Oldie but Goodie: what academics say v what they mean

Cause for celebration. The Stuff Expat Aid Workers Like blog is back!
Ten humanitarian crises and trends to watch in 2021
Peter Evans of FCDO has revealed unexpected talents as a cartoonist during lockdown, but is clearly short of subject matter, as he’s ended up drawing….me. Here’s his paper-thin justification:
‘homeworking can feel like endless spaceship journey – sleep, work/study, eat, pace, sleep. Thinking of things that zoom can’t replicate – as @fp2p says ‘best bit of any workshop is chat in coffee queue’… so imagining DG and faithful cat, Snoopy.


Branko Milanovic in reflective mode is always illuminating. 3 moments of cognitive dissonance where he was taken by surprise by those around him. We should all write our own versions (spoilt for change – Brexit, Trump, Thatcher etc etc).
What went wrong for UK aid? Interesting overview of a sudden meltdown (end of DFID and 0.7%), with some new insights (e.g. on importance of Northern Wall MPs) but a lot of interviewees recycling their pre-existing critiques and no interviews with officials or politicians.
The Vaccine Wellerman song. Geek shanties – if they weren’t already a thing, they are now
Re what academics say and mean, this is what we are all guilty of:
https://twitter.com/TheShadeRoom/status/1352321657713659911