State of play with NI CMO situation:

Nov 24 - BBC quote him as saying there were "some sizeable outbreaks associated with gyms"

Initially it was suggested this was a misquote until I managed to track down the video.

Myself and colleagues scoured social media and careerist media outlets for any reports of such outbreaks and could find none. We spoke with many private gyms who claimed to be unaware of any such outbreaks. My colleague emailed Dr McBride & was ignored so I decided to take over.
I emailed him on 4th Dec and 7 days later (11th) having received no response I emailed again informing him that failure to respond to my request for information, that should already be in the public domain would result in a FOI being submitted and the ICO being made aware.
That would be enough to get a response from his chief of staff a few short hours later. I was told my request would be responded to. I would email again on the 22/12, which went unanswered, then on the 7/1 informing them the next step was a FOI.
This again would get me a response almost immediately. His dept asked for more time to 'get the evidence'. I felt another 7 days was sufficient which takes us to today. They are aware that after 5pm today my communication with them will cease on the matter and a FOI will be made.
I asked Dr McBride the following:

1. Could you share with me the exact data you were referring to on the BBC when you said there’d been "some sizeable outbreaks associated with gyms”?

2. Which gyms have been affected and what are the numbers you are you referring to?
3. What is the totality of the evidence the Executive have been presented with as to why gyms needed to be closed and why indoors sports and classes have been banned?

(There were other questions posed)
This information is in the public interest and should have been provided as a matter of course. It is unclear why it is proving extremely difficult to obtain. It is also power for the course that the careerist media simply took the claim from McBride at face value.
If there have been "sizeable outbreaks associated with gyms" then it should be a very straight-forward case of saying what gyms had these outbreaks, when they occurred and how many people were affected. If they wish to withhold the names of gyms, then locations should be offered.
The definition of an "outbreak" is 2 or more people testing +ve via PCR. A "significant outbreak" is obviously more than 2 and likely to be 'significantly higher'.

According to a FOI to the Scottish gov it is 'near impossible to ascertain when and where someone was infected.'
Yet Dr McBride seems very certain, and adamant, transmissions "associated with gyms" have been ascertained. It is therefore very important this information is released to the public. I will not give up until it is or until he clarifies his claim further.

More from Business

This is a GREAT argument to pull up when talking to people about minimum wage. Some others nested below


A large number of new jobs being created are minimum to low wage, so looking for a new job generally won’t increase pay.

Raising minimum wage helps things not directly related.

Helps Infant mortality? Yup.

Lowers Suicide? Yup.

Reduce smoking rates? You bet.

It also boosts the local economy! Minimum to low wage earners spend more % of their money, so an increase means more is spent, often in community!

Low paying jobs are often in sectors which would gain from this. More people spending money in your shop makes your business more money! Now you have more profits and increased labor costs are covered.

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I just finished Eric Adler's The Battle of the Classics, and wanted to say something about Joel Christiansen's review linked below. I am not sure what motivates the review (I speculate a bit below), but it gives a very misleading impression of the book. 1/x


The meat of the criticism is that the history Adler gives is insufficiently critical. Adler describes a few figures who had a great influence on how the modern US university was formed. It's certainly critical: it focuses on the social Darwinism of these figures. 2/x

Other insinuations and suggestions in the review seem wildly off the mark, distorted, or inappropriate-- for example, that the book is clickbaity (it is scholarly) or conservative (hardly) or connected to the events at the Capitol (give me a break). 3/x

The core question: in what sense is classics inherently racist? Classics is old. On Adler's account, it begins in ancient Rome and is revived in the Renaissance. Slavery (Christiansen's primary concern) is also very old. Let's say classics is an education for slaveowners. 4/x

It's worth remembering that literacy itself is elite throughout most of this history. Literacy is, then, also the education of slaveowners. We can honor oral and musical traditions without denying that literacy is, generally, good. 5/x