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Schooling in the UK versus the USA

Schooling in the UK versus the USA

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Despite both being English-speaking, western countries, there are several differences between the UK and the USA. One of them is how schools are organized. It is surprising that two countries that should be so similar, could diverge so thoroughly. To celebrate the United States’ 244th independence day, let’s review some of the differences. One of the most obvious differences is how years [US English: grades] are numbered. Year/grade numbering: Child age* UK post-1990 Year number UK pre-1990 Year number UK…

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Trying Impossible Burger

Trying Impossible Burger

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This post is not sponsored by Impossible but I’m always open to being contacted. Impossible burger has not been available to my wife and I in local supermarkets and as fans of our one-and-only planet Earth, my wife and I are always keen to reduce our meat intake, especially of beef. Well, Impossible recently started to sell directly (note: not a referral link). We ordered four 12oz ground [UK English: minced] ‘beef’ packages. They were delivered in environmentally conscious packaging,…

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Covid-19 – some perspective

Covid-19 – some perspective

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It’s been a weird old time recently. I expect we will look back on this time with vague memories of how it felt. Some, like me, will remember being given back my commute time and being more efficient despite a tiny bit of network-slowness. Some have experienced the ‘Covid-19 experience’ popularized by the media: hundreds of exhausting Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings Zoom-bombing having their children climb over their shoulder during a meeting, and feeling stir-crazy. Others,…

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Two weeks ago, on a plane

Two weeks ago, on a plane

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I thought about COVID-19 while I was flying to California a little while ago. This is what I wrote. Please forgive the stream-of-consciousness, but when I re-read it, I thought it was suitable to share. The world is under-going an event which will long be remembered. I don’t think, ultimately, it will be remembered as a health crisis – the number of lives lost might not turn out to be significant in the long-term – but it could have long-term…

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Buying back shares

Buying back shares

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As US airlines are accused of buying back shares, I thought it might be helpful to explain what buying back shares really means, and why you might want to sell and buy shares at all, if you’re a company. The airlines are being criticized because they might become short of cash now, as people stop flying and as the economy overall is likely to slow significantly. [That’s right, this is the third COVID-19 post in a row because, let’s be…

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Risk Management and Pandemics

Risk Management and Pandemics

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In my previous role as a Risk Manager at Just Group plc we developed plans to deal with pandemics and similar crises in workshops that brought together all the key decision makers involved in providing on-going service to customers and shareholders etc. Some of the things we considered were the closure of schools, the staff fearing going to work, and other things that are manifesting now. While no sane person can derive any positive emotions from the impacts we are experiencing now, from premature…

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Washing hands – why and how

Washing hands – why and how

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This article discusses subjects that are scientific in nature. Therefore, a list of references is included at the end. When I say something that needs supporting through a reference, the name of the source and the year of the information is in braces ( and ). Most of us were told to wash our hands, as children, before we started to eat dinner, after we came in from playing outside, and after going to the bathroom. Similarly, many of us…

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Who shot first

Who shot first

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I’ve not written about Star Wars publicly before, but I had a thought this morning, and felt it needed to be shared even though, I am sure, other people have noticed and thought the same thing. Note: Spoilers below this point.

An image of the world in Behrmann projection, with south at the top
What the world looks like

What the world looks like

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If you’re like most people, you will have seen the image in this post and thought something like “Why is the world upside down?” If you’re particularly keen, you may have noticed that the countries in the extreme north are also smaller than usual. So: What am I up to?

Leaving the European Union – 31st of January 2020

Leaving the European Union – 31st of January 2020

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This is not a political blog, and I do not intend it to become one, so this will not address the rights and wrongs of Brexit, nor my personal opinions. Instead, it focuses on answering the questions I hear a lot, especially from my fellow Americans. Background First, some background. The UK (the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) joined the European Communities (the EC) on 1st of January 1973. The European Communities were three different communities…

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