Interesting Links for 20-05-2021

[andrewducker]

UK Launches World's First Vaccine Booster Jab Trial

(tags:UK vaccines research )

Pregnancy MRI scans are amazing and terrifying

(tags:pregnancy babies mri terrifying )

Boris Johnson's £840-a-roll gold wallpaper keeps falling down as decorators called back in

(tags:UK politics WTF metaphor )

Parents' evenings to stay online after pandemic'

(tags:schools parents internet )

Rail services to come under unified state control

(tags:rail trains UK government )

Comments

[danieldwilliam]

I've been pretty happy with the Captain's online parents' evenings. We have one this afternoon. Much more flexible and the logistics are easier for us and I think for the school.

Of course that's all very well when your kid is doing fine, has no problems and isn't battering the other weans or eating the crayons. Probably needs a face to face chat is there is a significant issue.

I hope that the easier logistics for the school might translate in to slightly more frequent discussions with the teacher.

Getting to go in to the classroom is important - as is meeting all of the other parents. I wonder what schools could do to facilitate that. Perhaps a school bbq?

[andrewducker]

I agree that you'll need escalation methods if things aren't working. I wonder how much of that can be done online - might be more than we'd currently think. Or it might be much better in person.

I definitely agree that meeting other parents can be useful. And making it a fun event does sound worthwhile. What do you tend to get out of knowing the other parents?

Railways

[danieldwilliam]

Great British Railways - operating in England only - says something.

Re: Railways

[dewline]

It does. I'm not sure that I like the implication for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Re: Railways

[andrewducker]

Will actualy also be operating in Scotland:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57187472

Re: Railways

[dewline]

Noting the "devolution" angle as well...

[rmc28]

Online parents evenings are SO much easier, especially for secondary school. As I wrote in January "Overall it took me under an hour to see all of C's teachers, and I wasn't late and didn't get the time wrong for anyone. By comparison I spent well over 3 hours on the same exercise last year."

(Yes, the implication is correct that I was late and had the wrong time for at least two appointments when doing it in person.)

[andrewducker]

Organising things electronically does seem much less error prone!

[danieldwilliam]

Oh, yeah, it will so much easier at secondary school.

[tobyaw]

I prefer the online parents’ evening we had last year. I found ones physically at the school to be quite stressful and rather chaotic, worrying about getting around all of the teachers and having to make polite smalltalk to other parents whose names I could never remember.

Pre-booked slots for video calls works well. Except that Beth’s school uses Google video (Hangouts? Meets?) which seem to be the least effective of the mainstream platforms. I manage to use all sorts of video call systems, but Google’s is always the crappiest quality, while making my Mac run hot and spin its fans.

Have also had various ad hoc video calls with Beth’s teachers this year. It has been far, far easier than either phone calls, or meetings in person.

Great British Railways

[tobyaw]

I like the name and its initialism. Quite funny, which is good for such a short name, and harks back to several different eras of railway history.

A world of difference from names like Abellio and Arriva and Govia and Avanti, which mean nothing and sound horrible. Although maybe I’m just prejudiced against made-up names that end in vowels.

Who would have thought that it would be the Tories who would nationalise the railways?

Re: Great British Railways

[andrewducker]

It didn't seem very likely, did it?

Trains and wallpaper

[anna_wing]

There were previously no targets for efficiency and punctuality? I've been on worse trains than in the UK, but I've also been on a lot better, even leaving out Japanese trains, since that is an unfair comparison to anywhere else...

I don't live anywhere that would suit wallpaper (sauna levels of heat and humidity aren't good for it), but if I did I would order the traditional Chinese hand-painted silk papers in the bird and flower style, which is exquisitely beautiful, not to mention much easier to live with in the long term.

https://www.chinoiseriedecor.com/

Though personally I'd get it through Alibaba.

Re: Trains and wallpaper

[andrewducker]

That's rather beautiful.

And there were targets. They were even hit, occasionally!

Re: Trains and wallpaper

[anna_wing]

Alibaba price is up to US$230-odd per square metre. Not sure how long a full sheet is in the UK.

Re: Trains and wallpaper

[mountainkiss]

This is wonderful. Thanks so so much. Can you link to where you'd find it on Alibaba?

Re: Trains and wallpaper

[anna_wing]

https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/silk+hand-painted+wallpaper+brds+and+flowers.html?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=&SearchText=silk+hand-painted+wallpaper+brds+and+flowers&isGalleryList=G

Re: Trains and wallpaper

[mountainkiss]

Thank you so so much for this. Very very long story short: one day this is going to be in where I live. I’ve always wanted it and you’ve made it possible.

Re: Trains and wallpaper

[anna_wing]

Glad to hear it, and I hope that it works out well. I've thought of ordering single lengths, and using them as wall-hangings. Some companies do that too. Portable, easier to take care of, and you can have it now!

Re: Trains and wallpaper

[mountainkiss]

Yes or you could frame one. They are so beautiful. Thank you again.