Pinned
Director for Fair Access and Participation steps down from regulator - Office for Students
John Blake's four-year term as the Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students (OfS) ends this year. The Secretary of State will be appointing an interim Director for Fair Ac...
www.officeforstudents.org.uk
It has been an enormous honour to serve as Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students. Now that all-new access and participation plans are in place across the sector, I have decided not to seek a second term.
www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-an...
www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-an...
Really good—there’s no one left in US govt who remembers what Vietnam ought to have taught them: stating you’re in control and staying in control aren’t the same thing.
"American dominance" is our new foreign policy. And it will create a counter-reaction, everywhere.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Trump’s ‘American Dominance’ May Leave Us With Nothing
The president’s moves in Venezuela foretell a new global system.
www.theatlantic.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Really good—there’s no one left in US govt who remembers what Vietnam ought to have taught them: stating you’re in control and staying in control aren’t the same thing.
The key paragraph in an shambolic grab bag of justifications. The sheer absurdity of it is perhaps the point—each aspect of it is debunkable but it takes time and effort, and then there’s some more bullshit beneath it.
January 5, 2026 at 7:50 PM
The key paragraph in an shambolic grab bag of justifications. The sheer absurdity of it is perhaps the point—each aspect of it is debunkable but it takes time and effort, and then there’s some more bullshit beneath it.
Reposted by John Blake
Probably people who were talking loudly in the reference section, as a warning to others.
Oh, Iberians.
Oh, Iberians.
January 5, 2026 at 8:54 AM
Probably people who were talking loudly in the reference section, as a warning to others.
Oh, Iberians.
Oh, Iberians.
As ever, Trump’s sole value to the world is to history teachers who need to explain previously obscure bit of history.
Today: the Mexican Empire sustained by the French Second Empire. Spoiler alert: it does not end well.
Today: the Mexican Empire sustained by the French Second Empire. Spoiler alert: it does not end well.
NEW: In a phone call this morning, I asked President Trump why Venezuelan regime change was different from Iraq. “I didn’t do Iraq. That was Bush. You’ll have to ask Bush that question, because we should have never gone into Iraq," he told me. Here is the story: www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
Trump: Delcy Rodríguez Might Be Next
The president told The Atlantic that the interim Venezuelan president will meet a fate worse than Maduro’s unless she complies with U.S. wishes.
www.theatlantic.com
January 4, 2026 at 5:36 PM
As ever, Trump’s sole value to the world is to history teachers who need to explain previously obscure bit of history.
Today: the Mexican Empire sustained by the French Second Empire. Spoiler alert: it does not end well.
Today: the Mexican Empire sustained by the French Second Empire. Spoiler alert: it does not end well.
“Because, piss poor as Bush’s post-invasion plan was for Iraq, he actually had one.”
NEW: In a phone call this morning, I asked President Trump why Venezuelan regime change was different from Iraq. “I didn’t do Iraq. That was Bush. You’ll have to ask Bush that question, because we should have never gone into Iraq," he told me. Here is the story: www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
Trump: Delcy Rodríguez Might Be Next
The president told The Atlantic that the interim Venezuelan president will meet a fate worse than Maduro’s unless she complies with U.S. wishes.
www.theatlantic.com
January 4, 2026 at 5:30 PM
“Because, piss poor as Bush’s post-invasion plan was for Iraq, he actually had one.”
Trump is profoundly ignorant of American history, so he’s presumably unaware of a load of piratical 19th Century filibusters are cheering in Hell at this.
January 3, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Trump is profoundly ignorant of American history, so he’s presumably unaware of a load of piratical 19th Century filibusters are cheering in Hell at this.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what the Monroe Doctrine is, because it’s pretty clear the President of the United States doesn’t either.
Trump: "All the way back it dated to the Monroe Doctrines. And the Monroe Doctrine is a big deal. But we've superseded it by a lot. By a real lot. They now call it the Donroe Document. I don't know. It's Monroe Doctrine. We sort of forgot about it."
January 3, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Don’t worry if you don’t know what the Monroe Doctrine is, because it’s pretty clear the President of the United States doesn’t either.
The president of the United States is using his phone-in time on a hyper partisan news station to insist America will determine the next ruler of Venezuela and suggest he might invade Mexico.
Trump: “Something will have to be done about Mexico,” says Donald Trump, after the capture of Nicolás Maduro and attacks on Venezuela
In an interview with Fox News, Trump assured that the cartels govern Mexico.
“I have asked her on numerous occasions: 'Do you want us to eliminate the cartels?'”
In an interview with Fox News, Trump assured that the cartels govern Mexico.
“I have asked her on numerous occasions: 'Do you want us to eliminate the cartels?'”
January 3, 2026 at 4:30 PM
The president of the United States is using his phone-in time on a hyper partisan news station to insist America will determine the next ruler of Venezuela and suggest he might invade Mexico.
Reposted by John Blake
There are some horrible analogies flying around today. A reminder: the US kidnapping of Maduro in no way justifies, vindicates, or lifts responsibility from the Ru govt or the Ru people. Their war against Ukraine continues to be an unprovoked act of aggression with war crimes and genocidal intent.
January 3, 2026 at 4:20 PM
There are some horrible analogies flying around today. A reminder: the US kidnapping of Maduro in no way justifies, vindicates, or lifts responsibility from the Ru govt or the Ru people. Their war against Ukraine continues to be an unprovoked act of aggression with war crimes and genocidal intent.
Reposted by John Blake
LOL
👺 Russia backs Maduro, says disputes must be settled through dialogue
Russia backs Maduro, says disputes must be settled through dialogue
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned what it called US armed aggression against Venezuela on 3 January and said it is deeply concerned.
www.pravda.com.ua
January 3, 2026 at 11:41 AM
LOL
A law professor explains why the US admin’s legal justification is nonsense. Obviously, Trump et al don’t care, but anyone remotely interested in the rule of law should know precisely why this is absolute nonsense.
Sen Mike Lee with the first account I’ve seen of the Admin’s legal theory for the strikes. On the domestic law side — something like: Art II law enforcement power to capture Maduro (by invading his own country) combined with Art II power to protect those personnel executing the warrant.
January 3, 2026 at 11:33 AM
A law professor explains why the US admin’s legal justification is nonsense. Obviously, Trump et al don’t care, but anyone remotely interested in the rule of law should know precisely why this is absolute nonsense.
Reposted by John Blake
Do I have this right? This US administration thinks that oppressing your own people and exporting drugs to America is worse than oppressing your own people, exporting extremism and chaos to America and mounting an unprovoked invasion of a sovereign state?
January 3, 2026 at 11:20 AM
Do I have this right? This US administration thinks that oppressing your own people and exporting drugs to America is worse than oppressing your own people, exporting extremism and chaos to America and mounting an unprovoked invasion of a sovereign state?
No one this stupid should be allowed to vote, let alone be a member of the US Senate.
January 3, 2026 at 10:41 AM
No one this stupid should be allowed to vote, let alone be a member of the US Senate.
Not to go all third way, but I think you can believe both that public bureaucracies tend to groupthink and stasis AND that political operatives cannot just declare that, shout at them, and imagine this will answer the problems.
The sharply bimodal response to Paul Ovenden's piece represents a real political divide.
Not between right and left.
But between those who think shifting power from politicians to bureaucrats, quangos and courts was right, and those who see it as central to our problems.
Not between right and left.
But between those who think shifting power from politicians to bureaucrats, quangos and courts was right, and those who see it as central to our problems.
January 2, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Not to go all third way, but I think you can believe both that public bureaucracies tend to groupthink and stasis AND that political operatives cannot just declare that, shout at them, and imagine this will answer the problems.
Weird to contrast this with reactions to notorious video games, which were suggested to have some general role in increasing violence by users and heavily campaigned against as a result, whilst this, which is actually literally encouraging murder and suicide, is routinely endorsed and promoted.
It's mind boggling that this product is still out there and the people who made it and promote it are not suffering any consequences
Uh… check out what ChatGPT allegedly told a man before he killed his mother and then himself.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
January 1, 2026 at 11:58 PM
Weird to contrast this with reactions to notorious video games, which were suggested to have some general role in increasing violence by users and heavily campaigned against as a result, whilst this, which is actually literally encouraging murder and suicide, is routinely endorsed and promoted.
Reposted by John Blake
It's mind boggling that this product is still out there and the people who made it and promote it are not suffering any consequences
Uh… check out what ChatGPT allegedly told a man before he killed his mother and then himself.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
January 1, 2026 at 6:41 PM
It's mind boggling that this product is still out there and the people who made it and promote it are not suffering any consequences
Sound of Music on the tele: cracking tunes plus all the important life lessons:
1) don’t be a Nazi,
2) don’t join a nunnery just because you can’t think of anything else to do,
3) don’t marry a baroness when you can marry Julie Andrews,
4) escape over the right mountains.
1) don’t be a Nazi,
2) don’t join a nunnery just because you can’t think of anything else to do,
3) don’t marry a baroness when you can marry Julie Andrews,
4) escape over the right mountains.
January 1, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Sound of Music on the tele: cracking tunes plus all the important life lessons:
1) don’t be a Nazi,
2) don’t join a nunnery just because you can’t think of anything else to do,
3) don’t marry a baroness when you can marry Julie Andrews,
4) escape over the right mountains.
1) don’t be a Nazi,
2) don’t join a nunnery just because you can’t think of anything else to do,
3) don’t marry a baroness when you can marry Julie Andrews,
4) escape over the right mountains.
Elon Musk offering people the chance to have snake oil injected directly into their brains
Elon Musk says Neuralink plans to start "high-volume production" of brain-computer interface devices and move to a fully automated surgical procedure in 2026 (Reuters)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
January 1, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Elon Musk offering people the chance to have snake oil injected directly into their brains
Reposted by John Blake
US Department of Labour celebrates a proxy army funded and equipped by France
January 1, 2026 at 11:51 AM
US Department of Labour celebrates a proxy army funded and equipped by France
Reposted by John Blake
Uplifting message for the start of 2026
January 1, 2026 at 10:19 AM
Uplifting message for the start of 2026
For years I have seen a repeated problem in public policy, what I call “computer make WIZARD happen”. I call it that because it is the sort of stupid grammar people use when typing stuff in to search bars etc to find easy answers. But I’ve seen it for serious policy, strategy & operational problems
An analysis of X posts from the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology suggests it is overwhelmingly pro-AI.
I analysed the sentiment of every X post from DSIT that mentioned "AI" this year. Of 122 posts, 110 were positive about AI, and only 7 mentioned its downsides.
🧵 1/2
I analysed the sentiment of every X post from DSIT that mentioned "AI" this year. Of 122 posts, 110 were positive about AI, and only 7 mentioned its downsides.
🧵 1/2
December 31, 2025 at 11:43 AM
For years I have seen a repeated problem in public policy, what I call “computer make WIZARD happen”. I call it that because it is the sort of stupid grammar people use when typing stuff in to search bars etc to find easy answers. But I’ve seen it for serious policy, strategy & operational problems
Reposted by John Blake
I started of thinking the idea of an AI ethicist was ludicrous and being annoyed by the “follow me” shit, but I think she’s right tbh and was won over to “not a cretin”
December 31, 2025 at 11:15 AM
I started of thinking the idea of an AI ethicist was ludicrous and being annoyed by the “follow me” shit, but I think she’s right tbh and was won over to “not a cretin”
Reposted by John Blake
There are three pathways to peace in Ukraine: a just peace through Russian defeat, an unjust peace through compromise, and genocidal occupation euphemistically called peace through Ukrainian surrender. Ukraine is working towards the first goal, Europe for the second, Trump for the third.
December 29, 2025 at 7:26 PM
There are three pathways to peace in Ukraine: a just peace through Russian defeat, an unjust peace through compromise, and genocidal occupation euphemistically called peace through Ukrainian surrender. Ukraine is working towards the first goal, Europe for the second, Trump for the third.