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Jack McGowan

@jmcgphd.bsky.social

Scottish+Irish/EU citizen in Essex. In academia but forever an actor. History/present, Humanities/humanity. πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Ί #DysguCymraeg https://drjackmcgowan.wordpress.com

497 Followers  |  932 Following  |  104 Posts  |  Joined: 24.12.2023
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Posts by Jack McGowan (@jmcgphd.bsky.social)

🚨BREAKING🚨 Robert Jenrick has defected from Reform to the Greens.

27.02.2026 07:46 β€” πŸ‘ 2320    πŸ” 305    πŸ’¬ 100    πŸ“Œ 35

The EU is home to:
🌍 24 official languages
πŸŽ‰ 60 regional or minority languages spoken by 40 million people

And, over half of Europeans are proficient in a second language!

Multilingualism is a founding principle of our Union.

Diversity is our strength!

21.02.2026 08:29 β€” πŸ‘ 194    πŸ” 43    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 2
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Save Essex: Stop the Cuts, Save Southend, Protect Education These proposed cuts mean people losing their livelihoods in a higher education sector already facing a jobs crisis, where alternative employment is scarce and careers built over many years can be dest...

The University of Essex plans to close their Southend campus and cut up to 400 jobs β€” around one in five staff! But the staff and students are fighting back. Sign their petition to stop the cuts, save Southend, and protect education www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/sa...

16.02.2026 10:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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🚨BREAKING: In a powerful moment, Hillary Clinton just shredded to pieces Donald Trump’s Ukraine policy. She’s right again.

15.02.2026 15:23 β€” πŸ‘ 231    πŸ” 119    πŸ’¬ 25    πŸ“Œ 23

I got it last year after reading your post, so thank you. It was easy at my GP surgery, which was supportive and agreed that 'it's a very sensible thing to do'.

15.02.2026 08:43 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€˜If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university? When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a β€˜left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degr...

This is why I am on strike #UCU ucuessex.bsky.social If you are in academia something similar has probably happened in your institution already. If not don't be naive - it will very soon, and no-one will fight for you if you don't fight yourself. Join a union. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

12.02.2026 10:39 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Reading and writing can lower dementia risk by almost 40%, study finds Cognitive health in later life is β€˜strongly influenced’ by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments, say researchers

New hope for academics everywhere!

12.02.2026 07:36 β€” πŸ‘ 129    πŸ” 39    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 18

I agree with all AI = radium, arsenic paint, cocaine, fags, asbestos analogies.

09.02.2026 07:26 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€˜If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university? When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a β€˜left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degr...

Incandescent. One of the best pieces I've read about what university means to people and their communities - and what will happen to a city and people after one closes. The *Labour* government and Jaqui Smith in particular should be ashamed of themselves and shamed into doing something. Deplorable.

04.02.2026 07:25 β€” πŸ‘ 184    πŸ” 108    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 5

Me too! πŸ‘

28.01.2026 21:48 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Is 'Thank you for reaching out' AI slop or just annoying mid-Atlantic bollocks? I've never 'reached out' in my life, although numerous recent emails suggest I have.

27.01.2026 08:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Dr Kareem Carr
man: i wish to publish
@kareem_carr
Jan 21
reviewer 2: your paper is no good
man: i'll do anything to improve
reviewer 2: it's simple. you must read the work of the great scientist Pagliarini
man: *bursts into tears* but i am Pagliarini
Andre Pagliarini
@apagliar
Jan 21
a first: in rejecting an article I submitted to a journal, reviewer 2 noted I failed to engage the work of one Andre Pagliarini
Jan 21, 2026 β€’ 3:47 PM UTC

Dr Kareem Carr man: i wish to publish @kareem_carr Jan 21 reviewer 2: your paper is no good man: i'll do anything to improve reviewer 2: it's simple. you must read the work of the great scientist Pagliarini man: *bursts into tears* but i am Pagliarini Andre Pagliarini @apagliar Jan 21 a first: in rejecting an article I submitted to a journal, reviewer 2 noted I failed to engage the work of one Andre Pagliarini Jan 21, 2026 β€’ 3:47 PM UTC

I just thought everyone should see this

22.01.2026 23:02 β€” πŸ‘ 25545    πŸ” 6057    πŸ’¬ 43    πŸ“Œ 236
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🚨πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Ί Brexit WOW moment πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊπŸš¨

The Brexitgraph Telegraph published a full-blown obituary for Brexit:

πŸ“‰ GDP down 8%
πŸ“‰ Investment down 18%
πŸ“‰ Productivity down 4%
πŸ“‰ Employment down 4%
❌ No trade benefits
❌ No regulatory freedom
❌ No upside whatsoever

Do you agree it’s time to end Brexit?

14.01.2026 08:06 β€” πŸ‘ 1738    πŸ” 707    πŸ’¬ 139    πŸ“Œ 63

Jenrick? 'Chancer', 'charlatan' and other words which start with c. For god's sake stop giving these utter nonentities the 'oxygen of publicity'.

15.01.2026 21:52 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

It's good to see what looks like a fairly active Erasmus presence here πŸ‘‡

13.01.2026 20:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Bowie Heroes album cover holding a box of Heroes chocolates

Bowie Heroes album cover holding a box of Heroes chocolates

I, I will be twix
And you, you will be the creme egg one

09.01.2026 15:40 β€” πŸ‘ 142    πŸ” 21    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 0
King of England on a checkerboard pattern tile floor

King of England on a checkerboard pattern tile floor

Y’all might not appreciate it, but it took him 87 moves and 14 hours to get here

26.12.2025 12:48 β€” πŸ‘ 8710    πŸ” 1288    πŸ’¬ 100    πŸ“Œ 62
Cartoon of a lorry reversing and beeping. Caption: To drive an HGV in France you need to pass your backalorryup

Cartoon of a lorry reversing and beeping. Caption: To drive an HGV in France you need to pass your backalorryup

20.09.2025 09:24 β€” πŸ‘ 430    πŸ” 53    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 2

Your library card is the most priceless card you will ever own.

18.12.2025 18:33 β€” πŸ‘ 543    πŸ” 66    πŸ’¬ 11    πŸ“Œ 10

Proud to say I bought it. And tried to work out the chorus harmonies. And 'choreograpny'.

11.12.2025 09:09 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Indeed. But I recall reading somewhere he later regretted his Brexit choice due to the division caused... Also disappointing that Australian-born actor Leo McKern (Rumpole of the Bailey) was early advocate for UKIP and, I think, Goldsmith's Referendum Party - which doesn't get the blame it deserves.

11.12.2025 07:54 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

We chatted about the bizarre experiences of working with minor local celebrities in provincial pantomimes. My friend Alan was right. I still smile about it now. All the best and keep up the good work.

02.12.2025 20:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Robin, I've followed you around here for years but never disclosed why I like you. I met you exactly 27 years ago in Edinburgh when you were low on the bill and my friend Alan (now deceased) was even lower. He thought we'd get on. We had a great chat for ages. Liked you then, still like you now πŸ‘

02.12.2025 20:33 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Watched BBC 6 o clock news. Just a completely unserious broadcast. Chris Mason, acting like a children's entertainer, giving a prolonged impenetrable editorial. Not a whiff of informative content about the Budget or what it means for the country. Just playschool blah blah bollocks.

01.12.2025 18:28 β€” πŸ‘ 2842    πŸ” 538    πŸ’¬ 225    πŸ“Œ 40

So the Gang of 2 adopt the Oor Wullie as well as the Mickey Mouse stance: "Oor Party! Your Party! Naebody with a brain's Party!". But you can be in the SWP too, if your like. Dearie me. They're not Roy and Shirley, are they?

30.11.2025 19:20 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

These 'senior BBC figures' all seem cut from the same very odd, supremely confident yet profoundly unimpressive cloth. The MPs are little better. Who is on which side? The stench of 'good chaps' joshing rather reminds me of my years at a Russell Group university.

24.11.2025 18:06 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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"The humanities really are a resource β€” a confidence for living in our times.” Dean Sara Guyer on the modern utility of humanities degrees This interview originally appeared on the Division of Arts

"While other universities report that the humanities are shrinking, at Berkeley, the opposite is true. The music major is the fastest-growing major on campus. We are finding bigger classrooms because film is exploding. English is back to the numbers we saw 15 years ago. We are hiring" bit.ly/4ohKuOe

23.11.2025 15:38 β€” πŸ‘ 1310    πŸ” 392    πŸ’¬ 23    πŸ“Œ 57

πŸ‘

21.11.2025 16:35 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The real BBC bias story, narrated by Anna Ford

19.11.2025 12:12 β€” πŸ‘ 3356    πŸ” 1976    πŸ’¬ 117    πŸ“Œ 168
17.11.2025 20:11 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0