Nowhere near as badly as it was meant to! Got lucky!

It seems excessive...But we bought a loom. And the loom is lovely. The 5 year old loomed a coaster that she is very proud of. Scarves are next to be loomed. It's chunky and they can't break it or themselves. (So far!)

I thought you'd be a particular fan Chris!!

For sure, of course. My initial point was from my perspective though- that I personally find that negative narratives on academia can feel dominating at times, and that as someone who has worked in quite toxic envs outside academia, its important to see the shades of grey

I thought you were being deep and meaningful! Yes, and it's also possible to swing dramatically from one side of that spectrum to the other on a daily basis 😂

Your last bit is here is interesting 🤔 for you, what is "academia"? I've always felt it's different for different people- it feels a hugely diverse realm... it's certainly different in different institutions, which seems to contribute to that? (But can only speak for my own experience)

Oh, there's no doubt about that 😂 . I guess it sometimes feels that the only positive stuff online is the metrics, the awards, the pubs, the obvious results of the arms race. For me, the best, most genuinely heartwarming stuff is unmetricable (sp?!) - but it seems to be shouted about less so 🤷‍♀️

Tbh, I find that commentary about academia is often only the negative, and that can also be very hard to those trying to navigate it. Academia jobs are nuanced, as are jobs outside (spoken as someone who left a company job I didn't believe in for a job in HE that I wholeheartedly do believe in)

It has an extreme impact on profs well-being too. How can we teach other stuff while so much more important things wait. What’s the use of algebraic geometry in the face of this?

Add to that the complications of first line managers often being drawn from the group they are managing and given little training and support in the skills needed to manage well …. It’s a tough gig.