Sara MacKian
@saramackian.bsky.social
Artist, writer, lecturer with a curiosity for how people interact around issues of health, wellbeing, and the otherworldly. All views my own.
“Millionaires including former footballer Gary Lineker and music producer Brian Eno have written to new prime minister Andy Burnham asking to be taxed more.”
UK millionaires ask Andy Burnham to tax them more
A group including former England footballer Gary Kineker write to the new PM telling him "we can afford it".
bbc.co.uk
Palestine Action trial lawyer’s prosecution criticised as ‘chilling’ for profession
Palestine Action trial lawyer’s prosecution criticised as ‘chilling’ for profession
CBA chair says contempt charge over closing speech by Rajiv Menon KC has left lawyers fearful of doing their job The prosecution of a leading human rights barrister for contempt of court over his closing speech during a trial of Palestine Action activists has left lawyers fearful of doing their job, the chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has said. Rajiv Menon KC is due to stand trial next week, accused of breaching the judge’s directions in the trial of six people for a 2024 direct action protest at an arms factory of the Israeli subsidiary Elbit Systems UK in Filton, near Bristol. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
In honour of Taylor Swift's wedding reposting my favourite blog post of mine that I ever wrote. Reflections on Satanic psychology as prompted by Taylor Swift and Warhammer. sherdenpact.neocities.org/4thWall#Swift
Behind the Brush
sherdenpact.neocities.org
Enjoying a day playing the Marcussen organ at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester for the @openuniversity.bsky.social degree ceremonies. #oufamily Music by Handel, Bach, Smart, Vierne, Gigout, Spicer and Powell/Lapwood…
Fabulous day at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester celebrating 500 of our amazing @openuniversity.bsky.social students graduating after years of hard work. Graduation days are so special & remind us as staff why we're here 🥰🫶🎓 #OUFamily
Join us at @openthanatology.bsky.social @openuniversity.bsky.social to explore all aspects death and loss. From changing funeral practices to careers in palliative care, from grieving divergently to existential disconnections and global change. This hybrid conference covers all this and more!
Join us for the 'Launch of the Centre for Open Thanatology: Dialogue and Engagement with Death and Loss', reflecting the Centre’s vision to use research and education to foster open dialogue and critical engagement with death and loss. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launch-of-...
Launch of the Centre for Open Thanatology
Join us for the 'Launch of the Centre for Open Thanatology: Dialogue and Engagement with Death and Loss'
eventbrite.co.uk
There's zero logic in white supremacy, but still "Make a huge portion of your own military hate you during a war" doesn't seem like a winning strategy
NBC News@nbcnews.com · 4mo agoNEW: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken steps to block or delay promotions for more than a dozen Black and female senior officers across all four branches of the military, according to nine U.S. officials familiar with the process.
“Anti-DEI” means pro-discrimination. It was never about merit, always about racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc
NBC News@nbcnews.com · 4mo agoNEW: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken steps to block or delay promotions for more than a dozen Black and female senior officers across all four branches of the military, according to nine U.S. officials familiar with the process.
They must be so afraid of women of colour's competence.
NBC News@nbcnews.com · 4mo agoNEW: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken steps to block or delay promotions for more than a dozen Black and female senior officers across all four branches of the military, according to nine U.S. officials familiar with the process.
Relevant ... "With no real management experience or strategic background, [Hegseth] has the chance to remake the US military in his image, an image + vision roughly equivalent to what you would expect from a 13-year-old boy who had logged too many hours playing Call of Duty on the couch."
The Mythology of Pete Hegseth
The Iran War cheerleader-in-chief embraces a dangerous alternate history of the 21st Century
doomsdayscenario.co
A woman holds up a noose and a lethal injection, celebrating Israeli plans to introduce the death penalty for Palestinians. Her husband holds a gun labelled 'occupation', a plane labelled 'expulsion', and a house labelled 'settlement' 1/2
The ‘murky’ world of GP finance This is an example of a 10,000 Patient practice Average patient will have 7 GP practice appts/year, 1 A&E attendance every 3 years, 2 hospital appts/year £169/patient/year goes GP £3079 goes to hospitals £40pa would solve GP crisis @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social
The VIP lane was rotten to the core. A national scandal.
Conservative peer quits after Lords probe into PPE deals
It comes after a Lords standards probe into his contacts with ministers and advisers during the pandemic.
bbc.co.uk
ICE agents are paid a bonus for anyone they seize and that includes tourists- read this account from a retired tourist held for 6wks despite a valid visa and seriously think do you need to go to the States? World Cup and Olympics are huge issues imo
‘Don’t go to the US – not with Trump in charge’: the UK tourist with a valid visa detained by ICE for six weeks
Karen Newton was in America on the trip of a lifetime when she was shackled, transported and held for weeks on end. With tourism to the US under increasing strain, she says, ‘If it can happen to me, i...
theguardian.com
Academic ennui in "Silent Witness" (alt-text predicted "dreamy" not "dreary")
Ethnic cleansing concerns in Gaza and West Bank amid intensified violence and forcible transfers by Israel – UN report
Ethnic cleansing concerns in Gaza and West Bank amid intensified violence and forcible transfers by Israel – UN report
GENEVA – A UN Human Rights Office report released today raises concerns over ethnic cleansing by Israeli authorities in both Gaza and the West
ohchr.org
Just occurred to me that as Trump’s DOJ was investigating, indicting, and arresting Epstein — and talking that same summer to a woman accusing Trump of assaulting her as a child — across almost that exact same timeline he does all that crazy shit with Ukraine that ends up getting him impeached
Roger Sollenberger@sollenbergerrc.bsky.social · 6mo agoNEWS: The FBI interviewed an Epstein victim who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her when she was underage not once — but at least FOUR times. But the document that shows those additional interviews appears to have been deleted from the DOJ website. substack.com/home/post/p-...
NEW - I'm thrilled to announce I was asked to interview Robert Jenrick at a car boot sale for the New Yorker. open.substack.com/pub/mrhenrym...
Jenrick Among the Folding Tables
A New Yorker profile
open.substack.com
National security assessment: the planet fails, Whitehall opens a workstream northwestbylines.co.uk/lifestyle/fo...
National security assessment: the planet fails, Whitehall opens a workstream
With the planet in crisis and fast approaching a point of no return for climate and environment, Whitehall wants to assess things before acting
northwestbylines.co.uk
Incredibly effective writing and maybe the only way left to get to the people who have not vaccinated.
Kathleen Bachynski@bachynski.bsky.social · 6mo agoThis is a vivid, horribly relevant read. “She does not sleep well. And as you lift up her pajama top to check her rash one morning, you see that her breathing is labored, shadows pooling between her ribs when she sucks in air. You suffer an icy moment of realization: This is a medical crisis.”
I wish I could make all new parents read this, and everyone who hasn’t vaccinated their children.
Kathleen Bachynski@bachynski.bsky.social · 6mo agoThis is a vivid, horribly relevant read. “She does not sleep well. And as you lift up her pajama top to check her rash one morning, you see that her breathing is labored, shadows pooling between her ribs when she sucks in air. You suffer an icy moment of realization: This is a medical crisis.”
This is a vivid, horribly relevant read. “She does not sleep well. And as you lift up her pajama top to check her rash one morning, you see that her breathing is labored, shadows pooling between her ribs when she sucks in air. You suffer an icy moment of realization: This is a medical crisis.”
This Is How a Child Dies of Measles
When your family becomes a data point in an outbreak
theatlantic.com
This week, I withdrew from a speaking engagement at a public university because they sent me a list of prohibited “words & concepts.” I will not humor this censorship. It does a disservice to the stories I’m discussing & the audience, who deserve unfettered access to information & conversation.
Oh God are we doing this again? A LARGE SWATHE OF YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD BEFORE THE AGE OF FIVE. SCARLET FEVER WOULD HAVE CARRIED YOU OFF IN DROVES
John Wiswell@wiswell.bsky.social · 6mo agoPeople always ask, "What would you do if you were born in another time period?" With my health the answer is almost always, "Die before kindergarten." Medical progress is the real deal, buddies.
It was an absolute pleasure being part of this conversation. Talking about death can help you learn a lot about life...
Dr Sophie Michell@sophiemhistory.bsky.social · 6mo agoLast month, @ericaborgstrom.bsky.social, @saramackian.bsky.social and I recorded a podcast on what it's like to study death. We're all from very different disciplines but we found a lot of common ground. You can listen to it here www.open.edu/openlearn/he...
“I’m really worried for my friends and neighbours who are immigrants, or the children of immigrants, who’ve kept our city region moving.” Our candidate for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, says the threat of adopting ICE-style tactics would put hardworking communities in the firing line.
The annoying thing about Substack, client journalists who are all earning 6 figures have opened accounts, spreading their half truths and misinformation there also! Support independent journalism like this. PLEASE watch this, you will learn that legacy has 1/2 youtube.com/watch?v=k6I8...
Lowkey DESTROYS Media Coverage of Mandelson, Epstein & Mossad
YouTube video by Double Down News
youtube.com
Can anyone think of another group of people who did this? Clue: Germany 1930s.
