1. So why do some people keep complaining about what they were made to do when they studied at Christian schools. By its very nature, it will make you sing hymns, ask you to take the Lord's name every morning and attend church on occasions, ask you to not wear bindis or keep your

2. hair loose. They frown upon religious customs not theirs. So grin and bear it. Or send your kids to other schools. No one asked me where I wanted to study but since I was there I took it in my stride probably because even then I wasn't interested in any religion, even mine.

3. Yes, we were taken to church and those of us who were not there for the purpose intended spent our time at the back playing knots and crosses or whispering dirty jokes. And no, the Good Lord did not smite us. Anyway who cared? They were bigger things to worry about. Read on...

4. I studied in a Jesuit-run boys' school. I don't think they had problems with Hindu festivals. I remember teachers and students came to school sporting rakhis on the occasion. One thing I did learn there was to say 'F**K OFF', because everyone used it from Principal to peon!

5. The first time I heard the word 'bastard' was when a teacher on a cycle, came up behind us laggards as we were walking during a long distance run and said "come on you bastards, run!" I asked a senior "Why is he calling us bustards?" I got a pitying look and then "look up the

However you look at it, today has been an utter shambles from the Labour leadership.

Regardless of your thoughts about Jeremy Corbyn, you know he would’ve stood by teachers, parents, pupils and unions immediately m, and without waiting for a leaked Downing St briefing. 1/13

Liberty and Freedom:

You want the freedom to be racist.
You want the liberty to terrorize POC and LGBT.
You want the freedom to discriminate and hate.

Here's the challenge with disrupting militia plots: most militia dudes are Dunning-Kruger levels of incompetent, but not Dunning-Kruger levels of dangerous.

So the problem is that militia culture is wrapped up in this sort of virtue signalling nonstop. It's all around trying to project yourself as a leader, a military expert, a tactical master, based entirely on what you've read in Tom Clancy novels

So a militia might say things like, alright, here's the plan. We're gonna get 1000 guys, and we're gonna set up a barricade at each of the three entrances to the statehouse, and then we're gonna neutralize the security forces.

Super scary stuff! Just one problem.

Where are they gonna get 1000 guys? How are they going to implement a Command and Control structure for 1000 guys? What are they gonna make the barricades out of?

This requires a high-level of coordination and logistics support that they really just don't actually have the talent or network for. Let alone that the number of guys they claim is always a factor of 100 larger than the number of guys who actually guy.

cw: suicide, reactionary bs
[Thread]

One thing that really pissies me off are those facist reactionary "#ProLife" bigots.

And I'll explain in detail, WHY they are bigoted.

So strap in and hold tight...

Regardless if those advocate for the [very facist] idea of de-facto criminalizing #suicide or #abortions, "#ProLife" advocates aka. bigots are not willing to provide even a halfass alternative substitute as a figleaf to pseudo-legitimize their ideas.

I mean, regardless whether or not one person should be allowed to have a say into the health, life and well-beijng of another person is something agrees with [I think #ProChoice is the only non - reactionary-facist answer!]...

...it is clear that people don't actively seek suicide nor abortion unless they don't see another option and the alternatives are not acceptable to them.

Therefore I could at least respect [but not agree with] "#ProLife" people if they'd actually offer alternatives.

I.e. you don't want to have so many #abortion|s?
Then make actual sex - education mandatory, provide contraceptives, child-care and medical care for free whilst offering paid parental leave and undo the Gender Pay Gap ffs so that people are not economically forced into a decision

NOTE:

If you see papers/media that show very low sensitivity for rapid Ag tests (i.e. 30%-60% sensitivity) the report is most likely making a common mistake:

Comparing a test meant to detect viable virus to a test that can detect minuscule amounts of RNA is a mistake.

1/x

PCR RNA stays around long after live virus is cleared

So if you see a paper that shows very low sensitivity, ask:

"Are they comparing rapid antigen tests to "anytime" PCR RNA positivity? (Especially studies asking about sensitivity among asymptomatics)

2/x

To interpret this, you should know that only 25%-40% of the time someone is PCR positive are they infectious w live virus.

So... even a test that is 100% sensitive for live virus should only show a 25%-40% sensitivity against PCR among asymptomatic people.

3/x

(For various more epidemiologically complicated reasons having to do with the growth or decay rate of the epidemic, the sensitivity range is actually more like 30% - 60%... but that's for another tweet sometime)...

But to interpret studies of rapid antigen tests...
4/x

Simply put... If you see reports of rapid antigen tests "only" 30% - 60% sensitivity in asymptomatics (vs PCR) - you should think:

"Great! That could well be an exceptional test with sensitivity as high ~905-100% sensitive for likely contagious virus - and its rapid!"

5/x

Short thread on attacks against Christians in the Telugu states, AP and TS:
1. Church Demolished in Guntur:
On January 9th, 2019, a mob demolished a Church in Narnepadu village in Guntur district of AP, because it didn’t follow Vastu rules.
https://t.co/iBKlPwfZj3

2. Church Set on Fire in Hyderabad
On 7 October, 2014, Nireekshana Mandiram (Temple of Hope) Church was torched by unknown assailants in Hyderabad, Telangana state. More than half the Church was burnt in the early hours of the

3. Church Vandalised:
On May 22nd 2017, the Lady of Fathima Church in Kundapalli village near Hyderabad was vandalised by a group of miscreants, who reportedly broke statues of Jesus and Mother Mary. Police booked the villagers for

4. Church Set on Fire in Mahabubnagar:
On Jan 16, 2017, a Church in Tadur village of Mahabubnagar district, was set on fire by assailants. Almost everything inside the church was destroyed by the fire including carpets, instruments, songbooks, and

5. Teenage Christian Girls Beaten Up and Threatened, Bibles Torn:
Two girls were beaten up by Hindutva extremists for attending a prayer meeting at Mennonite Brethren Church in Narayanpet on 15th November 2014. The mob threatened them and tore Bibles

1/11
Last week General Motors announced plans to be carbon neutral in its global operations by 2040 & to offer only zero-emissions vehicles even by 2035. #velshi

2/11
I’ve had my share of things to say about GM's poor corporate responsibility & leadership for years but now, it seems, even GM sees the writing on the wall: the future is about cutting emissions, transitioning to electric vehicles or other zero-emissions technologies #velshi

3/11
America is less than 5% of the world’s population, but uses 20% of all the oil produced in the world every day. Gasoline for driving accounts for half of that. #velshi

4/11
General Motors has done the math. Getting to zero-emissions as quickly as it can is where GM can have the biggest positive environmental impact. With this announcement, we may witness an America where gas stations eventually become charging stations. #velshi

5/11
The upside to doing any of this is clean air, a healthier earth, stopping the warming of the earth, moderating the effects of hurricanes & floods & wildfires, all by transitioning away from an energy source that kills the planet to produce it & to burn it. #velshi

Ian Wright of Food and Drink Federation says transport will get worse - trucks corssing short straits now about 2,000 - normally 10,000. Also Irish sea volumes very light, system not stressed but will be

Was Covid crisis a dress rehearsal for Brexit? Supply chais for food and medicines kept running. No, says Ian Wright, because there was no paperwork. Says Covid health checks at Dover was more of a dress rehearsal. Says backlog from that was still being cleared on NYE

Andrew Opie says Covid food supply was internal challenge, not external. Learnings from Dover: problem is often empty food lorries going back to Fr, ESP etc - about 1/3rd going back empty - being prioritised to keep food supply going

Stephen Kinnock MP says steel exports subject to quota - above quota tariff of 25% applies. Exports GB to NI count as part of export quota to EU (Port Talbot steel works in his constituency)

Phipson of Make UK says there are easements that could be put in place for steel and other matters but claims EU reluctant to do so for political reasons

Thread.. @NicolaSturgeon There should be no place for Transphobia in ANY party.
However, women wanting to retain sex based rights and protections is not Transphobia.1/2

If you are going to call women Transphobic, you must be able to define what actually constitutes a Transwoman, because so far we are seeing drag artists, cross dressers, non binary etc all defined as Transwomen by Stonewall..2/3

Women have been subjected to vile mysoginistic abuse by some of the young members who are suddenky leaving Snp...and why are they leaving?
Because some weak protections for women were incorporated into the Hate Bill..3/4

I saw someone call @joannaccherry the most vile names, a C*** and other sex based insults. This and the other abuse has not been called out by our First Minister.4/5

Women I know personally have left @theSNP in their droves because of the attitude towards us voicing our concerns "Jeremy Hunts" etc..to the way we are being treated by these young people and others.5/6

1/ I'm just reflecting about how many leaders from the Modern Orthodox community passed away in 2020. The list is an overwhelming pantheon of pivotal, unique, and creative rabbis. I'm stunned by the enormity of the loss.

2/ Right at the end of the year, the 9th of Tevet, we lost Rav Henkin z'l, probably the most prominent & compassionate Dati-Leumi posek we had! It's rare to have a highly superior halakhist with unimpeachable standards who is also wise &

3/ Another Dec. loss: Rav Schwartz z'l of Chicago, another towering posek who took brave & indominable positions that understood modern society while having complete, airtight respect for tradition.

In my work in medical halakha, he was a crucial

4/ In Nov. we lost Rabbi Dr. Sacks z'l! His paramount leadership wasn't in halakha but in theology. He was able to navigate the secular & traditional worlds at the highest level; a rare rabbi whose philosophical work was universally recognized as

5/ In Aug. we lost Rav Steinsaltz z'l! I'm - accurately - running out of superlatives; please understand this thread is not overstated. Steinsaltz is a nearly irreplaceable, unique figure in modern Jewish

Adrian Wait
Injustice anywhere is a Threat to Justice everywhere…
A layman’s reflection.
The century enters its 21st year. In this time scandal and corruption has plagued this Nation… so much so that I know that what I present here is only the ‘tip-of-the-iceberg’.

We have had a myriad of scandals in and around Parliament, there was the utterly shameful debarkle of the Expenses scandal, a scandal that exposed the root of horrific levels of Greed,

sickening levels of presumed privilege, this was almost erased by the scandal of the world-wide obscenity of hypo-GREED on levels that most of us cannot imagine, the Toxic mortgages, loans and usury on ‘Columbian marching powder’

The rise and rise of money-laundering the transition of perceptions of democracy, has it became a burgeoning kleptocracy the Bankster moved their tanks on to Parliament square, Politics was swallowed by a mafia of toxic money, and evil, banal Banksters and hedgefunders.

HSBC lead the pack of banks laundering monies for Mexican Drug Barons, at the head of the British section a Vicar, the Rev Green, and a person who would temporarily take one of the highest positions at the BBC. The cronyism and corruption encircle and consumed

We could make our Defense cheaper. We could reinstate conscription. We could transfer large portions of our standing forces into guard and reserve units. We could stop invading central and southwest asian countries. We could increase direct military aid to our allies.

The other good ideas include more unmanned and uninhabited systems (WHERE APPROPRIATE, and nobody has convinced me yet that naval presence is worth a damn unmanned), as well as investing more in the dark arts of gray zone warfare.

Now, all that wouldn't be very efficient were we to need to go to war in a hurry. But maybe... And this is crazy... We shouldn't be in a hurry to go to war?

But our adversaries -- Russia, China and Iran -- all invest heavily in the dark arts, all use conscription, are all investing in unmanned. They ain't crazy. They know if WWIII was about to kick off they'd need time to boost readiness and train conscripts.

And I know what folks would say: "Sometimes you don't have a choice of when you got to war. Think of 9/11."

And, good point. But my recollection of that time period was that in Afghanistan, the CIA and SOF had the Taliban and al qaeda just about licked within a few months.

THREAD: Exposure before Extraction

1. Many are screaming for the EXTRACTION of corrupt people. People are asking:

- Prosecutors will surely follow the rule of law, won’t they?
- Why can the people see the crimes, but nothing happens?
- Why are there no major arrests yet?

Thread by @rld_real_CPR: @ClarkeMicah @TracyICQ https://t.co/iTU0x6del8… Peter, Mr Hitchens, Sir. Words cannot express the comfort a voice of sanity in this cacophony of bile is. Your voice is a blessing to...…

1 - @EFF revealed today how the LAPD have been requesting Ring doorbell cameras footage of Black Lives Matter protests (https://t.co/FtPoYH3Hn2). Here is a short thread on why this is part of a worrying bigger picture.

1.1 - Over 2,000 public safety agencies have signed formal partnerships with Ring worldwide. The partnerships allow police to use a law-enforcement portal to canvass local residents for footage without

1.2 - Warrants exist to protect us. Law enforcement needs to justify access on reasonable suspicion.

1.3 - Normalising bulk footage requests from people without warrants is dangerous. It adds to the state's plethora of mass surveillance tools.

2 - Public-Private surveillance partnerships can seriously undermine our freedoms and alter democratic societies by normalising surveillance. You shouldn't have to worry that your tech purchases might be used for surveillance purposes.