View from the Shire: News you might have missed: January 2015

Am shocked --> The Daily Mail alights on a Government Equalities Report commissioned by our Jo Swinson and, of course, hones in on the one paragraph in 12 pages that mentions sex.

Liberal Hero of the Week #85: Ruth Davidson

https://centreforumblog.wordpress.com/2015/01/25/liberal-hero-of-the-week-85-ruth-davidson/

Even some Conservatives say sensible things sometimes

WATCH: Angry Burnham’s Newsnight Nightmare

http://order-order.com/2015/01/28/watch-angry-burnhams-newsnight-nightmare/

Of course Labour don’t mention that most health privatisation was done under a Labour government

Open Doors: All 3 versions of the first Lib Dem broadcast of the year

http://www.libdemvoice.org/open-doors-all-3-versions-of-the-first-lib-dem-broadcast-of-the-year-44419.html

LGBT

Irish Taoiseach vows to ‘campaign strongly’ for marriage equality

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/01/irish-taoiseach-vows-to-campaign-strongly-for-marriage-equality/

Promising news

Leelah Alcorn suicide note: Why I believe the media were right to share it
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/leelah-alcorn-suicide-note-believe-4907445#ICID=sharebar_facebook

The Samaritans Guidelines for Reporting on Suicides states that the contents of suicide notes should not be shared. However I agree with this author that the media were right to do so in this case...

Fraudulent; Negligent; Incompetent. My speech to the Trafalgar Square Vigil for Leelah Alcorn

http://www.sarahlizzy.com/blog/?p=289

Read this moving speech

Congratulations! All gay couples in Florida can now marry

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/06/congratulations-all-gay-couples-in-florida-can-now-marry/

Woop woop!

Your God and My Dignity: Religious Liberty, Bigotry and Gays

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-religious-liberty-bigotry-and-gays.html?_r=4

I agree --> “And I support the right of people to believe what they do and say what they wish — in their pews, homes and hearts. But outside of those places? You must put up with me, just as I put up with you.”

Egypt: All 26 men acquitted of ‘debauchery’ in bathhouse case

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/12/egypt-all-26-men-acquitted-of-debauchery-in-bathhouse-case/

Good news

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Gay Marriage Cases

http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2015/01/16/supreme_court_agrees_to_hear_gay_marriage_cases.html

Both sides want this so fingers crossed…

Leo Varadkar: ‘I am a gay man’, Minister says
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/leo-varadkar-i-am-a-gay-man-minister-says-1.2070189

Progress --> Irish Minister of Health comes out

Asylum system continues to fail LGBT people

http://www.libdemvoice.org/asylum-system-continues-to-fail-lgbt-people-44229.html

Simply not good enough

Northern Ireland: Government spent £40,000 defending gay blood ban

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/19/northern-ireland-government-spent-40000-defending-gay-blood-ban/

Such a waste of money

Egypt media told to increase anti-gay coverage

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/22/egypt-media-told-to-increase-anti-gay-coverage/

Sad news

Comment: How a Holocaust symbol inspired the naming of PinkNews

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/27/comment-how-a-holocaust-symbol-inspired-the-naming-of-pinknews/

This --> “The story of the pink triangle, which the Nazis forced gay men to wear, can never be told enough, and I feel bad that we perhaps don’t tell it enough ourselves in gay media.”

Cabaret star Joel Grey comes out as gay, aged 82

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/28/cabaret-star-joel-gray-comes-out-as-gay-aged-82/

I never knew he was in

Entertainment

Anna Richardson reveals relationship with Sue Perkins
http://attitude.co.uk/anna-richardson-reveals-relationship-with-sue-perkins/

Stephen Fry and Elliot Spencer weren't the only new celebrity couple this week...

What Taking My Daughter to a Comic Book Store Taught Me

http://www.itinthed.com/16328/what-taking-my-daughter-to-a-comic-book-store-taught-me/

I hope I can find some decent comics for my nieces in the future

Snapchat: Why teens’ favorite app makes the Facebook generation feel old.
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2015/01/snapchat_why_teens_favorite_app_makes_the_facebook_generation_feel_old.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_top

Snapchat makes some sense to me so i can't be that old :)

Education

Plans to send overseas students home blocked by Tory leadership
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/07/theresa-may-plans-send-overseas-students-home-blocked?CMP=share_btn_fb

A bad idea rightly blocked

School Direct is choking university teacher-training courses

http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2015/jan/19/school-direct-is-choking-university-teacher-training-courses

Not unexpected

Students condemn 'green league boycott'

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/20/students-condemn-green-league-boycott

Shockingly enough, if a University doesn’t think it will do well in an optional league table, there is no incentive to enter

University applications hit record high
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-31041413

Good news

Heavy opposition set to defeat key part of Theresa May’s terrorism bill
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/29/heavy-opposition-defeat-key-part-theresa-may-terrorism-bill?CMP=share_btn_fb

I hope she is defeated.

On a separate note, this quote really irritated me: One senior Conservative peer, Lord Renfrew, who is a former master of Jesus College, Cambridge, even voiced fears that the move would endanger the future of the Cambridge Union Society, which is marking its 200th anniversary this year. Endangering universities is bad enough, but endangering the Cambridge Union Society is a step too far!

Hot-headed anti-terror legislation won't work for universities

http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2015/jan/29/hot-headed-anti-terror-legislation-wont-work-for-universities

The bill’s definitions are vague and its implementation impossible. Here’s a scenario to prove why it won’t work on university campuses

Remember Cameron’s early vote-Blue-go-green mantra?

http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2015/01/31/remember-camerons-early-vote-blue-go-green-mantra/

Now its vote Green, get Blue

Science

How we lost The Great Egg Race

http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2015/01/10/how-we-lost-the-great-egg-race/

I agree --> “I feel that in the 20 years between The Great Egg Race and Scrapheap Challenge we somehow lost the ability to celebrate cleverness for its own sake and to simply take delight in people working together to do a good job under trying circumstances.”

Know When To Run: The Story Behind The Xmas Kings Cross Problems

http://www.londonreconnections.com/2015/know-run-story-behind-xmas-kings-cross-problems/

Worth a read - optimistic planning and poor communication combined to produce bad customer experience and bad PR. Hopefully lessons will be learnt and implemented next time

And finally…

Gambit Release Date: Channing Tatum X-Men Movie to Open in 2016
http://variety.com/2015/film/news/channing-tatums-x-men-spinoff-to-hit-theaters-in-2016-1201393233/

Gambit is coming!

Video streaming dog collar allows owners to watch their pets' every move
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/video-streaming-dog-collar-allows-owners-to-watch-their-pets-every-move-9965207.html

If we had a webcam on Delia, we would have a close up of her bed all day...

YouTube twins come out to their Dad and the tears flow

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/15/youtube-twins-come-out-to-their-dad-and-their-subscribers/

Sweet

If Hermione Were The Main Character In "Harry Potter"
http://www.buzzfeed.com/danieldalton/boss-witch#.beKrP9lLJ

Love this

Who Said It: King Abdullah or ISIS?

http://order-order.com/2015/01/23/who-said-it-king-abdullah-or-isis/