omg, this! I struggle with getting students to explore anti-abortion thought seriously, anti-suffrage thought seriously, anti-vax thought seriously. My famous refrain in all of my classes is, "We have to take our historical actors seriously!"
Comic of the beetle from the cover of Massive Attack's "Mezzanine" meeting the crab from the cover of The Prodigy's "Fat of the Land".
Hi this joke is for me
How is your first reaction "oh yikes, better cover my arse by making ministers aware of this one"?
Begs the question about whether this had become normal practice for similar appointments.
It sounds like the FCDO were in a tricky spot with the announcement preceding vetting. Nonetheless, it's *very* surprising to me that someone as experienced as Robbins would have kept that vetting result to himself. Just baffling if true.
Awesome job alert: @ourworldindata.org are hiring a writer.
I will be intensely jealous of whoever gets this one.
ourworldindata.org/hiring-write...
£80k-£120k a year depending on experience.
The hiring process involves a paid writing residency before any full-time offer.
I'd rather focus on things we can fix: convenience, access, good quality information etc.
The lack of trust in institutions underneath the antivax stuff is what really needs fixing but I barely know where to start with that. I just know it doesn't involve mandates or haranguing people.
I don't think you can. And arguing with people who hold those beliefs is likely to be counterproductive. All we can do is present the evidence of benefit and risk and let people make their choices.
WEBINAR: Looking ahead to the Scottish election, @davefinch.bsky.social joins our colleagues @scothealtheq.bsky.social on 23 April to discuss social attitudes towards health and preventative policy in Scotland, and what the party manifestos have to say on prevention.
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Local Boys in Bradford, 1972, photo by Don McCullin.
Despite the essentially infinite supply of telly we have run out of things to watch. So we are re-watching Spaced. It's still excellent.
Skyrim just went up my 'to play list'
used a little online calculator to find out how much I actually need to save every month to retire at 75 (lol) as someone who started saving for a pension at 34 and I should: not have done that on such a nice and sunny Saturday afternoon
I'll leave it to others to point out the nexus of austerity and commercial interests highlighted in the article. I've already used my lifetime quote of shouty caps.
Approximately 80% of the words I say to my children are some variation of "no you can't have more sweets or chocolate, eat your food." It's exhausting but the alternative is tooth extractions and childhood diabetes. It'd be nice if school headteachers wouldn't go around making this job harder.
"But to say to a 12-year-old, ‘I’m not going to let you have a chocolate brownie after your lovely main meal’ … I mean, come on!"
When did having a chocolate brownie with lunch every day become normal? It's not a bloody human right.
The person who is against the policy? The headteacher. Would he then propose letting his pupils choose whether to do their homework or wear their uniform or bother turning up for class.
Breaking my rule about sharing things that annoys me for this one.
Such a completely silly article. I don't want to come off as paternalist but THESE ARE CHILDREN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
And the children quoted in the article agree that making school food healthier is good.
Even cleverness can be a holding on. Notice where your mind insists on being right, or finding the flaw. Can you rest in simply *seeing* things as they are, without needing to fix them?
This is one of my favourite subreddits
My kids do this too. "AI" just means "fake" to them. Neither is in their teens yet.
AI is profoundly unpopular. A recent NBC News poll found that among 18-34 year-olds, AI's net favorability rating is -44. *Negative 44*. Those are basically serial killer numbers. It's not much better among women 18-49. (Men over 50 and upper class are the only ones who like AI, and just barely.)
I was today years old when I found out that the Cory of Crime rap from the end of Dragnet, one of my favourite films, HAS A WHOLE VIDEO AND EVERYTHING. This is the best day ever.
youtu.be/pT_QRKfv8H4?...
We'll be the A-Team of retirement.
If you have a problem, and, if you can find them, they'll be out on the allotment. Or having a nap. Seriously, just go ask someone else.
Can I have that retirement if you're not going to use it then?
I'm going to do something on the history of public health. But not enough that it counts as work. Maybe a part time MPhil.
But it'll be hard to fit in among the naps and videogames and walks and playing guitar.
I mean just the naps I'd have. I'm pretty sure I'm a world class napper. I'm wasted being awake all day. Talent like that shouldn't be squandered.
I'd have the best hobbies. I'd make jam. I'd become a celebrated letter writer. A gourmand. I'd play all those games I bought on Steam. I'd read all the unread books I own. I'd sleep in. I'd walk. I'd make music.
Seriously, give me all the retirement. I'm ready.
