Like it or not (we don’t care), immigration is the hot button issue of our time. The dread it inspires in large sections of the host populations has become politically destabilising. And thereby inimical to progress in so many more important areas such as climate change, medicine and education. There are ever-more hysterical calls to get tougher and, more brutal with migrants. All futile, like the cries of angry prohibitionists for tougher enforcement of the booze laws a hundred years ago. Cruelty only works on the people you catch. If violence worked as a deterrent, no one would ever join armies, for fear of the dangers they face.

These advocates are like the quacks who posed as healers before the advent of medical science. Whose successes have taught us that if you want to stop something, you need understand its deep causes. Fortunately, we have arranged a series of clicks by which you can read more on this very trope, dear readers. [1,2.3] Yet deep down, it’s simple: people migrate from bad economic conditions in the hope of finding better ones. Like charged ions in an electric field, they move along gradients of money. So the UK receives rather few immigrants from prosperous Denmark, but many from poor Albania. The advent faster communications such as aeroplanes, or cheap labour ideologies, certainly speed the process. But it would happen anyway.

The only certain prevention would be a concerted effort to raise standards of living, political and social rights and environmental quality, in the countries from which people emigrate. This in turn would require a considerable transfer of funds from rich countries to poorer ones. Tricky: because the very people who call most loudly for immigration prevention (the Dog and Duck, Daily Mail crowd) are also those who hanker most strongly for cuts in foreign aid. But until such action is taken, mass immigration will not go away. Only a World Government would have the strength and authority to carry out such transfers. And it would be right for so many of the other problems we have alluded to as well.

[1] https://www.lirs.org/causes-of-immigration/

[2] https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/why-people-migrate-11-surprising-reasons/

[3] https://fullfact.org/immigration/why-do-international-migrants-come-uk/

#immigration #emigration #migration #poverty #inequality #world government

stories that caught our eye

Nasty Serbs Every playground bully always has a couple of smaller boys who want to join his gang. Putin has Byelorussia, and now Serbia. What drives so many Serbs to the side of evil? The answer may be delusions of grandeur, as Tomislav Markovic explains in the Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/28/the-cult-of-putin-in-serbia-reflects-a-nation-that-has-still-not-dealt-with-its-past

Surprisingly Bent Imagine if you could fold up your mobile phone and tuck it away. You can’t, of course, because the battery is so rigid. But now new discoveries in materials science suggest types of conductors/chargers that can be bent and shaped like play-doh, Here’s Stacy Liberatore for the Mail

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11358197/Play-Doh-like-new-material-bends-like-plastic-conducts-electricity-like-metal.html

Cuts now, knife crime later Why do people turn persistently to self-destructive behaviours like gambling, alcoholism, and violent crime? The answer may well be that failure to control impulses may be linked to childhood deprivation, as Richard Tunney makes clear for the Conversation. Any Government thinking of massive welfare cuts may be storing up trouble to come.

https://theconversation.com/deprivation-in-childhood-linked-to-impulsive-behaviour-in-adulthood-new-study-190858?utm_medium=email&ut

Irresponsible, that’s what you are We mean you, Bolsonaro, the man who wants to burn out the lungs of the planet. We don’t know what drives this man and the sinister groups that back him, but one thing is certain. The world will be in a far more perilous place if he succeeds. As this piece in Nature Briefings makes clear

As Brazilians prepare to go to the polls on Sunday, a Nature editorial argues that a second term for Jair Bolsonaro would represent a threat to science, democracy and the environment. Bolsonaro charged into office four years ago denying science, threatening Indigenous peoples’ rights and pushing a development-at-all-costs approach to the economy. This weekend, Brazilians will go to the polls in the second round of one of the country’s most important elections. Bolsonaro is standing for re-election against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Workers’ Party leader who was president for two terms between 2003 and 2010. Lula is not without baggage — he spent 19 months in jail as a result of a corruption investigation, although the convictions were annulled in 2021. However, he has pledged to achieve ‘net zero’ deforestation and protect Indigenous lands, if elected.Nature | 4 min read

Off the ball Fans of the satirical magazine Private Eye in the 1970s will remember the saga of the hapless Neasden FC and its ashen-faced manager Ron Knee. Now the real thing has come along in the shape of Durham City AFC, whose record of goals conceded, matches lost and relegations endured makes the doings of the North London outfit look positively accomplished by comparison. Here’s George Simms for I News

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/durham-city-afc-inside-england-worst-football-club-1935944

#serbia #russia #materials science #crime #addiction #cuts #bolsonaro #lula #brasil #football #durhamcityafc

If ever two art forms were born together, grew and mutually nurtured, it was the movies and cocktails. Seen as a cultural trope, they were children of the interwar period from 1919-1939. Both evoke the world of stylish glamour captured best in the art deco buildings of Manhattan, as Fred and Ginger danced from peak to peak across the concrete towers and chasms of that mighty metropolis. Since when both Film and Cocktails have sat together in many great era-defining moments.

So it’s only fitting that this week we dedicate our little blog to some of the great movie cocktail moments. And before you all shout “Bond!”, a warning. Yes, the stylish spy is in there, but our researchers have uncovered many other great moments from the silver screen across not one, but two excellent sites![1] [2] Among the highlights you’ll find the White Russian (The Big Lebowski) the Orange Whip (The Blues Brothers) a French 75(Casablanca) a Vesper Martini (Casino Royale) and a humble glass of Chardonnay (Briget Jones’ Diary) If you’ve got any of these films, now might be the night to put them on, crack out your mixers, and wolf one down at the exact same moment as the actors in the film do. (how do they do all the takes without the actors getting drunk?-it’s a permanent mystery to us)

And our own favourite, sadly not on the lists. It’s superb stylemeister Cary Grant, chatting up Eva Marie Saint in North by North West. [3] Sadly the clip we’ve clipped does not contain Grant’s classic reply to the waiter “Yezz pleaz, a Gibson.” But it’s firmly on the table in this elegant railway scene,and looks far better than a can of Special Brew. How travel has gone down since those days!

[1] https://www.delish.com/restaurants/g325/movie-cocktails/

[2]https://aspiringwinos.com/cocktails/iconic-cocktails-from-movies-and-television/

[3] https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=north+by+northwest+yon+train&&view=

#cocktails #fims

If there’s one thing that keeps most people on the straight and narrow, it’s the thought of retiring to a comfortable old age. You won’t go out throwing bombs, joining revolutionary parties or selling cranky newspapers outside Tube stations if it imperils your chances of spending quality time with the grandkids or blocking airport lounges with your unfeasibly bulky luggage. As the Capitalist Class, bless ’em, has always known.

Until relatively recently, the system had worked well. Pension funds took a slice of your money, invested it , and at the end gave you a lump sum which was then used to buy an annuity, and off you went to buy a car/boat/Benidorm villa, “au pair” or whatever. But now there are real fears that the whole scheme has seized up, leaving millions seriously out of pocket. Samantha Downs [1] has an excellent article here, but we’ll try to summarise a little below.

After the crash of 2007-2008 the world was only saved from disaster by quantitative easing, that strange but necessary global lowering of interest rates which kept the world running on life support. But pension funds carried on buying gilts, understandably, as they looked so safe. However, post Covid, interest rates are rising, and so are the values of gilts. (The price of any bond, such as a gilt, will always fall as the yield rises. And these yields have to rise to compete with interest rates offered elsewhere.)

Suddenly, the value of the stuff you need to buy an annuity has fallen away, with little hope of getting back up any time soon. A lot of people will find their retirement to be penurious. Which is always worse when you weren’t expecting it. In countries dependent on the grey pound, that will leave a big gap in discretionary spending. More worryingly for us a compact of understanding between the system and its loyal subjects has been broken. Younger people will start to entertain real doubts about their own futures. And who can blame them if they start to look for alternatives?

we thank Mr Peter Seymour for the idea behind this story

[1] https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/money/pensions-and-retirement/pensions-time-bomb-warning-biggest-fall-30-years-1640816

#pensions #gilts #bonds #annuities

For sheer courage, and the hope of the world, nothing is so admirable as the struggle of Iranian women against their malevolent and tyrannical regime. Braving tear gas, clubbings, live rounds and hundreds of deaths and injuries, they daily fight everyone’s fight against bigotry and oppression. And for what? So that each may choose whether or not to wear a simple headcovering, the hijab. They are certainly not trying to ban the garment. But the mere fact they demand this choice is enough to send the misanthropic brutes at the summit of the Iranian regime into paroxysms of fury and violence.

Today will simply provide you with a useful summary of the women’s cause, by Nifoofar Hooman of the Conversation, looking at the balance of forces on each side and where we are today.

And our thoughts? The ancient fools who run Iran are looking for blood in too many places. Just as they supply Russian tyrant Putin with more means to pursue his genocide in Ukraine, they face massive opposition at home. “The hour of destiny has struck upon the clock.”

https://theconversation.com/the-protests-in-iran-are-part-of-a-long-history-of-womens-resistance-191551

#iran #womens rights

things that caught our eye in this week’s news

Rise and Fall of a Prime Minister How come intelligent hard-working people make dreadful, nation-changing errors? British PM Liz Truss must have had some of those qualities to reach as far as she did. We all need to learn from poor decision-making, wherever we live. So this article from The Conversation seemed entirely apposite:

https://theconversation.com/liz-truss-resigns-as-prime-minister-the-five-causes-of-her-downfall-explained-192979?u

First Family Once again the wonders of DNA technology leave us breathless. Not only does it take us parsecs beyond bone studies, but it gives us hints to the sociology of these early hunter gatherers, and close human relatives. Not bad! Nature, A Neanderthal Nuclear family

for the first time, researchers have identified a set of closely related Neanderthals: a father, his teenage daughter and two other more distant relatives. The discovery of the family and seven more individuals in Chagyrskaya Cave in southern Siberia, along with two more from a nearby site, nearly doubles the number of known Neanderthal genomes. Genetic clues found in the individuals’ DNA hint that the population of breeding adults was low, and that there was more diversity in maternally inherited mitochondrial genomes — suggesting that mothers left their communities to build new families.Nature | 6 min read
Reference: Nature paper

How far is justified? At LSS, we tend to take the view that any desecration of a work of art cannot be justified. Think ISIS and Taleban if you like. So we were horrified when climate activists threw soup over a painting in the UK’s National Gallery. But we ill offer you the case for their defence, if only because it’s made by George Monbiot, all round intelligent guy and good bloke.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/19/van-gogh-sunflowers-just-stop-oil-tactics

Tiger Tiger, Tiger The Zoological Society of London, that august institution, has always been at the forefront of conservation efforts. Heartening then to see their efforts amply rewarded with the birth of three rare Sumatran tiger cubs, who should do much to boost their Covid-depleted coffers.

https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/zsl-london-zoo-shares-first-images-of-three-week-old-sumatran-tiger-cubs-outside

see you Monday!

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/19/van-gogh-sunflowers-just-stop-oil-tactics

#liz truss #uk #politics #dna #neanderthal #climate change #protest #zsl

Nothing is so evocative of autumn as the appearance of the pumpkin [1] in schools, streets and supermarkets. As the colder nights draw in and we look to evening festivals like Halloween and Bonfire Night, the big, friendly round squash comes into its own as a source of seasonal foods, decorations,…….. and of course, cocktails as we hope to show in this brief blog.

We were surprised when our indefatigable researchers showed has how many recipes there are. What we offer today is just a selection, and we’re sure you can google a few more if you want

So, while the kids are gathered around the bonfire with their sparklers, celebrating an ancient act of judicial murder, or frightening each other to death with witch costumes, here’s something to take the heat off of the adults, who can relax and

From Basco, (and this let us use their lovely picture)

Spiced Pumpkin Sour

Mix that drink offer a nice looking pumpkin pie martini, which you can see by clicking on this link:

https://mixthatdrink.com/pumpkin-pie-martini-mixthatdrink-original/

while the cookie rookie suggest a pumpkin whisky smash

Pumpkin Whiskey Smash Cocktail

Not to be outdone, the good old Co-op offers a pumpkin puree

https://www.coop.co.uk/recipes/pumpkin-puree?

see you next Friday, which is more than you can say for Liz Truss.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin

#pumpkin #cocktails

“Every year” says Paul, “David sends me a birthday card. It says Thank you for teaching me everything I know. ” Paul is a Foster Parent, one of that amazing army of unsung heroes and heroines who often make the difference between survival and total collapse for so many thousands of abused, neglected or abandoned children. David was his first foster placement. It was many years ago, when Paul was busy as a successful businessman in the food supply business,and raising a highly successful family of his own. Since then, Paul and his wife Jane have fostered many and are still doing it today, well into their seventies.

The trouble with LSS-and like certain Prime Ministers, we humbly admit it-is that there are too many molecules, too many econometric theories and too many cocktails in here. We don’t bring you enough human interest stories. Too easy to sink into a pit of esoteric academicism, ignoring the heroic work of carers, fosterers, police officers, and all the others who are the real glue holding our society together. Time to learn from them. And this was our principal lesson.

About fifty years ago, certain supercilious biologists were fond of preaching that utter selfishness and egoism were the only worthwhile guides for human behaviour. It was all, in our genes, they told us, with all the otiose certainty of first year undergraduates who imagine a university place is a guarantee of private virtue and public wisdom. Qualities such as altruism, sharing and solidarity were the delusions of weak minds, destined for evolutionary extinction. A way of thinking quickly picked up by newspapers such as the Daily Mail, ever eager for sticks with which to beat Trade Unions, Social Democrats and anyone else who tried to stand in the way of a dog-eat-dog free for all.

We won’t tell you of the satisfaction which Paul and Jane obtain from each successful placement. Or that each successful case which they handle turns in to a healthy productive citizen, ready to work to pay taxes for the rest of us in our dotage. Or that every child saved from the streets saves someone from getting mugged, drugged, slugged or harmed in some way. We’ll leave you instead with the words of John Donne, that amazing 17th century mystic, who wrote

No man is an island, entire of itself: Every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s, or of thine own were.

Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.

^{names have been changed for confidentiality}

#john donne #fostering #altruism

.

A couple of years ago we wrote here:

…….. a terrible disease is sweeping across the world. In the UK alone there are 209 600 new cases per year. One in 14 of people over 65 are sufferers. Readers in any country in the world will soon find comparable statistics (LSS 21 1 2020)

Alzheimer’s disease, a subset of dementia, is one of those intriguing mysteries which stubbornly refuses to yield up a solution, despite the best efforts of researchers and noble organisations like the Alzheimer’s Society, whose excellent site is linked here[1]

Much of the burden of research has fallen on amyloid-beta proteins, and their relationship with the plaques which form in the brains of sufferers. Up to know, the plaques have been the villains of the piece. But are they? Now new research suggests that the amount of the proteins may be the key factor. It’s interesting research because it makes use of genetic studies on populations who experience higher levels of dementia and tries to tie this to levels of proteins and plaques. The Conversation [2] has three writers-up, which is a bit much to cite for a short blog like this one.

As we pointed out before, there are a number of competing hypotheses, and we don’t think a cure is coming tomorrow. But never forget, gentle readers, how research in one area can often have surprising benefits in others, as it all adds to the total of human knowledge. So, if you wanted to dip into your pocket and help a charity, it would do no harm.

We thank Mr Peter Seymour for this story

[1] https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/

[2]https://theconversation.com/alzheimers-disease-surprising-new-theory-about-what-might-cause-it-192143?utm_mediu

#dementia #alzheimer’s #proteins #plaques #neurology

stories that caught our eye this week

Megathreats Why believe Nouriel Roubini? because he was the dude who accurately predicted the 2007-08 crash, that’s why. Now his new book identifies ten trends that imperial our future. In his own words” expect many dark days”

https://www.ft.com/content/3be78531-a7f9-4045-9ac8-88ca64210f59

All Trussed Up Inept leaders are always more interesting than the able ones . Latest on the list is UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, but the lessons here can be applied to many, many countries.

https://theconversation.com/liz-truss-is-now-a-case-study-in-poor-leadership-192554?utm_m

Neurobiology Advances again Sufferers from terrible neurological diseases such as MS, MNR and the rest have always elicited our utmost sympathies. So we welcome every advance in neurological techniques such as the one below. And, who knows-it may help those injured in terrible accidents as well.

Miniature human-brain-like structures transplanted into rats can send signals and respond to environmental cues. Researchers grew the structures from human stem cells and then injected them into the brains of newborn rat pups. After six months, the organoids became fully integrated into the rat brains. The approach could lead to a way to test therapies for human brain disorders. But some researchers have ethical concerns about such experiments: creating rodent–human hybrids could harm the animals or produce animals with human-like brains.Nature | 5 min read
Reference: Nature paper

On the Silk Road Sometimes things from history grip our imagination. Nothing more so than the Silk Road, that vast network of trade routes crossing mountains and deserts that seems almost as old as Civilisation. New discoveries in Wenzhou suggest how extensive it was, The finds date from the Song and Yuan dynasties. They corresponded roughly to our own European High Middle Ages, from about 960 AD to about 1368 AD.

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3195907/photos-ancient-chinese-port-city-reveals-secrets

Larry the Intrepid Fox Hunter Larry, the feline resident of No 10 Downing Street was anxious to prove that someone in there is still doing their job. In the middle of a major political and economic crisis he still found time to see off an intruding fox. Can your cat do this?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/11/larry-the-cat-fox-no-10-downing-street-chief-mouser-pm

#nouriel roubini #catastrophes #debt #liz truss #neuroscience #ms #mnr #larry the cat #china #silk road