Always listen to teacher

Posted on January 27, 2020 by

Politicians explained

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Education divides society by wealth

Posted on January 27, 2020 by

Economists have found that many elite US universities – including Brown, Dartmouth, Penn, Princeton, and Yale – take more students from the top 1% of the income distribution than from the bottom 60%. To achieve a position in the top tier of wealth, power and privilege, in short, it helps enormously to start there. “American meritocracy,” the Yale law professor Daniel Markovits argues, has “become precisely what it was invented to combat: a mechanism for the dynastic transmission of wealth and privilege across generations.”

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/oct/19/the-myth-of-meritocracy-who-really-gets-what-they-deserve

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Film Review: The Gentlemen (Michael McConaugh and Hugh Grant) (2020)

Posted on January 27, 2020 by

Recently I saw The Irishman, which has been lauded as yet another example of Scorsese’s genius. Where does this leave Guy Ritchie?

It’s easy to mock Ritchie’s so-called ‘geezer’ movies. The infamous role he gave to Vinnie Jones in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels nearly ruined his career. This is a different order of excellence – yes – excellence. Ritchie’s blood and gore is better than Scorsese’s because it’s contextualised with wit and elegance. His script is brilliant as is the directorial deftness.

Ritchie has a light touch with a beautiful narrative arc and he has been rewarded with wonderful performances from his stars. Michael McConaugh sustains a wry brilliance throughout and Hugh Grant binds the film with grace.

It feels as if Ritchie has in mind a sequel, which he cheekily signalled in the film itself. Ritchie’s ensemble of four very strong stars alongside the principals deserve another outing.

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Too much information

Posted on January 23, 2020 by

A married couple were golfing when she asked: “Honey, if I died would you get married again?”

“No sweetie.”

“I’m sure you would.”

“Okay, I would.”

“Would she sleep in our bed?”

“I guess so.”

“Would you let her use my golf clubs?”

Without hesitation he replied: “No, she’s left handed.”

Chris

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It wasn’t all glamour being a Roman Emperor

Posted on January 23, 2020 by

Of the 69 rulers of the unified Roman Empire, from Augustus (d. 14 CE) to Theodosius (d. 395 CE), 62% suffered violent death.

https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/01/facts-about-deaths-of-roman-emperors.html#comments

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A designer present for Facebook enthusiasts

Posted on January 20, 2020 by

Hours of fun guaranteed

 

Ray H

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Book Review: A A Dhand ~ Streets of Darkness (2016)

Posted on January 20, 2020 by

The ever popular maverick Detective Inspector genre attracts some of Britain’s best writers. I suppose they’re like bank robbers: they go where the money is. Dhand’s creation is the Sikh Harry Virdee, who’s married to a Muslim. His brother, Ronnie, is the drug king of Bradford. This is the first of three in Dhand’s series of novels and so, in comparison to Ian Rankin, he’s hardly got going.

Harry is the younger brother who was rescued from a prison sentence by Ronnie. The effect, of course, is that Harry’s eternally in thrall to Ronnie. This is highly inconvenient considering that it’s Harry’s duty to arrest him and all of his fellow criminals.

Dhand’s story is however much deeper. Constant references to the 2001 Bradford riots inform the plot. Without offering a spoiler Harry is offered a Faustian pact with his own brother.

It’s brilliantly written reeking with plausibility (even when wildly implausible) and lots of local atmosphere

 

Chris

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