News you might have missed - March 2014

From Clegg vs Farage to Ben Summerskill vs Pink News and from MOOCs to Muppets, and finally if World War I was a bar fight…

Here's the news you might have missed in the last month... 

Political

BBC to host Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage TV debate
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26443312
Time to buy popcorn...

Labours Banker Bonus Tax Bonanza
http://www.buzzfeed.com/martinshapland/labours-banker-bonus-tax-bonanza-gimd

The magic money tree...

Tory MP Mark Menzies resigns as Ministerial aide following claims he paid male escort for sex and drugs
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tory-mp-mark-menzies-resigns-3300512#.UzlP71kUEjU.facebook

"A top Tory MP resigned as a Ministerial aide tonight after a Sunday Mirror investigation into claims he paid a teenage rent boy for sex and drugs" Hardly a "top Tory MP" but I wonder if anything will make it to court...

Vladimir Putin ‘wants to regain Finland’ for Russia, adviser says http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vladimir-putin-wants-to-regain-finland-for-russia-adviser-says-9224273.html

Very worrying --> "He could well say that the Bolsheviks in 1917 committed treason against Russian national interests by granting Finland's independence."

LGBT

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg: I love that Britain is a place you can be gay and proud

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/03/10/deputy-prime-minister-nick-clegg-love-britain-place-can-gay-proud/

Me too...

Congratulations Scotland, Queen gives Royal Assent to same-sex marriage
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/03/13/congratulations-scotland-queen-gives-royal-assent-sex-marriage/

Woo Hoo!

Ben Summerskill disappoints me (again)
http://viewfromtheshire.blogspot.com/2014/03/ben-summerskill-disappoints-me-again.html?spref=fb

Ben Summerskill slates the Liberal Democrats for cynically supporting equal marriage. Needless to say, I am not impressed with him...

Guinness ditches St. Paddy’s parade over LGBT ban
http://nypost.com/2014/03/16/guinness-pulls-sponsorship-from-st-pattys-parade-over-lgbt-ban/

Whose gonna ditch the parade next, leprechauns?

Ethiopia to make homosexuality a non-pardonable offence
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/03/25/ethiopia-make-homosexuality-non-pardonable-offence/

More sad news from Africa

Why Affirming Bisexuality Is A Public Health Concern
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/03/24/3418099/bisexual-health-concerns/

"To truly eliminate the physical and mental health disparities bi people experience, the solution is simple: take them at their word."

Ben Summerskill vs Pink News
http://viewfromtheshire.blogspot.com/2014/03/ben-summerskill-vs-pink-news.html?spref=fb

New from me: Ben Summerskill vs Pink News - Is it a vendetta?

History
http://lawandsexuality.wordpress.com/2014/03/26/history/

An interesting read that covers the History Boys, Stonewall, Ben Summerskill vs Pink News and gay saunas...

Gay weddings: 'Fifth of Britons would turn down invitation'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26773016

I wonder how many would turn down a real invitation from a friend or family member rather than a hypothetical one for a survey

Entertainment

Twitter bans porn on its video-sharing app Vine
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26478378

So how much will the usage decrease by - 90%, 99% or 99.9%?

Muppets Most Wanted: When did finger-tenting, or steepling, become a symbol of evil?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/03/24/muppets_most_wanted_when_did_finger_tenting_or_steepling_become_a_symbol.html

I'll have to watch my body language...

Education

University bursaries 'do not help students stay on'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-26448816

Interesting - looks like an argument to divert money from universities to schools and colleges...

MOOC survey: Students of free online courses are educated, employed, and male.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/new_scientist/2014/03/mooc_survey_students_of_free_online_courses_are_educated_employed_and_male.html

Who takes MOOCs? Educated white guys with internet access - not exactly widening participation!

The UNC fake class scandal: Athlete got an A- for a one-paragraph paper.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/03/27/the_unc_fake_class_scandal_athlete_got_an_a_for_a_one_paragraph_paper.html

This is why i'm glad that in UK universities, sport comes second to academic quality

Science

Europe backs call for universal smartphone charger
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24726077

About time to...

Aston University: Five-second rule is (mostly) accurate.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/03/15/aston_university_five_second_rule_is_mostly_accurate.html

A study from Aston University shows that there is some evidence for the five-second rule - I love science!

This isn’t just good news. This is stupendous news.
http://www.markpack.org.uk/48863/this-isnt-just-good-news-this-is-stupendous-news/

Free chocolate = Happy employees = Productive employees :)

Women in STEM: How Georgia Tech, Caltech, and others opened up to female engineers.
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/03/women_in_stem_how_georgia_tech_caltech_and_others_opened_up_to_female_engineers.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr%3Acontent&mc_cid=c372f6b8f9&mc_eid=ce0911e6ab

Shocking how recent this was...

And finally…

In praise of procrastination: five reasons why it pays to wait
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/shortcuts/2014/mar/03/procrastination-wait-work-jennifer-saunders-hypnotherapy

This is totally me...

10 mindblowingly simple tricks guaranteed to change your life forever
http://www.remarkably.com/10-quick-easy-tricks-guaranteed-change-life-forever/

Mind blown!

How well do you know the pop groups of the 90s/early 2000s?
http://www.playbuzz.com/bellajavier10/how-well-do-you-know-the-pop-groups-of-the-90s-early-2000s

The music of my youth...

If WWI was a bar fight…
http://themetapicture.com/if-wwi-was-a-bar-fight/

An interesting approach...

Thousands make #nomakeupselfie donation error
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26723457

Worth checking exactly where you donated...

Which British Prime Minister are you?
http://www.quizmouse.com/quizzes/10/r/41