it. Now maybe I had not looked closely but I was suprised.

I find that crazy. It’s really interesting that your experiences and background have lead you unable to see she’s clearly mix raced before its been pointed out.