An exam is coming up

This morning I went into work to catch up with some work.  My daughter came along as well as she is now doing quite often as she finds it easier to do her homework there than at home.  Our Saturday morning trips now involve a drive to get some coffee at a drive through before heading to my work.  She also gets a toastie while I eat breakfast at home before we leave.  

It means that I do not get to cycle to work which is something that I blame for my ever expanding waistline.  My Wednesday job used to burn off a lot of calories, but due to lockdown, I work from home on a Wednesday instead.  After I got back, I did go for a walk, not a bike ride as it was after dark.  My wife has been hard at work preparing the house for our puppy with my son helping her.  

When relaxing, we watched Strictly Come Dancing, as well as The Voice UK and we both fell in love with the Waitrose advert which we think sums up the Christmas spirit and reflects how our nation is best when we decide to #BeKind to each other.   

Chicago 7

We have finally finished watching this!  My daughter and I have been watching this in bits, but she found it upsetting hence watching it in instalments.  She was encouraged to watch it by her school.

It was enlightening.  I was aware of the injustice that black Americans faced in that time, but I was not aware of just how bad things could be for white people who did not conform to what the state wanted.  

She will watch political things with me and now is politically aware.  She blames me for this, but I suspect that she would have become like this anyway.  

When I was a child, my parents exposed me to this as well.  My son is aware of political issues, but being two years younger appears more interested in matters such as talking to this friends on his mobile.  That may change with time.

How much is that doggy in the window

On the weekend, we told the children, that they are to get a dog.  My wife has wanted a dog for a very long time, and so have the children.  When we got my daughter her fish, it was to prepare her for a dog.  She did not look after it.  The children promised to look after Ron, our hamster, but they did not.  The argument they had to get it over a fish was that a hamster can be played with while you cannot do this with a fish.  Several people we know have got a dog and I think my wife broke.  Of course, during lockdown, the prices of dogs have shot up, but she has researched into this, and has decided to get a dog.

I guess as it is for her, that is acceptable.  Because I know that the children will not look after it as much as it needs looking after.  People at work with a dog are very happy for us, and they have pointed out that it is good that the dog is for my wife as if all goes well, the children will leave home in a few years.

My wife had contacted a breeder, and we were to collect the dog after lockdown.  But this may not be possible, so the odds are that it will be delivered to us.  And this weekend, we got to pick it.  This had to be done via facetime due to COVID as we were not able to travel to see them.  We were not expecting to pick as we were the last to sign up for the litter, but someone had to drop out, so my wife got to pick between a boy and a girl puppy.  Both looked adorable, but she picked the girl after I said I wanted the boy.  

I am unprepared for a dog but the children are very excited and have named her already.  So if anyone has any tips...    

Trump, the US elections and the law

Everyone I know is happy that they think that the US election is over and that Trump has won.  But I am wary as I think that he may win the elections in the courts.

I am sure that many people think that I am insane when it comes to this, but let us face it.  He has tangled with the law before and has managed to avoid being termed racist when it came to his housing policies, avoided being found guilty of collusion with Russia (though a few people were sent to jail in the process of the Mueller report) and also has managed to avoid being impeached.  

He and his team are to challenge the election results in the courts.  And these will include courts where he has appointed people, notably the US Supreme Court.

I hope that the court cases are won by Biden and that he becomes the next US president.  But if this happens, those who hope that Trump will be jailed due to his actions will find that his judges will not jail him.

Voting for a man who boasts about sexual assault and encourages the Far Right.

I am not shocked by the behaviour of Donald Trump in making unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.  I am shocked that so many Americans have voted for a man who has boasted about sexual assault and has encouraged the far right.  

He has stated that his claims with sexual assault was just locker room talk, but I while I have heard men talk about what they would like to do to other women, I have never ever heard one boast that he had sexually assaulted one.  While many who read this will say that the women let him grab them, I would like to refer them to the video about how women facing assault freeze.  

And when it comes to backing the Far Right, I understand why he does not want to alienate one of his major voter groups.  I do not understand why so many Americans still vote for him, notably, those from groups that the Far Right wish to act against. 

Anyway, a lot of people are optimistic that Biden will be President.  I am not.  I see this going to the courts and that means the Supreme Court where they will back Trump.

COVID19 and the nation developing herd immunity through infections

I am livid

On BBC Any Questions earlier today, Richard Tice spread fake news stating that a lockdown is not needed and that the nation can develop herd immunity by allowing low risk people to become infected.

He is either ignorant of the facts, or is deliberately lying.

The facts are simple.  COVID19 mutates.  We are not dealing with just one infection, but many subsects.  The latest mutation to hit the news has occurred in Denmark and these mutations mean that we cannot assume that we can acquire herd immunity by allowing the population to become infected as different strains exist.     

Anyway, stay safe and take care. 

Our final day in East Sussex

It was quite windy today which meant that I was not able to go for my usual walk in the morning as my wife had made me promise that I would put my life at risk by doing so.  Instead my daughter decided to accompany me to a walk on the promenade at Hastings, or St Leonards (I had not made a decision then).  But as I would need to drive, my wife took us and she let us to walk while she went to the Art Gallery.  My son stayed behind playing Among Us to his heart’s content.

But I did not end up going for a long walk.  Instead we went to the end of the promenade to watch the waves come in and soak those who got too close to them.  My wife rang as the gallery was not open till later so we met up.  My daughter and she went to the lifeboat shop, but due to social distancing were not allowed in.  I went to walk a bit and took a photo of the lifeboat itself before walking to watch the sea again.

We had coffee nearby and went to the gallery before she did a bit of shopping.  After this, it was time for an amazing lunch at The Wild Mushroom.  We collected our dog bowls (I am happy for them to be used to feed a cat or rabbit instead) and then got some dinner before returning back to rest.

Time to pack tomorrow and return to Colchester.