Interesting Links for 10-08-2014

[andrewducker]

• On the Peter Capaldi/Steven Moffat disagreement rumours
  (tags: drwho StevenMoffat PeterCapaldi )
• Is it bad to bottle up your anger?
  (tags: anger emotion psychology )
• BBC fails to sort fact from opinion
  (tags: bbc facts opinion )
• eBay bans CD sales of metal band Burzum, citing offensive material
  (tags: music HeavyMetal ebay offensive )
• William

Comments

[philmophlegm]

"In an episode of Broadcasting House on 13th July journalist Jon Snow seemed to suggest that fewer than 50% of Oxbridge pupils were from state schools (listen 19:35 in).

One listener complained to the BBC this wasn’t right - the latest figures show 57% of Oxford students are from state schools or colleges; 63% for Cambridge."

...except when you examine the linked spreadsheet, you see that those figures don't show that at all. What they show is the percentage of "UK domiciled young full-time first degree entrants". When you include foreigners and postgrads, the percentage of students at Oxford (and I guess Cambridge) from UK state schools is less than 50%. (Most Oxford postgrads for example are foreigners.)

[andrewducker]

And that reply would have been just fine.

[philmophlegm]

Indeed!

[andrewducker]

Now I'm back from spending the day playing games, and not typing on my mobile...

Just to have a less terse reply, I totally agree that there's room for interpretation of the evidence, and I'm very happy for people to defend their positions by doing so.

Or to have opinions about whether they are good, bad, or just to not care about them.

But mixing up "These figures are correct because of X" and "These figures are an opinion, so we don't have to defend them" seems pretty silly of them.

[quirkytizzy]

The article about Disney is really neat! I went to Disneyworld once, at 27. It was the most awesome, fun, great time I'd ever had. I was astounded at not only how smoothly everything ran, but truly how dedicated every. single. employee - from the cafeterias to park characters - were to making sure you had a good experience. Disney is AWESOME and I can't wait to get to go again someday.

[andrewducker]

I've never been, and I'd love to go.

I've been to Vegas, which felt like a Disneyland for adults, only less organised (as each place is individual), and that was very impressive. Although after four days I felt I had to go and be somewhere that wasn't a theme park for a while :->

[snarlish]

i grew up near disneyland (close enough to watch the fireworks from our street corner) until I was 8, and pretty much went once a year after we moved further north until I was 18 or so (A christmas present pooled from Aunts and Uncles, usually. Thanks guys!) Nothing but great memories, even of the long lines!

I've always wanted an excuse to go to Disneyland Paris, as in, a bunch of mates are going, so put me down if anyone else is planning a trip.

Of course for me, emerging from train stations into various European countries gives a similar frisson, or even the cityscape of Edinburgh, and Tattoo fireworks every night. Wierd parallel of my childhood life now I think of it.

[andrewducker]

Likewise - if you find yourself organising such a thing, let me know!

[lizzie_and_ari]

Am totally matching to the 'last baby' category in that article!

[andrewducker]

That's because you're awesome.

And haven't fallen for the whole way that society tends to treat babies, and that most women seem to have to get over before they relax a bit about them :->

[theweaselking]

re: Burzum - gee, a murderous neo-nazi who's infringing on Tolkien's IP. I can't imagine eBay wanting to *keep* him.

(Their point about "someone complained" is taken, but I also suspect "we really don't want the Tolkien estate suing us" is an influence.)

[andrewducker]

It may well have done. Although I notice that Amazon are happy enough about possibly infringing Tolkien.

And so is David Eddings :->