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AvyC

@votingforcheese.bsky.social
179 followers 445 following 19 posts

Bibliophile/kdrama/Manhwa fan. Progressive politics. Irish in South London She/Her

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NAPLIC @naplic.bsky.social · 16/10/2026
Today is DLD day! The day for raising awareness of Developmental Language Disorder. Around 1.3 million children and young people have DLD, but awareness is now and so they go unidentified and unsupported. This impacts on learning and mental health. Let's change that #DLDday #DevLangDis
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Max Roser @maxroser.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The share of children who died before they were 5 years old in 1950 and 75 years later. Africa: 33% ↘ 6% Asia: 25% ↘ 2.5% Oceania: 9.3% ↘ 2% Latin America: 21% ↘ 1.5% Northern America: 3.8% ↘ 0.6% Europe: 10.5% ↘ 0.4% Globally: 23% ↘ 3.5%
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👻madeline bOoOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 30/09/2026
If you don’t know who Simon of Trent is- that’s fine and frankly I wish we lived in a world where only medievalists did- go ahead and just read this page and fix some names in your head. When you see them in discourse, that should raise some flags. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_l...
en.wikipedia.org
Blood libel - Wikipedia
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👻madeline bOoOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 30/09/2026
I have *been* saying that medieval style antisemitism has a major foothold in the left and the best thing allies can do is be aware of the dog whistles so you know when someone is gone off on one
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Dr. Steven Buckley @stevenjcbuckley.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Some people will wrongly argue that social media is to blame for this, and thus a social ban is needed. This is just fundamentally wrong. As the report makes clear, it is the material conditions of society (access to spaces, access to opportunities etc) that are the core reasons for this phenomena.
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Joel @itsjoels.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
This is the letter kids got at the end of Dolly’s Imagination Library. I defy you to read this and not cry.
Sorry, I can’t type that.
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Alex Zalben @azalben.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton, among a thousand other amazing things she did in her life, gifted over 330 million books to kids through her Imagination Library program. Her passing is a tremendous loss to the world, but you can support the program today to keep it going imaginationlibrary.com
imaginationlibrary.com
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library | USA, UK, IE, CA, AU
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school in participating areas.
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iucounu @iucounu.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
You don’t want to get diagnosed by one of those sketchy for-profit ADHD clinics which hand out diagnoses willy-nilly. No, you want to get a solid NHS diagnosis from the clinic with the ten year waiting list
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Hannah @policyhannah.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
some Good News from the world of vaccinations 💉 "Around 50% fewer infants under 6 months were admitted to intensive care with RSV disease in England... [demonstrating] the annual impact of the NHS RSV maternal vaccination programme for the first time." www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
Newborn ICU admissions drop 50% in first full year of RSV maternal vaccine programme
While around 60% of women giving birth every month are vaccinated, UKHSA warns many thousands of babies still at risk.
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Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
A lovely little bit of physics that you might have spotted if you ever play with a slinky. We should all play more, because we should all embrace our curiosity. And finding out how the physical world works is fun!
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
They sound like absolute mensches. RIP.
nytimes.com
Jayson Conner, 48, and Jeffrey Newman, 58, Die; Gave Thousands of Backpacks to Those in Need (Gift Article)
The couple, who died within a few days of each other, provided needed supplies, like socks and wet wipes, to people living on New York City’s streets.
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Neil Mackay @neilmackay.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
It tells you everything you need to know about the state of British society when the Anne Frank Trust has to step in because of the dehumanising attacks on the LGBT community. What a disgrace we’ve become
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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Eternal reminder: pensions are a feminist issue. All benefits are a feminist issue. Where does the burden of unpaid cared work still fall? What happens when people can't live independently? Who ends up absorbing the costs?
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Dr Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Liberal minded people, members of a minority or not, urgently need to get our heads round the fact that there is ALWAYS a reaction against gains in equality and not get allowed to ourselves to be seduced by the idea that it wouldn’t have happened if the less privileged group had been more discreet.
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Bat Krown 🦇🎃 @katbrownwrites.com · 26/06/2026
Tesco is extending its Kids Eat Free scheme to 7 days a week over the summer, where children get a free meal with an adult purchase, but honestly, this detail about how small the adult purchase can be broke my heart.
The Café and The Coffee Shop in Tesco will be offering one free Kids Hot Meal Deal, Kids Breakfast or Kids Pick ‘n’ Mix deal with any full price adult purchase when they scan their Tesco Clubcard. **The adult purchase could be something as small as an apple costing just 65 pence.** And with no limit to the number of Kid’s meals you can redeem, families of all sizes can benefit too.
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 26/06/2026
This is remarkable.
Bar chart which shows y-axis running 0-8000, and x-axis showing years 2019 and 2024. For 2019, a light orange bar runs up to just over 6000, with a darker orange running up to 8000. For 2024, a green bar runs up to 4000, with a dark green running to about 5000. The text "40% lower" is on the lighter green bar. Text at the top of the graphic reads "Estimated air pollution deaths are down by around 40%. New analysis estimates deaths associated with air pollution in London reduced substantially between 2019 and 2024." Text at the bottom of the graphic reads "Note: darker shading shows estimated ranges. Data based on a comparison of estimated mortality burden using updated methods and a scenario-based analysis where only air pollution changes. Source: london.gov.uk/aqmortality". The Mayor of London logo sits in the bottom right-hand corner.
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Richy Craven @richycraven.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Epic handshake meme
Arm 1: Brits in a heatwave
Arm 2: Zack Morris when he's competing for the affections of Kelly Kapowski
Clasped hands: Fuck AC
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Heather Hogan @heatherhogan.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Older lady peeped the rainbow flag on my bike, asked in a thick Russian accent “It’s your Pride?” She told me her youngest grandchild is “not she berry or he berry but no berry.” I said “Nonbinary?” She got so excited. Yes! Yes! And “Is a secret, but they are my“ *looks around, whispers* “favorite.”
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Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Londoners, there is a webpage for you to see where your nearest "cool spaces" are when the extreme heat hits - places with water, air-conditioning & shade. Have a look and spread the word, especially to those who may need this but might not think to look for it: apps.london.gov.uk/cool-spaces/
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WAFB @wafb.com · 23/06/2026
New Orleans man becomes first in Louisiana functionally cured of sickle cell disease: www.wafb.com/2026/06/23/new-orleans…
wafb.com
New Orleans man becomes first in Louisiana functionally cured of sickle cell disease
Daniel Cressy, 23, underwent gene therapy at Manning Family Children’s Hospital.
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
i think, if I tried to boil it down to a sentence, it'd be: "All politicians are hated by their opponents - but Starmer went out of his way to be hated by his supporters too."
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headfallsoff @headfallsoff.com · 10/06/2026
no other way to say it, this thing in the uk where every single time a non-white person is in the news being accused of a crime we have full on race riots is very very bad
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Everyone on X and elsewhere who called for a violent response should be charged with incitement. Everyone involved in the pogrom should be locked up with exemplary sentences. Govt should make it clear that will be the response in future anywhere else. Enough.
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flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
It’d be helpful if the lads would ask the crackpot baroness here how *exactly* she sees this working. Are M&S staff to start rugby tackling women entering the toilets, if they assess they look a bit too buff? A stern ticking off? What is the government asking businesses and organisations to do, here
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Patrick Ness @patricknessbooks.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
If your enemies are Amnesty and the Quakers, and your allies are Trump, Murdoch and Musk, then MAYBE…
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Timothy McBride @mcbridetd.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
DISTURBING: Justice Department deletes press releases on charges against Jan. 6 rioters www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
nbcnews.com
Justice Department deletes press releases on charges against Jan. 6 rioters
The Justice Department confirmed that it had deleted the press releases as part of “stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”
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AvyC @votingforcheese.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
www.samaritans.org/news/samarit...
samaritans.org
Samaritans responds to EHRC guidance after 40% rise in calls following Supreme Court ruling
Samaritans responds to EHRC guidance after 40% rise in calls following Supreme Court ruling
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Tom Phillips @tom-phillips.com · 21/05/2026
I don't think it's a good idea to legally privilege someone else's discomfort over another person's rights.
13.147 A legitimate aim for excluding a trans person from a separate or single-sex service for their own sex might be to prevent discomfort or distress for other service users.
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👻madeline bOoOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 21/05/2026
I mean, everything else aside, this is really just it in a nutshell, isn’t it.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
This shouldn't need explaining. Human rights don't stop at political boundaries. Suffering is no less real when your team causes it. We should be 100% consistent in opposing violence, prejudice and dehumanisation, wherever they occur and whoever the victims and perpetrators may be. Thank you.
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Stephen Farrow @stephenfarrow.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Bloody hell.
Thread - on Threads - of three posts from someone whose screen name is 'blueskies 1977':

 blueskies1977
 | have been an election agent for the Labour Party for 8 years Yesterday, for
the first time ever, | cried at a count. Was it because we'd lost a lot of seats,
because we had? No. | cried because a very hard working, dedicated, British
born Councillor of Pakistani descent had the word "deport' written next to her
name on a ballot paper with a Reform vote. When the doubtful papers were
shown to candidates and agents, | challenged the Reform agent to disown the
vote and he refused.

 blueskies1977
 | saw a number of other ballot papers with racist, islamophobic and antisemitic
comments. I'm used to the abusive comments about parties and policies on
papers, we tend to have a laugh with them. I'm also used to the many pictures
of penises on ballot papers (you guys are all so original), but | haven't seen so
much hatred written on ballot papers. What are we becoming as a country?
Why do people feel emboldened to put their hatred out there? It's vile.

blueskies 1977
For those commenting that the ballot paper should be rejected, in law it can't be. If a
clear voting intent is shown for the correct number of candidates, it will only be
rejected it there is anything, such as a signature, initials or name, that could identify
the voter or the official mark is defaced or damaged.
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Speech and Language UK @speechandlanguk.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
1.3 million children have Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), yet the Government have left them out of their plans for SEND reform. But with your help, we can change this!🤝 Email your MP today to help them find the missing million>>https://bit.ly/4cwvHLP
The image features a quote with a turquoise background. The text reads: "For too long DLD has been the Cinderella of special needs — it's just as common as autism or dyslexia, but lack of recognition means children aren't getting the help they need." Below the quote, it attributes Dorothy Bishop as a leading voice in DLD.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
We voted out the Tories, only to find that, after a long 14 years of waiting, a Labour government adopts and extends some of their worst policies, while entirely failing to excite or inspire. Now Labour and its supporters on this platform blame us for turning away. What aren’t they seeing here?
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AvyC @votingforcheese.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
“Illman recently asked the community if there should be a limit on how many meals people can request. “The result of the vote was unanimous,” he said. “If someone needs help every day, the group is there for them.” www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
‘Group is a lifesaver’: strangers buy Wetherspoon’s meals for homeless people through app
WhatsApp group has bought tens of thousands of meals for people via Facebook page
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
I've seen a few people here denying that antisemitic hate crimes are still a major or widespread problem in this country. This denial does no one any favours. We must be rock-solid against all hate and prejudice.
Chart showing recorded hate crimes by perceived religion of victim per 10,000 population in 2024-25. Published in The Guardian
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AvyC @votingforcheese.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Just had an Ofsted nightmare despite leaving teaching 12 years ago.
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Andrew Fisher @fisherandrew79.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
The damage that austerity has done to people - and the strain it has shifted onto the NHS, social security system and councils - is probably the most under-discussed phenomenon of British politics ... because it disproportionately affects working class people. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
UK healthy life expectancy falls by two years in past decade
Poor housing, obesity and the effects of deprivation have been suggested as underlying cause.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Of course no one from *checks notes* Sudan or Afghanistan could be in genuine danger.
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Resolution Foundation @resolutionfoundation.org · 25/03/2026
Our latest substack, from @gthwaites.bsky.social, considers whether the social mobility gap could be bigger than the gender pay gap. Read more ⤵️ buff.ly/IoBOOob
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Asher Perlman @asherperlman.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
The perfect tote bag doesn’t exis—
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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
As ever the opposite is the case. What they're all arguing for here is dominance over Muslims. Dominance over a religious minority's right to worship, to freely assemble, to be visible, and to exist as equal members of British society. The complete opposite of what Britain fought for in World War 2
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 17/03/2026
Happy St. Patrick's Day, New York.
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Katie Drummond @katie-drummond.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
As a 40-year-old who's had shingles twice, must say I feel personally attacked by my own publication right now:
wired.com
The Shingles Virus May Be Aging You More Quickly
Evidence suggests reactivations of the varicella-zoster virus may accelerate aging and raise dementia risk. Now scientists want to know if vaccines and antivirals could help protect the brain.
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Thoughtbarf @thoughtbarf.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Coffee has water in it. Follow me for more health and wellness tips.
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Tom Dannenbaum @tomdannenbaum.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Declaring that no quarter will be given is straightforwardly prohibited under international humanitarian law. When done to threaten an adversary, the declaration itself amounts to a war crime. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/13/u...
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Bat Krown 🦇🎃 @katbrownwrites.com · 12/03/2026
“She’s the exception, I am the rule.” Such articulate cutting through of the nonsense around puberty blockers and eg Keira Bell’s detransitioning from Stephanie Lynnette on GMB this morning. It is also a refreshing relief to see a trans person actually being allowed to speak for once!
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Tony Yates @t0nyyates.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Shocking that we wouldn't let her come... and claim asylum too. The very smallest gesture against the oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan.
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Benjamin Dreyer @bcdreyer.social · 10/03/2026
This is the stupidest g.d. thing I have read all day.
"Human writing often includes some clunky phrases, like this passage from Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, caused by the author's aversion to punctuation: 'As well ask men what they think of stone.'"
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Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Just fascinating to see Blair, a man whose reputation was ruined by the Iraq war, advocate joining a war that is exponentially stupider and more chaotic. How is it possible to learn nothing from the worst mistake of your life?
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Dear Shabana, Let's clear some things up around migration and remember we're talking about people's lives.
Dear Shabana,
I notice today that you referred to me in your speech on immigration at the IPPR think tank.
You said: “A party leader should not be on the beaches of France encouraging people to
make a perilous crossing on small boats.”
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised especially after the hateful Labour campaign in Gorton
and Denton, but this is just the latest in a string of lies peddled by a discredited Government
who intentionally fan the flames of racism and division.
When I went to Calais, I was not there to encourage people to travel to the UK. I was there
to see at first hand the suffering your Government and successive Governments have done
in demonising migrants in a pathetic bid to pander to the base instincts of Reform and the
flawed strategy of Morgan McSweeney.
As you will know, if you even bothered to research my visit instead of taking Reform talking
points, I was there to witness the brutality of families living in tents in freezing temperatures. I
filled water tanks and picked up litter.
What that visit did do is confirm my belief that if we are to smash the boat gangs and stop
the boats, we need to offer safer and managed routes for migrants to come to this country.
Showing compassion as a politician is not a crime. In fact, we need to see much more of it.
It reminded me of a young MP who in October 2015 spent three days in Lesbos helping
migrants fleeing war-torn Syria. She posted videos on X, talked about handing out water and
croissants to refugees and food parcels.
When she returned to the UK, she wrote a very moving piece in the New Statesman. She
said “we have to work with our European partners and create new, safe, and legal routes for
refugees to get to Europe. We cannot abandon them to their fate, left as prey for smugglers
whilst risking death on the seas.”
She said “maybe we can make ourselves feel better by saying no-one is making them get on
the boats. And again, the Home Secretary is not entirely wrong when …
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