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Stranger than fiction: wars are caused by male sex drive
It is men who cause war and conflict, not women. Dick Skellington looks at the latest research.The male sex drive is the cause of nearly all conflict in the world, from football violence to wars...
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The plight of the seriously ill, the dying and the disabled in our prisons
Despite small improvements our prison service remains vulnerable to appalling incidents of mistreatment and cruelty. Dick Skellington reports. Every once in a while a report shocks and appalls. Readers...
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Line up for the Erotic Awards
As a regular writer for the Society Matters blog I'm very pleased to announce that my book Rewriting the Rules – which I've frequently written about here – has been nominated for an award. This was...
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It's not just the European community that's losing support
The swing against ‘Europe’ reflects a wider swing against the concept of any community wider than a gated one, writes Alan Shipman.While the EU’s opponents say that leaving it would boost our national...
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Erotic Award 2013: OU's Meg Barker wins the academic category
Shocked and delighted, Meg Barker explains why winning meant so much.Following my last post I'm very pleased to report that last Friday, I was the proud recipient of the Erotic Award in the academic...
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Only lazy politicians use the phrase 'hard working families'
There are sound bites, and there are sound bites too far, writes Dick Skellington The Protestant work ethic is always with us, and is rearing its ugly head again. I was listening to a recent radio...
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Stranger than fiction: living at number 13 lowers the price of your home
If you are buying a house, look at the number carefully, writes Dick Skellington. I live at a number 13. Someone reading this must share the same experience. If you do, research has shown that the...
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In the line of fire
For the people who bring the news to our living rooms, 2012 was the most dangerous since 1995, writes Dick Skellington. May 3 was World Press Freedom Day, a day that went largely unnoticed in Britain....
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Pornography, crime and censorship: taking a balanced approach
Recent horrendous child murders have raised concerns about access to pornographic images. But pornography does have positive impacts which need to be considered before we rush to greater control,...
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Home thoughts from abroad
Dick Skellington reflects on our disunited kingdom in his holiday postcard from Sardinia. Alghero, Sardinia, 11 June 2013 What disturbing times we face. We seem to be living in a climate of suspicion...
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Recycling the dead
Nearer his end than his beginning, Dick Skellington reveals just how he might end up. Around the time of Margaret Thatcher’s funeral (the Iron Lady was indeed cremated) I was taken aback by a tabloid...
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Faith and trust in British political institutions plummet
Recent scandals have had a damaging impact on our participatory democracy, argues Dick Skellington The rise of UKIP and the decline in ratings for the other main political parties in England and Wales...
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Bursting bubbles
The stock market is currently confounding doom-laden forecasts. But Alan Shipman advises caution. From Ronnie O’Sullivan on green baize to Rafael Nadal on Parisian clay, it’s been a season of...
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All white on the night
A Dalek has a better chance of appearing on the cover of the Radio Times than a black TV star does, writes David Herman, so who is representing non-white Britain on our screens? What do Doctor Who,...
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Austerity is bad for our health
The cost of government spending cuts can be measured in human lives, reports Dick Skellington.The Coalition Government is sticking to Plan A –A for Austerity – and carrying on regardless of any...
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Good news for animal lovers
Dick Skellington reports on one piece of Government legislation that is definitely worthwhile Good news has been hard to find in 2013. Even harder to find has been universal acclaim for a piece of...
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Sharks in sheep's clothing
Cute and cuddly characters can't disguise outrageous loan repayment interest rates, says Pete Cashmore. If you live in the UK and own a TV you are no doubt familiar with Betty, Joyce and Earl. You will...
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Vote for tyranny!
Steven Primrose-Smith calls himself The UniCyclist as he pedals 31,000 kilometres around 50 European cities while studying for two OU degrees with little more than a solar-powered laptop and a tent....
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The hero some academics would prefer to forget
The ghost of an Armenian captain threatens Turkey's attempt to subvert the forthcoming 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, writes journalist and honorary OU graduate Robert Fisk. Confronted by...
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Stranger than fiction: the town with a war memorial but no war dead
A war memorial is to be erected in a town which has not lost any military personnel in conflict, writes Dick Skellington Bradley Stoke in South Gloucestershire is a new small town close to a major...
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