The Government is forcing Australians who have lost their job to eat their superannuation before they can access unemployment support.

On 25 September the Government reinstated the Liquid Assets Waiting Period for Australians with liquid assets applying for unemployment support.

In question time today, the Minster representing the Minister for Social Services Stuart Robert confirmed that superannuation withdrawn early is considered a liquid asset for the purposes of triggering the waiting period.

With the Government encouraging out-of-work Australians to access up to $20,000 of their superannuation early, many have been subjected to the Liquid Assets Waiting Period.

The Minister also confirmed that the Government has plans to double the waiting period to up to six months, which would cut $10,600 in unemployment support to Australians who have lost their job.

Ok, time for a big thread on a general theory of history and society.

Every human society has to navigate the relative importance of the individual versus the group. You can think of every society as being placed somewhere on a spectrum between "Everything is about the individual" and "Everything is about the group."

Human society--tribal society--starts out at the extreme "group" end of the spectrum, because the overall imperative is survival. The individual needs to defer to the group because that's how the group survives. Natural selection means we're all descended from such a society.

Then over time society generates some surplus and there's more scope for the individual. And I do believe that the particular genius of the West is that it decided, earlier and more firmly than the rest, to shift the cursor further to the side of the individual.

First with the Greeks, then with Christianity, then with Modernity, we collectively pushed that cursor further away from the "group" end and towards the "individual" end. And lo and behold, each time we did, amazing things happened!

The latest sex abuse scandal to rock France seems to be reinforcing one important thing: French public opinion reaction to stories of sexual abuse is changing in significant ways. (A

I noticed it first about ten years ago, some years before the #metoo movement, when rape allegations were made against then IMF-Director Dominique Strauss-Khan.

When the head of a major French publishing house Vanessa Springora wrote about being groomed and abused as a teen by feted French novelist Gabriel Matzneff, it caused revulsion and soul-searching throughout the country. (Read her fantastic book “Consent”)

The chaos inside the U.S. Capitol came after the police force that protects the legislative complex was overrun by a mob of Trump supporters in what law enforcement officials called a catastrophic failure to prepare https://t.co/DqwlosQxKY

The siege of the Capitol represents one of the gravest security lapses in recent history, current and former law enforcement officials said, turning one of the most recognizable symbols of American power into a locus of political violence

While events such as a presidential inauguration involve detailed security plans by numerous security agencies, far less planning went into protecting the joint session of Congress that convened to ratify the results of the 2020 presidential election, officials said

That lapse came despite glaring warning signs of potential violence by hardline supporters of Trump, who are inflamed by his baseless claims of a stolen election and hope to block the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden

And security initially was handled almost entirely alone by the U.S. Capitol Police, a 2,000-member force under the control of Congress and dedicated to protecting the 126-acre Capitol Grounds

There have been a bunch of questions about the review over the weekend. Here’s my best go at answering ones that have been asked by a few people..

1) Is this a review of ‘care’ or of the whole of children’s social care? It’s the whole thing and that’s why it’s exciting. The system of CSC is so interconnected that to look at one part (say, residential children’s homes) alone would limit the opportunity for big change

2) Why are you creating an Experts by Experience Group? It shouldn’t be down to me alone to decide how the review hears from the thousands of people who need this system to work. I need help deciding this and the EbE is *one* structured way of doing this

3) Why do people need to apply to join this group? With so many people who could be on this group (lots have already generously offered to help) there needs to be a fair way of deciding. The application process has been made as simple as possible.

3 continued) … I understand why some may not want to apply - there will be lots of ways to contribute to the review in a big way once we’re up and running.

@agknowitall

I wanted to reach out to you regarding some of your earlier research on Hezbollah in North Carolina and share some of my own findings, which have disturbing implications in present day North Carolina.

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I've discovered that Hezbollah's network is not only alive and well in North Carolina, but has found interesting new partners for the 21st century.
I discovered this the other day, which attaches an economic theory to what I've already found on my

This thread provides some detail that, while not exactly solid proof represents a hot smoking gun of

The following thread represents another facet of my work, which tangentially connects. More smoking

As a *former* Assistant Managing Editor of The Washington Times, I think you'll appreciate the significance of this, as it relates to my research on Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, as you probably know, trains in and is armed by North Korea.

5/

Y’all, my Great-Grandfather was on his second day as the newly appointed deputy sheriff when he was shot and killed by escaped convicts whom he caught robbing a gas station. The law at that time required that they be put to death, and the verdict was unanimous...

Four men who were involved (the oldest being 23) were condemned to die in North Carolina’s cutting edge gas chamber. His widow, my great-grandmother, was a devout Christian who actually believed what Jesus said and lived like it. She(!) started a petition to NC’s governor...

To grant clemency to the men who murdered her only husband. Moved and shocked by her holiness, not only did the trial judge sign the petition, but EVERY (!) juror signed as well. Governor Hoey received it, and...

On March 6 1940, just an hour before the four condemned were to meet their bitter almond asphyxiation, the governor called and granted clemency. The men served time and were eventually released. The newspaper has as the only quote of one, “Praise God!”

Personally, I understand the death penalty. People do awful things, and I don’t find it heart wrenching that they meet this fate. Yet. I am Catholic: this means I fully accept the teaching of the church whether I ‘feel it’ or not. Mercy heals the world, not vengeance...

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Insights gained from helping EX SERVICE PERSONNEL, who have entered the criminal justice system to progress into employment

I have had the privilege of meeting numerous veterans in prison & helping many to secure permanent jobs in the community.

#InclusiveRecruitment

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People leaving the armed forces need more support than is offered.

Some have complex resettlement needs including mental health challenges & struggle to adapt to civilian life.

Many have non-mainstream qualifications & struggle to secure employment without practical help.

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Most veterans are used to having a regimented structure to their lives & rules to follow.

In the absence of such structure, many dwell on their experiences & slip into despair; others turn to drugs, alcohol,or crime.

Employment helps, providing a support network & stability

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Veterans who are suffering from diagnosed or undiagnosed PTSD make up a surprisingly high percentage of the prison population.

"10,000 UK armed forces veterans are in prison, parole or on probation." Liz Saville Roberts, Justice, Plaid Cymru @LSRPlaid

#PrisonersArePeople

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Years ago politicians promised veterans a career in the prison service after discharge.

Unfortunately, those promises were not delivered; thousands of Armed Forces Personnel did come to prison - BUT not as officers, instead as prisoners themselves.

#PrisonersPeopleToo

First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "I want to update Parliament on Cabinet’s review of the current lockdown restrictions which took place this morning."

NS: "Let me confirm at the outset that - with one limited exception - I will not be announcing any immediate changes to the current lockdown restrictions."

NS: "The core stay at home requirement will remain in place until at least the beginning of March - and possibly for a further period beyond that although not for any longer than is absolutely necessary."

NS: "I will however confirm that the phased and gradual return to school that I said we were hopeful about when I updated Parliament two weeks ago will go ahead as planned from Monday."

NS: "I will say more about this - and about the importance of carefully implementing and monitoring it - later.

In addition, I will give an assessment of the current state of the pandemic."

I've talked with people who argue that they should be allowed to have the sort of conversations that might offend people because if someone is offended, they don't have to be part of it. It's a seductive idea, but it won't

Why? Because there's a ratcheting effect. If you could measure rudeness, a chat might start at 1. People who don't care for that level will leave. So now the chat can start moving toward rudeness level 2 with fewer people to object or moderate.

Where is the limit? Well it will trend toward the comfort level of the most committed members. If part of the "value" of a chat is that it's "honest" (read "rude"), people who don't value that will leave. Problem solved? No! The next level will offend another set of people.

This is what make me so uncomfortable about the ignore feature. It gives people the idea that the way to handle rude behavior is to look away. On an individual level, that's not a bad technique. Why put yourself though frustration if you don't need

But for a group, it's a disaster. It just creates a situation where many people feel powerless, unheard and left out. At some point someone speaks up and discovers it wasn't just them. Now everyone is in for a world of hurt and misunderstanding.

New research on the history of legal #prostitution in Germany focussing on the murders of women in the sex trade by @manuelaschon and Anna Hoheide. I am proud to have helped with translating this work that shines a light into the darkest corners.

Key findings on the murders of women in German legal #prostitution: The daily fear of violence, potentially lethal, remains real for women, despite less fear of arrest by police. The primary perpetrators are sex buyers. The state does not care to collect official statistics.

Critics will claim the German law is a form of legalization (tight regulation forcing some women into illegal status) while one should support New Zealand's decriminalization (minimizing laws specific to prostitution). False distinction: German law on the left, NZ on the right...

Back to the study into murders of women in German #prostitution: The authors contacted the Federal Office for Criminal Investigations who said that they do not collect statistics on these murders because they don't want to contribute to stigma. Read that again!

The study has to rely on cases reported by police (searching for witnesses) or by the media (sometimes tactfully reporting, sometimes sensationalizing lethal violence against women in the sex trade). Of course, this data is incomplete. But that's a conscious choice by German gov!

My Da Tom (90) is coping with #Lockdown3 by consuming ribs & cabbage, marmalade & soda bread, fancy cakes & tay, drawing, painting, playing his fiddle, reading papers, watching snooker, scrolling through Facebook & Insta, playing with dogs & strong whiskey every night.
#Legend

Here is his fridge.
The dude with the fag is called "Lucas Batteries"
He has been drawing him for his whole life.
On school copy books, hotel napkins, and the backs of envelopes.
And on one memorable occasion with a blue marker on a glass door.
"I always give him a #smoke!"
✒️

I bought him a canvas and lent him his late brothers painting set. Filled with colours and brushes, rulers and the nub of a little yellow pencil.
He did this with a sharpie and wax crayons I also brought
And stuck those elves on with Superglue
He tells me it's done an hour later.

Here he is reading the review of #TheScourge by @Katy_Hayes in the @Independent_ie at the weekend
He's quietly orating like the 1st reading at Mass but I can't hear him above the noise of #FlogIt
He's as deaf as a post
And as stubborn as a mule
"Spell it" says he when I'm hoarse

"I finished that in FIVE minutes sure" he laughs when I ask about the canvas, as if it was a competition.
He knows I have one too. Are you done says he to the child sleeping in her clothes.
I haven't had time to brush my hair, says I truthfully.
"Sid is waitin on ya" -
His dog..

The truth in Black and white: An apology from The Kansas City Star. In a six-part investigation, @KCStar finds it "scorned generations of Black Kansas Citians and...robbed an entire community of opportunity, dignity, justice and recognition."

As floodwater upended Black lives in 1977, Kansas City newspapers fixated on Plaza, suburbs and all but ignored how the flood destroyed the homes of Black citizens -- part of @KCStar investigation of itself in, "The Truth in Black and White."

Charlie Parker? Jackie Robinson? For The Star, Kansas City Black culture was invisible

When civil rights movement marched forward, @KCStar lagged behind. The newsroom was run by white men. They overlooked the protest the way they overlooked nearly everything else involving the Black community in the mid-60s

‘Brutes’ and murderers: Black people overlooked in KC coverage — except for crime. Rarely, even up into the 1960s, did the papers doubt, challenge or investigate the police version of events, or interview Black victims.

For 2021 I'd like it if we stopped accusing people of racism for saying a Black person is articulate

For 2021 I'd like everyone to admit peas, outside of their delicious pod, are disgusting and not food.

For 2021 I'd like everyone to admit that the Patriots are the cheatingest franchise in the history of all pro sports and probably had Putin hack their opponents.

For 2021 I'd like it if everyone admitted REO Speedwagon and Journey are the same terrible band invented as a sick joke to annoy me

For 2021 I Really Can't Wait to go see live music but I guess imma have to wait though

What do you think your students might draw if you asked them to draw a mathematician? What if you asked them why someone would hire a mathematician?

This study asked exactly that to 470 year 8's across 5 countries. The results are depressing. But also hilarious.

Thread...
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Here are some of their drawings:
"an old stain, he's too lazy to wash his shirt" "fat from doing nothing but maths".

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This student drew a mathematician that is apparently a devil teacher...

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This is umm... concerning

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"You should all know this"

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My grandparents were very poor. My dad was ashamed & created dumb tension about it. My grandma though always took me aside to give me a chocolate orange after Xmas gifts were unwrapped; she’d make me crack it and eat a slice before going back to Xmas fun.

Did their poverty matter? No! Everything was out of love. My grandpa made us things from his workshop. One year he said, “We try” and 14 yo me said laughing “I know”. Gramps gave me a 1 arm hug & slapped my back with a grin. That did not go over well with dad.

He chewed me out for making them know I knew or something gay like that. My grandparents didn’t have hot water. They knew I knew. They were why I tried hard at college. My grandma came to my campus only once and gave me the “ya done gud, anon” line when she left.

Once I graduated & had a job, I got a case of Sam Adams for Xmas day with my grandpa because I wanted to drink with him when he went out for his Xmas cigar. My treat. I felt like an adult not just his grandson. We talked for an hour in his workshop with the space heater on.

Close my eyes: I can see the Adrienne Barbeau poster, the 10 hand planes on the wall & cigar boxes holding screws, nuts & nails. We started real talks then; he told me his war stories & life before grandma. We had more in common than I thought. I later named a son after him