Dr Rick
@rfbooth.bsky.social
We're now returning to a time when essentially all academic-track English and Welsh people pick three subjects at 16 and do very little, if anything, else in their formal schooling. It's an interesting approach.
January 31, 2026 at 6:32 PM
We're now returning to a time when essentially all academic-track English and Welsh people pick three subjects at 16 and do very little, if anything, else in their formal schooling. It's an interesting approach.
Very much so. I don't believe it's changed much. bsky.app/profile/rfbo...
This really brings home to me just how wildly different American universities are to British ones. I went to university to read mathematics, and ALL my courses were in mathematics. We're much more specialised at 18 then they are at 22. (I have no particular view on whether this is good or not.)
5 classes in college that most influenced me
intro to labor relations (why I am a union member) by @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social
Calling BS by @carlbergstrom.com
Sex, Gender and Disability by Joanne Woiak
Intro to special education by Sarah Arvey Tov(why I went into sped)
Assessment by Katie Lewis
intro to labor relations (why I am a union member) by @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social
Calling BS by @carlbergstrom.com
Sex, Gender and Disability by Joanne Woiak
Intro to special education by Sarah Arvey Tov(why I went into sped)
Assessment by Katie Lewis
January 31, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Very much so. I don't believe it's changed much. bsky.app/profile/rfbo...
My recommendation to my classes is that examinations are written to minimise the usefulness of graphical calculators, and they're clunky to use, so - unless you really want an expensive toy - stick with Desmos for exploration (we issue iPads).
January 30, 2026 at 6:32 PM
My recommendation to my classes is that examinations are written to minimise the usefulness of graphical calculators, and they're clunky to use, so - unless you really want an expensive toy - stick with Desmos for exploration (we issue iPads).
On the ridiculousness, I remember Charlie Brooker, who at the time wrote TV reviews for the Guardian, writing something like "at this point, I would not be even slightly surprised if a small but perfectly formed pterodactyl were to burst free from Jack's forehead and fly into the distance".
January 27, 2026 at 8:15 AM
On the ridiculousness, I remember Charlie Brooker, who at the time wrote TV reviews for the Guardian, writing something like "at this point, I would not be even slightly surprised if a small but perfectly formed pterodactyl were to burst free from Jack's forehead and fly into the distance".
We all know what the real reason is. But the author is a deeply TERFy Brit who mostly writes for the Mail and agrees with all of Rowling's positions, so obviously the public must be Wrong.
January 27, 2026 at 2:45 AM
We all know what the real reason is. But the author is a deeply TERFy Brit who mostly writes for the Mail and agrees with all of Rowling's positions, so obviously the public must be Wrong.
It's much simpler than that. Rowling has repeatedly said both that her profits will be used to, and that purchasing her work indicates that you, support her position on trans people (which is, let's be clear, monstrous). Young people have taken that seriously.
January 27, 2026 at 2:40 AM
It's much simpler than that. Rowling has repeatedly said both that her profits will be used to, and that purchasing her work indicates that you, support her position on trans people (which is, let's be clear, monstrous). Young people have taken that seriously.
Oh man, that's good. I'm not even American and it made me gasp.
January 26, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Oh man, that's good. I'm not even American and it made me gasp.
He's right, inasmuch as rarely have the suckers been quite this exceptionally, evangelically stupid. But there are always suckers.
January 26, 2026 at 8:03 AM
He's right, inasmuch as rarely have the suckers been quite this exceptionally, evangelically stupid. But there are always suckers.
Apart from a brief digression into my new kittens, I have done little else on there today. I'm torn between "this is not good for me and I should probably stop" and "if the good guys aren't loud, people will believe the bad guys are the sensible majority".
January 25, 2026 at 12:12 PM
Apart from a brief digression into my new kittens, I have done little else on there today. I'm torn between "this is not good for me and I should probably stop" and "if the good guys aren't loud, people will believe the bad guys are the sensible majority".
Thank you! This should be enough to break my paralysis.
January 23, 2026 at 7:37 AM
Thank you! This should be enough to break my paralysis.
This reminde me: I wanted to ask somebody for advice, and it seems rude to ask the actual T Kingfisher (this is possibly just my brain being weird, but, yeah). I have read nothing of theirs. Where would you suggest I start? If a series, ideally one that's complete. No obligation to reply obvs!
January 22, 2026 at 10:36 PM
This reminde me: I wanted to ask somebody for advice, and it seems rude to ask the actual T Kingfisher (this is possibly just my brain being weird, but, yeah). I have read nothing of theirs. Where would you suggest I start? If a series, ideally one that's complete. No obligation to reply obvs!
Ewmagerd, THAT'S exciting. I really, really liked _Hench_.
January 22, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Ewmagerd, THAT'S exciting. I really, really liked _Hench_.
I did not know this existed and now I need it.
January 22, 2026 at 10:15 PM
I did not know this existed and now I need it.
I don't understand why the Brookmyre backlist hasn't been made into at least two or three hit shows.
January 20, 2026 at 7:54 AM
I don't understand why the Brookmyre backlist hasn't been made into at least two or three hit shows.
If I want a recipe that Works I'm going to him or Felicity Cloake, and otherwise I probably resign myself to having to do Science. (TBF for any traditional Chinese food there's also Fuchsia Dunlop.)
January 20, 2026 at 7:50 AM
If I want a recipe that Works I'm going to him or Felicity Cloake, and otherwise I probably resign myself to having to do Science. (TBF for any traditional Chinese food there's also Fuchsia Dunlop.)
How... how is it that you think it saves time, exactly? When you have to manually flush it with mouthwash, yet?
January 19, 2026 at 10:39 PM
How... how is it that you think it saves time, exactly? When you have to manually flush it with mouthwash, yet?
It's especially annoying because they have apparently decided to alternate most of their core audience by supporting every horrible mean-spirited thing this government proposes, as well as actively pushing the GC line (amongst others).
January 15, 2026 at 4:08 PM
It's especially annoying because they have apparently decided to alternate most of their core audience by supporting every horrible mean-spirited thing this government proposes, as well as actively pushing the GC line (amongst others).
I think it was when we started to have "reality TV" of this kind, so probably Big Brother? It's been quite a while.
January 15, 2026 at 9:31 AM
I think it was when we started to have "reality TV" of this kind, so probably Big Brother? It's been quite a while.
This suggests that it was "a thing" in the south, and feels like probably a reference to a popular book of the time. One wonders.
January 15, 2026 at 9:24 AM
This suggests that it was "a thing" in the south, and feels like probably a reference to a popular book of the time. One wonders.
As we've had to say of a good (bad...) handful of artists, "and then the brain-eater got them".
January 13, 2026 at 10:51 PM
As we've had to say of a good (bad...) handful of artists, "and then the brain-eater got them".