Don’t listen to medical science! The advances in medical research have not affected our lifespan We are all going to die. Human life has a 100% mortality rate.  So wrote Johan Giesecke in this short article in 1992. After Anders Tengell, Giesecke – whose book on Modern Infectiou…

Life is an infectious disease with a 100% mortality rate.

It's an old joke but it's important. Here in a new translation is a 1992 short article by Johan Giesecke - who played a key role in Sweden's covid response explaining the limits of medicine.

leftiehistorian.wordpress.com/2025/02/22/d...

Don’t listen to medical science! The advances in medical research have not affected our lifespan We are all going to die. Human life has a 100% mortality rate.  So wrote Johan Giesecke in this short article in 1992. After Anders Tengell, Giesecke – whose book on Modern Infectiou…

Life is an infectious disease with a 100% mortality rate.

It's an old joke but it's important. Here in a new translation is a 1992 short article by Johan Giesecke - who played a key role in Sweden's covid response explaining the limits of medicine.

leftiehistorian.wordpress.com/2025/02/22/d...

Am I the only one with two accounts to think that the overblown rise of bluesky has opened up a huge gap for the right in Twitter.

It seems to be our version of Orwell's inside the whale. We are cushioned in a space that exactly fits us.

The elections petitions still increasing but thought this a fun bar chart

Circulation data suggests very similar for UK

My first totally free data for Bluesky - the rise of drinking at home in the Britain aka the decline in indoor alcohol sales. Obviously lockdown slump but a long term decline before that.

What is the social significance of the shift from the pub?

www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications...

Oh well - interesting data from the US

For any historians out there is is an interesting free to download collection of essays

www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph?do...

Not sure how long this will be free to read but recommended

No Trump supporter [or of the US system] but this is hardy electoral distortion is it?

This is fascinating on shaky data. Age data is some of the most dodgy demographic data - interesting argument that checking for consistency is not always helpful if the data is consistently wrong. 😱

UK energy prices

Whatever the topic it seems the wonderful House of Commons library has a great briefing on it

researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CB...

Wherever one stands on this issue, allowing UK missiles to be fired onto the soil of a nuclear state is not just an "operational decision" that can't be discussed in public.

It's a major act of state - something we never did in the worst days of the Cold War - and it needs democratic debate.

I would have thought that obvious but it seems not. This does not mean a case cannot be made but this must surely be factored in as should a local escalation. So far as strategic thought is concerned this is pretty elementary.

John Prescott was a politician both behind and ahead of his time. Considered too bluff and old Labour to reach to the very top in the 90s, today his authenticity and class credentials would have been perfect to fight Farage and populism. Labour needs more like him.

The bespoke posh UK food gift trade and farm shops and other local outlets - are they really local?

Just discovered this company that manufacturers under its own label OR your own label. Its catalogue runs to over 200 pages.

bramblefoods.com/brochures/

An interview with David Hemson - lessons from the South African liberation struggle - ROAPE ROAPE’s Peter Dwyer interviews the South African socialist David Hemson. Hemson was a leading labour militant and trade unionist during the mass working class uprising and strikes in Durban in 1973. I...

Lessons from South African history for socialists everywhere. My interview with the ever effervescent David Hemson about the incredible Durban strikes, signalling the start of the end of apartheid roape.net/2024/11/20/a...

No but the FT had some promising extracts. He is always interesting (though occasionally formulaic)

I know we are all supposed to be nice here but if you buy luxury cherry and sultana scones in the UK should there not be more luxury than this 😱😂

This is interesting on predicted Christmas sales in the UK

This is very important for an understanding of the UK economy.

I have often commented before on this issue. The Labour Force Survey is a key to understanding many things and if it has problems .....

Is the future a chip sandwich – analysing the role of food imports in the UK How much food does a rich country like the UK import? Most say around 50% – others put it as high as 80%. How can the figures vary so much? And whatever the exact figure – how did these…

I have a blog on the role of UK food imports which puts the whole story into a longer run perspective leftiehistorian.wordpress.com/2023/04/16/i...

If you bring central London to a halt in order to campaign against catastrophic climate change then you're a "barmy" eco "fanatic" who deserves to be locked up.

If you do the same to hang on to your multimillion pound inheritance tax exemption then you're a brave freedom fighter defying the odds

Top programmes report The top 50 programmes on TV based on the size of their total viewing audience over the week (including live, VOSDAL, time-shifted and total audience viewing figures). Filter by channel or audience.

What do people in the UK watch on TV - fascinating list of current audiences by size

www.thinkbox.tv/training-and...

Excellent House of Commons Library Report on Food Banks in the UK

researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CB...

YouTube video by Daniel J. Watkins The History of History

The History of History

Came across this wonderfully engaging account of the history of history quite by chance. Why don't academics do me of this stuff?

The picture does not do it justice.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYkJ...

Statista on UK Black Friday sales in £billions with estimates for 2024

To celebrate my arrival on Bluesky I am pleased to share this seventeenth century picture from the Welcome Institute Collection.

Civilisation and manners are, as they say, historical constructions.