John Peters
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johnthejack.bsky.social
John Peters
@johnthejack.bsky.social
2.3K followers 2.2K following 3.9K posts
Unbeliever (political & religious), Wales rugby, #c4news, porridge, tea, #MEcfs

'Obvious but wrong'

Also JTJ on the other place
https://johnthejack.com
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johnthejack.bsky.social
Even better, see also last Thursday:

From
(£) www.thetimes.com/us/american-...
Text: And while the first Muslim mayor-elect performed spectacularly among young progressives and working-class minorities, he also had the backing of a surprising number of wealthy New York neighbourhoods. The West Village and Upper West Side in Manhattan, and Carroll Gardens and Park Slope in Brooklyn went deep blue, as did every single block of Wall Street in the Financial District where bankers mint their millions.
November 10, 2025 at 1:05 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Why leaves change colour in autumn
thetimes.com/comment/regi...

One September I spent a few days in Dawson City, sleeping in my tent in the (free) Yukon River Campground on the west bank. Each morning I could see the turning colours spread down the forest on the east side.
Text: One of the greatest phenomena in the natural world is the autumn leaf colours of trees, as Albert Camus described, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower”. The colour change is so dramatic it can be seen by satellites as a great coloured wave sweeping from north to south at about 60-70km each day in western Europe. The most stunning sight is the flaming reds of some trees, notably over much of eastern North America and eastern Asia, but in the UK the colours tend to be the more muted yellows, golds and browns of broadleaf trees such as beech, sycamore and oak. The signal that kickstarts the colour change in autumn is shortening days and falling temperatures. Usually leaves are coloured green with chlorophyll, but when this breaks down in autumn it reveals other coloured pigments that normally remain hidden, such as orange colours from carotenoids and yellows from xanthophyll pigments. Red or purple colours are different because they are created from scratch by anthocyanin pigments, which normally give the red colour to fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and strawberries as well as many flowers. Text: But the mystery is why the leaves change colour at all. One idea is that the coloured pigments may be acting as a sunscreen to protect the leaves from ultraviolet light in bright sunshine, allowing the trees to salvage valuable nutrients from the leaves before they fall. Indeed, the most intense autumn colours occur during dry, warm, sunny days and cool nights, but not when there is frost, which kills leaves. This makes sense because the outer leaves of maple trees, for example, are more colourful on the sunny side of the tree canopy, while the shaded leaves inside the canopy, or on the shaded north side of a tree, are less colourful. Bright, sunny autumn days and cold nights are also typical autumn conditions in eastern North America and eastern Asia, where the majority of native tree species with red autumn leaves are also found. In the UK we tend to have cloudier autumn days and warmer nights, and more restrained autumn colours.
November 10, 2025 at 12:18 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Letter in Times today from @paulabarkermp.bsky.social Bob Blackman @laylamoran.bsky.social @elliechowns.bsky.social
Text: Homelessness crisis Sir, Research published today demonstrates the urgent need for this government to get a grip on rising homelessness across England. The charity Crisis has found that nearly 300,000 families and individuals are now experiencing the worst forms of homelessness. Many are sleeping in hostels or cars, or on sofas. Parents are moving with their children from one unsuitable B&B to the next. More than 15,000 people are sleeping rough, exposed to the elements and at significant risk of violence and abuse. In its election manifesto last year, the Labour Party promised a major cross-government strategy aimed at ending homelessness. After much anticipation, we understand this strategy could finally be published in the next few weeks. To make the difference required, it will need to carry the prime minister’s support, prioritise the building of social homes, and restore housing benefit so people can keep their homes. Paula Barker MP, Labour Bob Blackman MP, Conservative Layla Moran MP, Liberal Democrat Ellie Chowns MP, Green Party
November 10, 2025 at 12:11 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Comment below the line. I've omitted the name, though it is used on the website.
Text: We had a slightly different situation but I ended up with pts for a time because of it. Our son, severely autistic with learning difficulties became extremely violent. We had kicks punches and bites for many years but the attacks ended up being full on assaults, chasing you around the house, head butting, getting you on the floor etc. we lived with this for many years until the attacks ended up on me was so serious he went to live in a special unit. Anyway, the point I wanted to make was, we were very much on our own. Social services were on call, but until the last attack it was just general advice about how to keep yourself safe. Wearing crash helmets in the house should not be a way of living. Locking yourself in rooms as he was trying to break down the door. I know the situation is different, but I do have some sympathy with the parents, there is NO real support out there when you are having issues until something serious happens. You have parental responsibility so you are on your own! Until you experience something similar you will always blame the parents but it’s not as straightforward as it sounds, believe me.
November 10, 2025 at 11:58 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Letter in Times today
Text: Sir, The accidental release of two more prisoners has put the perilous state of our criminal justice system in the headlines (“Lammy snared by latest migrant release blunder”, news, Nov 6). There has been finger pointing at David Lammy, the justice secretary, but the responsibility lies with the previous Conservative governments, which made experienced prison and police officers redundant, closed prisons, half-privatised the probation service and cut public funding. Prison sentences have increased in number and length but funding for the system has not kept up with the increased demands. This has resulted in waiting lists for criminal trials reaching an all-time high. The probation service is on its knees and was unprepared for the latest round of early releases to address the problem of prison overcrowding. Conditions for prison staff and inmates alike are appalling; drugs and violence are rife. Instead of pointing the finger of blame at any one minister, we must ask what can be done to overhaul the system before it implodes and listen to the warnings repeatedly given by Charlie Taylor, the chief prisons inspector. Liz Gwinnell Prison law solicitor; Hilperton, Wilts
November 7, 2025 at 11:59 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Swansea still in the late afternoon after a few days of rain
Looking west over Swansea Bay with the sun setting
November 6, 2025 at 6:58 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Letter in Times today
Text: Minor key Sir, I thought it was common knowledge that Beethoven opened his 5th Symphony (letters, Nov 3-5) with the Morse code for V. The fact that this was more than 20 years before the code was invented just proves how ahead of his time he was. Mike Tudball Romsey, Hampshire
November 6, 2025 at 12:14 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Interesting, thanks.
I went googling and found this
November 4, 2025 at 7:03 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Extraordinary.

From
(£) www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
Text: The phenomenon is novel enough to have led to the creation of a separate category to describe said firms and their investment activity: the “hyperscalers”. The five largest AI hyperscalers are Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta and Oracle. They are broadly defined as the firms spending hundreds of billions of dollars on building AI computing power — through data centres and software — to meet expectations of exploding demand for AI over the next decade. Capital investment from the hyperscalers has risen from $125 billion two years ago, to $200 billion in 2024, and is on course to reach close to $350 billion this year. Their stock market valuations have reached record highs. The numbers are gigantic. The five largest listed US tech companies are worth 16 per cent of the entire global stock market — more than the combined equity valuations of Europe’s largest 50 firms, and the leading quoted companies in the UK, India, Japan and Canada. The largest ten listed US companies make up a quarter of the global market and are worth $25 trillion, having grown by $5 trillion this year. Nvidia, the chipmaker, hit a $5 trillion market valuation last week.
November 4, 2025 at 12:28 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Interesting. Some small use of 'spell'd' persists.
'Spelled' more frequent than both of others but some decline recently, perhaps, I speculate, as 'spelt' has bounced back somewhat.
November 4, 2025 at 12:06 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
I'm not sure if some poets do or not, but even if true that doesn't mean we don't still use 'spelt'. We (many of us) clearly do. What makes you say that is unacceptable for us to do so?
Seems if anything to be slight increase in last 40 years
November 4, 2025 at 12:03 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
From:

Bonfire Night fireworks will have to compete with supermoon
(£) www.thetimes.com/comment/regi...
Text: There is an added buzz to Bonfire Night on Wednesday because it is also the night of a supermoon, when a full moon appears slightly larger and brighter than usual. Because the moon orbits the Earth slightly off-centre in an oval shape, a supermoon is when it comes closer to Earth — and Wednesday’s supermoon is the closest of the year at a distance of 221,817 miles. That will make the moon appear about 7 per cent larger than an average full moon, although hardly noticeable to the naked eye, but it may appear brighter by about 15 per cent, especially in places well away from artificial lights. To be honest, supermoons are overhyped. Unless you study the moon each night, it is difficult to notice much difference between a supermoon and any other full moon. Much more dramatic is the Moon Illusion, when the moon rises up from the horizon and appears to loom larger than usual. It is just an illusion, though, and if you look at the moon through a tube or with a camera without seeing the horizon, it looks its normal size. What creates the illusion is uncertain but when the moon hugs the horizon any objects in the foreground may trick the brain into seeing the moon larger than it is. Text: A supermoon also affects the tides because with the moon closer to Earth its gravitational pull creates slightly higher ocean tides, although there is usually only a small difference — typically a couple of inches compared with normal tidal ranges. In fact, the term supermoon was coined in 1979 by an astrologer, not an astronomer, but in recent years supermoons have attracted a good deal of publicity, possibly thanks to the “super” prefix. It is too soon to forecast the weather on Wednesday night in the UK but the chances of seeing the moon are not looking too good. This week’s weather is being dominated by a succession of low pressure systems bringing wind, rain and clouds, although with calmer and drier interludes that may give a chance of seeing the night sky in some places.
November 4, 2025 at 11:45 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Letter in Times today
Text: Sir, Whenever the rail unions threaten, or indeed implement, industrial action by their members the most common reaction among the public is that train drivers in particular are already well paid (and in the eyes of many, overpaid). On Saturday two experienced, dedicated men have underlined their value as by common consent their actions saved lives. Add to that the reactions of other train staff and it is plain that they are worth every penny to the travelling public, who take their own safety for granted. Andie Harper Ilkley, W Yorks
November 4, 2025 at 11:36 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Not apparently and not new and perfectly acceptable.
From OED
www.oed.com/dictionary/s...
November 4, 2025 at 11:30 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Excellent.
From
(£) www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
By @sathnam.bsky.social
Text: Familial phrasing I have even less interest in the New York mayoral race than in self-help, but noticed that candidate Zohran Mamdani has got caught up in a controversy after referring to a deceased cousin, in an anecdote about 9/11, as an aunt. It’s worth knowing that in many south Asian cultures we don’t just have “uncles” and “aunts”, but types of uncle and aunt. In Punjabi families, your dad’s sister is a “bua” (her husband a “phupre”), your mum’s brother is a “mama” (his wife a “mami”), your dad’s younger brother is a “chacha” (his wife a “chachi”), your dad’s older brother is a “thiya” (his wife a “thiyi”), your mum’s sister is a “masee” (her husband a “masur”), etc. To add to the confusion, the titles don’t necessarily correspond to blood relationships. I only realised as a teenager that Shindo, for instance, my favourite “bua” who always came with presents, was not a relation at all. Then there’s the challenge that all large families face with intergenerational chronology: I have a cousin who has two children who are older than me. What am I meant to call them? Trust me, it’s often the safest option to call everyone “auntie” or “uncle”.
November 3, 2025 at 11:47 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Yeah. Children gunned down at school. Political activists and health insurance executives assassinated. Central government hit squads, camouflaged and disguised, taking people off the streets without warrants, partisan judges, political opponents facing criminal charges. Oh.
November 2, 2025 at 7:07 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Letter in Times today
Text: Lessons in the arts Sir, There has been a shocking 42 per cent decrease in GCSE arts entries between 2010 and 2024. The rapid disappearance of arts subjects is the result of the previous government’s EBacc and Progress 8 accountability measures. Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants “to make sure the arts count” in schools. The imminent publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review gives the prime minister and education secretary an opportunity to put the arts back at the heart of the curriculum. The time for action is now; they must not miss it. Deborah Annetts, CEO, Independent Society of Musicians; Dame Arlene Phillips, theatre director; Tasmin Little, violinist; Sir Mark Elder, conductor; Dame Kathryn McDowell, managing director, London Symphony Orchestra Full list at ism.org/car-letter-sigs/
October 31, 2025 at 12:09 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Why trees shed their leaves
www.thetimes.com/comment/regi...
Text: The leaves on trees are changing colour and many leaves are now flying off in the wind or washed down to ground in rain. As the poet Edward Thomas wrote in October (1915), “The green elm with the one great bough of gold/ Lets leaves into the grass slip, one by one”. But why do trees shed their leaves in autumn? After all, they go to great lengths to grow leaves in spring, so why throw all that hard work away only a few months later? In short, the deciduous (broadleaf) trees shed their leaves to avoid the hardships of winter. These leaves tend to be thin and flat, ideal for capturing carbon dioxide and harnessing sunlight during the growing season, but in winter these leaves would become vulnerable to damage from frost, drought, wind and insect pests. And being thin, they are also expendable. Text: In contrast, evergreen leaves such as conifers tend to have thick needle-shaped leaves that are a bigger investment for a tree but able to withstand harsher conditions — poor soils, shortage of light in winter, drought, mountaintops and cold winters. And so conifers tend to dominate the forests at high latitudes such as Alaska, Canada, northern Europe and northern Asia. And the methusalas of the tree world, the bristlecone pines, grow high up in the arid southwest landscape of the United States, where they can live up to 4,800 years, with individual needles that can survive for almost 50 years. But in less stressful environments, conifers such as white pine shed their needles after only one or two growing seasons, and larch shed all their needles each autumn in a glorious blaze of golden colours, just like deciduous trees. The evergreen leaf needles are well insulated from the risk of freezing in subzero temperatures, using antifreezes that protect the leaf cells. The leaf needles are also tough with fibrous materials and heavily waxed to help protect against drought and pests. And by hanging on to their leaves through winter, the conifers can quickly start growing again in spring, getting a head-start on the deciduous trees that have to grow a new canopy of leaves each spring.
October 28, 2025 at 11:43 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Letter in Times today
Text: Beneath the wig Sir, Disguise was never the purpose of lawyers’ wigs (letters, Oct 25 & 27) despite our gratitude for that aspect. Hair, or even the lack of it, was a problem for many, brought about by disease and infestation. Wigs covered this, and were worn by “the quality”. King Charles II returned from exile wearing one, and long wigs for the really important gave us “big-wigs”. Their retention in court was to seek uniformity, so the minds of the judge and jury were not distracted by unkempt or overlong hair, uber fashionistas or the folically retarded. Thus we could all keep our minds on the facts of the case (or at least try to). His Honour Barrington Black London NW3
October 28, 2025 at 11:39 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Letter in Times today
Text: Military top brass Sir, Robert Frazer (letter, Oct 25) mentions 100 brigadiers for just 49 infantry battalions. The Royal Navy can better that. With just 64 active ships in September this year (plus 11 in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary), there are approximately 260 captains, 80 commodores and 39 admirals. Top-heavy vessels indeed. Richard Laing Grantown-on-Spey, Highland
October 27, 2025 at 12:00 PM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Letter in Times today
Text: Prisoner on the run Sir, Though Kemi Badenoch claims the prison system is “collapsing under Labour”, the truth is that the failings are historic and previous Conservative governments are equally culpable. The only surprise about the mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu is that a similar incident did not happen sooner. HMP Chelmsford is typical of many jails. It is overcrowded, under-resourced and has a high churn of inmates and prison officers. The latter has improved since a 2021 inspection (when it was put in special measures) and the most recent inspection (February 2024) was more positive. But concerns remained, with one being “risky prisoners being released without adequate preparation”. Most prison officers work in incredibly challenging circumstances. Their courage is seldom recognised, their training is woefully inadequate, and their working conditions are often appalling. To ensure similar incidents do not occur, this should be addressed as a matter of urgency. Building new prisons will do nothing to solve the manifold failures in the system. Investing in well-trained staff and rehabilitative programmes will. Fiona Sample Chief executive, the Oswin Project, and chair, Employment Advisory Board, HMP Northumberland
October 27, 2025 at 11:57 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
The worst moral stench is attached to those who know the truth and turn a blind eye. They should stink to high heaven. Identifying and exposing them will be a painstaking, detailed, filthy task that needs to be pursued without distraction or complication.
(£) www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
Text: Those who see no harm in expanding the scope of the inquiry are simply wrong. There are five major reasons. First, the scale of the abuse, both in the numbers of men involved and of children. This was and is a crime being carried on at an industrial scale. The true horror of what has happened to tens of thousands of children will probably never be known. As Sanghera points out, why would a woman who has escaped the torture and now has her own family ever reveal her terrible secret? Second, much has been said about the ethnicity of the perpetrators, less about the fact most of the children are white; they are seen as unclean and “worthless” by the men’s communities, according to Sanghera. As the former home secretary Jack Straw, who for decades represented Blackburn, once said, they are regarded as “easy meat”. Third, as I learnt 35 years ago in making my first award-winning documentary, which exposed three prolific paedophiles, the common feature of most child sexual exploitation is secrecy. Even before any abuse starts, the child is told that he or she must never tell anyone. Older children are menaced by violence; in younger children, by the threat that if anyone should find out they will be taken away from their parents — or, worse, that their parents will be jailed. Text: In the grooming gangs, the opposite is true. Girls especially are seduced, often by young men — “loverboys” — in flash cars who give them money, cigarettes and drugs. In our 2015 film we showed that the girls often boast about their “boyfriends”. In due course, they are handed over to older men and passed around like broken toys, frequently to dozens of men. Crucially, none of this is truly secret, taking place in neighbourhoods where everyone knows that something is going on. It is hard to explain away the presence of a dozen men hanging around a shop or taxi firm with no apparent purpose, each one disappearing for a short while to take his turn at some wretched child. Fourth, the vast majority of abused children know their abusers. They are relatives, teachers, religious and community leaders, even friends of their parents. By contrast, the grooming gangs’ victims do not know their rapists and may never see them more than once. Many are taken to other towns to be raped by dozens of strangers.And finally, the grooming gangs are the only group of abusers who can and do count on political protection from local authorities, from social workers, from police, often based on ethnic affinity. This, of course, is the real reason that no one in politics wants to know. The few victims who speak out are heroines. But the villains they can identify are only
October 27, 2025 at 11:46 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
From:

We’re in danger of repeating grooming scandal
Problems lurk where politicians prefer not to look — rates of abuse in forgotten seaside towns require urgent attention
(£) www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
Text: If there is to be an inquiry, it absolutely needs to be wide-ranging — because this is about far more than race, policing and politics. It is about what happens when a country stops noticing its own children. The predators at play are not just gang leaders but also the forces that thrive in these broken places: neglect, addiction, violence and poverty.
October 25, 2025 at 11:23 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Letter in Times today
Text: Sir, Since 1689 we have enjoyed a monarchy regulated by law, not an absolute one. All dignities conferred by the Crown, such as peerages or royal titles, are held under law, not just by the monarch’s grace. Letters patent are instruments of the King’s prerogative, but they are subject to statute. Thus, parliament may alter or annul their effect. The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 provided an explicit precedent: it empowered the King, on the advice of a privy council committee and subject to parliamentary oversight, to deprive peers or princes of their titles. Parliament might make similar provision again. Whether it would wish to do so in Prince Andrew’s case is another matter, but legally there is no doubt: parliament, not the Palace, is the final arbiter of every dignity and title in the land. Richard A Edwards Senior law lecturer, Exeter University
October 23, 2025 at 10:47 AM
johnthejack.bsky.social
Letter in Times yesterday
Text: College menus Sir, At a High Table dinner in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in the late 1980s (letters, Oct 18 & 20), the dessert listed on the menu was “Roulé confiture à la sauce Anglaise”. This turned out to be jam roly-poly and custard. Antony Warren Cambridge
October 22, 2025 at 10:46 AM