Not dead yet

 I'm still here. Still in Canada. Given up on the idea of a European visit.

I'd still like to see the sea again - any sea or just a big lake - but can't even see that happening.

Walking more than a few minutes standing for two minutes, just painful and I have to sit.

Halifax waterfront looks the best bet, using a rolator.

United

 Manchester.

I remain of the view that it's a dream job for a half decent coach. There's a free pass available for this season but a great chance of some glory off the back of the ex-manager's good work. Unfortunately that ex-manager didn't have the basic know-how of how to take them further.

Two years ago Leipzig and PSG were semi finalists in the Champions League. So when ManU had the misfortune to be drawn with both of them in the group stage, it was no surprise they didn't qualify for the knockout round.

Nevertheless, had United managed to draw the final match - having already thumped Leipzig 5-0 in the home game - they'd have gone through.

United were doing fine in the previous match against PSG. A draw or a win would have seen them qualify, maybe as group winners. But against all advice, Solskjaer kept a yellow carded and extremely lucky Fred on the pitch and, yes of course, he got sent off and PSG ran out easy winners against 10 men.

Great examples of the kind of decisions/lack of decisions that let the team down.

And so, United transferred to the Europa League where they faced Sociedad, Milan, Granada and Roma (beating them all) before a final against Villarreal. It went to penalties which was close enough but moreso with a score of 11-10.

Solskjaer suffered more criticism in the final for a lack knowhow once again.

But it was close and they also got second place in the Premier League. They are proven good players. There can be no other conclusion. They are just short on those things that someone good with tactics, decision making, getting the best and so on would make a difference.

Today they have a difficult match and everything points to a defeat. Unless there is a sense of relief and/or optimism of better things to come.

But if they lose today, they can only fall out of the qualifying places with a combination of results that guarantees them at least a place in the Europa League again. With the - in theory - easy home game as  their final match they could still qualify by winning that. Avoid defeat today and they are likely through.

The kind of run that they've had even under Solskjaer and they'll be back in the top 4 places again.

The thing is, people don't seem to realise this. Anyone taking over will have it viewed as the impossible job - so has nothing to lose if it doesn't work out - and will get great credit if it works well.

A dream job.

The Good Doctor - a covid tale

 At a time when people could not go to funerals in their own town, Mrs X saw fit to fly from Canada to another continent for a funeral, something that would leave her young child uncared for. So she makes contact with the child's father who lives in a different part of Canada; it appears they are separated.

Instead of telling her she shouldn't go and that collecting the child and taking temporary custody would negatively impact on his work as an essential medical worker in times of pandemic, he agrees.

During the week of May 10th he makes the trip - so that could be any day up to May 16th. There's been no explanation for the lack of exact dates, just the subsequent and initial claim of straight there straight back no stops.

He takes the child to a day care intended for children of essential health workers and goes to work as normal, seeing patients at different settings. No self isolation at all which is a condition of entering his province except for those who live one side of the border and work on the other side as is apparently quite usual for those living close to the border. The exception is not intended for those with personal or career reasons for travel.

Later, it is reported that a child at a day care intended for children of essential health workers tests positive for covid.  The parent, a health worker, doesn't understand as they followed all recommended guidance. The parent of the child then also tests positive. This happens around the 21st May and is soon followed by about 40 new cases of covid when there were actually none at the time of the trip.

Later it is announced that "an irresponsible health worker" travelled across the border and was not honest with officials upon returning and did not self isolate as required. I remember thinking that the puzzled health worker must be this doctor.

Somehow the name of the good doctor is revealed and he admits his 'mistake' but felt he had no choice and he was careful, making no stops. But he gets abuse on social media, much of it racist in nature.

Later he has a rethink, suggesting he couldn't have been responsible, that he was told a patient of his had tested positive so he then had his own test. This was apparently a few days after the child at the day care tested positive.

The provincial government has been supplying daily updates and the archive for May 21st shows a new case, that of someone under 19 in that border town.

On May 26th is a second case, someone over 90. Same town. Two active cases.

On May 27th the government site announces a third case. Between 50 and 59 which fits the doctor. The site very clearly says the cases are linked to the health worker who didn't self isolate and who saw patients, including at the hospital. As cases subsequently mounted up, the link was repeated.

So the official provincial health department has stated the first three new cases after a period of no cases at all result from this trip over the border and no self isolation. And it's obviously the child, parent and a patient.

With all the subsequent cases it looks bad for the doctor who has since been suspended and cannot work in the province.

_________

Meanwhile, because of the tight controls in operation on the borders in this part of Canada, with many people claiming it's unconstitutional, the New York Times picks up on it and interviews the good doctor from the point of view of the border controls and the racist abuse.

During the interview he reveals (lets slip?) that he attended a job interview during this trip that went straight there, straight back with no stops.

Subsequently it's also revealed he had a night stopover at his brother's house. And that he met with a couple of colleagues.

Quite ridiculous what we're being asked to believe.

Obviously the racist abuse is wrong. He should be in the stocks having rotten fruit thrown at him.

I imagine that before his case comes up, some deal will be done.

But how the hell did those employing him now, across the border, decide he was a good fit for them after this came out?

Recurring dream again

I had a new variation on my recurring dream where I can't find anywhere to pee. This time I could, but...

I was at work. There were many new employees just started, all of them women and most were girls fresh out of school. They were wearing what they'd have worn at school last week, just as I did in my first week until I got paid and bought myself non school-wear.

So many women in the office that the younger ones were using the men's toilets as well as their own and there was a crowd as I entered, needing to go.

One stood back for me and allowed me to enter the cubicle. Other girls were using the other cubicles and urinals, while others waited. They didn't close the doors.

I closed my door and sat. I didn't want to stand as the partitions were low. But then I noticed a girl's head at the top of the extra low door. There was a curtain and I stood to draw it over.and sat back down. Then I was aware the partition at my side only went half the length and I could see girls at the urinals.

There was another curtain there, so I drew that over to fill the gap. Then I noticed that where I'd drawn the curtain above the low door, the girl's head was my side as she was chatting with a friend.

I stood up and brought the curtain back between me and her but she moved it again. As I was tugging to get it back in place, my arm caught the side curtain and it opened.

I gave up and left. A rare recurring dream where I actually found a toilet to use but I still couldn't use it.

As I was leaving I noticed something I'd missed before. The girls were using the toilets standing up!!

A year on

It's now just over a year since I last commented. The Brexit fiasco trundles on.

I gave up the idea of one final European trip for me and the family (they've never been); I had been planning a few days in Paris and then maybe train down to Geneva/Annecy area, with perhaps a visit into Germany and then finishing up at Nice.

My stamina is disappearing and I need to rest if I walk as much as 10 minutes. I'm not convinced I could handle all the flight changes, transfers, the 20 hour journey and all the rest of it from here and all that walking around airports to departure gates and waiting around.

But it occurred to me last night that, maybe, we could just do Nice. That can be done with just one change in both directions via Montreal. Nice airport is also small and I know you can just walk through the doors and take a bus or taxi and be where you need in 10-15 minutes.

And since there's less spending than flying to Paris and back from Nice plus the cost of things in between, I could spend more on a better Nice location than originally envisaged. Somewhere with a view over the sea. Maybe I could finally have some use for a passport renewed twice since last used and my Permanent Resident Card, also unused.

Fingers crossed.

Strange logic

Not the Guardian as such this time, but an article within by Kimberly McIntosh of The Runnymede Trust.

It's about integration of minorities and ability to speak English.

She complains the number of people who can't speak it is over estimated and then gives the "real figure" which, I suspect, may be under stated as she's met "countless people who claim to be “rubbish” at English but are basically fluent."

In my experience there are also those who say they are good enough but very clearly aren't. So it's likely somewhere in between.

But then comes a strange point.

Quote:

Communities secretary Sajid Javid made it clear which side he felt had work to do...if he’s serious about bringing “divided communities together”, then why is he so focused on 0.3% of the population?

Well, what would be the point in concentrating on the 99.7% who already communicate in English?

That's a really odd thing to say. A bit like saying 20% of people are no good at Maths so we're going to send the other 70% (joke) 80% for classes.

There was, of course a very good point as well. "And if the government is serious about increasing access to English language lessons, why did it slash funding by £132m between 2010 and 2015?"

After she appeared on BBC someone responded

Quote:

“kimberly ‘hood bitch’ mcintosh to go back to zoo. her narcist monkey face makes me to puke. ugly n*****”

Maybe we should scrap the internet and start again.

The Guardian and coincidences

This past week, as is the usual media thing to do, the Guardian has been running its best of the year things in the entertainment world.

Best TV series - The Handmaid's Tale, about the subjugation of women in a misogynist society. The comments under the number one piece were open and there were many along the lines of "what a surprise" and someone referenced a feminist movie highly placed in the top movies so far category. I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

I couldn't help but notice that as well as best album they had a feature on great albums you might have missed or some such where the favourite was a female, black, gay singer. I'm sure it was just a coincidence.

Best Movie - Call Me By Your Name, about two gay young men. I'm sure it's just coincidence.

Best album of the year? At first it looked as if they would be satisfied to have just picked a woman but apparently she believes in gender fluidity and sexual fluidity..."I'm not one for gender or sexual absolutism in the main; I fully support and engage in the spectrum." I'm sure it's just coincidence.

Non-discriminatory support for equality, inclusiveness, freedom of choice and all the rest of it is one thing but really? The Guardian's choices of "the best" has considered nothing but talent?

If this was fiction it would be satire and even then, perhaps, a bit over the top.

Even the best drama/theatre category was a play about a former IRA member at the time of hunger strikes in the Maze Prison.
It does actually sound really good, but...

I love the Guardian but come on, let's have a little less agenda please.