Alexander Rooksmoor
@arcrooksmoor.bsky.social
Author: 55 'what if?' history; historical crime; fantasy & steampunk books available on Amazon & some published by SeaLionPress too. See also: https://rooksmoor.blogspot.com/
Possibly because Hershey's stuff tastes so unpleasant. I tried both their stuff and Reese's Pieces and felt that Americans did not realise what they were missing, even with British chocolate, let alone what is commonplace in continental Europe.
December 3, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Possibly because Hershey's stuff tastes so unpleasant. I tried both their stuff and Reese's Pieces and felt that Americans did not realise what they were missing, even with British chocolate, let alone what is commonplace in continental Europe.
Not these days. You need to go back to the 1980s and write for NME or 'Melody Maker', perhaps even 'Smash Hits'.
December 3, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Not these days. You need to go back to the 1980s and write for NME or 'Melody Maker', perhaps even 'Smash Hits'.
Probably Grenada.
December 3, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Probably Grenada.
Erm ... no. I lived through it, I witnessed it. This is the problem even modern history is now being rewritten to fit the right-wing agenda. In a moment you will be telling me that the credit crunch was caused by Labour 'overspending' rather than reckless US banks.
December 3, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Erm ... no. I lived through it, I witnessed it. This is the problem even modern history is now being rewritten to fit the right-wing agenda. In a moment you will be telling me that the credit crunch was caused by Labour 'overspending' rather than reckless US banks.
Then explain Conservative government policy in the run-up to the war. It was clear they had no concern about them. If the Argentines had invaded immediately after the 1979 election or in 1980, the response would have been very different.
December 2, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Then explain Conservative government policy in the run-up to the war. It was clear they had no concern about them. If the Argentines had invaded immediately after the 1979 election or in 1980, the response would have been very different.
Thank you for chipping in the right-wing perspective there. Now explain how come Hong Kong was different, or is this simply about race? Is it because the Falklanders are white whereas the people in Hong Kong were not all white?
December 2, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Thank you for chipping in the right-wing perspective there. Now explain how come Hong Kong was different, or is this simply about race? Is it because the Falklanders are white whereas the people in Hong Kong were not all white?
more rational on the economy than their predecessors, e.g. in terms of money supply, the size of government and the welfare state.
December 2, 2025 at 9:18 PM
more rational on the economy than their predecessors, e.g. in terms of money supply, the size of government and the welfare state.
The war demonstrated why. The British economy was in a terrible state by 1982 and trying to defend small islands with few resources so far away was not economically rational. Of course, a lot of it was never rational but about 'empire', etc., but in theory Thatcherites presented themselves as being
December 2, 2025 at 9:17 PM
The war demonstrated why. The British economy was in a terrible state by 1982 and trying to defend small islands with few resources so far away was not economically rational. Of course, a lot of it was never rational but about 'empire', etc., but in theory Thatcherites presented themselves as being
public did reveal that Thatcher had a sexual perversion around blood and death, or maybe simply sacrifice in her name.
December 2, 2025 at 9:15 PM
public did reveal that Thatcher had a sexual perversion around blood and death, or maybe simply sacrifice in her name.
I never said it was. It was just to show how strongly some people were opposed to Thatcher which was the basis of the original post. Of course she did not believe vampires were genuine, it was just a useful handle to apply to Thatcher. However, as a nurse my mother did believe the PM's behaviour in
December 2, 2025 at 9:14 PM
I never said it was. It was just to show how strongly some people were opposed to Thatcher which was the basis of the original post. Of course she did not believe vampires were genuine, it was just a useful handle to apply to Thatcher. However, as a nurse my mother did believe the PM's behaviour in
Not entirely. If it had not been the Falklands then Thatcher would have found somewhere else. I just meant in terms of the Argentine casualties.
December 2, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Not entirely. If it had not been the Falklands then Thatcher would have found somewhere else. I just meant in terms of the Argentine casualties.
Sorry, I must make clear that when I refer to 'OU' I am referring to the UK's Open University (commonly known as OU) and not the University of Oklahoma which for some reason is also known as OU, rather than UoO or UO.
December 2, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Sorry, I must make clear that when I refer to 'OU' I am referring to the UK's Open University (commonly known as OU) and not the University of Oklahoma which for some reason is also known as OU, rather than UoO or UO.
Yes, and historians are more than happy too. I remember one from the USA unable to get to my printed thesis, so I sent him an electronic copy in the latest format that I had worked up for him. It is always great to know someone new sees value in what you have done.
December 2, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Yes, and historians are more than happy too. I remember one from the USA unable to get to my printed thesis, so I sent him an electronic copy in the latest format that I had worked up for him. It is always great to know someone new sees value in what you have done.
They also forget the principal boys, i.e. young women portraying the various princes, that featured in pantomimes, as I know, well into the 1980s. They usually ended up marrying the woman who they had rescued. Even as children we all knew the actual genders of the different performers.
December 2, 2025 at 5:52 PM
They also forget the principal boys, i.e. young women portraying the various princes, that featured in pantomimes, as I know, well into the 1980s. They usually ended up marrying the woman who they had rescued. Even as children we all knew the actual genders of the different performers.
My mother felt Thatcher was perverse and, pointing to her appearance whenever she was seen in the media, believed that she actually had a kink that meant she 'got off on' seeing the deaths. She referred to her as a kind of vampire, whose vigour was sustained by the death of those at her command.
December 2, 2025 at 5:49 PM
My mother felt Thatcher was perverse and, pointing to her appearance whenever she was seen in the media, believed that she actually had a kink that meant she 'got off on' seeing the deaths. She referred to her as a kind of vampire, whose vigour was sustained by the death of those at her command.
were minor ones coming after the belief there might be oil around the islands, but above all, Thatcher seeking anything that would give her a 'patriotic' bounce for the election and that is not something to be proud of.
December 2, 2025 at 5:47 PM
were minor ones coming after the belief there might be oil around the islands, but above all, Thatcher seeking anything that would give her a 'patriotic' bounce for the election and that is not something to be proud of.
So, largely for electoral calculations 255 Britons, 3 Falklanders and 649 Argentinians died and others were wounded or disabled. On one hand, Argentina in 1983 was still a dictatorship and it would have been bad to put people of a democratic country under that control. However, any such concerns
December 2, 2025 at 5:46 PM
So, largely for electoral calculations 255 Britons, 3 Falklanders and 649 Argentinians died and others were wounded or disabled. On one hand, Argentina in 1983 was still a dictatorship and it would have been bad to put people of a democratic country under that control. However, any such concerns
more about Thatcher shoring up her election chances for 1983. Even with Foot leading Labour, she was not certain of getting the kind of majority she needed. Many had already suffered from her policies since 1979 and her natural supporters had not yet seen many of the benefits she had been promising.
December 2, 2025 at 5:44 PM
more about Thatcher shoring up her election chances for 1983. Even with Foot leading Labour, she was not certain of getting the kind of majority she needed. Many had already suffered from her policies since 1979 and her natural supporters had not yet seen many of the benefits she had been promising.
Erm, if they do then you can tell immediately that they are right-wingers. The whole fiasco could easily have been avoided. Ironically the UK had been thinking of handing over the islands just before the war. If Argentina had been more patient they could have got them without a conflict. It was all
December 2, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Erm, if they do then you can tell immediately that they are right-wingers. The whole fiasco could easily have been avoided. Ironically the UK had been thinking of handing over the islands just before the war. If Argentina had been more patient they could have got them without a conflict. It was all
especially following the Covid period, simply fuelled the kind of complaints from students and parents that promote the kind of approach you are talking about.
December 2, 2025 at 5:22 PM
especially following the Covid period, simply fuelled the kind of complaints from students and parents that promote the kind of approach you are talking about.
recent governments and their supporters in the press seem to believe that everything must resemble teaching of the 1950s when there would be one copy of an academic journal article in the library rather than all the students being able to view it from their devices simultaneously. Their rhetoric
December 2, 2025 at 5:21 PM
recent governments and their supporters in the press seem to believe that everything must resemble teaching of the 1950s when there would be one copy of an academic journal article in the library rather than all the students being able to view it from their devices simultaneously. Their rhetoric
simply want to 'download' the course into their brains rather than learn. The focus on content not just by students who have had the rather 'spoonfed' approach to teaching through school which faces similar if different challenges, rather than skills development, does not help. In addition, the
December 2, 2025 at 5:20 PM
simply want to 'download' the course into their brains rather than learn. The focus on content not just by students who have had the rather 'spoonfed' approach to teaching through school which faces similar if different challenges, rather than skills development, does not help. In addition, the
students (and their parents) will be very fulsome in their criticisms and demands for compensation if they feel at all that the course has not delivered, not simply what is promised, but what they expect. This is the background to all of this support, but it does mean that it appears that students
December 2, 2025 at 5:19 PM
students (and their parents) will be very fulsome in their criticisms and demands for compensation if they feel at all that the course has not delivered, not simply what is promised, but what they expect. This is the background to all of this support, but it does mean that it appears that students
substantial amounts of paid work or are on call, have no time to lose, so they want to know very precisely exactly what they must learn and then replicate in order to get the kind of grade they feel they have paid for. There is no longer any time for discovery, let alone making 'mistakes' and
December 2, 2025 at 5:17 PM
substantial amounts of paid work or are on call, have no time to lose, so they want to know very precisely exactly what they must learn and then replicate in order to get the kind of grade they feel they have paid for. There is no longer any time for discovery, let alone making 'mistakes' and
which did not feature on the lecture slides and in turn that everything that features on those slides must be examined, if this is not done then they feel cheated. Thus, staff write very explicitly what is going to go on in the course in great detail. Students, the majority of whom now do quite
December 2, 2025 at 5:16 PM
which did not feature on the lecture slides and in turn that everything that features on those slides must be examined, if this is not done then they feel cheated. Thus, staff write very explicitly what is going to go on in the course in great detail. Students, the majority of whom now do quite