andrewducker | Interesting Links for 25-07-2017

A chart that shows where robots are going to replace humans on Wall Street: (tags: automation finance )
Chicago SlutWalk joins in with anti-Semitic ban: (tags: Jews feminism OhForFucksSake usa )
Wings Over Scotland increases defamation claim against Kezia Dugdale to £25,000: (tags: lgbt law scotland independence politics )
Brexit: Theresa May refuses to rule out weakening of food standards in trade deal with US: (tags: food health usa uk europe )
How economists rode maths to become our era’s astrologers: I remember reading an article where the author pointed out that the hallmark of good science was the discarding of failed theories. And noting that economics never discards a theory.
(tags: history economics fail )
Brexit is dying – don’t worry about how we finish it off: (tags: europe uk )
If you want to understand where Corbyn is coming from on free movement of labour, Asquith Xavier has the answer. But you won't like it.: (tags: immigration racism Labour history unions )
Peter Davison is wrong about a female Doctor Who, but he's not sexist: (tags: drwho feminism )
Crewless electric cargo ships may be on the horizon in Norway: (tags: automation shipping transport )
When you think about it, Lord of the Rings is the only appropriate metaphor for the PhD Journey. Let me explain....: (tags: lotr academia phd awesome )
Money can buy you happiness (by paying to get out of negative things): This is on top of, of course, the "Money as a way of not being hungry/homeless" and "Money as a way of not letting your lifestyle decrease", both of which impact on happiness.
(tags: money time happiness )
Roomba's Next Big Step Is Selling Maps of Your Home to the Highest Bidder: Which seems odd to me. I can't quite figure out what they'd do with it.
(tags: privacy cleanliness automation )
India will ban driverless cars in order to protect jobs: (tags: jobs cars India automation OhForFucksSake )
Essex nursery 'closes because of universal free hours scheme': (tags: children money UK government )
How Nolan forgot the Indians at Dunkirk: (tags: India wwii history movies )
Snopes Faces an Ugly Legal Battle: (tags: law business facts fail )
Microsoft Paint avoids brush with death: (tags: software art microsoft )
Food security in a post-Brexit world: (tags: Food UK europe )
22 reasons the hyperloop and driverless cars don't mean we don't need HS2: (tags: trains transport thefuture )

Maybe we need better words to distinguish "actively against equality" from "in favour of equality but not seeing that in this case they're the problem". It makes sense to not let people doing #2 off the hook, sometimes those problems are systematically the biggest part of the problem, but it may be easier to call them to account if there's a level of criticism below nuclear.

Like, I think Davidson's comment about boys losing a role model is *right*, but it's still unfortunately blinkered to let yourself say that, without considering the positive effect for girls, and without clearly thinking through which is more important.

Richard Clegg found this and posted it over on FB:

"I think it's a fantastic opportunity for her and I think that it will be hard for some fans to adjust to it. As I said before, it's difficult to adjust to any new Doctor, but I think the important thing is that those are uncertain fellows, those who are uncertain should be encouraged to watch it with an open mind. ... I don't know, I feel... I think the time for discussion about that is past. They've made the announcement. Jodie Whittaker is the next Doctor and that's great! [break] I feel.. if I feel any doubts about it, it's the loss of a role model for boys, who I think Doctor Who is vitally important for. So I feel a bit sad about that, but I understand the argument that you've got to open it up, so that's absolutely fair enough. So she has my best wishes and full confidence. I'm sure she'll do a wonderful job. [break] As a viewer, I kind of like the idea of the Doctor as a boy, but then maybe I'm an old fashioned dinosaur. Who knows? But I think that's irrelevant now. The time for discussion is over. We have a new Doctor. And let's give her our full support. [break] I would encourage them to watch. I think there's too much... you know on the internet... there's too much bile coming from both sides. And too many people are being horribly sexist about it, and too many people are saying, 'Well, we don't care about you. You're old fashioned. Go away and watch something else.' I think fans who are doubtful, who are uncertain should be encouraged and welcomed. And just approach it with an open mind. [break] Oh yeah, of course. I mean, she's a terrific actress. And you can absolutely understand it. Look, someone rings you up... I know this feeling... someone rings you up one night. You're sitting at home and they say 'how would you feel about being the next Doctor Who?' It's a fantastic opportunity, so of course, she grabs it with both hands. I'm sure she'll do a wonderful job!"

And I'm not sure he could have been more reasonable than that, while also expressing his feelings on it, which don't seem bad to me.

He's been Inverdaled.

I also have some concerns about the loss of role models for boys. This is not to say that my concerns are correct or that, from a societial point of view my concerns outweigh the opportunities for other people to have particular role models. However, I am the father of a small boy.

I look at some of the other role models on offer for him and they are not great. Heavily monitised footballers, wrestlers, unsubtle presentations of super-heroes in endless reboots of origin stories. Can I punch it or kick it and get paid for it?

So I'm going to go a bit of an audit of the Captain's role models and see if I think the Doctor is as rare today as I think he was when I was the Captain's age.

Can I recommend "Avatar: The Last Airbender" tv series. Which has some great role models for kids, and is very good (takes a couple of episodes to get going, but they're quite short).

Suitable for 7+ which I think is slightly older than The Captain though.

That may already be on his watch list. I know he's watched the film but I can't remember if he watched the film again or started watching the tv series.

He's 7 and pretty smart and wise (mostly) so he should be fine with something that is 7+

We had to stop him watching How I Met Your Mother as he started to get old enough to understand what was going on. Barney Stinson is no substitute for the Doctor.

Hah! Yes, Barney may not be the best role model :-)

(I won't watch the Avatar:TLA film. Tis a travesty.)

He finds Barney hilarious. The episode where Barney gets so drunk that he can only tell the truth has him rolling on the floor laughing.

But we probably need to have conversations we don't yet have the shared language for before he can watch How I Met Your Mother again.

In what way a travestry?

To quote one review "The Last Airbender squanders its popular source material with incomprehensible plotting, horrible acting, and detached joyless direction."

And it gets 6% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Interesting Links for 25-07-2017

Peter Davidson

I don't think what he said was as bad as people make out

Re: I don't think what he said was as bad as people make out

Re: I don't think what he said was as bad as people make out

Re: I don't think what he said was as bad as people make out

Re: I don't think what he said was as bad as people make out

Re: I don't think what he said was as bad as people make out

Re: I don't think what he said was as bad as people make out

Re: I don't think what he said was as bad as people make out