View Full Version : Extroduction
From this anthropophobic, occasionally misanthropic polemicist, I’m calling it a day on NMP. All that’s left for me to do is offer a misquotation:
I’ve come to regard all on NMP as people I… never met.
and bid cheerio to each and everyone with whom I’ve crossed paths, crossed swords, crossed words, crossed purposes, crossed the line, or simply made cross.
Be seeing you….:shades:
‘Pain’
venusbluejeans
21-11-19, 16:58
Hiya Pain and welcome to NMP :welcome:
Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and
are a great starting place for your time on the forum.
I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and
support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way :yesyes:
Ummmmm, its not a welcome needed, but a goodbye :roflmao:
Pain, a bit confused as you've only made 4 posts ?
Pain made a lot more than just 4 and most was ..... em I ain't saying
Au revoir my man. Sorry, I don't know the Latin for it
Pain made a lot more than just 4 and most was ..... em I ain't saying
Au revoir my man. Sorry, I don't know the Latin for it
:roflmao:Charlie
Vale man,see ya :D
Well, its only showing 4 posts as a member.
That can be explained
He deleted mosta them before he quit
Paranoid? He had a habit of using Latin and long words normal folk never heard of. I kinda mocked him for it and told him he was just an average kinda dude pretendin to be Shakespeare
That can be explained
He deleted mosta them before he quit
Paranoid? He had a habit of using Latin and long words normal folk never heard of. I kinda mocked him for it and told him he was just an average kinda dude pretendin to be Shakespeare
LOL Charlie most of his posts were “”Quoted”:roflmao:
Oh my, does Terry know? :ohmy:
All the best in the future Pain :byebye:
Does that mean the EU/UK Thread has gone?
That's a shame, a lot of work gone in to that thread and all of Terry's statistics. :weep:
:roflmao:
No it’s still there xx
What is the meaning of all this and where has Pain gone?
What a pain in the arsium major :lac:
Just checked, it was Mezz's thread. Assumed it was Pain's as he was on it quite alot. :blush:
What is the meaning of all this and where has Pain gone?
What a pain in the arsium major :lac:
He may have joined a Political Party :roflmao:
He may have joined a Political Party :roflmao:
Crikey! They wouldn't understand a word he says :D
whispershadow
25-11-19, 18:31
I don't know him but if he is reading this as a guest, I hope one day he feels ready to come back.
whispershadow
25-11-19, 21:16
Ummmmm, its not a welcome needed, but a goodbye :roflmao:
Pain, a bit confused as you've only made 4 posts ?
venus has a automated welcome thing set up to auto-post on introduction threads i believe :winks:
Oh dear! It appears the world has gone stark raving mad since I gave my word everything was coming up roses – barely six months ago! So I’ve popped back to apologise for contriving a false sense of optimism. Who’d have guessed some fiendishly contagious disease was already stalking the Earth (who, other than conspiracy theorists, soothsayers and the insightful, that is)?... I’m referring, of course, to the highly virulent, out of control Political Correctness bug and its Retrospective Correctness mutations. But on top of that there’s Covid 19 with which to contend. Difficult times indeed (but ‘The Great Escape’ formerly known as Brexit will still turn out fine).
Crikey! Now that surely is a pestilence upon God's Land (ie, UK) which we need to eradicate forthwith.
Please get to work in the Complaints Lab and inform me when an inoculation/cure has been developed :shades:
whispershadow
13-06-20, 12:48
Oh dear! It appears the world has gone stark raving mad since I gave my word everything was coming up roses – barely six months ago! So I’ve popped back to apologise for contriving a false sense of optimism. Who’d have guessed some fiendishly contagious disease was already stalking the Earth (who, other than conspiracy theorists, soothsayers and the insightful, that is)?... I’m referring, of course, to the highly virulent, out of control Political Correctness bug and its Retrospective Correctness mutations. But on top of that there’s Covid 19 with which to contend. Difficult times indeed (but ‘The Great Escape’ formerly known as Brexit will still turn out fine).
So, finding myself with time on my hands and not wishing the devil to find work for them, I pondered on the weighty question of which piece of music was most fitting for these troubled times: “Gloomy Sunday”…. “Dark Side Of The Moon”…? No! It had to be none other than “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” penned by ever-optimistic cheeky chappie Eric-The-Idle for “The Life Of Brian”.
Here’s my version (most appropriately based on that played by misanthrope Melvin Udall in “As Good As It Gets”) 5087
Despite my including the jazzy break, it has more cheese than a 70’s Ploughman’s Lunch. Still, many a good tune played on the old organ, so some say :shades: but… perhaps this might not be one of them.
Welcome back, Pain :welcome:
By crikey! Since I returned I can’t help but notice there’s some really, really angry folks pouring out vitriol and serious insults in the NMP forum these days. What became of showing just a little respect for someone who expresses views different to one’s own (no matter how barmy they may be), or having a tidge of tolerance (which at the very least means not hurling a barrage of slanging when in disagreement), or behaving with decorum (conducting oneself in a polite and courteous manner)…? Yes, all of these mores were to be found in common decency, which as I’ve mentioned before has been replaced by the pretence of Political Correctness.
It really is unacceptable to fill your asterisking post aggressively with astertisking asterisks and asterisking expect to be asterisking taken asterisking seriously, O-asterisking-K!
Unfortunately, this behaviour manifested with the appearance of the Scourge and one wonders whether it is part of the New Normal-Great Reset agenda.
Fear is at the root of all this anger and hate. There is an old adage which describes this: Tell a fearful man the truth and he'll either worship you or kill you...
In these hate-filled times there is only one logical course of action, Prof PA.
A million years ago I posted an NMP question asking whether a person could tell the difference between rage and panic, given that both can bring about the same symptoms. Can it be, KK, that the scourge has indeed provoked in some folks a sense of panic or anxiety manifesting as uncontrollable rage or anger over that which they have no control? Or is it simply that those folks no longer care? A case of “I’ll do as I please, as long as I remain Politically Correct in the New Order of Things.”
I think that both fear over that which cannot be controlled and a pious form of "I'll do as I please..." are factors in observed phenomenon. Perhaps in a ratio of 60:40 (respectively).
Interestingly, the roots of the word "scourge" confer some clues: A form of whip with many (usually leather) strands used for self-mortification of the flesh, especially in religious sanctification - ie, purifying from sin. There is sacrifice and discipline involved - suffering hardship and pain for a "greater cause". However, if there is (often subconscious) doubt or suspicion in this greater cause to which one is figuratively "giving oneself over" there must also be anger generated towards oneself by this ambivalence, which will, invariably, be projected at those who dare to question the morality and validity of this "sanctification".
Sound familiar?
There is a lot of "us vs them" thinking as well. And I know we're all guilty of it sometimes because it's human nature. It's what banded us together and kept us alive in our hunter/gatherer days...but this type of thinking is not conducive to a pandemic. In a global society, it's not "every man for himself". Our societies and economies are too interwoven for that thinking to help. We all need to be working together to find a solution, and I just don't see that happening, especially here in my country.
It's another Brexit situation but one with a sting in its viral tail?
It's the old strategy of divide and conquer. A minority can't control and rule over the majority without creating conflicts between groups. The list of groups who are in conflict with each other keeps getting bigger. These groups can then be manipulated and mobilised through fear, anger, hatred and deception, deflecting attention away from activities of those who truly hold power.
But then there’s the ‘We’re all in this together fighting a common enemy’ sentiment – a sentiment governments hope will bind and pull us through. This only succeeds when those governments are clear and objective in their aims. And…? Well, you decide for yourself if that’s what’s happening.
Of course that's not happening in the US. It's pretty much every state for themselves here. And then depending on the state, every county for themselves and down the hierarchy.
Hollow is making the point I was alluding to... Historically tyranny and fascism have been born out of crises and natural disasters. We all need to be pulling together, not further dividing.
I figured I better move our discussion of the evolution/devolution of the English language over here, as I was having to dodge the Covid posts to keep up.
I teach humanities and we argue about the impact of "text speak" all the time, especially when we receive essays full of it. One of my colleagues, like you, is convinced that eventually our language is just going to rot away and we will become like the people in the movie Idiocracy; that we will just press buttons with pictures of the thing that we want. Other teachers think that we are just being elitist, and that we need to concentrate on teaching students the appropriate usage of it.
Right now in our district, we are debating whether or not to replace the teaching of cursive handwriting with typing. What do you think/.
I'm nothing if not charming.
I'm not sure if I believe in the validity of meritocracy either. I agree with you there.
I haven't made up my mind in the cursive handwriting vs. typing debate. Studies have shown that taking notes and writing by hand help students remember content more effectively than typing and copying and pasting on a virtual document. On the other hand, by 15, students need to know how to type using more than two fingers and be able to use basic word processing. And schools are increasingly running out of enough time to teach the basics, especially with so many students starting school already behind in the language department.
Humanities is a fancy word for saying the disciplines of human society and culture, so at my school that means I teach English, History, Journalism and Speech/Debate.
I hope you don't mind me butting in here?
As for the whole cursive v typing debate, that's a tough one. I very much see Vee's point and I do think the more intensive process of writing in cursive can aid recall.
However, there are also plenty of other weapons a good teacher has in their arsenal, many of which don't involve either writing or typing, not to mention what happens when you factor different learning styles into the equation. As Vee knows, I'm not a teacher but I am a digital learning specialist - I work with teachers, the people who train them and the deprived kids they help.
Being realistic, digital literacy is just as important as basic literacy and numeracy these days, and while our kids might be digital natives with their phones, a lot of them struggle with the basics of research and word processing - in a lot of cases, they no longer have a PC at home. They're unlikely to be asked to do much handwriting within the workplace.
As for text-speak, no, I don't much like it. I'm middle-aged, though, and today's young learners have been born into a different world. Languages are always going to grow and evolve, and on the whole, I think that's a beautiful thing - our young people are still creating, even if we don't like what they create.
Besides, if we were going to preserve the English language in amber, what would we preserve and what would we jettison? What's that perfect point where our shared language couldn't possibly improve?
It's our job to be grumpy at the young, but I think we also have to be mindful that we don't close off our own minds at the same time.
There's a saying in the circles I move in within the UK, which is that tech will never replace teachers, but that technically literate teachers will replace those that aren't.
Overly optimistic? Possibly, but teaching is such an intimate act that I genuinely think it would be very hard to replace. What I'm mostly seeing these days are people at the cutting edge of the profession finding new ways to engage and excite their learners. I'm thrilled to play a part in it, if only from the periphery.
I think the lockdown proves that we won't be replaced. If everyone could learn from reading something or watching a video, then we would be replaced. But that doesn't happen. Look how many kids still needed their teachers or parents to instruct them. Content can be learned more easily through reading and videos, but skills cannot. Learning a skill requires watching, tutoring and appropriate feedback, and that's hard to receive without some form of mentor or teacher.
The quicker teachers are replaced with robots the better. AI will be less brainwashed than some of these teachers so less effective at indoctrinating children with Oligarchical propaganda. Ultimately, if you don't want your kids to become programmed zombies then home school them. I'm hearing more and more parents are doing that as they see what's on the horizon. Maybe, that's one positive thing to come out of this whole "pandemic".
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSdXYtXPJ69iLZs7C7o2gsXxBuuiSY wX4Kb8w&usqp=CAU
I suppose these levels of misanthropy and paranoia are to be expected on an anxiety board, but they sadden me nevertheless.
I'm going to carry on trying to approach the world with kindness, though, as far as I'm able.
Hollow, anything can be "programmed". I would say it's highly more likely that the AI interface that you want to teach our youth become more easily corrupted than millions of teachers who can think for themselves. In fact, you're setting up the world for more brainwashing. Also, most parents who use home-school materials can easily be brainwashed as well, as most of them buy materials from the same churches and at-home school material companies. The home-schooled children are also less likely to encounter individuals who are different than them, so they are less likely to consider and learn about different perspectives.
Yes, there are some shitty teachers out there. Statistically, I think it's impossible not to have them. There are shitty doctors, mechanics, therapists, etc. You get it.
Really though, you should be friends with us teachers. We are very educated. In my state alone, you can't teach with less than eight years of higher education, and each year we are required to put in so many hours of continued education. We're the ones encouraging youth to think outside of the box and learn to think for themselves. Education is the key to not being brainwashed.
Ms Iris & Ms Vee – replies from different perspectives, both arriving at the same conclusion. I hope your optimism is born out over time: everyone remembers a good (or bad) teacher; but an electronically-generated interface….?
Just returning to qwerty-keyboard skills replacing cursive writing – aren’t they already becoming obsolete through the adoption of voice commands/voice-to-text applications?
The lockdown seems to have shown that some children won’t apply themselves to anything that looks like learning in the absence of someone with authority’s beady eye on them. Perhaps a virtual classroom would have virtual corporal punishment – Milgram-like shock treatment administered by a computer. Pavlov’s dogs? The Manchurian Candidate? I apologise – I’m digressing and tiptoeing on to other NMP posters’ preserves.
My state really shot themselves in the foot, so to speak, when the lockdown happened. They said that the work that the kids produced would be counted as enrichment, and no one would get a failing grade. So of course kids weren't going to do their work. I had a parent tell me that they weren't going to make their child do the work that didn't count for anything. They were going to take their kid to work with them, to show them how it was to work at manual labor all day long, so that they would appreciate getting an education when it counted again. I can't say I blame them.
Positive reinforcement usually works a lot better than punishment. Yes, we need punishments, but usually natural consequences take care of those. But if the school system takes away my ability to give positive reinforcement, then it's hard to function.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.