Interesting Links for 08-04-2023

[andrewducker]

1. Cat jumps on imam leading Ramadan prayers in Algeria

(tags:cats religion video music prayer islam viacmcmck )

2. Human memory is hugely unreliable - within seconds

(tags:memory epicfail humans psychology )

3. Extra pregnancy scan could slash number of breech births and risk to babies

(tags:pregnancy healthcare )

4. Suella Braverman and several other Conservatives to address a radical right-wing conference tied to Christian Nationalism and the US radical right.

(tags:religion racism fascism UK conservatives USA OhForFucksSake )

5. Why do refugees come to the UK

(tags:refugee UK video migration )

6. The longest straight line in Great Britain (without crossing a public road)

(tags:maps uk roads )

7. Costa Rica regrew its lost forest. Can the world learn from it?

(tags:SouthAmerica forests GoodNews )

8. Asking the EHRC about sex

(tags:rights UK bigotry OhForFucksSake transgender LGBT )

9. LGBT+ Lib Dems are very angry at the EHRC

(tags:LGBT transgender rights bigotry UK libdem )

Comments

[channelpenguin]

8,9

Sigh. As I keep saying, there's a substantial tendency in a depressing % of humans towards what I nickname "essentialist exceptionalism" - the idea that there is something you are born with (sex, class, race, nationality etc) that is fixed and unalterable. It cannot be taken away from you nor can it be changed. Those not born with it cannot obtain it.

It seems to me to be a common factor behind a wide swathe of nastiness.

[calimac]

1) That is exactly how my cat jumps on me. Lovely!

2) Things you couldn't possibly be expected to remember anyway, yeah.

5) If this is true, then literally everything I've ever read or seen bemoaning the immigration situation is completely and utterly misconceived and unwarranted.

[andrewducker]

That is exactly the case with the immigration situation. It's awful.

[cmcmck]

8&9 The EHRC is clearly no longer fit for purpose and we have a clear demonstration of a government which is misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic!

[dewline]

1. That was a moment of joy to watch.

2. I worry about my memory constantly. Now, more than ever, thanks in part to the Pandemic in progress and to concerns about assorted friends and relatives.

4. Yeah, that's another thing that keeps me from sleeping soundly at night. And I wish I could just chalk it up to sleep apnea, but I can't. The fascist international remains real.

7. I believe that we can all learn from the Costa Rican example. It's a positive, hopeful lesson that we can and should take to heart.

9. This situation as described by the Liberal Democrats definitely qualifies for an OFFS tag! They're right to be angry.

5

[channelpenguin]

Speaking the language makes a HUGE positive difference in living in another country, and it's really a huge effort to do as an adult. I think people who have never done it vastly underestimate the task.

It took me a year of 3-4 hrs a day, 3-4 days a week of classroom lessons plus homework on top of a few preceding months of audio couches to learn German well enough to work in it. And I LIKE learning and have a great memory and a great ear. I was, and am, still not perfect even at that.

Re: 5

[cmcmck]

I lived in Belgium for some years and my French came on no end.

Never really picked up Flemish though, apart from the sort of words it's impolite for a well bred woman to know! :o)

[melchar]

#1 gave me a long moment of happiness as I watched the imam react so kindly to the cat as he continue to lead prayers.