The UK thread

[ed]

Seems that employers need to grow a pair and trust their interviewing process more.

If interviews are the domain of HR expect disaster, they have no business talking to candidates except to find out whether they want cream in their coffee. Fire HR let the people who are filling the actual jobs interview and decide.

[Hotarubi]

Never been in or conducted an interview with an HR bod present.

Not sure what the norm in the USA is.

[ed]

Never been in or conducted an interview with an HR bod present.

then why the vapors vapours over grades?
Funny, thinking back I'd ask "so, you little shit, what was the last book you read?". If it was a book on business I'd kick him in the nuts and throw him bodily out. If literature we had the beginnings of a conversation.

Not sure what the norm in the USA is.

Not sure either but my sense from friends who are wage slaves is that HR wields too much power.
I will defer to any observing wage slaves.

[Hotarubi]

]
then why the vapors vapours over grades?

More to do with University/College placements than employment.

Think Oxford University v Nelson Mandela Polytechnic.

[ed]

NMP is my alma mater. Be careful my friend

[Hotarubi]

NMP is my alma mater. Be careful my friend

Yes, I heard you were in the Kappa Omega Kappa fraternity.

[ed]

KOK. brings back memories

[Witness]

You don't need year-to-year comparisons.

I think we do.

As a simple example, you'd have no way of evaluating new teaching programs or pedagogical methods (and the Pedagogical Church™ is very active!), the effects of pay raises or cuts, more or less strict recruitment of teachers, various "remediation" strategies, &c.

People from one year are not, on average, smarter or dumber than people from other years.

Smarter or dumber, perhaps not. (Yet I remind you of the Flynn effect.)

Better prepared for succeeding at their jobs, and ultimately becoming reasonably happy citizens living a reasonably meaningful life seems, to me, the goal of (compulsory) education. But admittedly ascertaining progress in this needs way more than just grading.

The whole point of my idea of fixing the proportion of each grade awarded is to allow meaningful comparison of the exam results of two people of different ages.

I don't get your (whole!) point here.

If it's two different people of different ages, who would be interested in that apart from some researcher in education? Certainly not an employer.

If it's the same person we're back to year to year comparisons, which you rejected.

As I understood it, your (whole?) point was to get rid of grades, replacing them with a more objective measure by ranking an individual in his whole batch-of-the-year. No beef with that, I approve. Yet piloting tools are still needed (see supra).

Part of the reason for exam grade inflation in the UK … when a GCSE pass actually meant something."

I'm well aware of that, modulo (<— that's for ed) the differences from country to country. And let's not forget that parents now tend to have a consumerist attitude, even suing when unhappy with the product (i. e. the grades of their spawn).

I refer you to the numerous examples of illusory solutions to these problems in our SJW thread.

[Doctor X]

He was rejected at Faber.

– J.D.

[Anaxagoras]

UK scraps exam grading system that enraged students, parents

[Witness]

8 U-turns in 8 months from Boris Johnson’s government

From A-level grades to the Rees-Mogg conga, the UK government keeps backpedaling.

When Boris Johnson won a huge 80-seat majority in the U.K.'s December election, it seemed likely to herald the end of the embarrassing defeats, U-turns and climbdowns that had characterized both the Theresa May years and the early part of Johnson's time at the top of British politics.

Wrong.

Eight months on and Johnson's leadership has proved more fragile than expected and on Monday afternoon the government made yet another U-turn by announcing that all English students will receive the A-level grades their teachers predicted for them and not have their futures decided by a controversial algorithm. The decision came just two days after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told the Times there would be "no U-turn" on the issue.

Here are the government's biggest about-faces since the election.

[I extracted just the titles. See the link for details.]

• NHS staff visa charge — May 21
• MP voting procedures — June 4
• Reopening of all primary schools — June 9
• Free school meals over summer — June 16
• Centralized coronavirus app — June 18
• Huawei — July 14
• Quarantine and 'air bridges' — May/June
• Exam results — August 17

https://www.politico.eu/article/8-u-tur ... overnment/

[Anaxagoras]

Maybe a government that will U-turn is better than one that will stubbornly press forward with bad ideas?

[Giz]

Maybe a government that will U-turn is better than one that will stubbornly press forward with bad ideas?

When ‘our side’ does it, it’s flexibly responding to new evidence. When ‘their side’ does it, they are unprincipled jerks.

[Witness]

Population cartogram:

[Hotarubi]

Maybe a government that will U-turn is better than one that will stubbornly press forward with bad ideas?

Couldn't agree more. Too much fuss is made about U-turns and I do not really care.

[Witness]

Scotland spaceport gets full approval, will be able to host up to 12 launches per year

Scotland’s first proposed spaceport has been fully approved to proceed with construction and operation (via The Northern Times). The facility will be built in northern Sutherland on a peninsula that extends into the North Atlantic. This will be the future launch site for Orbex, a startup looking to develop the U.K.’s first reusable orbital launch vehicle.

This approval follows submission of all the necessary documents, including a full environmental assessment, to local regulators and the Scottish government. Full approval means that construction can proceed, paving the way for launches to begin taking off from the site sometime over the course of the next few years.

Domestic launch capabilities in the U.K. would provide a significant opportunity for the area’s expansion of its bourgeoning private space industry. Aside from offering the U.K. government small satellite launch capabilities from local suppliers, including Orbex, once its rockets become operational, the U.K. and the U.S. recently signed an agreement that permits U.S. launch companies to fly missions from U.K. sites, meaning this Scottish site could potentially host international missions and secure more global business.

The Space Hub Sutherland facility, which will be paid for in part by funding from the U.K. Space Agency, will be a relatively small spaceport overall, playing host to a single launch pad and covering around 10 acres in total, including a control center and a stretch of road spanning around 1.5 miles. That should still provide plenty of space for the next generation of small orbital launch vehicles, which are designed specifically to fit the needs of small satellite operators and thus require much less infrastructure than launch facilities for existing private vehicles like SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/19/scotl ... -per-year/

Weird. I thought launch sites were always near the equator to benefit from earth's rotation.

[Anaxagoras]

Weird. I thought launch sites were always near the equator to benefit from earth's rotation.

Ideally. I think Russia's main one is actually in Kazakhstan at about 45 degrees North latitude. That's about as far south as the Soviet Union went.

[ceptimus]

If you want to put the satellite into a polar orbit, then being near the equator is bad - because the rocket needs to accelerate westwards by up to a thousand mph extra to burn off the effect of the earth's rotation. USA launches to polar orbit mostly take place from Vandenberg - it's not very far north (Alaska would be better, but I suppose the remoteness from the rocket-building sites makes it less practical) but the rocket has to head in a westerly direction, which would mean flying over populated areas during the dangerous parts of the launch if it launched from Florida.

Israel sometimes launches its rockets westwards! This is again very inefficient, but allows the launch to mostly occur over the Mediterranean and avoid overflying populated areas. Israel also uses other launch facilities in other countries - but for their most secret spy satellites, they don't want to do that.

[Witness]

I see, depends on the desired trajectory & orbit.

But who will launch from Scotland?

[Witness]

UK government spending on virus measures pushes debt to £2 trillion

UK government debt has risen above £2 trillion for the first time amid heavy spending to support the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Spending on measures such as the furlough scheme means the debt figure now equals the value of everything the UK produces in a year.

Total debt hit £2.004tn in July, £227.6bn more than last year, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Economists warned the situation would worsen before improving.

It is the first time debt has been above 100% of gross domestic product (GDP) since the 1960-61 financial year, the ONS said.

The July borrowing figure - the difference between spending and tax income - was £26.7bn, down from a revised £29.5bn in June.

It was the fourth highest borrowing in any month since records began in 1993. The three higher figures were the previous three months.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53859299

[Giz]

I see, depends on the desired trajectory & orbit.

But who will launch from Scotland?

Traditionally, lots of scots

[Witness]

They will sound the bagpipes till it's scared and flies away?

[Hotarubi]

[Doctor X]

Do the rich and entitled actually need A-Levels?

– J.D.

[Hotarubi]

Do the rich and entitled actually need A-Levels?

– J.D.

no:

[Witness]

Worst UK wheat harvest in 40 years prompts flour price hike fears

Britain's worst wheat harvest in 40 years is likely to cause a price hike in flour and bread, the industry has warned.

Only about 40% of the usual amount of wheat crop was planted last October due to heavy rain, while crops being harvested now are very poor quality due to droughts earlier in the season followed by lots of August rain, the National Farmers' Union (NFU) said.

The bad harvest is exacerbated further by the uncertainty of a no-deal Brexit at the end of this year, with fears World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs will be imposed on wheat that millers will have to import from overseas to meet demand.

https://news.sky.com/story/worst-uk-whe ... s-12054033

[Rob Lister]

Worst UK wheat harvest in 40 years prompts flour price hike fears

Britain's worst wheat harvest in 40 years is likely to cause a price hike in flour and bread, the industry has warned.

Only about 40% of the usual amount of wheat crop was planted last October due to heavy rain, while crops being harvested now are very poor quality due to droughts earlier in the season followed by lots of August rain, the National Farmers' Union (NFU) said.

The bad harvest is exacerbated further by the uncertainty of a no-deal Brexit at the end of this year, with fears World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs will be imposed on wheat that millers will have to import from overseas to meet demand.

https://news.sky.com/story/worst-uk-whe ... s-12054033

We see the UK wheat decline and are gearing up to take advantage of it help.

Wheat prices were mixed but mostly firm Friday, following an uneven round of technical maneuvering. Traders are still optimistic that U.S. wheat exports will find fresh forward momentum, with a weaker U.S. Dollar making prices a bit more lucrative for overseas buyers. September Chicago SRW futures gained 7.5 cents to $5.27, September Kansas City HRW futures picked up 2.75 cents to $4.4425, and September MGEX spring wheat futures dropped 1.5 cents to $5.1175.

https://www.farmprogress.com/market-rep ... ug-21-2020

[Hotarubi]

Don't want it. It's got Chlorine in it.

I can taste it.

[Giz]

“British liberals are cheering on the tens of thousands of brave Belarusians who have taken to the streets to demand the enactment of their democratic vote. Which is odd, to say the least, given that the last time British liberals themselves marched in the streets, often in their tens of thousands, it was to demand the crushing of a democratic vote. It was to call upon the state to refuse to enact the democratic wishes of 17.4million people, the largest democratic bloc in the history of the UK. The hypocrisy is staggering: the British chattering classes celebrate democracy abroad and wage war on it at home.”

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/08/2 ... democracy/

[Witness]

Fury erupts outside Buckingham Palace as enraged crowds scream 'paedophile' at gates

The protest reportedly started at 1.30pm on August 22 and involved the protesters marching to Parliament Square as well as Buckingham Palace.

Similar protests have been held in Liverpool and Manchester.

Protesters were encouraged to wear white t-shirts to the march.

'Freedom For The Children Global Walk London' took to Facebook to explain more regarding the protest.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/13 ... mily-video (videos at the link)

[Hotarubi]

[ed]

“British liberals are cheering on the tens of thousands of brave Belarusians who have taken to the streets to demand the enactment of their democratic vote. Which is odd, to say the least, given that the last time British liberals themselves marched in the streets, often in their tens of thousands, it was to demand the crushing of a democratic vote. It was to call upon the state to refuse to enact the democratic wishes of 17.4million people, the largest democratic bloc in the history of the UK. The hypocrisy is staggering: the British chattering classes celebrate democracy abroad and wage war on it at home.”

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/08/2 ... democracy/

bet they flew the racist NZ flag. Did you know it was a combination of the Confederate Battle Flag AND the Cross of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan? Scary shit. They actually fly it over buildings down there. There is an apologist here who claims it "has nothing to do with lynching blacks." Exactly what you'd expect, isn't it?

[Hotarubi]

“British liberals are cheering on the tens of thousands of brave Belarusians who have taken to the streets to demand the enactment of their democratic vote. Which is odd, to say the least, given that the last time British liberals themselves marched in the streets, often in their tens of thousands, it was to demand the crushing of a democratic vote. It was to call upon the state to refuse to enact the democratic wishes of 17.4million people, the largest democratic bloc in the history of the UK. The hypocrisy is staggering: the British chattering classes celebrate democracy abroad and wage war on it at home.”

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/08/2 ... democracy/

I knew that Brenda had written this even before opening the link.

[Giz]

“British liberals are cheering on the tens of thousands of brave Belarusians who have taken to the streets to demand the enactment of their democratic vote. Which is odd, to say the least, given that the last time British liberals themselves marched in the streets, often in their tens of thousands, it was to demand the crushing of a democratic vote. It was to call upon the state to refuse to enact the democratic wishes of 17.4million people, the largest democratic bloc in the history of the UK. The hypocrisy is staggering: the British chattering classes celebrate democracy abroad and wage war on it at home.”

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/08/2 ... democracy/

I knew that Brenda had written this even before opening the link.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

[Hotarubi]

“British liberals are cheering on the tens of thousands of brave Belarusians who have taken to the streets to demand the enactment of their democratic vote. Which is odd, to say the least, given that the last time British liberals themselves marched in the streets, often in their tens of thousands, it was to demand the crushing of a democratic vote. It was to call upon the state to refuse to enact the democratic wishes of 17.4million people, the largest democratic bloc in the history of the UK. The hypocrisy is staggering: the British chattering classes celebrate democracy abroad and wage war on it at home.”

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/08/2 ... democracy/

I knew that Brenda had written this even before opening the link.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

Yes. Brenda relies on those alot.

[robinson]

I just figured out exactly why there isn’t a single female posting here

[ceptimus]

I see, depends on the desired trajectory & orbit.

But who will launch from Scotland?

[Witness]

Striking Photos of Manchester’s Slums From 1960s and 1970s That Shocked the Nation

Housing Charity Shelter hired photographer Nick Hedges to document the lives of slum families living in Glasgow, Birmingham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester and other cities of Britain. These photographs revealed the poor life and dreadful housing conditions in Britain’s inner cities.

He found families huddling in a cellar lit by a single bulb, sick mothers, children playing in rags, crumbling walls, children sleeping in a squalid blanket. They were living without basic facilities such as electricity, water, proper sewage, and ventilation system. The images, taken for Homeless charity Shelter, united politicians to address Britain’s slums.

Rest of the pics: https://www.bygonely.com/manchester-slums-1960s-1970s/

[Giz]

Jeez, that guy was just getting ready to take a whiz on the wall

[Hotarubi]

..and she was going to hold it for him.