This is Northumberland Calling 10.3.23

Hags will not be censored edition

This is Northumberland Calling 11.3.23

MP Miriam Cates delivered a deep dive into the new sex education which is being taught in UK schools. 100 genders and tips on masturbation for 11 year olds? 12 year olds having to describe how they like pleasuring themselves?  This is the actual 104 report detailing some of the problems with what is now called RSE in UK schools. It goes far beyond whatever was envisioned back when Sex Ed first began in 1976. https://www.newsocialcovenant.co.uk/RSE%20BRIEFING%20FINAL%201631%20(IS)_small.pdf   https://archive.is/Cmq4P  

The prime minster ordered an immediate review  of sex education in the UK on Wednesday and the chief inspector of Schools admitted that she has been warning for awhile about the inaccuracies of sex ed teaching but lacks the power to do anything as no maximum was set by government. Will the Department of Education actually do anything? https://archive.ph/2023.03.09-223158/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/09/ofsted-chiefs-warning-explicit-sex-education-lessons/

Waterstones, the UK’s biggest bookseller has been forced to deny claims that they were refusing to stock Hannah Barnes’s Time to Think on the Tavistock Clinic and Victoria Smith’s Hags about the demonization of middle-aged women after customers around the country complained on social media that they could not find either title and the sales staff were refusing to reorder. Time to Think is now a Sunday Times Bestseller. An independent bookseller in Tunbridge Wells (not a hotspot of radical feminism) reported shifting over 100 copies of Hags in 2 days and said that Waterstones failure was her gain. https://www.thebookseller.com/news/waterstones-refutes-social-media-censorship-claims

This is the Guardian’s take on the Waterstones logistics problem. Waterstones again denying they wanted to censor  and getting very cross that women and others have taken to social media to complain. Funnily enough middle aged women do not like getting erased or overlooked: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/mar/09/waterstones-books-hannah-barnes-victoria-smith

In the US, you can get Hags as an ebook. It really speaks to the Nikki Haley is not in her prime kerfuffle and the whole erasure of older women. Although as a friend told me, people tend to jump out the way if you, the invisible woman, drive straight at them. A middle aged woman who is proud to be a Hag. The cover is brilliant but the content is better.

Oddly in a land with freedom of religion, there is no such thing as a blasphemy law, the Home Secretary Suella Braverman had to remind police after they charged a boy who slightly damaged a Koran with a non-crime hate incident. . She pointed out that people of Islamic faith are not more fragile or given to violent behaviour than any other citizens. To think they are and to police in that what so as not to give offence is to the height of bigotry. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/05/home-secretary-crack-police-reporting-non-crime-hate-incidents/

The UK government decided to try and stop the problem of illegal immigration via small boat, an avenue of entry to the UK which has become increasing popular. The vast majority using the route are from countries like Albania which is attempting to join the EU. One of the problems is that they are queue jumping and thus it makes it harder for those people who apply through legitimate channels.  A highly paid BBC sports presenter invoked Goodwin’s law over this. The government was less than happy as the BBC is supposed to be impartial. It is doubtful the BBC will do anything. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/09/how-gary-linekers-growing-podcast-empire-means-no-longer-needs/

We won’t talk about Manchester United’s 7 goal loss to Liverpool on Sunday. Just know there was no joy in Mudville that night…

The Lockdown Files continue to reveal raw political power and how Project Fear was developed and deployed. Why the lab theory was discounted – in part due to fears over upsetting the Chinese.  Apparently it will now be urgently looked at. Some have said that not since the Nixon tapes have the general population had such a look at how power is exercised. Again too many articles but the sheer amount of panic and petty tin pot totalitarianism is amazing. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/lockdown-files/

First a king in a car park and now a legendary Roman temple under the cathedral, Leicester has had some exciting finds in recent years… https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/07/legend-proves-true-roman-temple-found-leicester-cathedral/

Finally, King Charles couldn’t find a suitable birthday card for the Earl of Wessex and so gave him a dukedom instead. Prince Edward has become the Duke of Edinburgh for his 59^th birthday. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/03/10/king-charles-prince-edward-royal-family-title-duke-edinburgh/