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Flora Alexander

@florainoxford

Retired academic, English Literature. Left inclined. Live in Oxford. From much further north.

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11.02.2024
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Latest posts by Flora Alexander @florainoxford

Listen to @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social discuss the latest evidence on the use of Physician Associates in the NHS on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme - she's very clear!

youtu.be/IWNw6nfnN3o

07.03.2025 09:51 πŸ‘ 125 πŸ” 70 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 3
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What in the world is going through Starmer's head?

Labour keep trotting out the "world has changed" line to excuse other unpalatable decisions, but magically Brexit - and only Brexit - is sacrosanct?

Absolutely asinine heel-dragging.
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

06.03.2025 12:20 πŸ‘ 285 πŸ” 88 πŸ’¬ 25 πŸ“Œ 4

Too much!

06.03.2025 21:01 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It really is just destruction for destruction's sake

04.03.2025 19:47 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

This is why @kityates.bsky.social post is so relevant today

kityates.substack.com/p/science-is...

and why my dystopian piece is perfectly plausible.

christinapagel.substack.com/p/a-dystopia...

03.03.2025 14:01 πŸ‘ 180 πŸ” 80 πŸ’¬ 10 πŸ“Œ 6

this is yet another way to crack down universities in the US. and a classic authoritarian play

04.03.2025 13:35 πŸ‘ 186 πŸ” 40 πŸ’¬ 13 πŸ“Œ 1
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UK asset manager Abrdn renames itself Aberdeen [FREE TO READ] Company says move will end β€˜distractions’ after widely ridiculed rebranding in 2021

my considered view here is: hahaha hahaaaaaaaahahah haha

on.ft.com/4h4ZefF

04.03.2025 08:30 πŸ‘ 324 πŸ” 43 πŸ’¬ 31 πŸ“Œ 10

A reminder: life expectancy in the EU is 81.5 years, in the US 77.4. Apart from Lithuania (2.21) the homicide rate in the EU is below 2, for 16 countries including Italy, Spain and Germany below 1. It is above 6 in the US.

03.03.2025 04:42 πŸ‘ 168 πŸ” 69 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0

Casablanca is a wonderful movie. I used to wonder why it didn’t feel hokey, despite the somewhat implausible plot and the very blunt symbolism of the Marseilles scene, but I know think it’s because this stuff really matters *and those making the picture knew, many of them first hand*.

03.03.2025 06:46 πŸ‘ 51 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 0
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Incoming temper tantrum from Mango Mussolini when he realises that Zelenskyy is meeting the King first

01.03.2025 16:39 πŸ‘ 379 πŸ” 62 πŸ’¬ 32 πŸ“Œ 4

A good day for Putin.

28.02.2025 19:31 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Great!

28.02.2025 09:50 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I keep thinking of Margaret Atwood saying that everything in the Handmaid's Tale had already happened somewhere in the world

28.02.2025 07:53 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

'Spare a thought for the poor old King,' is not a feeling I ever expected to have...

28.02.2025 09:33 πŸ‘ 2422 πŸ” 153 πŸ’¬ 279 πŸ“Œ 27

When I worked in UK academia I recall hearing of a Japanese man who was baffled at how Britain had decided to run its universities like firms. β€œWhy? Your universities are excellent and your firms are terrible.”

25.02.2025 22:24 πŸ‘ 5456 πŸ” 1488 πŸ’¬ 23 πŸ“Œ 38

I do - reluctantly- support the defence increase but cutting the aid budget is both cruel and unwise. Yes, I’m aware the alternative would be a tax rise and I am ok with that.

26.02.2025 11:14 πŸ‘ 29 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 0
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Edinburgh University to seek Β£140m in savings Unions said the plans would result in "devastating cuts" and called for Edinburgh University to use some of its assets instead.

Today's university slashing and burning is Edinburgh, where about 10% of the budget will be cut. There'll be another case every single day until UK govts actually do something. A country so stupid it actively trashes one of things it's good at and famous for.
www.bbc.com/news/article...

25.02.2025 20:41 πŸ‘ 539 πŸ” 214 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 19

If there’s a nation that needs to be expelled from the Five Eyes it isn’t Canada.

25.02.2025 15:53 πŸ‘ 29 πŸ” 9 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

I hope you’ll be back soon.

24.02.2025 11:11 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The evening is perfect, my sisters.
The loch lies silent, the air is still.
The sun’s last rays linger over the water
and there is a faint smirr, almost a smudge
of summer rain. Sisters, I smell supper…

β€”Edwin Morgan, β€œMidge”
published in THE MAP & THE CLOCK, @faberbooks.bsky.social 2016

23.02.2025 13:29 πŸ‘ 27 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 1

All water should be nationalised.

23.02.2025 15:31 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

β€œCompetency cosplayer”

That is brilliant.

22.02.2025 16:28 πŸ‘ 132 πŸ” 27 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1

I love it!

20.02.2025 17:04 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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This is happening, right now.
The great "arribada" (arrival) of mother Olive Ridley sea turtles on the Odisha coast, where they dig sand-nests & lay their eggs, driven by ancient instinct.
Heart-lifting, magnificent, moving: part of a geography of hope.
🎞️ by Bivash Pandav via my friend Yuvan Aves.

19.02.2025 13:52 πŸ‘ 3156 πŸ” 524 πŸ’¬ 50 πŸ“Œ 53

Edinburgh things:

Burke & Hare were NOT grave robbers

Always thank the bus driver

It's pronounced CO-burn -you're gonna love Bellenden Gardens and Dick Place πŸ™„

Steps. They're everywhere. Even at the top of steps. You cannot avoid them.

The One O’Clock Gun goes off at one o’clock.

Others?

19.02.2025 17:17 πŸ‘ 50 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 34 πŸ“Œ 2

I’ve just re-read it. It’s dazzling!

19.02.2025 21:03 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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More than 900 Labour figures decry party’s migration and asylum policy Joint statement accuses government of copying Tories’ β€˜performative cruelty’

"Anti-migrant politics will not build a single house, staff a single hospital or raise anyone’s wages. Instead, by echoing its rhetoric, the government is simply fuelling the rise of Reform UK"

Well done to these Labour MPs, trade unionists, and members. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

17.02.2025 12:35 πŸ‘ 1780 πŸ” 592 πŸ’¬ 51 πŸ“Œ 35