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News & ArtsFriday, June 15, 2012
Chow The Littlest Activist/Food Blogger
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 9:55 AM
She's called Martha, she's 9 years old, she lives in Scotland, and she's been blogging about her school lunches...
Unfortunately I have to choose my lunches differently now because I have only 1 hand to eat with. Last night at athletics club in the first race I tripped and fell on my hand. It was still sore this morning so I went to hospital and ended up with a stookie on my wrist. 'Stookie' is our Scots word for a plaster cast. My dinners will have to be easy to eat for the next few weeks. My friends are really helpful and they helped me carry my tray at dinner.
Then her school forbade her taking photos. But she has prevailed (though her own blog hasn't been updated at this writing). Anyway, the whole adorable story is here and here.
Thanks to Steven Blum in Berlin!
2
Freedom of speech - we give it to corporations in the form of unlimited campaign spending. The Argyle and Bute Council deny it to a nine year old food writer.
America is the greatest country in the world!
America is the greatest country in the world!
3
@2 ' She's called Martha, she's 9 years old, she lives in Scotland,'
that's the first sentence. what else can't you read ?
that's the first sentence. what else can't you read ?
4
Oh, Steven Blum! Best intern ever.
And I love that Jamie Oliver's made school food reform such a thing. My favorite take on him was Charlie Brooker's last year:
More...
And I love that Jamie Oliver's made school food reform such a thing. My favorite take on him was Charlie Brooker's last year:
Poor Jamie Oliver. A few years ago he single-handedly saved every child in the country from imminent cholesterol death with his school dinners campaign. And there was nationwide rejoicing. The Queen called a national holiday, councils held street parties in his honour and the City erected a 600ft glass-and-metal statue in the shape of one of his Flavour Shakers (known today as "the Gherkin", after one of his favourite sandwich fillings).http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/…
Now, instead of reducing the kiddywink generation's waistlines he's attempting to expand their minds by establishing his own Dream School. A tape recording of this selfless act of altruism somehow ended up in Channel 4's hands, and they've been broadcasting extracts from it for the past few weeks. And what do we do? We watch MasterChef on the other side. The professional chef is being shunned in favour of a bunch of unknown amateurs. Because they're actually bloody cooking.
The audacity of Dream School is truly inspiring, assuming you're impressed by mountains of bullshit. The first episode opened with Jamie recounting how he left school with no qualifications. The British educational system failed him, just as it fails millions of others like him every year. Now he wants to make a difference. Not by campaigning against education cuts – which might be boring – but by setting up his own school. Not one staffed by actual teachers – which might be boring – but by celebrities. And it won't be open all-year round – which might be expensive – but for a few weeks. Thus our education system will be saved.
5
Rumor has it that the council has backed off and relented, but I can't find a link to confirm it. Supposedly was on BBC radio.
6
Oh, nevermind. That's what this is about, I needed to refresh the links to see the updates. Good for her!
8
@3 Are you serious? Do you think I don't know what the Argyle and Bute Council is? Do you not understand that when she criticized the school lunches the local government stepped in to shut her down? Do you not understand that our First Amendment protections of freedom of speech are in place because the British Empire doesn't have freedom of speech? Do you not understand that our constitutional protections have been perverted to protect corporations more than individuals? Do you live in some sort of internet irony-free zone?
10
@8 that's an olympian sized leap you make from that article to make your point.. but hey it's the internet so do what you want..
.. and then call it irony..
.. and then call it irony..
12
To be fair, @2, your comment sounded misinformed to me as well. Your explanation @8 by no stretch of the imagination is self-evident in @2.
Maybe you should re-read @2 and decide if the historical context of the US rejecting the laws of the British empire is clearly implied. If you still think it is, then - hell - I can't help you.
Maybe you should re-read @2 and decide if the historical context of the US rejecting the laws of the British empire is clearly implied. If you still think it is, then - hell - I can't help you.
13
@12 I'm in favor of fairness.
I now recognize this was posted in the Chow section, but I guess I'm used to this site being a highly politicized place and I'd read this story already this morning at the Grauniad but I couldn't go back lest it spoil the football (news black-out, you know) in order to cross-post.
I'd go so far as to say that if Bethany Jean posted the link without reading through (and I'm not saying she did) then to post this only as a food post (look at the cute little Scots lass!) is bizarre; the only reason this story came to light is because of the freedom of speech issues.
AND (motherfuckers @3) if you want a Glasgow-Kiss, I'm your man. You may be a Rev Dr (you might be), but I'm an M.Sc U.Edin. so why don't you click through and read the Fookin' Airticle before you criticize my reading comprehension, Ass-wipe!
@12 - thanks for your help - I feel a lot better now.
I now recognize this was posted in the Chow section, but I guess I'm used to this site being a highly politicized place and I'd read this story already this morning at the Grauniad but I couldn't go back lest it spoil the football (news black-out, you know) in order to cross-post.
I'd go so far as to say that if Bethany Jean posted the link without reading through (and I'm not saying she did) then to post this only as a food post (look at the cute little Scots lass!) is bizarre; the only reason this story came to light is because of the freedom of speech issues.
AND (motherfuckers @3) if you want a Glasgow-Kiss, I'm your man. You may be a Rev Dr (you might be), but I'm an M.Sc U.Edin. so why don't you click through and read the Fookin' Airticle before you criticize my reading comprehension, Ass-wipe!
@12 - thanks for your help - I feel a lot better now.
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