🚨🚨 NEW BLOGPOST 🚨 🚨 Teaching, AI, fees... Some assorted thoughts on going back to higher education for a year. open.substack.com/pub/joxleywr...

Musings on a Masters

Collected thoughts after returning to university

open.substack.com

a column! on the British Museum banning pictures at the Bayeux tapestry exhibition and what happens when technological changes are so swift and sweeping that we don't have the time to come up with a mutually shared sense of etiquette around them: www.thenewworld.co.uk/marie-le-con...

Hampshire police say man was arrested on suspicion of destroying ships or endangering their safety under the Aviation & Maritime Security Act 1990, criminal damage, criminal damage with intent to endanger life, & conduct endangering ships, structures or individuals under Merchant Shipping Act 1995

Emma Yeomans@yeomans.bsky.social · 3d ago

Worrying scenes in the Channel today, for all interested in asylum policy and maritime tactics. A small boat from Normandy spent more than 30 hours at sea. Those on board now on their 2nd rescue vessel as Border Force forced to play cat and mouse with far-right activists who have their own boat.

Excited to say that early-bird registration is now open for Wolfenden at 70: a one-day conference exploring the legacies of the Wolfenden Report and their relevance to contemporary society. Early-bird registration for members of the Society of Legal Scholars can be found here: lnkd.in/eeM2SpmK

Look, I am not going to criticise Dolly Parton for anything, let alone the name she chose for her management company, but wow did it make this story which refers to it repeatedly a disconcerting read.

Dolly Parton's manager accuses nephew who announced her death of threats and intimidation

Bryan Seaver, who announced Parton's death to the world, is accused of trying to extort her estate.

bbc.co.uk

This shouldn’t make a difference but I am astonished that the person on the dinghy was *a member of the French coastguard* and the UK government response remains “did something happen? we weren’t looking”.

Not to harp on this, but one man has now coordinated the disruption of a port, two separate attacks on the RNLI, and interference with the border force and the police have no further questions? And the Home Secretary has not noticed?

John Oxley@joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 2d ago

The man who filmed himself stabbing one, with a person on board, is still seemingly at large.

It would be absurd, but entirely fitting with the UK response so far, if Thomas ended up being prosecuted by the French authorities while the UK continues to look on meekly.

Emma Yeomans@yeomans.bsky.social · 3d ago

10. French authorities putting out a fairly direct warning that attempts to interfere with their actions in the Channel can be prosecuted. Thomas/Tommo is I believe subject to an entry ban to France, which he is thought to have violated once so far.

There is, I think, a really good argument to be made that the bit of the income distribution that the Liberal Democrats are winning from the Conservatives are specifically overtaxed (the £100k marginal rate + the end of free childcare). Fixing that costs c£4bn, and might actually raise revenue.

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 3d ago

Feeling really happy with my column on how Ed Davey is not the Liberal Democrats' problem. Now to take a big sip of coffee and read the news:

I think a 10p fuel duty cut is a daft policy but also hate this mode of response to a policy proposal: “hah yes, politics, all a big game isn’t it, don’t take it too seriously”. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

In odd news: the far right may have lost in the Swedish elections, but they have (sort of) won a musical victory as a song attacking the leader of the Left Party (mostly over crime but also wind power) has topped the Swedish music charts for the second week running: sverigetopplistan.se

As a Man Utd fan I find it easy provide evidence for the critical flaw in Sir Jim’s argument in The Times today. I believe it’s known as the league table.

If you think parents have brought their children up so badly that the child’s crimes are the parents’ fault: child neglect is an offence! But it seems unlikely that in proceedings against a child courts can readily divine whether the parents were at fault or at their wits’ end trying to help.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 6d ago

Parents in England and Wales could be fined or jailed for child’s crimes, minister says

Look, if none of you want the Forbidden Mint Chocolate Orange I’ll take it in a heartbeat.

Elle@elleisanisland.bsky.social · last wk.

Pope Leo XIV has been gifted a massive green orb and honestly not now massive green orb

Things I was frightened of as a child: Quicksand Being buried alive (thanks, spooky Usborne library book!) Death (after I explained this to an older cousin who reassured me science might fix this I added “overpopulation and no space left on Earth” to the list and she regretted trying to be nice)

Professor Peter Matthews@urbaneprofessor.bsky.social · 2w ago

Things I was frightened of as a child: The entire family dying in a house fire (thanks 999 with Michael Buerk) Nuclear Armageddon (don't let an eight-year-old read When the Wind Blows) Footballs Other people

This is a good example of how you need quite a lot of detail of how these systems *actually* work to understand what the risks are, and how over-indexing on sci-fi can lead you a bit astray on what the future looks like

brasidas@brasidas.bsky.social · 2w ago

Anthropic's models run on terabytes of VRAM. It's not going to "just copy itself to other computers."

I really don't have a better theory of this than positing mass psychological insecurity, as in the reply post. It is just bizarre to watch our liberal centre roll over and act supine for people *who fucking hate them and will destroy them if ever they get the chance*.

John Oxley@joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 2w ago

This is the most shamefully soft-soaped coverage of these thugs that you could possibly imagine. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I thought Keir Starmer was bad, and that having a Principal with even a vague sense of direction would help, but the more time goes on the more convinced I become that the Labour Party is fundamentally incapable of doing the basic bits of preserving a state, even to their own detriment.

John Oxley@joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 2w ago

This is the most shamefully soft-soaped coverage of these thugs that you could possibly imagine. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Letterboxd@letterboxd.social · 2w ago

Happy #LetterboxdFriday! Time to post your #LastFourWatched 🔮

One of the useful things about using Letterboxd to record what films you watch is that you can go to the cinema, think “well that wasn’t great but at least I’ve seen it now” and go on to the app to log it to discover you thought the same thing four years ago.

Got sent a discount code from a retailer I first bought from on this date last year with a message from the CEO about the importance of anniversaries and it’s a rich text.

What is this comment from the Labour MP? No, the issue here isn't that the attempted pogrom had the wrong targets!

Leftback@leftback.bsky.social · 2w ago

Well at least we've heard the worst of this story oh wait the mob got into the hotel onto the floor the players were on and were knocking on bedroom doors. I think I'm moving to rage now. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It's a job, I guess, but I do wonder what Jacqui Smith's motivation for her role is? She's held far greater office; she's in the House of Lords regardless; and her job requires her to go out there and say stuff like this.

Chris Parr@chrisjparr.bsky.social · 2w ago

Some groans in room at UUK 2026 when Jacqui Smith said the UK continues to be welcoming to international students. She responds by saying that universities need to “get out there and argue the case” for the UK as a destination, particularly compared to some other countries.

My "I denounce this film" billboard is driving a lot of ticket purchases my billboard already told you not to make.

Michael Savage@michaelsavage.bsky.social · 2w ago

NEW: Elon Musk denounces new four-hour documentary about his life and influence as a “hit piece”. Labels film-maker Alex Gibney a “bitter old man” who has “zero integrity”. In doing so, leans into conspiracy. Story: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

If you feel like donating to the RNLI, here’s a link. I just have. Their minimum donation is £2: I think it might be nice for them to receive a lot of donations this week, even if they’re mostly very modest. Just so they know a lot of people out here appreciate their work. rnli.org/support-us/g...

Donate to the RNLI and help save lives at sea

Your donations really make a difference. We depend on your generosity to educate people to stay safe and prevent tragedies on and offshore. Donate here.

rnli.org

I have had an Apple Watch for years now; I find it useful in various ways. Does this mean I end up having to ditch it to reassure people I’m not recording them?

Pop Crave@popcrave.com · 2w ago

Apple announces 'Live Rewind' for the new Apple Watch, letting users pull up the last 15 seconds of nearby conversation.

Looking for your next great read? 🤔 Check out our updated catalogue and read our latest free to download books. Browse now: https://books.sup.ac.uk/sup/catalog

I think the worst part of Labour's response to the fascist mobilisation is Andy Burnham's absence. He's the most popular politician in the country, with social media reach and actual powers of persuasion, and he's saying nothing in public. He can actually be of use here but he's choosing not to