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Leader Live
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
A Super Saturday healed wounds for Wrexham AFC faithful
The symbolic healing of wounds suffered over more than a decade at the start of the century took place at Sincil Bank, an uncannily appropriate venue for the occasion. No club has done what we've done. No fans have ever been fortunate enough to enjoy a run of seasons like we've experienced. What a glorious time to be a Wrexham fan. Last Saturday was a party, but also an opportunity for reflection. In 2008 we travelled to Lincoln for the last day of the season, knowing we'd hit the lowest point in our history. With the typical dark humour football fans are known for, Wrexham's fans decided to commemorate the occasion with a fancy dress party. They dressed as superheroes, clowns and monsters: outfits that unintentionally parodied the dramatis personae which had dominated our story over the previous years. The fans and people on the football side of the club were always stoic, often heroic, but the club was dragged down the plughole by a grim cast of off-field characters. That morbid party illustrated the indefatigable nature of Wrexham's fans. No matter what, we refused to accept disaster and believed we could come back, stronger and better than ever. We had to wait a heck of a long time for that turning point, but it was well worth it, and all the sweeter for all the suffering we've gone through to get here. Incredibly, we returned to Lincoln exactly 17 years to the day since that gloriously bizarre farewell to the EFL. There was no irony about last Saturday's party though: we've earned the right to revel in what we've achieved, and the mind-blowing possibilities of what is to come. A second circle is also being closed, and this one goes back much further. For many fans, the four years we spent in the old Second Division is an unimaginable period of the club's history. For those of us who experienced it, it feels like another world. The prospect of returning to that level was unthinkable as we descended and shrunk as a club. The thought of Wrexham in the Championship became an unattainable dream. Just like the dream of owning a farm which sustained George and Lennie in 'Of Mice and Men' (if you attended secondary school in the last 20 years you're bound to have read Steinbeck's classic of the Depression), we were motivated by a dream which, deep down, we knew would never come true. 'Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It's just in their head. They're all the time talkin' about it, but it's jus' in their head.' The phenomenal feats of the 1977-78 season have passed into folklore. Our sojourn in the promised land was brief and, ultimately, bitter. We invested in upgrading The Racecourse but the recession of the 1980s made us pay for that ambition. The likes of Mickey Thomas and Bobby Shinton were sold as funds ran low until we were running on empty. We seemed to have secured an unlikely escape from relegation in 1982, only to see our spell in the Second Division end abruptly as we failed to win in seven games as the season came to a close. Another strange coincidence: having been relegated with one game left to play, we welcomed Rotherham United to The Racecourse for a meaningless match that was, nevertheless, packed with symbolism. We'd clinched that unprecedented promotion by beating The Millers 7-1 in 1978. Four years later we faced them again and bade farewell to the second tier with a final, defiant gesture, claiming a hollow 3-2 victory with Mick Vinter scoring a hat-trick. Too late, and as we were relegated again the following season, thus beginning nine years of financial struggle in the Fourth Division, it seemed we'd never return to those heights. Those book-ended wins over Rotherham felt hollow. We might have got the better of them, but they remained in the second tier while we plummeted. Sounds familiar? We rounded off the dismal 2008 season with a 4-2 win at Lincoln, a sudden flaring of what might have been now it was too late. Not only was it the first time we'd scored four times that season, we hadn't even managed three goals in a game! It was the first time we'd scored three goals in an away game since…yes, you guessed it, we played Lincoln 13 months earlier. Last Saturday really did feel like the pulling together of a lot of loose ends. Forty-three years later we celebrated our return to the second division, and hopefully we have grounds for optimism. The highest we finished in that four-year period was 15th, but we can reasonably hope to make more of an impact this time round. Hopefully we can say goodbye to the third tier with a bit more conviction this time round.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Dakota Gov. Strikes Down Conservative Bill Restricting Books For Minors
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong (R) blocked a bill that would have required libraries to put books that feature sexually explicit material in areas that are 'not easily accessible' to minors. The bill, which would have applied to public libraries and libraries at public schools, also threatens prosecution against those that don't comply. A two-thirds vote in favor of the bill in both the state's Senate and the House could override Armstrong's veto. But it passed narrowly in both chambers with neither side of the legislature hitting the two-thirds threshold — by a 27–20 vote in the Senate in February and a 49–45 vote in the House earlier this month. 'While I recognize the concerns that led to its introduction, Senate Bill 2307 represents a misguided attempt to legislate morality through overreach and censorship,' Armstrong wrote in a Tuesday letter explaining his decision. 'The bill imposes vague and punitive burdens on professionals and opens the door to a host of unintended and damaging consequences for our communities.' 'In the last 10 years, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Of Mice and Men, Slaughterhouse-Five, The Kite Runner, 1984, and To Kill a Mockingbird have all been targeted by obscenity laws,' Armstrong added. 'I don't pretend to know what the next literary masterpiece is going to be. But I want it available in the library. And if a parent doesn't think it is age-appropriate for their child, then that is a parenting decision. It does not require a whole-of-government approach and $ 1.1 million of taxpayer money.' The move comes as many conservatives across the country, including President Donald Trump, attack libraries and academic freedom. It also follows former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum's decision in 2023 to veto a bill that threatened criminal prosecution against librarians and aimed to require them to screen all books in the libraries for sexually explicit content. He did, however, sign a bill into law removing books with explicit material from children's sections in libraries. North Dakota Library Association President Andrea Placher said in a statement that the association was 'very pleased' about Armstrong's veto. 'Libraries in North Dakota are experiencing increasing usage each year, with more visitors, program attendees, and library card registrations,' Placher wrote. 'The North Dakota Library Association firmly believes that SB 2307 is an unnecessary bill that would significantly hinder the operations of libraries in the state. All libraries have established policies and procedures that make this bill irrelevant.' By contrast, proponents of the bill argue that it is necessary to 'protect' children from pornography. 'We are harming our children, that's all there is to it,' Republican State Sen. Keith Boehm, a sponsor of the bill, argued in a committee hearing, according to The New York Times. 'The bill is all about protecting kids from this material. It has nothing against adults,' he added. 'To fight this battle against the pornographers, pedophiles and groomers, we must cover this issue comprehensively,' Boehm also said in another instance, according to North Dakota Monitor. 'Not every library in the state has this material, but there is enough to support this legislation.' Rep. Ben Koppelman, another sponsor of the bill, said he is 'confident that most red-state governors would have signed that bill, and we'll just be back next time around to do it again,' according to The Associated Press. North Dakota Mayor Who Sent Lewd Video To City Attorney Resigns Supreme Court Signals Support For Religious Parents Against LGBTQ+ Books Michigan Townspeople Move 9,100 Books To New Home One By One
Telegraph
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Welsh GCSE pupils taught about diversity from Guardian interview
Welsh GCSE pupils will be taught about diversity using texts including a Guardian interview with TV naturalist Chris Packham. The new English literature and language curriculum for Welsh GCSE students includes 30 texts for teachers to choose from for two of its six units. Topics include diversity, human rights, relationships and work and sustainability. For one unit, titled 'influence and power', pupils must show they can read, understand and respond critically to non-fiction texts. Those available for study include an interview with Mr Packham, 63, for The Guardian, in which he talked extensively about his autism, and an excerpt from the autobiography of trans actor Elliot Page, 38. Mr Packham, who presents BBC Springwatch and also campaigns to protect UK wildlife, talks in the interview about being made to feel 'like a freak' by his peers at school. Texts also include a lecture by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 47, about the importance of freedom of speech in which she argues against censorship and book bans, and an article about the mental health benefits of pet dogs. The curriculum guidance says the texts 'reflect influence and power in real-life contexts' and pupils will be expected to understand the use of linguistic and literary devices in non-fiction writing. Pupils will not sit an exam but will be assessed on a series of tasks. The curriculum, which will be used from the start of the school year in September, says that students 'will gain understanding of and develop empathy towards different attitudes, cultures and beliefs to become ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world'. The other unit for which the 30 texts will be used expects pupils to make connections between different pieces of writing and spoken word. As part of an overhaul of Welsh GCSE, English literature and language curriculums will be merged into one subject from September 2025. The move, announced in 2021, was criticised at the time for diluting the subjects, with literature now an optional unit. In 2024 the Welsh Joint Education Committee, which sets the GCSE curriculum, said it would take the classic American novel Of Mice and Men off the list of study books amid concerns about its use of racist slurs.
The Guardian
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Of Mice and Men review – a tepid revival of Steinbeck's dust bowl classic
Before it got into the hands of readers, John Steinbeck's 1937 novella Of Mice and Men first got into the jaws of the author's dog. The dog would find less to get its teeth into with this muted theatre adaptation. A pair of itinerant friends find work at a ranch in the Great Depression-era US south. George is brashly confident and protective over timid Lennie who has a mental disability that's stigmatised by the workers. In Sarah Brigham's production, Lennie is played by Wiliam Young, who has learning disabilities. There is a softness to his Lennie, calling George's name like a squeak. His dangerously nervy, busy hands constantly brush his beard or arms, while the production uses puppets for the animals he pets. His posture mirrors theirs: drooping like a sack of barley, folding in on himself. Liam King's George has pragmatism and impatience in his desperation to achieve a better life. A rustling field is projected whenever he imagines this dream. In one scene, he swings his legs on a bunk bed, as if they are just two boys fantasising together. All the time, a gold glow peeks through panels behind them. However, scenes slide forward so steadily and incidentally that there's little impact to register when the dream is lost. Brigham's flat, static direction sits characters on barrels or crates for each scene. The action is set inside a stable-like pen, but there's no rising temperature or undercurrent of cooped-up, coiled tension. Violence is mannered and overly choreographed until the fateful turning point with Curley's wife, when it becomes coldly impulsive. That yellow shimmer now burns orange like a furnace. And when the ranch doors are opened wide for the final scene, you can make out strings: the golden backdrop is a sheet. The bright and sunny dream is exposed as an illusion. Of Mice and Men is at the Octagon, Bolton, until 12 April
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
I followed my career dreams instead of chasing a higher-salary job. I'm not sure I want my children to do the same.
I followed my dreams and became a teacher instead of chasing a high salary. Now that my kids are in college and everything is more expensive, I want them to find a stable job. Hopefully, they can find a high-paying job that they love. As a little girl, my favorite place was the town library, where I would check out stacks of books as tall as I was. As soon as I could read, my head was full of dreams. I wanted to develop a life-saving cancer treatment, circumnavigate the globe as a prize-winning journalist, and perform as a famous ballerina. I believed a life worth living was a life spent pursuing passions, especially when it came to a dream career. With so many dreams, choosing one path felt impossible. As a result, I changed my college major more times than I changed my boyfriends. Eventually, I graduated with a master's degree in English teaching. I wanted to pass on my passion for discovering new worlds and words to students. Over the past 20 years, I've taught high school and college classes. I've seen students slam their books shut in frustration at the end of "Animal Farm" and sit in stunned silence after turning the final page of "Of Mice and Men." I've helped freshman college comp students hone thesis statements and calmed the nerves of dozens of high school students preparing for speech contests. I've been sworn at and threatened, and I've been invited to weddings and baby showers. Teaching has been, in a word, a dream. But dreams don't always come with a livable wage. Because of my parents and scholarships, I received an advanced degree without debt. I have a husband whose job provides a decent wage and good benefits, so we can afford eggs (for now), take modest vacations, and send our children to college. But if I had to care for a family of four on just my wages, it would be impossible. I followed my dreams, not the money. But is that still good advice in today's world? I'm the mom of two young adult sons embarking on their own college and career paths, and I'm not sure if I should tell them to follow their passions. One son expressed an interest in journalism, but in a world of AI generators and mass layoffs, that might not be a wise decision. Even the tech world no longer feels like a safe bet. "Find a career that invigorates you, is AI-proof, pays well, and comes with great benefits," I want to tell them. I might as well be telling them to find me a pet unicorn while they're at it. When I chose to follow my dreams decades ago, rent for my studio apartment cost $400 a month. Gas cost $1.50 a gallon, and a dozen eggs was less than $1. The economy and world news weren't all optimistic, but I didn't have social media throwing negativity in my face every minute. I nearly fell off my chair when my son told me how much rent would cost to share an apartment with three friends next year — over $850 for each tenant. What will expenses be like when they graduate in a few years and try to make it on their own? With rising housing prices, I picture my sons living in our basement and subsisting on beans and rice. They won't be able to afford eggs. I want my sons to have fulfilling careers and experience the same energetic boost I get after leading a class discussing or seeing a student have that magical a-ha moment. I want them to have jobs without the Sunday Scaries, where they build community and make a difference in a world that can feel hopeless. But I also want them to be able to pay their bills, take some amazing vacations, and generously give to causes they care about. I realize this is a false dichotomy. My husband's career doesn't fill him with great passion, but his work is satisfying and pays decently. I have friends with successful corporate careers that don't kill their souls and come with great benefits. I can tell my sons to pick a career that pays the bills without making them miserable. And whenever possible, they can chase life-giving passions — whether inside work or outside it. Maybe they volunteer at an after-school program or do some freelance writing so they can feed their dreams and put food on the table. The world has changed, but purpose still matters. I discovered this in my childhood books and have experienced it in a fulfilling career. Now, as my sons chase their own paths, I dream they find a way to make a living and truly live. Read the original article on Business Insider
