Phil Rothwell
@phillyrothers.bsky.social
Runner. Dog botherer. Learning Analytics. Ed tech. AI. Doctoral student. May include images of anything lovely I find whilst on the trails.
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
If immigration is high, the government has lost control of our borders. If it's low, it's because the country is in such a mess that nobody wants to be here. Labour is never going to win these people over, and it should stop trying.
An astonishing article in the Daily Mail.
Not only does it admit that some Romanians have left Britain because of growing discrimination after Brexit, but it also talks about the EU grants they've been able to access to start or boost their businesses back home.
archive.md/2025.12.29-1...
Not only does it admit that some Romanians have left Britain because of growing discrimination after Brexit, but it also talks about the EU grants they've been able to access to start or boost their businesses back home.
archive.md/2025.12.29-1...
December 29, 2025 at 2:40 PM
If immigration is high, the government has lost control of our borders. If it's low, it's because the country is in such a mess that nobody wants to be here. Labour is never going to win these people over, and it should stop trying.
Is there a special Christmas decorations wholesaler that caters exclusively to pubs and your nan's house in the 1980s?
December 19, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Is there a special Christmas decorations wholesaler that caters exclusively to pubs and your nan's house in the 1980s?
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
An art conservator once told me, apropos of clients doing dumb things to their collections, of one who had put a discolored sandstone statuette through her dishwasher. It dissolved. Gone. Arrived with a bag of the sand left in the bottom of the machine, asking for the figurine to be restored.
December 16, 2025 at 3:22 PM
An art conservator once told me, apropos of clients doing dumb things to their collections, of one who had put a discolored sandstone statuette through her dishwasher. It dissolved. Gone. Arrived with a bag of the sand left in the bottom of the machine, asking for the figurine to be restored.
Beyond the pale leaving out This is Spinal Tap, but the point is well made.
Rob Reiner: I'm going to make a coming of age drama, a fantasy adventure story, a romantic comedy, a psychological horror and then a courtroom drama.
Us: Across your entire career?
Reiner: In a 6 year period.
Us: That sounds-
Reiner: -Each one will be arguably the best movie in that genre.
Us: Across your entire career?
Reiner: In a 6 year period.
Us: That sounds-
Reiner: -Each one will be arguably the best movie in that genre.
December 15, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Beyond the pale leaving out This is Spinal Tap, but the point is well made.
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
Okay, as promised, here are my 25 boardgames that would make good presents for historians or the historically-inclined.
- I've played them and enjoyed them
- They have to have a historical theme or be related to the practice of history
- They were within the first 25 I thought of...
- I've played them and enjoyed them
- They have to have a historical theme or be related to the practice of history
- They were within the first 25 I thought of...
December 11, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Okay, as promised, here are my 25 boardgames that would make good presents for historians or the historically-inclined.
- I've played them and enjoyed them
- They have to have a historical theme or be related to the practice of history
- They were within the first 25 I thought of...
- I've played them and enjoyed them
- They have to have a historical theme or be related to the practice of history
- They were within the first 25 I thought of...
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
If only there were a cautionary tale about being too eager to accept the apparent time-saving capabilities of new technology.
Aardman Animations will ’embrace AI’ while also being ‘cautious’, says Nick Park
Aardman Animations will ’embrace AI’ while also being ‘cautious’, says Nick Park
Aardman Animations will ’embrace AI’ while also being ‘cautious’, says Nick Park
www.independent.co.uk
December 8, 2025 at 1:05 PM
If only there were a cautionary tale about being too eager to accept the apparent time-saving capabilities of new technology.
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
Also worth noting here are the replies to this of people who've had a similar belief trajectory, I find them quite heartening
Good on Penn Jillette. Having to come to terms with your entire political identity and philosophy being wrong is not easy and most people could never do it.
December 8, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Also worth noting here are the replies to this of people who've had a similar belief trajectory, I find them quite heartening
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
“I grew up in care, not prison. I say it like a fact, like my phone number, recited without thinking. But none of that matters, because they want an answer.
‘So, what did you do wrong?’”
This is a great piece of writing by @matt-taylor.bsky.social
‘So, what did you do wrong?’”
This is a great piece of writing by @matt-taylor.bsky.social
“So, what did you do wrong?” | Lyric Essay
November 2025 is the first National Care Leavers Month, so here is a piece about the question I get asked most when people find out I grew up in care.
underclasshero.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 11:20 AM
“I grew up in care, not prison. I say it like a fact, like my phone number, recited without thinking. But none of that matters, because they want an answer.
‘So, what did you do wrong?’”
This is a great piece of writing by @matt-taylor.bsky.social
‘So, what did you do wrong?’”
This is a great piece of writing by @matt-taylor.bsky.social
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
Mom Impressed By Tattooed Person’s Manners https://theonion.com/mom-impressed-by-tattooed-persons-manners/
December 2, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Mom Impressed By Tattooed Person’s Manners https://theonion.com/mom-impressed-by-tattooed-persons-manners/
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
Last year his estate donated the royalties for Last Christmas to his charity that offers funding for LGBTQIA+ orgs and they said they'd do it again this year. Listen to it loads!
Listening to Last Christmas because it is an all-time banger and George didn't die on Christmas Day for you to disrespect his memory by participating in Whamageddon
December 1, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Last year his estate donated the royalties for Last Christmas to his charity that offers funding for LGBTQIA+ orgs and they said they'd do it again this year. Listen to it loads!
'tis the season. A feminist reading of one of the the best Christmas films, Die hard by @stavvers.bsky.social anotherangrywoman.com/2016/12/18/m...
Making fists with your toes: Towards a feminist analysis of Die Hard
Content note: This post contains spoilers for the film Die Hard, which you will have probably seen already since it came out in 1988. It discusses death and guns. It gives me life when a certain se…
anotherangrywoman.com
December 1, 2025 at 9:32 AM
'tis the season. A feminist reading of one of the the best Christmas films, Die hard by @stavvers.bsky.social anotherangrywoman.com/2016/12/18/m...
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
"She's turned the weans against us!"
November 28, 2025 at 1:31 PM
"She's turned the weans against us!"
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
good news everyone the Mistaken Text From Grandma Thanksgiving buddy drama is still going strong
this story delights me every year
this story delights me every year
From text to tradition: Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench mark 10th Thanksgiving together after accidental invitation.
Arizona pair celebrates decade of friendship that started with wrong text
From text to tradition: Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench mark 10th Thanksgiving together after accidental invitation.
www.azfamily.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:34 AM
good news everyone the Mistaken Text From Grandma Thanksgiving buddy drama is still going strong
this story delights me every year
this story delights me every year
This is amazing
We’ve mapped the mansion tax.
You can see who's paying - which constituency, which postcode - and how many "mansions" are near you.
Full interactive map here 👇
You can see who's paying - which constituency, which postcode - and how many "mansions" are near you.
Full interactive map here 👇
November 28, 2025 at 9:44 AM
This is amazing
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
A quick reminder of who Nigel Farage was most concerned about when Putin's tanks first rolled into Ukraine
November 27, 2025 at 8:22 PM
A quick reminder of who Nigel Farage was most concerned about when Putin's tanks first rolled into Ukraine
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
You really must go and see what this Pai Mei is in response to
November 28, 2025 at 8:57 AM
You really must go and see what this Pai Mei is in response to
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
Agree with every word of this
We've gone from 9% of social care staff coming from outside the UK and EEA in 2021/22 to almost 25% in 2024/25
The govt has no near-term replacement
It means either:
1) staffing shortages or
2) councils spending far more to attract staff, with no extra funding
We've gone from 9% of social care staff coming from outside the UK and EEA in 2021/22 to almost 25% in 2024/25
The govt has no near-term replacement
It means either:
1) staffing shortages or
2) councils spending far more to attract staff, with no extra funding
November 28, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Agree with every word of this
We've gone from 9% of social care staff coming from outside the UK and EEA in 2021/22 to almost 25% in 2024/25
The govt has no near-term replacement
It means either:
1) staffing shortages or
2) councils spending far more to attract staff, with no extra funding
We've gone from 9% of social care staff coming from outside the UK and EEA in 2021/22 to almost 25% in 2024/25
The govt has no near-term replacement
It means either:
1) staffing shortages or
2) councils spending far more to attract staff, with no extra funding
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
Earlier today, I was notified that someone was at my door.
This is who it was:
This is who it was:
November 21, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Earlier today, I was notified that someone was at my door.
This is who it was:
This is who it was:
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
Really interesting thread here 🧪
Just remembering that Dick Cheney secretly intervened in a dispute over the Klamath River in 2001--and caused the biggest fish die-off in US history, with ~77,000 fully grown adult salmon piled on the banks of the river.
November 8, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Really interesting thread here 🧪
Very important to establish detail, though devloping critical thinking and information literacy for young people is absolutely vital.
Curriculum changes will see primary school children taught for the first time about how to spot misinformation and disinformation so they "develop the critical thinking needed to challenge what they see" news.sky.com/story/bigges...
Biggest schools shake-up in England in a decade to cut GCSE exam time - and add AI and fake news lessons
The government will reduce GCSE exam time by up to three hours per student, introduce new Year 8 tests, and teach primary pupils how to identify misinformation under sweeping curriculum reforms.
news.sky.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Very important to establish detail, though devloping critical thinking and information literacy for young people is absolutely vital.
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
RIP tide
Not currently up on our website, but if you'd like me to draw one for you, get in touch via www.worldofmoose.com/collections/...
Not currently up on our website, but if you'd like me to draw one for you, get in touch via www.worldofmoose.com/collections/...
November 5, 2025 at 10:30 AM
RIP tide
Not currently up on our website, but if you'd like me to draw one for you, get in touch via www.worldofmoose.com/collections/...
Not currently up on our website, but if you'd like me to draw one for you, get in touch via www.worldofmoose.com/collections/...
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
It must be so easy for Denmark to come up with appropriate diplomatic gifts every time they visit somewhere.
Anyway, we need some joy, so here's the Egyptian foreign minister being given a Lego Pyramid by the Danish foreign minister.
November 4, 2025 at 12:42 PM
It must be so easy for Denmark to come up with appropriate diplomatic gifts every time they visit somewhere.
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
A total and utter hero
November 4, 2025 at 11:08 AM
A total and utter hero
Reposted by Phil Rothwell
A jury of my peers? TWELVE murderers?!
August 26, 2025 at 1:30 AM
A jury of my peers? TWELVE murderers?!