Dominic Cummings in Durham

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Blackcountryboy
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Blackcountryboy » Tue May 26, 2020 4:51 pm

sTeamTraen wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 4:39 pm
Untitled.jpg
Who would trust Cummings with the scorecard?

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Martin Y
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Martin Y » Tue May 26, 2020 5:02 pm

The general chinny-reckon pile-on in social media is throwing out 'facts' I can't check; e.g. that DC travelled to his parents place by complete coincidence on his mum's birthday, and they took a day trip to Barnard Castle Specsavers by complete coincidence on his wife's birthday.

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Trinucleus
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Trinucleus » Tue May 26, 2020 5:13 pm

Martin Y wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 5:02 pm
The general chinny-reckon pile-on in social media is throwing out 'facts' I can't check; e.g. that DC travelled to his parents place by complete coincidence on his mum's birthday, and they took a day trip to Barnard Castle Specsavers by complete coincidence on his wife's birthday.
Better be sure. Cummings is always fastidious about the truth.

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Martin Y
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Martin Y » Tue May 26, 2020 5:21 pm

Trinucleus wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 5:13 pm
Martin Y wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 5:02 pm
The general chinny-reckon pile-on in social media is throwing out 'facts' I can't check; e.g. that DC travelled to his parents place by complete coincidence on his mum's birthday, and they took a day trip to Barnard Castle Specsavers by complete coincidence on his wife's birthday.
Better be sure. Cummings is always fastidious about the truth.
Undoubtedly. His wife is sufficiently prominent in her own right to have a Wikipedia page, and that days her birthday is 12th April. Then I get stuck. So I'll just take Dom's word for it. He's a serious-minded fellow and I can't see him doing anything frivolous or reckless through some sense of unbounded entitlement.

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Trinucleus
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Trinucleus » Tue May 26, 2020 5:23 pm

The super predictor talked about coronavirus dangers in a blog in March 2019.



In an edit made in April this year

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52808059

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murmur
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by murmur » Tue May 26, 2020 6:37 pm

I just love it when self-absorbed history graduates start thinking they understand science-y things when they last studied any when they were 14 or 16 at best.

By a Cummings-y token I must count as a historian, as I've read many books about things historical...
It's so much more attractive inside the moral kiosk

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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by plebian » Tue May 26, 2020 6:38 pm

Trinucleus wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 5:23 pm
The super predictor talked about coronavirus dangers in a blog in March 2019.

In an edit made in April this year

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52808059
This is priceless, as is the timeline; the edit was made on the day Cummings returned to Downing Street.

I would love a journo to start with "How many people have editing control of your blog's content?" "Who made the edit?" "Why was the edit made?".

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jimbob
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by jimbob » Tue May 26, 2020 6:39 pm

Ah, Check out this Strava activity:
Presumably before it vanishes
https://www.strava.com/activities/3515122450
Have you considered stupidity as an explanation

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jimbob
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by jimbob » Tue May 26, 2020 6:40 pm

plebian wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 6:38 pm
Trinucleus wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 5:23 pm
The super predictor talked about coronavirus dangers in a blog in March 2019.

In an edit made in April this year

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52808059
This is priceless, as is the timeline; the edit was made on the day Cummings returned to Downing Street.

I would love a journo to start with "How many people have editing control of your blog's content?" "Who made the edit?" "Why was the edit made?".
I'd like someone to ask if he saw the need to lie over something so trivial, why should we believe him for anything else?

Especially if his story keeps changing
Have you considered stupidity as an explanation

plebian

Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by plebian » Tue May 26, 2020 6:55 pm

So it's still massive massive not real conjecture of bollocks but GSK having a factory in Bernard Castle is interesting. I wonder if the petty lies are hiding a far bigger story.

Johnson won't engage on detail, he always tries not too as lies are caught in details. Cummings is sticking to his story but by giving the details he wants to and ignoring the questions that probe for others. Hence the array of unanswered questions.
Knowing his intoxication with his own intellect, he's acting like a serial killer, tainting us with details he knows don't prove anything and are annoying when delivered in his sneering manner.

I'm pretty certain he holds most people in contempt, including perhaps especially Boris.

Anyway, the drip drip of MPs calling for resignations is at 32. If they drag it out until next week and the return of parliament, things could get very spicy for Boris. Approval rating just went negative for him.

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Little waster
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Little waster » Tue May 26, 2020 7:05 pm

plebian wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 6:55 pm
So it's still massive massive not real conjecture of bollocks but GSK having a factory in Bernard Castle is interesting. I wonder if the petty lies are hiding a far bigger story.
I assume I'm missing half the story here but Shirley if Cummings was even vaguely aware that GSK are in Barney he wouldn't have bothered with the patently fabricated eye test nonsense and instead would have went with the "I was on very important, confidential, gubmint anti-covid business" line.
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jimbob
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by jimbob » Tue May 26, 2020 7:11 pm

Little waster wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 7:05 pm
plebian wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 6:55 pm
So it's still massive massive not real conjecture of bollocks but GSK having a factory in Bernard Castle is interesting. I wonder if the petty lies are hiding a far bigger story.
I assume I'm missing half the story here but Shirley if Cummings was even vaguely aware that GSK are in Barney he wouldn't have bothered with the patently fabricated eye test nonsense and instead would have went with the "I was on very important, confidential, gubmint anti-covid business" line.
On one of the few bank holidays that such sites are usually shut. With his 4-year old and wife. On her birthday. And which involved a nice walk in the woods.
Have you considered stupidity as an explanation

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Bird on a Fire
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Bird on a Fire » Tue May 26, 2020 7:12 pm

Little waster wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 7:05 pm
plebian wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 6:55 pm
So it's still massive massive not real conjecture of bollocks but GSK having a factory in Bernard Castle is interesting. I wonder if the petty lies are hiding a far bigger story.
I assume I'm missing half the story here but Shirley if Cummings was even vaguely aware that GSK are in Barney he wouldn't have bothered with the patently fabricated eye test nonsense and instead would have went with the "I was on very important, confidential, gubmint anti-covid business" line.
Bold of you to assume it'd all be above board and un-dodgy.
We have the right to a clean, healthy, sustainable environment.

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Cardinal Fang
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Cardinal Fang » Tue May 26, 2020 8:25 pm

James O'Brien isn't exactly please with DC https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/ ... s-johnson/

CF
Image

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bjn
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by bjn » Tue May 26, 2020 8:54 pm

Cardinal Fang wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 8:25 pm
James O'Brien isn't exactly please with DC https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/ ... s-johnson/

CF
I know James personally, he's a thoroughly straight chap and fascinating to talk to. The righteous anger he expresses is genuine.

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Cardinal Fang
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Cardinal Fang » Tue May 26, 2020 9:01 pm

I'll leave this here. Don't share it or anything

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMitchB ... 4535975370

CF
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Little waster
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Little waster » Tue May 26, 2020 9:12 pm

Bird on a Fire wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 7:12 pm
Little waster wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 7:05 pm
plebian wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 6:55 pm
So it's still massive massive not real conjecture of bollocks but GSK having a factory in Bernard Castle is interesting. I wonder if the petty lies are hiding a far bigger story.
I assume I'm missing half the story here but Shirley if Cummings was even vaguely aware that GSK are in Barney he wouldn't have bothered with the patently fabricated eye test nonsense and instead would have went with the "I was on very important, confidential, gubmint anti-covid business" line.
Bold of you to assume it'd all be above board and un-dodgy.
Oh it could be dodgier than a Durham kebab but would still allow Cummings the pretence of a legitimate visit on behalf of the government with a lot more plausibility than the current nonsense.

As a conspiracy theory though it falls down on a number of levels; why would the conspiracy require a F2F with Cummings, why the need to visit the Barnard Castle site in person rather than any other GSK site ... or government site ... or random lay-by on the A19, why take his wife and kid.

Occam’s Razor slices and slices leaving the straightforward answer the most plausible; he went there on a jolly for his wife’s birthday and then lied about it. That the lie is the most feeble-minded lie imaginable just reveals his contempt for us and his Trumpian narcissism; his bafflingly unshakeable self-belief that he is actually some sort of era-defining genius and that everyone else is a dribbling moron incapable of seeing through his toddler-level fabrications or having the guts to call him out on his b.llsh.t.

As the other, equally lamentable, DC said the guy’s a f.cking sociopath.
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by FlammableFlower » Tue May 26, 2020 9:45 pm

Ah, so now Dom has been found to have broken the rules, Matt Hancock says they're going to change the rules (retrospectively) so they didn't apply...

f.ck me, what with his super-predictive blog, he's changing history in front of our own eyes like some kind of political Dr Strange...

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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by jimbob » Tue May 26, 2020 10:56 pm

FlammableFlower wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 9:45 pm
Ah, so now Dom has been found to have broken the rules, Matt Hancock says they're going to change the rules (retrospectively) so they didn't apply...

f.ck me, what with his super-predictive blog, he's changing history in front of our own eyes like some kind of political Dr Strange...
This is someone who cannot resist telling a meaningless, easily-disproven self-aggrandising lie about being a superforecaster whilst making a statement telling an implausible story on which he is staking his government's credibility.

It doesn't look good.
Have you considered stupidity as an explanation

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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Bird on a Fire » Tue May 26, 2020 11:34 pm

jimbob wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 10:56 pm
FlammableFlower wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 9:45 pm
Ah, so now Dom has been found to have broken the rules, Matt Hancock says they're going to change the rules (retrospectively) so they didn't apply...

f.ck me, what with his super-predictive blog, he's changing history in front of our own eyes like some kind of political Dr Strange...
This is someone who cannot resist telling a meaningless, easily-disproven self-aggrandising lie about being a superforecaster whilst making a statement telling an implausible story on which he is staking his government's credibility.

It doesn't look good.
And the number of high-profile elected officials defending him looks even worse.

This is a systemic issue. It's not about Cummings. It's about the government having contempt for the public and for the truth, holding themselves above the law, and taking advantage of others' misery to benefit themselves even in pathetically trivial ways.
We have the right to a clean, healthy, sustainable environment.

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Martin Y
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Martin Y » Wed May 27, 2020 12:10 am

Dominic Cummings is a zealot on a mission. He sees rampant stupidity, inefficiency, cronyism and flat-footedness everywhere in the way this country (and of course the EU) are run. It makes him absolutely furious and he wants to sweep it all away and give everything the radical shakeup he knows will make things run better. The antiquated notion of an old boys network for example, where people use their power and influence to look after their pals rather than do what's best for the country must make him apoplectic with rage. He would be absolutely livid if he heard a story about a prime minister who defended rather than sacking a senior aide who had absolutely obviously disregarded his own government's emphatic public instructions, just because he was a friendly and useful political crony he wanted to protect.

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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by tom p » Wed May 27, 2020 8:11 am

Martin Y wrote:
Wed May 27, 2020 12:10 am
Dominic Cummings is a zealot on a mission. He sees rampant stupidity, inefficiency, cronyism and flat-footedness everywhere in the way this country (and of course the EU) are run. It makes him absolutely furious and he wants to sweep it all away and give everything the radical shakeup he knows will make things run better. The antiquated notion of an old boys network for example, where people use their power and influence to look after their pals rather than do what's best for the country must make him apoplectic with rage. He would be absolutely livid if he heard a story about a prime minister who defended rather than sacking a senior aide who had absolutely obviously disregarded his own government's emphatic public instructions, just because he was a friendly and useful political crony he wanted to protect.
It's at times like this that I'm glad I've had to leave the UK.
My the FSM have mercy on your souls

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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by tom p » Wed May 27, 2020 8:38 am

murmur wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 6:37 pm
I just love it when self-absorbed history graduates start thinking they understand science-y things when they last studied any when they were 14 or 16 at best.

By a Cummings-y token I must count as a historian, as I've read many books about things historical...
Almost certainly 16. Cummings is only slightly older than me & science of one kind or another was pretty much mandatory (and certainly standard) at GCSE when I was at school (except, perhaps, for kids with special needs)

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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by tom p » Wed May 27, 2020 8:43 am

Little waster wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 7:05 pm
plebian wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 6:55 pm
So it's still massive massive not real conjecture of bollocks but GSK having a factory in Bernard Castle is interesting. I wonder if the petty lies are hiding a far bigger story.
I assume I'm missing half the story here but Shirley if Cummings was even vaguely aware that GSK are in Barney he wouldn't have bothered with the patently fabricated eye test nonsense and instead would have went with the "I was on very important, confidential, gubmint anti-covid business" line.
Barnard castle is just manufacturing. There would be no reason for anyone in government, other than the MHRA's GMP inspectors, to visit a pharma company manufacturing site. You would talk to the bods in their head offices in west London.

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Little waster
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Re: Dominic Cummings in Durham

Post by Little waster » Wed May 27, 2020 8:49 am

tom p wrote:
Wed May 27, 2020 8:43 am
Little waster wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 7:05 pm
plebian wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 6:55 pm
So it's still massive massive not real conjecture of bollocks but GSK having a factory in Bernard Castle is interesting. I wonder if the petty lies are hiding a far bigger story.
I assume I'm missing half the story here but Shirley if Cummings was even vaguely aware that GSK are in Barney he wouldn't have bothered with the patently fabricated eye test nonsense and instead would have went with the "I was on very important, confidential, gubmint anti-covid business" line.
Barnard castle is just manufacturing. There would be no reason for anyone in government, other than the MHRA's GMP inspectors, to visit a pharma company manufacturing site. You would talk to the bods in their head offices in west London.
Quite
This place is not a place of honor, no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here, nothing valued is here.
What is here was dangerous and repulsive to us.
This place is best shunned and left uninhabited.

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