>All right, show of hands: how many other people actually read this far?:)
I have! I seem to be the only one too. (me thinks the word "Looser" is probably gonna be tatoo'd on my forhead real soon..)
Actually, it's a very insightful thread and the modderator's should get their butts out here. But whatever the case, it seems as long as you're hanging around with your BFG, we'll all be safe;) (till you run out of ammo..)
Interesting..Can't imagine it being useful for more than Nuclear Plant workers and the military though. So looking like a "normal" watch seems pointless.
Guess if the thing alerts you better have a Haz-Matt suit on:)
You all have it all wrong.
You can fold paper into the shape of an Ewok, but Ewoks themselves are too short and round to fold.
So we all can just BBQ 'em!
True. But there *ARE* things that become trendy in the adult world and it happens the exact same way as in high-school.
If that wasn't the case, there would be no car designs that become an "in" thing (think how car-body design has changed over the decades (once sharp and angular and now smooth and curvy) and how suddenly SUV's and Mini-Vans have become "popular" among ADULTS (hint, teenagers DON'T want to drive vans!) when *most* of these adults don't even NEED the extra storage capacity (think one kid...That doesn't take up a heck of a lot of room)..And *women* still often (non-geek females) fall for the latest *trendy* clothing..Why ELSE do you think wifey likes to shop for new clothes all the time?? (why the hell do you think certain brands of adult clothing become "popular"?)
Like it or nor, a lot of yuppies still have that high-school mentality to keep-up in there "high social classes".
Actually, seems to me that there has been enough strong negative opinions towards Windows AND Mac that it wouldn't surprise me to see Linux become number 1 even if simply it becomes a "trendy" thing to have amoungst the mainstream non-geeks simply because the "geeks" are always babbling about how wonderful it is.
Lovejoy said: "Wealthy schools, suburban, urban and rural, seem to be holding their own standards-wise. We can stack them up against most countries and compare decently. Having said that, there has been a decline, even in these schools."
I hate to tell you this, but that is the biggest, untrue BS. Most people wouldn't realise this unless they went to one of these "wealthy, suburban schools." In grammer school, I went to one of the top ten highest ranking schools in the whole northwest..Guess what? The reason why this wealthy, highly ranked school was so on top was that the teachers allowed and MADE the children *CHEAT* on the national tests. That's right, you know those I.O.W.A. (or whatever they're called; I don't remember) tests they make kids do every year in grammer school? It's a *timed* test. What you don't get done in the alloted time affects your grade on it and all the kid's grades put together and averaged adds up to the entire school's overall rank in the US..Guess what? We were timed all right, but then those who had any unfinnished areas of the test were MADE to stay in at recess till the WHOLE entire test was completed. This was of course, the whole school doing this, so non of the kids really figured out what was going on (wether right or wrong -they thought this was just the way the test was done) and wasn't till I got older and found out "wait a secound, they made us cheat!".. This is/was NOT an underfunded school by any stretch (sits amoung one of the wealthiest, cities BTW) and was a newer school with the "latest and greatest" teaching methods (that was back from 1988-1996). To this day, it is STILL one of the top schools, and as far as I know have NOT changed their methods. My sister who is ADD and Dyslexic BTW, could NOT learn to read and write by the schools whole "memorize the whole word" system till my mom took her to a tutor who *gasp* taught her rote learning with Phonics. Very boring yes, but at least as an adult she can read and write.
This school, also had some pretty poor teachers (not all) from what my family experienced. Kindergarten teachere told my mom my sister was "stupid" because she couldn't read (um, she had a learning disability, duh!) As a teacher with experience you would think she would not have been so ignorant, especially considering my sister always *tried* hard and gave everything 100% what she had! I OTOH had easily passing grades with only mostly trying half-heartedly (as an ignorant child I didn't think school was worth my time and just tried to get it done and over with). But, my math and spelling skills suck still to this day (and I'm in my 20's), and I don't remember a lot of what was taught in other areas as well (didn't teach any sort of rote learning, hardly and STILL had boring teachers IMO)
Now, if teachers STILL had the old "you WILL sit down and learn this, boring or not" attitude that was mentioned elsewhere maybe I would have actually *HAD* good math and spelling skills. But when a kid hardly cares (like a lot of kids these days unfortunately) and is able to make their 3rd grade teacher cry at teacher/parent conferences..Sounds like a lack of discipline to me..Like maybe slap the stubborn twit upside the head? (okay, maybe just rapp the knuckels with a ruler:) Might actually work with some of us:)
BTW, rote learning is a crucial part of studying and if you are never taught the self-discipline to to do that as a small kid when you try to pass a test you can have a *very* hard time. Due to the fact that the school didn't hardly teach rote learning (I still have a hard time dealing with any kind of boredom as far as studying goes) I for a long time didn't KNOW how to study at all. In fact it took me *THREE* times to pass the written test to get my driver's liscense. Wasn't till some one with a real brain sat me down and told me I was going to *HAVE* to rote learn the entire driving manual if I was going to expect to pass..I took that advice (despite the fact I thought it was sheer torture) and studied long and hard and took the test on the third time and actually PASSED and did quite well at that.
BTW, notice a patteren here? All these people have been saying on/. that rote learning isn't good for kids who "learn better by making things 'interesting'".. I always have learned *very* well when things were "interesting" but as you can see, that is mainly a bad attitude on the pupils part (I will only learn this if I find it fascinating) because even I found I learned best by rote work even though I put up the bigger fit and refusal about it than average.
Yup, and it can take only mere secounds to be harmed by a criminal (especially if they also have a gun, but at least if you do too, you might have a 50-50 chance of survival instead of 0!) Calling 911 of course is good, but can take police anywhere from 3-15 maybe more minutes to get to your house (depending on where you live)..With a dangerous criminal you could be dead in those 3 minutes. Best to call 911 but also have a gun as back-up..Oh and don't forget those people that are killed while ON the phone with 911.
Satellite Photos are Pretty
on
Earth as Art
·
· Score: 1
Actually, those photos look a lot like abstract paintings (and for once are not symbolic but actually *OF* something!) and are attractive enough that I'd rather look at those in a meuseum than some of the more famous Picaso types.
Should have quarantined it *first* to check for Rabies! Now *YOU* can be infected with Rabies and not know it for up to a month till symptoms apear.. Are you always thristy, have a hard time swallowing, afraid of water, and becoming stark raving mad?? If so, better go see a doctor;)
I hope you quarantined the XT motherboard in case of possible Rabies infection.. God, those things can be dangerous but rarely attack with out provocation, unless ill.;)
Yah I like Jeeves and Wooster too, but then I like anything Steven Fry does because he is just too funny for words!:)
British and Canadian shows are really big in the Northwest here. If you ever find away to tune into The Red Green Show, you'll never stop laughing, guaranteed!
think it was the emphasis on character that really made me fall in love with the concept of space opera. Do I want a book
that makes me think? Yes. Do I want the book to be about amazing device X? No. I wnat it to be about how people deal
with Amazing Device X, or how they use it to accomplish something, or how the nature of what it is to be human is revealed by some facet of Amazing Device X.
Right ON!!! I definately agree with you! Plot is good of course, but I want the characters to bend the plot not the plot shaping the characters.
I guess I'm also a totally escapist reader. I'm an undergrad physics major, but i'd much rather be a 23rd century starship
captain (born too early, alas) if I could. With a book, I can be there, having great adventures (without getting hurt, which is
probably the b est part).
Sounds just like my sister! Who BTW, was the one who got me into Sci-Fi to begin with. Before that, I prefurred non-fiction.:)
Bujold is really good... The other two main authors I like are David Weber (discussed at some length on this site previously,
but you really have to read the whole series, and some of his other stuff is not good), and Timothy Zahn (probably still my
all-time favorite, he has written some really amazing Sci-Fi because he *ALWAYS* gets his science right, yet his characters
are totally believable).
Check them out if you get the chance.
Yah, I haven't read any of their stuff, so I might have to check them out when I exhaust every book Bujold has ever written, that is:)
I read about half of one of the books years ago but didn't finnish because life got busy and I now don't remember much as far as the writing and such, just some of the basics.
Well true...Though British humor is a bit quirkier than American humor (my god, who else could come up with Mr.Flibble?!:) and many average Americans see something like RD and think "WTF?!" (don't believe me? Show a random episode to a average non-geek, non-British, and watch their reaction. Trust me, I know!:)
After all, the British also brought you AbFab, Jeeves and Wooster, and yes, Mr.Bean. Need I say more?:)
And no, I'm not bashing the Britts, I rather like some of their humor but haven't met many others that also do.
Amen to that!! I just started reading a Bujold book for the first time (Bujold was recommened to me by a friend) and I can't put the book down! And despite the fact that I started with a book that's in the middle of her on-going space opera, it's so well written you pick up on all the past stuff and get to know the characters almost as if you have read the whole series from the beginning. Very captivating with very REAL characters!
Slashdot Mirror
Uh-Oh..:)
So you invented the ant farm...;)
I feel terribly sorry for you having to amuse yourself in that way. It's so sad :)
Didn't your parents give you any toys as a child?
The most time I ever spent with ants was trying to burn them up with a magnafiying glass...
As opposed to "Obsessed Stalker"?? [g] ;)
We only admit to this if it comes with a free T-Shirt for joining!
I just never go away, do I? [g]
(you probably said that just to see if I'd show up too!
>All right, show of hands: how many other people actually read this far? :)
;)
I have! I seem to be the only one too. (me thinks the word "Looser" is probably gonna be tatoo'd on my forhead real soon..)
Actually, it's a very insightful thread and the modderator's should get their butts out here. But whatever the case, it seems as long as you're hanging around with your BFG, we'll all be safe
(till you run out of ammo..)
You just backed up what I was saying..Not for the "common folk" as in the average slashdotter.
Was it really necessary that I list every single occupation that has people exposed to radiation even though they aren't common jobs?
Interesting..Can't imagine it being useful for more than Nuclear Plant workers and the military though. So looking like a "normal" watch seems pointless.
:)
Guess if the thing alerts you better have a Haz-Matt suit on
You all have it all wrong. You can fold paper into the shape of an Ewok, but Ewoks themselves are too short and round to fold. So we all can just BBQ 'em!
I tried simple oragomi once..Wasn't easy once you get past the "I can fold a boat!" level..Now, try a folding an Ewok.. :)
True. But there *ARE* things that become trendy in the adult world and it happens the exact same way as in high-school. If that wasn't the case, there would be no car designs that become an "in" thing (think how car-body design has changed over the decades (once sharp and angular and now smooth and curvy) and how suddenly SUV's and Mini-Vans have become "popular" among ADULTS (hint, teenagers DON'T want to drive vans!) when *most* of these adults don't even NEED the extra storage capacity (think one kid...That doesn't take up a heck of a lot of room)..And *women* still often (non-geek females) fall for the latest *trendy* clothing..Why ELSE do you think wifey likes to shop for new clothes all the time?? (why the hell do you think certain brands of adult clothing become "popular"?) Like it or nor, a lot of yuppies still have that high-school mentality to keep-up in there "high social classes".
Actually, seems to me that there has been enough strong negative opinions towards Windows AND Mac that it wouldn't surprise me to see Linux become number 1 even if simply it becomes a "trendy" thing to have amoungst the mainstream non-geeks simply because the "geeks" are always babbling about how wonderful it is.
Lovejoy said: "Wealthy schools, suburban, urban and rural, seem to be holding their own standards-wise. We can stack them up
:) :)
/. that rote learning isn't good for kids who "learn better by making things 'interesting'".. I always have learned *very* well when things were "interesting" but as you can see, that is mainly a bad attitude on the pupils part (I will only learn this if I find it fascinating) because even I found I learned best by rote work even though I put up the bigger fit and refusal about it than average.
against most countries and compare decently. Having said that, there has been a decline, even in these schools."
I hate to tell you this, but that is the biggest, untrue BS. Most people wouldn't realise this unless they went to one of these "wealthy, suburban schools." In grammer school, I went to one of the top ten highest ranking schools in the whole northwest..Guess what? The reason why this wealthy, highly ranked school was so on top was that the teachers allowed and MADE the children *CHEAT* on the national tests. That's right, you know those I.O.W.A. (or whatever they're called; I don't remember) tests they make kids do every year in grammer school? It's a *timed* test. What you don't get done in the alloted time affects your grade on it and all the kid's grades put together and averaged adds up to the entire school's overall rank in the US..Guess what? We were timed all right, but then those who had any unfinnished areas of the test were MADE to stay in at recess till the WHOLE entire test was completed. This was of course, the whole school doing this, so non of the kids really figured out what was going on (wether right or wrong -they thought this was just the way the test was done) and wasn't till I got older and found out "wait a secound, they made us cheat!"..
This is/was NOT an underfunded school by any stretch (sits amoung one of the wealthiest, cities BTW) and was a newer school with the "latest and greatest" teaching methods (that was back from 1988-1996). To this day, it is STILL one of the top schools, and as far as I know have NOT changed their methods.
My sister who is ADD and Dyslexic BTW, could NOT learn to read and write by the schools whole "memorize the whole word" system till my mom took her to a tutor who *gasp* taught her rote learning with Phonics. Very boring yes, but at least as an adult she can read and write.
This school, also had some pretty poor teachers (not all) from what my family experienced.
Kindergarten teachere told my mom my sister was "stupid" because she couldn't read (um, she had a learning disability, duh!) As a teacher with experience you would think she would not have been so ignorant, especially considering my sister always *tried* hard and gave everything 100% what she had! I OTOH had easily passing grades with only mostly trying half-heartedly (as an ignorant child I didn't think school was worth my time and just tried to get it done and over with). But, my math and spelling skills suck still to this day (and I'm in my 20's), and I don't remember a lot of what was taught in other areas as well (didn't teach any sort of rote learning, hardly and STILL had boring teachers IMO)
Now, if teachers STILL had the old "you WILL sit down and learn this, boring or not" attitude that was mentioned elsewhere maybe I would have actually *HAD* good math and spelling skills. But when a kid hardly cares (like a lot of kids these days unfortunately) and is able to make their 3rd grade teacher cry at teacher/parent conferences..Sounds like a lack of discipline to me..Like maybe slap the stubborn twit upside the head? (okay, maybe just rapp the knuckels with a ruler
Might actually work with some of us
BTW, rote learning is a crucial part of studying and if you are never taught the self-discipline to to do that as a small kid when you try to pass a test you can have a *very* hard time. Due to the fact that the school didn't hardly teach rote learning (I still have a hard time dealing with any kind of boredom as far as studying goes) I for a long time didn't KNOW how to study at all. In fact it took me *THREE* times to pass the written test to get my driver's liscense. Wasn't till some one with a real brain sat me down and told me I was going to *HAVE* to rote learn the entire driving manual if I was going to expect to pass..I took that advice (despite the fact I thought it was sheer torture) and studied long and hard and took the test on the third time and actually PASSED and did quite well at that.
BTW, notice a patteren here? All these people have been saying on
Yup, and it can take only mere secounds to be harmed by a criminal (especially if they also have a gun, but at least if you do too, you might have a 50-50 chance of survival instead of 0!)
Calling 911 of course is good, but can take police anywhere from 3-15 maybe more minutes to get to your house (depending on where you live)..With a dangerous criminal you could be dead in those 3 minutes.
Best to call 911 but also have a gun as back-up..Oh and don't forget those people that are killed while ON the phone with 911.
Actually, those photos look a lot like abstract paintings (and for once are not symbolic but actually *OF* something!) and are attractive enough that I'd rather look at those in a meuseum than some of the more famous Picaso types.
When you have Rabies, the ability to eat Cheesey-Puffs is diminished. :)
Should have quarantined it *first* to check for Rabies! ;)
Now *YOU* can be infected with Rabies and not know it for up to a month till symptoms apear..
Are you always thristy, have a hard time swallowing, afraid of water, and becoming stark raving mad?? If so, better go see a doctor
I hope you quarantined the XT motherboard in case of possible Rabies infection.. ;)
God, those things can be dangerous but rarely attack with out provocation, unless ill.
Yah I like Jeeves and Wooster too, but then I like anything Steven Fry does because he is just too funny for words! :)
British and Canadian shows are really big in the Northwest here. If you ever find away to tune into The Red Green Show, you'll never stop laughing, guaranteed!
think it was the emphasis on character that really made me fall in love with the concept of space opera. Do I want a book
:)
:)
:)
:)
that makes me think? Yes. Do I want the book to be about amazing device X? No. I wnat it to be about how people deal
with Amazing Device X, or how they use it to accomplish something, or how the nature of what it is to be human is revealed by some facet of Amazing Device X.
Right ON!!! I definately agree with you!
Plot is good of course, but I want the characters to bend the plot not the plot shaping the characters.
I guess I'm also a totally escapist reader. I'm an undergrad physics major, but i'd much rather be a 23rd century starship
captain (born too early, alas) if I could. With a book, I can be there, having great adventures (without getting hurt, which is
probably the b est part).
Sounds just like my sister! Who BTW, was the one who got me into Sci-Fi to begin with. Before that, I prefurred non-fiction.
Bujold is really good... The other two main authors I like are David Weber (discussed at some length on this site previously,
but you really have to read the whole series, and some of his other stuff is not good), and Timothy Zahn (probably still my
all-time favorite, he has written some really amazing Sci-Fi because he *ALWAYS* gets his science right, yet his characters
are totally believable).
Check them out if you get the chance.
Yah, I haven't read any of their stuff, so I might have to check them out when I exhaust every book Bujold has ever written, that is
Thanks for the reply
Your welcome
Sibling movement, we better watch out! ;)
I read about half of one of the books years ago but didn't finnish because life got busy and I now don't remember much as far as the writing and such, just some of the basics.
Well true...Though British humor is a bit quirkier than American humor (my god, who else could come up with Mr.Flibble?! :) and many average Americans see something like RD and think "WTF?!" :)
:)
(don't believe me? Show a random episode to a average non-geek, non-British, and watch their reaction. Trust me, I know!
After all, the British also brought you AbFab, Jeeves and Wooster, and yes, Mr.Bean. Need I say more?
And no, I'm not bashing the Britts, I rather like some of their humor but haven't met many others that also do.
Amen to that!!
I just started reading a Bujold book for the first time (Bujold was recommened to me by a friend) and I can't put the book down!
And despite the fact that I started with a book that's in the middle of her on-going space opera, it's so well written you pick up on all the past stuff and get to know the characters almost as if you have read the whole series from the beginning.
Very captivating with very REAL characters!
There are some authors (Anne McKathery (sp?)) who blend Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I like these authors
You mean Anne McCaffery? (Dragon Riders of Pern series)
My sister is heavily into her stuff.
I think RD is *VERY* funny, but one has to have a seriously bent sense of humor to truly appreciate it :)
I like other Sci-Fi as well and have recently just gotten hooked on Louis McMaster Bujold.