This is Northumberland calling 25.8.23

The Is it a bird, is it a plane, no, it is chaos and not only in the classroom edition

The bridge over the Tyne at Hexham

Hello America! This is Northumberland Calling

First off, hundred of schools in England have been suddenly and unexpectedly closed due to crumbling concrete. In the 1950s and 1960s RAAC (a type of concrete) was used in many public buildings basically because it was cheaper. The problems with this concrete have been known since 1995, but little remedial action has happened. Over the summer, obviously more schools unexpectedly crumbled and the Dept of Education has been forced to act – closing schools and insisting children be taught in Portakabins, disused office buildings or even online. Typically only announcing a few days before schools were due to start.  Scotland is still doing its own investigation about which schools are affected and so has not closed schools. (NB one of the reasons for why so many buildings in the UK suffer can be traced back to the Blitz, the sheer scale of devastation and the subsequent rebuilding programme which cut corners and the lack of investment in infrastructure as the age of the concrete increased) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/31/schools-england-shut-concrete-buildings-prone-collapse/ or https://archive.is/l983g

Monday was a Bank Holiday and one of the busiest air traffic days in the UK – something happened (possibly a rogue airplane in France filed a flight plan with corrupt data) and the entire UK traffic control system went down for many hours. The ensuing chaos will take until at least next week to complete because most flights are full. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/29/air-traffic-control-failure-flight-data/ or https://archive.is/jhfR2

Gerald Baker has an op-ed in the Times about the looming chaos and Constitutional crisis in the US posed by the Trump candidacy.  The problems are textbook Cataline Conspiracy btw and the Founding fathers did put in the remedy, except the Senate bottled it in 2021 and we are where we are, but of that failure. (NB the papers overhere are suddenly paying more attention to Vikek Rawsamy. Not very much attention to Nikki Haley and a little attention to De Santis) https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chaos-looms-in-the-american-political-dystopia-2vmf7twjd or https://archive.is/xS1ky

Grant Shapps who thus far has failed upwards is the new Defence Secretary as Ben Wallace has bowed out. A huge supporter of Sunak and the former minister for Children, Claire Cotinho, has been promoted Shapps old job at Energy and Net Zero. The new Children’s minister is a big proponent of social mobility (seems fairly non-woke) https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/claire-coutinho-rishi-sunak-energy-secretary-qv6fdxfvk or https://archive.is/wtFxZ

The new chief of staff of the Army (a friend of Ben Wallce’s) attitude towards leadership and how he learned why one always salutes even when no one else is watching makes for a good read. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/28/roly-walker-british-army-chief-general-staff/ or https://archive.is/R4Im3

If you want to understand about the whys behind the changes in sex ed, Miriam Grossman did an interview last November giving chapter and verse about SAR and other changes. There is a full transcript in case like me you prefer to read. https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochtv/why-are-there-no-lower-age-limits-for-puberty-blockers-hormones-and-gender-transition-surgeries-dr-miriam-grossman-part-2-4858328

Grossman has done another interview which is a basic primer of gender ideology and what parents can do to counter. In she describes 3 different types – 1. the very very rare always known and exhibited gender dysphoria (no other mental health problems. 2. The middle aged men (often with children) sometimes known as 3. The Rapid or Puberty Onset Gender Dysphosia.is the newest and has a very different cohort to the other two including huge mental health comorbidities. Again there is a transcript. https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochtv/a-medical-scandal-as-horrific-as-lobotomies-dr-miriam-grossman-on-gender-affirming-care-and-what-parents-must-know-5480787?utm_source=epochHG&utm_campaign=MiriamGrossman

There was a fourth type of gender dysphoria on display in the English court this week – Prison OnSet Gender Dysphoria when a paedophile now identifying as Sophie was sentenced for several counts of abusing a child. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/30/paedophile-changes-gender-sophie-carter-court/ or https://archive.is/Hnx4d

Irish singer/songwriter Roisin Murphy made a remark about puberty blockers on her private Facebook page. She was forced into an apology but even still the record company has pulled all PR  and is donating all proceeds to trans activist charities. In the music industry at present it would any dissent results in the unanimity of the career graveyard.  https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-sinister-online-mobbing-of-roisin-murphy/  or https://archive.ph/bH5hg

The government have bowed to pressure and witnesses will now be compelled to give evidence in the Letby enquiry. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lucy-letby-statutory-public-inquiry-witnesses-evidence-wbmx02029 or https://archive.is/UlZ2t

More heads have rolled at the British Museum as the full extent of the scandal is becoming clear. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hunt-for-british-museum-stolen-artefacts-raises-questions-sjs0306t2 or https://archive.is/5k1AT

Nepo babes on steroids have cornered the London property market as the new transparency law enables journalists to pour sunlight on the often opaque transactions…Over £250 million ($ 316.8 mill US) is owned the children of autocratic rulers. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/uk-property-investigation-children-autocratic-rulers-87fj60g5f or https://archive.is/xGDi3

The Transactivist who was recalled to prison after telling a crowd to punch TERFs in the throat has been  found not guilty of incitement to violence.  He accepted that he had been an idiot to use that form of words. Apparently he will remain in a male prison until the parole board meets next March to review his case.  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12466289/Trans-activist-served-30-years-kidnapping-attempted-murder-urged-people-Pride-rally-punch-TERFs-face-court-hears.html

Do not judge a book by its cover. A book previously judged to be a famous fake has had its authencity re-established. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/book-once-deemed-dangerous-fake-found-to-have-inspired-shakespeare-973fsfvkw  or https://archive.is/48RL6

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend. I remain hopefully for an Indian Summer but the weather is distinctly on the cooler side.