Th3 Core

https://surron.co.uk/

We have discussed this many times. I thought this was a very interesting take:
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-battle-over-dyslexia

TLTR:
no one knows what dyslexia actually is, but it is about having difficulty learning to read. Many kids have that.

But Dyslexia tends to be found in the wealthy side of town, and the ones on the poor side are just stupid. In the UK, that means more money goes to the people who already have it.

The End:

“In the world of educational psychologists,” said Stanbridge, “dyslexia is such a contentious subject. Are they dyslexic? Aren’t they dyslexic? But I’m thinking, what do we do about it? What’s the thing to do about it? That was probably the beginning of my 180: just thinking, why are we spending so much time going, ‘are they or aren’t they [dyslexic]’, because no one knows.”

Because change does not come fast, if it comes at all, Cambridgeshire is still paying to send children to private dyslexia schools: it is still legally obligated to honour the judgment made in tribunals, regardless of the reforms. If you plot the distribution of where these children live on a map, 80% are clustered in Cambridge city centre, or south Cambridge, the wealthiest parts of the county. None of them come from Fenland. It is a microcosm of the situation nationally. Following their abortive efforts to implement a new regime, Warwickshire and Staffordshire spend roughly £900,000 between them sending 53 children to private dyslexia schools per year. For the same amount of money, they could hire 27 teachers.

Back in 1976, Bill Yule wrapped up his Isle of Wight research with the following observation: “The era of applying the label ‘dyslexic’ is rapidly drawing to a close. The label has served its function in drawing attention to children who have great difficulty in mastering the arts of reading, writing and spelling but its continued use invokes emotions which often prevent rational discussion and scientific investigation.” And so it continues, almost half a century on: a dyslexia debate, with no end in sight.

EDIT: Change of subject title... that one (Its OK to be a Luddite....) came from Buckworks amazing info. 

On Netflix.  If you have not seen it, its worth watching.

stuff we know here... but worth repeating.

took my understanding of the tech giants a step deeper.   

I don't hear many voices saying what the long game is.  In the UK, the politicians keep talking about a vaccine, but the medical folk I know, tend to think that unlikely, and at best it will be 70% effective when it comes.

This is quite an old article now :
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02278-5 (early August)

I hear of students over here wanting to get the Virus, on the basis then they will be able to go home at Christmas. There is a tiredness to the massive damage being done to almost every corner of the economy. Students over in the UK, are boing isolated in groups of 6, locked down in halls, and having to have lectures online. They would be better off joining the Army... except the Army does not seem to be recruiting at present.

I do think it is here to stay, and it WILL run through the population. I was wondering what the average age of death is, we know that people tend to be older, but the raw figure seems difficult to find.

Brazil seems to be struggling medically letting it run through uncontrolled in the population, but India seems to be fairing better but is it the age/population/wealth or just bad data? all these things I think help us to look into the future, but no one seems to be putting their neck on the line and predicting yet.

I am starting to form the view that the young need to get on with life to cope with it, and the old need to take themselves out of circulation for a while, to give the young a chance to build the economy and pay for the future NHS etc. Otherwise, there will be no NHS (or medical equivalent)

Thoughts?

https://www.ft.com/content/45d0a047-360f-4abf-86ee-108f436015a1?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

Sad sad story....

Just thought I would share one of mine, that I am looking forward to, and is a little daunting, as I know there is some time pressure involved... This lockdown will not go on forever, and I will have to start earning.


I am building a garden shed out of old pallets. I bought the wood for £750, thats really cheap in the UK, as it is second hand, I offered a 20% over ride to get it now, and not in 3 months, as demand is high. The base is 4 pallets and the total floor area is 4350mm x 5680mm.
I then bought an old double door and window on ebay, for £30. The glass is blown, but the frame is mahogany.

so its now not a garden shed, but a summer house. I am not a joiner, and not a perfectionist,  or artistic, but I do know I can make things sold, and work well, as I am an engineer.

so far I have fixed gutter, rewired bits of the house, taken down trees, but this is my first project after 3 months.Photo of the pile of wood attached

Anyone else with a project they would like to share?  (I know Buckworks is building a house

https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/9838672