“If I can make Willie Horton a household name, we’ll win the election.”

Lee Atwater and his dark arts were featured prominently in an excellent New York Times piece today. This story is a signal reminder to all of us: politicians go negative because it works; In fact, it works like a hot damn. You should consciously and deliberately try to resist.

Keep this in mind this Fall as you join people across North America and head to the ballot box in upcoming provincial, civic and potentially national elections. Make your best effort to engage candidates with nuance. Find out what they think. Find out why. Find out where they differ from you and find out why. Look at platforms, look at policies. Try to embrace those who share your values. Try to understand those who don’t.  Avoid letting someone else define a candidate for you.

Do your best to resist the inevitable ad hominem attacks if you can and try to engage at a deeper level. We’ll all be the better for it.

This week, the British educational system is recovering from the chaos caused by using an algorithm to determine who gets into elite universities. This writer argues the debacle has laid bare historical inequities left unresolved for decades. She wisely suggests this may be time for a transformation in the national conversation about education, equity and student success.

As politicians and parents across Canada grapple with how to safely get students back to the classroom this fall, perhaps its time for a similar national conversation.

As has been often said, a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.

 

Source: Let’s use this exams debacle to transform England’s schools | Education | The Guardian

So, a top epidemiologist and the head of the Federal Reserve in Minnesota decide to write an article together. It’s tough advice, but I find it extremely compelling: Don’t give up on lock-downs too soon. They say the next six months are crucial.

“And the next six months could make what we have experienced so far seem like just a warm-up to a greater catastrophe. With many schools and colleges starting, stores and businesses reopening, and the beginning of the indoor heating season, new case numbers will grow quickly.”

This interesting article argues Boris Johnson’s government may not have the bandwidth to achieve it’s Global Britain aspirations.

 

Britain wants to go global at a time when globalization is in retreat. It has cast off from the world’s largest trading bloc when the world is more divided than ever into competing regions. And it is trying to carve out an overseas role just as the coronavirus pandemic has crippled its domestic economy.

As quoted today by Kara Swisher in today’s New York Times

As quoted today by Kara Swisher in today’s New York Times

Michael Gove, the UK Minister for the Cabinet Office made a recent speech on the need for reform in the public service. He spoke of the need for clear writing and clear thinking.

It seems that when it comes to waiting for the completion of home renovations, Britain’s Royal Family is no different than the rest of us.

According to an article in this morning’s Daily Telegraph (bottom of Pg. 3, 15 June 2020), The Queen has been granted permission to repair a leaky north roof at Buckingham Palace, a problem first identified 200 years ago.

According to the Telegraph article, the north range of Buck House dates back to a the second major re-development. That work took place between 1820 and 1837.

The architect, John Nash, was sacked for over-spending. In 1831, expert advice was sought on the integrity of the building. Rain had already penetrated the covering of the south-west tower.

As the Telegraph notes, the roofers of the time used an asphalt precursor, known as Stanhope’s Composition, made of tar, dry powdered chalk and sifted sand. As the Telegraph article states:

But now, conservationists are set to strip and replace the original roof and replace “structurally defective chimney stacks”. However, still no copper or lead.

Those of us waiting on hold for bathroom or kitchen renovations can take some solace from this fact: At least you don’t have to wait as long as royalty.

And here’s a picture I took of Buckingham Palace on a trip to London in February of 2012:

While her New York Times colleagues try to link this week-end’s violence to everything from Globalization to climate change to 9-11, in my opinion Roxane Gay captures the visceral sense of hopelessness felt by black Americans. Something is seriously wrong, and “no one is coming to save us”.