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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/live/2017/mar/10/would-you-kill-a-mole-in-your-garden-join-our-live-look-at-the-week
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| Just how abnormal is the Trump presidency? Catch-up on our live look at the week | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 4.40pm GMT | |
| 16:40 | |
| See you next time | |
| Thanks for joining us this week for an interesting discussion – we’ll be back next week with more opportunities for you to tell us what you’d like us to talk about in this space. In the meantime, feel free to email us on sarah.marsh@theguardian.com or matthew.holmes@theguardian.com – we’ll look forward to hearing from you. | |
| Have a great weekend! | |
| 4.25pm GMT | 4.25pm GMT |
| 16:25 | 16:25 |
| Here’s a great quiz from our colleague James Walsh, looking at the first 50 days of Donald Trump’s presidency. | Here’s a great quiz from our colleague James Walsh, looking at the first 50 days of Donald Trump’s presidency. |
| Let us know how you get on. | Let us know how you get on. |
| 4.17pm GMT | 4.17pm GMT |
| 16:17 | 16:17 |
| Just how abnormal is the Trump presidency? | Just how abnormal is the Trump presidency? |
| Pamela Duncan | Pamela Duncan |
| We are now 50 days, 547 tweets and one resignation into the Trump presidency and words like tumultuous, rollercoaster and chaotic feel redundant. | We are now 50 days, 547 tweets and one resignation into the Trump presidency and words like tumultuous, rollercoaster and chaotic feel redundant. |
| But are we overreacting? Are the seemingly dramatic turns of events of the past six weeks as out of the ordinary as they appear? | But are we overreacting? Are the seemingly dramatic turns of events of the past six weeks as out of the ordinary as they appear? |
| The New York Times’ analysis and data website The Upshot decided this question was worth investigation last week. It asked 15 panelists who have either served in government or studied it how they would rate 20 events that have occurred since the 45th US president took office. | The New York Times’ analysis and data website The Upshot decided this question was worth investigation last week. It asked 15 panelists who have either served in government or studied it how they would rate 20 events that have occurred since the 45th US president took office. |
| So just how abnormal is the Trump presidency? More than half of the events (including the immigration ban and the use of falsehoods) were rated abnormal and important. | So just how abnormal is the Trump presidency? More than half of the events (including the immigration ban and the use of falsehoods) were rated abnormal and important. |
| What do you think of the way the media reacts to Trump? Share views below the line. | What do you think of the way the media reacts to Trump? Share views below the line. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.20pm GMT | at 4.20pm GMT |
| 4.11pm GMT | 4.11pm GMT |
| 16:11 | 16:11 |
| Can sex education be improved? | Can sex education be improved? |
| Alfie Packham | Alfie Packham |
| As Stuart Heritage pointed out last week, everyone has a story about crap sex education. We’ve all witnessed our fair share of condom-sheathed courgettes and slipshod PowerPoints about gonorrhoea. But that might all be about to change, with an announcement that sex education is to be made compulsory in all secondary schools. It’s hoped that the overhaul will protect children from the influence of online porn and various forms of cyber-abuse, while helping to normalise classroom discussion about healthy adult relationships.But secular campaigners are worried about how “compulsory” these classes will really be. Faith schools will still be allowed to teach “in accordance with the tenets of their faith”, meaning parents still have the right to withdraw their children from the lessons. We’d like to know where readers stand on religion and sex education: are you in favour of these potential opt-outs or not? | As Stuart Heritage pointed out last week, everyone has a story about crap sex education. We’ve all witnessed our fair share of condom-sheathed courgettes and slipshod PowerPoints about gonorrhoea. But that might all be about to change, with an announcement that sex education is to be made compulsory in all secondary schools. It’s hoped that the overhaul will protect children from the influence of online porn and various forms of cyber-abuse, while helping to normalise classroom discussion about healthy adult relationships.But secular campaigners are worried about how “compulsory” these classes will really be. Faith schools will still be allowed to teach “in accordance with the tenets of their faith”, meaning parents still have the right to withdraw their children from the lessons. We’d like to know where readers stand on religion and sex education: are you in favour of these potential opt-outs or not? |
| 4.10pm GMT | 4.10pm GMT |
| 16:10 | 16:10 |
| Just a couple more conversation points to come from us – do feel free to continue the conversation in the comments when we’re gone... | Just a couple more conversation points to come from us – do feel free to continue the conversation in the comments when we’re gone... |
| 3.53pm GMT | 3.53pm GMT |
| 15:53 | 15:53 |
| Video of the week | Video of the week |
| Bruno Rinvolucri | Bruno Rinvolucri |
| This was actually from last week, but it’s so powerful we thought it was worth looking at again should you have missed it. | This was actually from last week, but it’s so powerful we thought it was worth looking at again should you have missed it. |
| Between the 50s and 70s, mixed-race Irish children were brought up in institutions run by the Catholic church, where they were routinely abused. As well as the mental and physical abuse they received, records of their family history were destroyed, denying them any chance of discovering who their parents were. | Between the 50s and 70s, mixed-race Irish children were brought up in institutions run by the Catholic church, where they were routinely abused. As well as the mental and physical abuse they received, records of their family history were destroyed, denying them any chance of discovering who their parents were. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.54pm GMT | at 3.54pm GMT |
| 3.24pm GMT | 3.24pm GMT |
| 15:24 | 15:24 |
| Here are a few comments we liked on Carmen Fishwick’s piece on office dress codes ... you can click the links to get involved, or share your thoughts below. | Here are a few comments we liked on Carmen Fishwick’s piece on office dress codes ... you can click the links to get involved, or share your thoughts below. |
| I work in IT, so jeans and a t-shirt, chosen by that time-honoured tradition of "the one that's on top of the pile". | I work in IT, so jeans and a t-shirt, chosen by that time-honoured tradition of "the one that's on top of the pile". |
| Thankfully I'm good enough at my job that no one cares how I dress. | Thankfully I'm good enough at my job that no one cares how I dress. |
| Also helps that I'm middle-aged, white, and male, so pretty much immune to all the "judge others" crap that some have to put up with. | Also helps that I'm middle-aged, white, and male, so pretty much immune to all the "judge others" crap that some have to put up with. |
| I was told to dress for the job I want, not the job I have. | I was told to dress for the job I want, not the job I have. |
| Turns out, Batman outfits aren't a comfortable thing to wear to a disciplinary meeting. | Turns out, Batman outfits aren't a comfortable thing to wear to a disciplinary meeting. |
| Can't help thinking that if blokes were forced to wear heels for work this argument would have lasted 10 seconds. So guys - off you go. You can get the messed up hamstrings, bunions and corns... It'll be a hell of a lot worse than man flu.My feet - thanks to my mother getting fed up with me kicking the toes out of my shoes playing football as a kid - are in good nick. The freedom you have wearing footwear that you can run and climb in is something guys take for granted. If you think heels are so vital to do a job - you can bloody wear them. I'll stick to DMs. And if folk don't like it they can do one. | Can't help thinking that if blokes were forced to wear heels for work this argument would have lasted 10 seconds. So guys - off you go. You can get the messed up hamstrings, bunions and corns... It'll be a hell of a lot worse than man flu.My feet - thanks to my mother getting fed up with me kicking the toes out of my shoes playing football as a kid - are in good nick. The freedom you have wearing footwear that you can run and climb in is something guys take for granted. If you think heels are so vital to do a job - you can bloody wear them. I'll stick to DMs. And if folk don't like it they can do one. |
| Disruptive pattern camouflage jackets and a 1000 stare discourage most conversations about dress codes and usually guarantee an empty seat next to you on the train. | Disruptive pattern camouflage jackets and a 1000 stare discourage most conversations about dress codes and usually guarantee an empty seat next to you on the train. |
| 3.09pm GMT | 3.09pm GMT |
| 15:09 | 15:09 |
| Do you worry about what to wear at work? | Do you worry about what to wear at work? |
| Carmen Fishwick | Carmen Fishwick |
| How many of us, before leaving for work, have paused to ask: “Is this too much to wear for work?” I know I have. | How many of us, before leaving for work, have paused to ask: “Is this too much to wear for work?” I know I have. |
| Earlier this week, MPs - wearing their never-changing look of suits, knee length skirts and 3 inch courts (see here) - debated the case of Nicola Thorp, a temporary PA who was sent home from her job at PwC because she refused to wear heels. | Earlier this week, MPs - wearing their never-changing look of suits, knee length skirts and 3 inch courts (see here) - debated the case of Nicola Thorp, a temporary PA who was sent home from her job at PwC because she refused to wear heels. |
| Being forced to wear clothes which damage our health and infringe on equality rights – heels, make-up, hair style and skirts – is utterly appalling and must be stamped out. But so many of us are not dressing how we want to, despite what we wear not making an inch of difference to how well we can do our jobs. | Being forced to wear clothes which damage our health and infringe on equality rights – heels, make-up, hair style and skirts – is utterly appalling and must be stamped out. But so many of us are not dressing how we want to, despite what we wear not making an inch of difference to how well we can do our jobs. |
| Clothing is the most immediate external measure of who we are and can inform others, rightly or wrongly, of our emotions, influences, spending habits, and personality. An ironed t-shirt can give the impression of someone who lives an ordered life, while wearing the latest trends can translate as someone with an indifference to the ethical implications of fast fashion. | Clothing is the most immediate external measure of who we are and can inform others, rightly or wrongly, of our emotions, influences, spending habits, and personality. An ironed t-shirt can give the impression of someone who lives an ordered life, while wearing the latest trends can translate as someone with an indifference to the ethical implications of fast fashion. |
| But of course it can get much darker than that, especially for women. If we show too much skin, are we somehow not treating the office seriously enough? According to professor Karen Pine, author of Mind What You Wear, if women dress provocatively – short skirts and tight-fitting clothes – they are judged as being less good at their jobs. | But of course it can get much darker than that, especially for women. If we show too much skin, are we somehow not treating the office seriously enough? According to professor Karen Pine, author of Mind What You Wear, if women dress provocatively – short skirts and tight-fitting clothes – they are judged as being less good at their jobs. |
| It gets scarier still, when we think about the implications for hiring and career-ambitions. Unconscious bias – the instinctive blind spot created by a person’s own experience – is a convincing explanation for why similar people fill similar roles and the same types of people are given opportunities in the workplace. A survey of 2,000 people found that those who dress like their boss are more likely to be appointed and get promoted quicker. | It gets scarier still, when we think about the implications for hiring and career-ambitions. Unconscious bias – the instinctive blind spot created by a person’s own experience – is a convincing explanation for why similar people fill similar roles and the same types of people are given opportunities in the workplace. A survey of 2,000 people found that those who dress like their boss are more likely to be appointed and get promoted quicker. |
| Most of us spend a huge amount of time at work, and dressing in ways that don’t feel right to us is such a shame. And we may find ourselves in roles that don’t actually match the person we are. | Most of us spend a huge amount of time at work, and dressing in ways that don’t feel right to us is such a shame. And we may find ourselves in roles that don’t actually match the person we are. |
| How do you dress at work? Do you wear whatever you want? Or do you find yourself restricting your own choices because you want to fit in, or get ahead? | How do you dress at work? Do you wear whatever you want? Or do you find yourself restricting your own choices because you want to fit in, or get ahead? |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.12pm GMT | at 3.12pm GMT |
| 3.05pm GMT | 3.05pm GMT |
| 15:05 | 15:05 |
| We’ll move things on again above the line here shortly – do let us know if there’s anything you’d like to discuss. | We’ll move things on again above the line here shortly – do let us know if there’s anything you’d like to discuss. |
| 2.41pm GMT | 2.41pm GMT |
| 14:41 | 14:41 |
| Looking back at International Women's Day | Looking back at International Women's Day |
| Kate Lyons | Kate Lyons |
| Earlier this week, I received a press release from a company in the lead-up to International Women’s Day, which stated that 72% of all those surveyed thought gender inequality still exists. | Earlier this week, I received a press release from a company in the lead-up to International Women’s Day, which stated that 72% of all those surveyed thought gender inequality still exists. |
| We didn’t end up running anything on the poll, but what was newsworthy to me was not that nearly three-quarters of people think inequality still exists, but that nearly 30% of people surveyed think it doesn’t. Perhaps, the 18% surveyed who said they believed women were “inferior to men” had something to do with those numbers. | We didn’t end up running anything on the poll, but what was newsworthy to me was not that nearly three-quarters of people think inequality still exists, but that nearly 30% of people surveyed think it doesn’t. Perhaps, the 18% surveyed who said they believed women were “inferior to men” had something to do with those numbers. |
| The exhausting reality of sexism was apparent in this piece by Sarah Sicard for Task & Purpose, a US military and veterans news site, about her experience as a female military reporter: ‘How Sexism Made Me a Better Military Reporter’. | The exhausting reality of sexism was apparent in this piece by Sarah Sicard for Task & Purpose, a US military and veterans news site, about her experience as a female military reporter: ‘How Sexism Made Me a Better Military Reporter’. |
| Sicard shared some of the abuse she’s received as a female (and a civilian) writing in a very male space, but said the daily abuse she receives made her a better reporter. | Sicard shared some of the abuse she’s received as a female (and a civilian) writing in a very male space, but said the daily abuse she receives made her a better reporter. |
| Every story I published was painstakingly researched and expertly sourced, and I would pore over the details with violent scrutiny because I couldn’t afford to make a mistake or misspell a word — not ever. The readers were looking for any sign of weakness, and I simply refused to give anyone the satisfaction... | Every story I published was painstakingly researched and expertly sourced, and I would pore over the details with violent scrutiny because I couldn’t afford to make a mistake or misspell a word — not ever. The readers were looking for any sign of weakness, and I simply refused to give anyone the satisfaction... |
| Now, readers’ disdain for me is a joke among the staff, one that I can laugh at too. Once I accepted this as the nature of the game, I stopped worrying about the readers and started writing stories that matter to me and the people like me: military family members, civilians who love the military, and people who actually influence national security policy. | Now, readers’ disdain for me is a joke among the staff, one that I can laugh at too. Once I accepted this as the nature of the game, I stopped worrying about the readers and started writing stories that matter to me and the people like me: military family members, civilians who love the military, and people who actually influence national security policy. |
| Perhaps Sicard’s response is the most productive one if she wants to keep both her job and her sanity, and it’s to her credit that she’s sticking it out in what is clearly a difficult job. But her conclusions were dispiriting. That a life lived under the tyranny of sexism, a good job despite the constant glare of gender inequality, is what women have to settle for. Surely we can offer more, surely we’re obliged to. | Perhaps Sicard’s response is the most productive one if she wants to keep both her job and her sanity, and it’s to her credit that she’s sticking it out in what is clearly a difficult job. But her conclusions were dispiriting. That a life lived under the tyranny of sexism, a good job despite the constant glare of gender inequality, is what women have to settle for. Surely we can offer more, surely we’re obliged to. |
| 2.27pm GMT | 2.27pm GMT |
| 14:27 | 14:27 |
| You still want to talk about moles ... Here’s some advice: | You still want to talk about moles ... Here’s some advice: |
| No one seems to be aware that you don't have to kill moles, you can actually catch them with nothing more than a spade. Pick a molehill, identify all tunnels leading to it and collapse them with your heel and wait patiently with a spade. You will be aware when the mole is present when you see the ground move as it re–establishes the integrity of a tunnel. When it pushes more earth out, in one swift move you dig the spade deeply into the ground across the tunnel and close to the molehill and lift the whole thing out and over. If you've done it correctly the mole will come out with the turf. You then have to be very quick and grab it by the tail and place it in a deep bucket. You are then in the position of being able to 'relocate' the mole to a place of your choice. | No one seems to be aware that you don't have to kill moles, you can actually catch them with nothing more than a spade. Pick a molehill, identify all tunnels leading to it and collapse them with your heel and wait patiently with a spade. You will be aware when the mole is present when you see the ground move as it re–establishes the integrity of a tunnel. When it pushes more earth out, in one swift move you dig the spade deeply into the ground across the tunnel and close to the molehill and lift the whole thing out and over. If you've done it correctly the mole will come out with the turf. You then have to be very quick and grab it by the tail and place it in a deep bucket. You are then in the position of being able to 'relocate' the mole to a place of your choice. |