Another "kindness/respect" vs intellectual freedom débacle. What could be more blatantly disrespectful than demanding authors and scholars sign a "code of conduct" specifying how nice they have to be? archive.ph/Pcehe

And yet I just read a novel that allowed me to understand what it was like to be a ship's surgeon in Nelson's navy. Extraordinary. Mystical, even.

Scroll and ye shall find

Cricket today is “Originals” vs “Superchargers”. Not slick enough. Why not “Vintage 1970s DM Vegan Calf Leather Originals” versus “Miscellaneous Old Spare MacBook Chargers.”

Do today's keffieh latte youngsters know their movement was fashionable in 1970s, especially in the aftermath of 1972 Munich massacre of Jewish athletes?

Neighbour's drone has spotted my little beach art project.

Yes. I often waive my anonymity when reviewing. The commonplace abuse of peer reviewing for ideological gatekeeping is another reason why the whole business of academic publication needs regulation for academic freedom too, as I argue in here. thecritic.co.uk/depoliticising…

I would be shocked if this wasn’t dismissed as manifestly unfounded. There simply isn’t a right to intervene in cases just because the outcome might affect you. If McCloud had a right to intervene, everyone did. We’re all affected by this case. theguardian.com/society/2025/a…

These headlines confirm that anti-White racism is rampant in USA universities. Should it be tolerated, in the name of academic freedom? Yes if it's within the law. But we should challenge and ridicule these vile race-baiters with every intellectual weapon we can muster.

Good news for everyone who responded to the ‘secret’ consultation and said ‘No’ to any (new) definition. We had some impact! (Times 16/8/25). Don't Divide Us Student Academics For Academic Freedom Network of Sikh Orgs National Secular Society The Free Speech Union

Freedom of speech has an awful lot of fairweather friends.

“You Can’t Think That! Or Can You?” You shouldn't even have to ask students this. But you do, nowadays. So it's a great question pointing the way towards intellectual freedom.

Happy World Photography Day everyone! I know it's obvious, but isn't it just wonderful to live in an age when anyone with a phone can enjoy the delights of making and sharing pictures?

A supreme effort at Edinburgh Waverley Station.

“I have nothing against diversity, equity, and inclusion. But as Voltaire said about the Holy Roman Empire: it was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.”

With World Athletics and now World Boxing adopting mandatory sex screening via a cheek swab test, I'm going to say that - with all sorts of qualifications, and only within this domain - WE'VE WON.

113-year-old church trundles along a 5k route in Sweden. This is EXACTLY how I feel dragging my old bones around a parkrun nowadays. bbc.co.uk/news/resources…