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Life is riddled with a procession of minor impediments

Started by Bouwel, 10 August, 2009, 11:08:13 AM

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House of Usher

#255
I haven't got a lot of time for Bono, me. Nor Sting. I've always been more interested in decent pop music than musicians' politics. My favourite Elvis Costello albums are This Year's Model (1978) and Armed Forces (1979) because he made great pop music then. I lost interest in him after I was nine. My mum still liked him though.


And my favourite Billy Bragg songs are 'New England' and 'Man in the Iron Mask', not 'Between the Wars'.
STRIKE !!!

TordelBack

QuoteArmed Forces (1979)

A truly great album - permanently ensconced on my MP3 player, terrific driving music.  Never cottoned to Billy Bragg myself.


Matt Timson

Quote from: Odd_Bloke on 22 September, 2009, 11:40:52 PM
Given that I was only alive for the last two and a half years of Baroness Thatcher's prime ministership, I have no real opinion of her.

I'm sorry, but you're doing it wrong.  You do realise that this is the internet, don't you?  Baseless opinion stated as fact is where it's at...  8)
Pffft...

COMMANDO FORCES

I only managed to read 80 pages of Gaunts Ghosts at work last night instead of the planned 150. I suppose I'll read the end in bed tonight.

Matt Timson

Quote from: King Trout on 21 September, 2009, 01:39:12 PM
Thanks for the thoughts on phonics, all. Rose is only in the crazily-named "ante-pre-school" year but I'll remember, and keep an eye on things.

We're lucky to live where we do, with lots of great little village schools nearby. But it can't hurt to get involved.

- Trout

We took the decision not to not push reading and writing on Lottie before she started school as that's what school is for.  As somebody else has already mentioned, you run the risk of your child being bored out of their mind, with the end result being that they lose interest and actually go backwards.  Plus, you know, they're at school for a long time- so why not just let them play for as long as they can?

Lottie's just started in Reception (or the infants, as we used to call it) and is doing the phonics thing now.  She seems to be getting the hang of it so far and I'm really enjoying reading the books with her- but I'll let you know if we have any particular problems with it.  I think the main thing is that you have to be prepared, as a parent, to go the extra mile yourself.  The sad truth is that teachers are burdened with a lot of crap these days- and whereas you shouldn't have to step in and pick up their slack- that's exactly what you're going to have to do if you genuinely want to help your child.

As for teachers themselves- you get good and bad.  From my own point of view- and from personal experience- I think you're probably better off not getting in a teacher's face every five minutes unless it's absolutely necessary.  Do it too many times with a bad teacher and your child will probably suffer in the classroom as a result.
Pffft...

Peter Wolf

Quote from: Odd_Bloke on 23 September, 2009, 12:43:35 AM
Quote from: TordelBack on 23 September, 2009, 12:38:21 AM
Quote from: Odd_Bloke on 23 September, 2009, 12:35:14 AM
Quote from: Roger Godpleton on 23 September, 2009, 12:32:50 AM
I think you three should all make out.

Define 'you three'.   :-\

Don't define 'make out'.


Touché.


Wait, don't do that either.


Quote from: Buttonman on 23 September, 2009, 12:38:48 AM
Yes it does - if he's not contributing why should he have a say in its allocation? It's not even as if he's paying the going rate somewhere else what with his off shore corporations. How many stupid hats does he need?

No taxation without representation goes both ways, self rightious prick - him not you.

Well, 'no taxation without representation' normally refers to being taxed without having a representative in the legislature that sets the taxes.  He doesn't have a say in its allocation through the legislature, merely by the force of his argument.  And surely if his arguments are solid, it shouldn't matter whether he is Irish or not, let alone whether he pays Irish taxes or not, those arguments should be put to the Irish government.

On the other hand, I suppose you can be right and a tosser.  :P

We have taxation without representation here and in the US.We dont have a say in anything least of all where tax revenue is spent.Or rather we do have a say but it is usually ignored.


Taxation with representation is tyranny.
Worthing Bazaar - A fete worse than death

Matt Timson

Quote from: TordelBack on 23 September, 2009, 12:08:23 AM
Damnit BM, you're right!  Far better political songwriters and filmmakers confine themselves to making cassettes in their garrets and live off the dole - how dare they achieve widespread recognition in the very milieux they decry!  As Christy Moore jokingly commented in a concert I was at in 1989, "Christ, I hope they don't listen to me and let the Birmingham Six out - that's half my act!".

And as for those doctors - they make a bloody good living off all this sickness they claim to be against.

I remember reading about Ben Elton refusing to send his kids to private school, opting instead to move house so that they would be in the catchment area for the schools that they wanted.  All very laudable- until you consider that doing so meant that somebody else, slightly further away from the school, would then be out of the same catchment area and in a worse school.

Nice one, Ben!

::)
Pffft...

Mike Gloady

Quote from: Matt Timson on 23 September, 2009, 05:27:36 PM
We took the decision not to not push reading and writing on Lottie before she started school as that's what school is for.
My parents took the attitude that I was asking to learn to read and they had both read before school, so why not.  Horses for courses Matt and I respect your view.

I will add one tiny thing though: if a child happens to be precocious/gifted/godlike/annoying/snotty/brattish enough to actually be able to read before school starts, a teacher should be on-the-ball enough to be able to keep an eye on kids of various levels of attainment or ability.  Giving little me a book a level above the other kids while they learnt to identify letters, words etc wouldn't have killed her.  As it turned out her lack of ability at her job very nearly turned me right off school for ever.
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Matt Timson

Quote from: Mike Gloady on 23 September, 2009, 07:09:52 PM
Quote from: Matt Timson on 23 September, 2009, 05:27:36 PM
We took the decision not to not push reading and writing on Lottie before she started school as that's what school is for.
My parents took the attitude that I was asking to learn to read and they had both read before school, so why not.  Horses for courses Matt and I respect your view.

I will add one tiny thing though: if a child happens to be precocious/gifted/godlike/annoying/snotty/brattish enough to actually be able to read before school starts, a teacher should be on-the-ball enough to be able to keep an eye on kids of various levels of attainment or ability.  Giving little me a book a level above the other kids while they learnt to identify letters, words etc wouldn't have killed her.  As it turned out her lack of ability at her job very nearly turned me right off school for ever.

Yeah, fair enough.  I'm not really saying that you shouldn't teach your kids to read, just that we chose not to.  That said, we already knew from teachers and other friends that boredom can be a big problem for kids that are too far ahead when they first start school- otherwise, we probably would have taught Lottie.  We did teach her about numbers, but that seemed like less of a big deal.

And it sounds like you just had a bit of a duff teacher - which unfortunately does happen.  I remember there being two Mrs Griffiths at our school- one was really nice and the other obviously hated children.  They were known as 'Mrs Griffiths' and 'the nice Mrs Griffiths'.  Three guesses which one I got stuck with!

:D
Pffft...

House of Usher

Quote from: Matt Timson on 23 September, 2009, 08:51:01 PM
They were known as 'Mrs Griffiths' and 'the nice Mrs Griffiths'.  Three guesses which one I got stuck with!

Reminds me of the two girls on my mate's art college foundation course who no-one else liked and hung around together as a pair. When one of them overheard someone refer to her friend as 'Thin Henna' she worked out what her own nickname was, and she went ape-shit.
STRIKE !!!

James Stacey

.. my smoke alarm has started beeping. A single beep every 2 mins. Probably needs a new battery but its a PITA to get too.

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Matt Timson

Quote from: House of Usher on 24 September, 2009, 12:33:52 AM
Quote from: Matt Timson on 23 September, 2009, 08:51:01 PM
They were known as 'Mrs Griffiths' and 'the nice Mrs Griffiths'.  Three guesses which one I got stuck with!

Reminds me of the two girls on my mate's art college foundation course who no-one else liked and hung around together as a pair. When one of them overheard someone refer to her friend as 'Thin Henna' she worked out what her own nickname was, and she went ape-shit.

Bah!  Who removed the laughing smiley?!?
Pffft...

Mike Gloady

 :D :D

Have two more, they're cheep and make up for Nasty Mrs Griffiths.
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