I know my opinion doesn’t count for much. I’m a faceless name on Twitter (for valid reasons I won’t dilute this message with). However I have been massively affected by what has taken place over the last few days in Scotland and I wanted to air my feelings around this. 1/

We are being told that sex and gender are interchangeable by many and that changing the wording within the amazing Forensic Medical Services Bill makes no difference to the services survivors receive.

We are told this as though we haven’t been privy to the raging debate 2/

around it for the last few years. In years past people often replaced sex with gender to appease sensibilities around sex. This was an accepted practice because it caused no real concerns or issues in regard to the actual protected characteristic of sex. 3/

However, in more recent times gender is no longer used in the same way. Gender is not defined in law but it is being conflated with sex to the extent that people are suggesting that they mean the same thing. They do not and the law agrees that they don’t. 4/

There appears to have been policy capture at the highest levels, within our government, LA’s, NHS and other orgs. These places have made preemptive assumptions on advice from lobby groups that they proudly display champion badges for and pay thousands of pounds to each year. 5/

@salty3y3s @matthaig1 1. Thank you for asking! I don't mind sharing, but an important question deserves a full answer and hopefully it will help someone else too.
I was "stable", but not ideally so on strattera for several years, it kept me emotionally level, although now I'm off it,

@matthaig1 2. I realise that it kept me somewhat muted in my emotions. I avoided the extremes, but that included the highs as and the lows. I didn't enjoy watching comedy or listening to music as much for example, but I figured that was worth it at the time, to escape the extreme emotions.

@matthaig1 3 I also found that it wasn't as good as when I was on methylphenidate, at controlling my "primary" ADHD symptoms, such as how to prioritise and actually start tasks. That makes atomoxetine (Strattera) sound rubbish, but it gave me a period of emotional stability over a very

@matthaig1 4 stressful time and allowed me to function during some very difficult life events, it really was what I needed at the time and it could work for others.
My decision to come off it was kind term and very considered. I was frankly, terrified to do so. I hadn't been unmedicated

@matthaig1 5 Since my diagnosis almost 10 years ago and my life before that was very different. Very chaotic and basically surviving, desperately feeling like life was so hard and not understanding why, veering from one last minute by my fingernails achievement to another, that never felt

Today the Commons will debate regulations that will essentially tip those who have not yet acquired their EUSS status into the Hostile Environment from 1 July 21. Some thoughts: /1

The regs. are legion. Covering nearly every aspect of the Hostile Environment. These regs have been made using Henry VIII powers. They perfectly illustrate the problem with this power. A single debate on all clauses with no opportunity to amend is not good democracy. /2

The consequences are equally legion. Those who fail to get status will face problems with work, housing, benefits and risk of removal/criminalisation. Yes people with reasonable excuses can apply late to EUSS, but by then the damage may well be done. /3

What of those who apply late? Their status of not being able to work, rent etc. Continues until a decision is made. Increased waiting times and additional hurdles will undoubtedly lead to people delayed in this misery for some time. /4

Doesn’t seem right does it? The Withdrawal Agreement says that those with pending applications have rights until a decision is made (18(3)) so yes it is problematic in ways beyond what is right and just. /5

Yes there is an ignorant part of me that loved both Chief Wahoo and the "Indians" name. Growing up as a kid watching Major League, it was cool.

1/

The name change for the Cleveland "Indians" is however long overdue, a great step towards progression regarding how Native Americans and their cultures are perceived in the U.S. and the wider world and I applaud Cleveland's acceptance of this.

2/

Stephanie Fryberg: We found that among Native people who are “highly identified” with being Native — people who voted in tribal elections, attended Native ceremonies or powwows, spoke their language, told Native stories

3/

Ethnic cleansing are all forms of attempts of elimination of a particular ethnic group. Ethnic cleansing may take place in subtle forms as well as radical forms. Ethnic cleansing may take place mentally or physically.

Ethnic cleansing usually takes place to homogenize the population of a given particular territory or make the dominant ethnic group(s) culture omnipresent.

Ethnic cleansing is usually accompanied by efforts to remove physical and cultural evidence of the targeted group in the territory through the destruction of homes, social centers, farms, and infrastructure, through the desecration of monuments, cemeteries, and places of worship.

1. Enforced - Ethnic cleansing could be enforced. Such as the state power could use institutionalized force to conduct ethnic cleansing. The dominant group with the aim of ethnic cleansing may form their own army to create an enforcing state.

For example: the government declares use of X language illegal, use of X language invalid for administrative purposes.

2. Systematic - The systematic forms of ethnic cleansing takes a well planned or a step-wise process to achieve the wider goal of ethnic cleansing.

It’s 3 a.m. and the 2020 Fall Sitting of the 30th Alberta Legislature has concluded. #ableg 1/10

Jason Kenney and the UCP shut down debate on a number of their horrendous bills, including one to strip away workers protections and supports for the very Albertans on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. #ableg 2/10

The Government also rammed through legislation to accelerate their failed $4.7-billion corporate handout tonight. #ableg 3/10

Earlier in the session, the UCP passed broad legislation to put tolls on new Alberta roads and existing roads that are under construction. They also stripped away rights for drivers injured in motor-vehicle collisions. #ableg 4/10

The UCP pushed forward healthcare legislation with glaring privacy holes that have been flagged by the Information and Privacy Commissioner. #ableg 5/10

I think I just realised why the cipher of ‘trans rights’ (which few seem to be able to define in concrete terms) has become the sine qua non of human rights.

Unlike inclusion of women or ethnic minorities, Jolyon et al. know they won’t need to cede any spaces in boardrooms.

Part 1
Here’s the Hancock breakdown in case you missed it:
1) it’s the public’s fault
2) I’m not answering that question about the police arresting people - properly
3) act like you’ve got the virus because most of you will soon (herd immunity)
4) the rich can fly in
#marr

Part 2 (had to make a cup of tea):
1) I love the NHS (ha ha)
2) we aren’t heading for a national lockdown (Pinocchio moment)
3) the new variant deflections: respond to different question, use vague language ‘not quite right’, verbal stumble (I’m in trouble)
#marr

Part 3 (the deflection continues)
1) November 5th - December the 3rd anomalies you say and I’m supposed to know what is going on (la la la I’m going to my happy place)
2) The only journalist I deign to give pretend answers to is you, Andrew (please please please be nice)

Part 4:
1) genomic surveillance (who’s a clever boy, eh?)
2) spread the blame: ‘brought to ministers’ attention’
3) no, no don’t show me the video of ‘the Boss’, making him look like a liar ...
4) mention the Archbishop of C (I’m a good person too!)

Part 5:
1) ‘when the evidence is clear’ (when we had to face the fact we’ve endangered even more lives for a Brussel sprout)
2) called my mum (I’m a human being too, guys!)
3) being in government is hard (face palm at this point)
4) the variant is to blame (keep saying it)

It's crazy how 50% of the country rioted all year for a violent felon who overdosed... yet this dickslap of a "relief" package (VASTLY less popular across the spectrum than Fentanyl Floyd) will get nothing.

I wonder why that is?

I work for a subsidiary of a vaguely "American" conglomerate with ~70K employees that operates in about 80 countries, primarily exploiting cheap Chinese labor. China is literally our business model. This year our CEO sent out no less than 3 company-wide memos about SaInT fLoYd.

Employees were encouraged to attend protests, even in the midst of a so-called "pandemic."

Even employees in Europe. Presumably even the employees in China (although they are kept behind a wall of secrecy).

EVERY employee worldwide was offered unlimited time off to protest?

Oh yeah, funny sidebar: nobody in the company knows anyone who works in the Chinese office. I can name employees in the Poland branch or the French branch or Japan, but nobody has ever met a single Chinese branch employee. This is apparently a CCP regulation lol

Anyways, back to the point--management wanted us out there protesting/rioting! They made it abundantly clear. And it seems weird that they were encouraging it in every country, right?

Literally a multinational corporation stoking worldwide racial protests. So weird!

@RachaelHorning I see why they started it, but I worry it could cause a lot more harm then good.

There are instances where someone might get a script for a new pt from a new provider and have no background on either of them. That’s typically what it looks like with diversion

But I think the frequency of diversion like that where a doc is knowingly overprescribing for illicit reasons is less common than

I think this is going back towards having pharmacists act as the police of a script without the tools necessary to do that

We know how to ensure that a script is appropriate and right for that patient (regardless of med). But community pharmacists aren’t given adequate access to medical records to truly do the assessments they were trained to do

So the idea that pharmacists need to be a gatekeeper to opioids when they don’t have the proper access to records that would allow them to actually identify clear issues of diversion easily and easily recognize others as appropriate isn’t there

I just hate the “pharmacists are gatekeepers” idea

We are not, or at least not supposed to be. The idea that we are somehow to know that a patient is in pain or not (something subjective that we can’t see) and then if we give an Rx that wasn’t appropriate we can lose our license

Personal submission to @ScotGovJustice Consultation now available on @UmbrellaLane website

Full response - https://t.co/WCB4Y3qNrN

A thread of main arguments to save anyone having to read through what became a second thesis 🙄 on these important issues 1/8

#NotEqualNotSafe

sweeping definition of all prostitution as inherently violence renders invisible actual acts of abuse in the sex industry; continues an ineffective& dangerous reliance on criminal justice approaches that fosters unsafe working practices&deters victims to seek redress 2/8

The push to criminalise clients is a misplaced moralistic agenda put forward at the expense of a much needed social justice &public health approach in policy & services that centres the varied needs of people this consultation states intention to support 3/8

The focus within Equally Safe strategy on ‘reducing demand’ fails to address root causes& factors that exacerbate the vulnerabilities of women&girls 2violence, which extend beyond the narrow focus on eliminating prostitution as a means to achieve gender equality in #Scotland 4/8

A platform of social justice – rights, redistribution, respect, inclusion and recognition – extending from decriminalisation as a VITAL first step, has the potential to avoid the trap of a coercive welfarist approach as set out in current policy 5/8

I just wish I knew what an online harm actually was

Funny to see the online harms bill positioned as a blow against big tech when it will give them the power to make sweeping decisions on enforcement while simultaneously making it much harder for smaller competitors

Rule of politics: displays of strength are often signs of weakness. Online harms delegates many aspects of justice to tech companies. It's effectively an admission that the state can't do the work itself

This might be only practical way to proceed, given the scale of the challenge. But as the tech companies are going to be writing their own rules, then enforcing them, it embeds the existing way of doing things to an astonishing degree

The duty of care idea comes from health and safety, but I think the best analogy is financial market regulation pre-2008. It's trying to answer the question: how do we protect people* without interrupting the existing way of working?

*Defined as: keeping stories out of the news