I never realised just how prevalent it was until I started attending PPE conferences, I don't even think I'd heard of them through my entire PhD, but it really is everywhere

I feel like I’m in the Kevin cult.

And definitely don't read this as a critique of these bodies. I disagree with some of their politics, but more and diverse funding bodies is obviously good and their grants can produce very good work. I know people who have had IHS, Templeton, etc. grants who do excellent work with them

Individually, no, but firstly, having one bigger funding body and then a bunch of other smaller but still significant funders does not make a monopoly on humanities funding. Secondly, Templeton also funds philosophy and history at least, and that's far closer to Mellon in size

Took me ages to work out who they were supposed to be. Ed Balls looks more like a businessman you've never heard of but who prominently funded the Leave Campaign and Reform

Philosopher cults of personality are just bizarre. Whenever I get asked who my favourite philosopher is I just blank, because I genuinely don’t know why I would have one

And I still managed to make it to the class I was teaching on time even after stopping to get the picture!

I‘m pretty sure I’ve seen them before but I’ve never properly stopped and identified one (and definitely never taken a picture). There were so many of them!

I do think you're correct (on both points), and it explains the reaction some people have. I just don't get why they do it in this case. These barriers solve the issue whilst also preventing the need for it to be enforced by men with guns. It literally reduces interaction!

I remember when the Telegraph ran a story about how 1 in 12 people in London were undocumented migrants because Thames Water said so based on usage (the estimate 1. was “irregular” population, which included commuters and tourists and 2. Wasn't even for Greater London anyway)

I think most of the bullshit jobs thesis is, well, bullshit. But I can at least get why a naive person might believe it in some cases. I don’t understand at all how anyone can think Logistics Manager is one. All it needs is a cursory look at literally any history!

As someone who kind of lives in two states.

California - Yes - No but I could in my old neighborhood.

Ohio - Yes and Yes! They're very common, I saw one when I was walking to work this morning.

It explains the whole nonsense pop-MMT econ stuff that the Greens have been trying to push. It lets them pretend that everything can be improved without needing to raise taxes, and therefore the only reason to raise taxes on ordinary people is right wing reasons or something

Is a difficulty. There is a lack of coverage of their actually good stuff. But does that explain why they're polling so low over the parade of unforced errors, scandals, bad policies combined with vibes etc? Clearly no. The media didn't make Starmer hire known friend to nonces Peter Mandelson etc