Neil Thin

Someone has made a working model of my ageing spine.

NHS Fife lost an argument they couldn't win. So then they lashed out by trying to tarnish their victim with all-too-familiar accusations of bigotry and racism. All this does is further damage not just to NHS Fife, but to the various anti-bigotry causes they claim to hold dear.

Here's a pair of white poppy anemones for #WhateverWednesday

If countries, then why not e.g. age categories, occupational sectors, any identities you choose? I'm suing all polyester manufacturers aged 50-59 in countries beginning with the letter C. But if they counter-sue ex-ice cream sellers from 1980, I'm toast. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Weirdly, for the first time in my 65 years I've taken to glancing at test cricket updates. Can't believe I've been missing so much excitement.

Sometimes you see a photo that just makes your day go a whole lot better.

No-one thinks we could or should take politics out of academia altogether. But we can and must do a lot more to ensure universities become politically plural, open-minded places where any kind of awkward political question can be posed. thecritic.co.uk/depoliticising…

"Avoiding an upset". England fans had better hope their team don't have that mindset. Once you've learned the psychological distinction between "approach goals" and "avoidance goals", you see telling examples everywhere.

Intriguing: the "jazz" sense of "groovy" happened in the 1960s. It was passé by the 70s. It enjoyed a retro comeback in the early 21stC. But what accounts for the spike in use of "groovy" in UK (but not USA) books in the 1890s? Who were the groovers and what did they groove?

Of course "older White males" could just be being more sensitive. Or maybe they're more prone to saying things others find "offensive". In any case, the value of universities nosedives if people of any age, gender, or ethnicity feel unable to engage freely in open-minded debate.

Well worth reading the House of Lords letter questioning the move to define "islamophobia". Chilling effect on reasonable public discourse is the obvious issue. But just as crucially, why risk exacerbating inter-ethnic tensions by spotlighting Muslims? conservativepost.co.uk/lords-warn-aga…

Why drop #Islamophobia? 1. Confuses criticism of a religion with prejudice against people 2. Reintroduces blasphemy law 3. Pointlessly invites limitless further applications for special protection from "hate". 4. Insults all Muslims by saying they can't handle criticism.

Advocates for #FreeSpeech and #AcademicFreedom are often accused of promoting offensiveness. You can't engage well in public discourse without risking being offended. You're entitled to feel offended and say so, but you have no right to use that feeling to censor other people.

Around 2016 it suddenly became fashionable to accuse people of "tone policing". Making the accusation is fair enough if someone really is just being annoyingly or evasively fussy about your tone. If you use it to avoid responding to substantial critiques, you look stupid.

Feng Tsan-Huang, an artist based in Taiwan, has dedicated over three decades to crafting kites, and one of his creations takes the form of a bicycle.

Such a crucial point. In any socio-political campaign there's always a high risk that a tiny minority of distracting shit-stirrers can ruin a good cause. The point of any decent social campaign is to build a more convivial society, not to spread prejudice.

Less than twelve hours to go. Please fill in the form. It only takes a few minutes to defend free speech and stop what is effectively a surreptitious attempt to introduce a blasphemy law. @SpeechUnion @acadofideas @Togetherdec @NatSecSoc @DontDivideUsNow @StudentAFAF

Wordsworth and Coleridge at the Coldplay gig

Crucial question. NHS Fife has offered itself up as a horrifying litmus test. But UK-wide and worldwide, which other organizations have been compromised by the anti-truth pandemic? What needs to be done to recover sanity?

What's the point of a "union" if they do nothing to enable people to sort out disputes with dignity? A key feature of "cancel culture" is that the rush to demonise and polarise makes employers and unions forget their duty to try mediation before a conflict gets out of hand.