jonesthecurl, share your views

[pimpdave]

Mr. Thecurl,

Please share your views.

Profile of a Pyschopathic Serial Killer: Napoleon Ier's Posts.

[jonesthecurl]

Mr. Thecurl,

Please share your views.

Profile of a Pyschopathic Serial Killer: Napoleon Ier's Posts.

Hmm. The Rampant Capitalisation and crypto-neologising via multi-psuedo-poncy-hyphenation might be indicative, but I think we're safe as long as he thinks someone else is listening.

Like Morrisey, the more you ignore him, the closer he gets.

(Walkies! there, I mentioned Morrisey.)

[jonesthecurl]

What is your view on exams and tests?

Short question.
Long answer follows later.

[Nikolai]

What is your view on exams and tests?

Short question.
Long answer follows later.

[jonesthecurl]

Actually that wasn't meant to be a joke. Now that I reread it, I kinda wish it had been. That would be funny. But thisis me sharing my views so here we go:

SERIOUS ANSWER:

I've never been a schoolteacher (despite the skit in "who labelled juan").

I have however spent a number of years with a job which included training people in various things from how to talk to customers to how to design and write a computer program.

At some point you have to discover if the students have learnt enough to be accredited (whether that means means getting a good grade or keeping their job).

That's what tests and exams are for.

But there are several problems with the notion of test and exams - firstly, you have to know how to test for the things you're interested in. ONe can get away with sounding knowledgeable and intelligent in many subjects merely by having a good command of grammar and language. On the other hand if one fails on these two counts or on spelling (or even handwriting), then one might well fail in a subject which one has a good command of. At school, I consistently got poor marks for essays merely because my hadwriting was crap (it still is). These days I could type them and print em out, but that wwasn't an option back then.

Then there's the question of "cramming". Some people can saturate their heads with relevant knowledge for a short period - and quickly forget it. These people have an advantage over those who fail to retain knowledge until they truly understand it. The first group may well do better at exams than the latter. I'd rather have the latter at my back when knowledge (and even more,understanding) matters.

Then again there's the question of confidence. Some people, knowledgeable though they might be, freeze when presented with a challenge such as an exam which has to be completed within a given amount of time.

There is something particularly pathetic with the idea that you can decide how good a painter someone is by measuring how well they do within a time-frame decided by an examiner, and on a day decided by an examiner.

And then there's my personal bane - most exams are held in the height of hay-fever season. If it's a bad year, i can't breathe, I can't see properly, I certainly can't concentrate. ANd I'm sure that covering my answer sheet with fresh snot does not help to convey a good impression to the examiner.

When I took my History "A"-level, the invigilator advised me to give up, go home, and be granted an alternative date. But I'd crammed for this particular day,and if I went away I'd have to do it again, so I refused.


More generally, how do you feel on the day? My case was extreme. That doesn't mean that one's current health is irrelevant in less extreme cases.

[Skittles!]

Good answer, but I just skimmed over it.

[jonesthecurl]

Careful, There's a test later.

[Skittles!]

I know, I have one tomorrow.

Your views on the advancement of technology.

[heavycola]

if your life could be reduced to a Rocky-style montage, what would the theme music be?

[Dancing Mustard]

If you were insanely bored, then how would you go about entertaining yourself?

[jonesthecurl]

if your life could be reduced to a Rocky-style montage, what would the theme music be?

finally an easy one

Either (Walter)Wendy Carlos' synthesised version of the Ode to Joy from Beethoven's Ninth (though you'd have to edit heavily to make it all exciting enough), or Kevin Ayers' The Oyster and the Flying Fish (for irony) Most of you won't be familiar with this gem - it's a song about how the oyster wants to be free to move like the flying fish, while the flying fish wants somewhere to call home. Ooh-la, ooh-la, ooh-la, ooh-la, la-la-la-la la-la.
As you'll see when I post in the t-shirts thread, I'm wearing the t-shirt today.

[heavycola]

what is the most uncompromising situation in which you have ever been caught?

[jonesthecurl]

If you were insanely bored, then how would you go about entertaining yourself?

It very seldom happens. There's always stuff that needs doing, stuff I want to do and stuff I gotta do even though I don't want to and I keep putting it off by posting on CC.

I'm most likely to get mind-numbingly bored when doing necessary but dull chores, like ironing. The best thing to cheer me up then is to play or watch something informative - I have some Alton Brown DVD's (foodie stuff for those that don't know him)which'll be going on next time I iron. (I iron v little these days - most stuff looks fine if folded neatly after a sesssion in the tumble-dryer).

[jonesthecurl]

I know, I have one tomorrow.

Your views on the advancement of technology.

All the elements are in place for my vision of a world in which we don't individually own motor vehicles - we rent rechargeable electric transport of whatever size we happen to need at any given moment, and they use a combination of radar, internal atlas and GPS to take us there without anyone having to steer. A cleaner world, without the need for acres of car parks everywhere and in which the obsession with which car yah got just shrivels up and dies away except for a few old prunes like Jeremy Clarkson who maintain the old-fashioned vehicles.

[jonesthecurl]

what is the most uncompromising situation in which you have ever been caught?

One evening after work I had to keep suddenly very very quiet in a stationary cupboard along with a young lady I was doing some serious overtime with, as the caretaker did his rounds. But I didn't get caught.

When I was at school, we had a teacher whose nickname was "Winnie" (I forget his real name) who taught us Latin. He was well known for flying into rages in which he would hyperventilate and go red in the face. I started a fashion of drawing a picture of Winnie on the back of your hand, with his lungs about where your knuckles are, so thta you could make him hyperventilate while doing your best "Winnie" impersonation. ONe day I was showing my buddy Jennings (you always called people by their surname) how to do this when Winnie came up behind me unbeknownst to me and watched with great interest.

[Thor Son of Olaf]

Ah, the voice of reason.

Thor-arth, you have all of Nappy's charm, but none of his brains.

The historical and ethnic references clearly flew right over your head. Either that, or for a Welchman your grasp of the (forced upon your ancestors) Engligh language is wanting.

[jonesthecurl]

Ah, the voice of reason.

Thor-arth, you have all of Nappy's charm, but none of his brains.

The historical and ethnic references clearly flew right over your head. Either that, or for a Welchman your grasp of the (forced upon your ancestors) Engligh language is wanting.

Shame really that I don't know any history compared to you. If only I could raise myself to your intellectual level.

[Nikolai]

Ah, the voice of reason.

Thor-arth, you have all of Nappy's charm, but none of his brains.

The historical and ethnic references clearly flew right over your head. Either that, or for a Welchman your grasp of the (forced upon your ancestors) Engligh language is wanting.

Shame really that I don't know any history compared to you. If only I could raise myself to your intellectual level.

Apparently you could get there by playing AOEII, since that appears to be the primary source for his "historical" material...

[jonesthecurl]

's OK: I've nearly finished the tome "My First Illustrated Book of Military History ". by Enid Blyton.

[Jenos Ridan]

AOE2 is an ok source............

If you're six years old.

But I'd never put it passed ol' Thor to have researched the matter further. Something he and I still have in common, saddly.

[jonesthecurl]

I suspect that Thor is actually far more knowledgeable and clever than he appears to be - I hope so. I also feel that he is often trolling to get a reaction - again, I hope so.

[Jenos Ridan]

I suspect that Thor is actually far more knowledgeable and clever than he appears to be - I hope so. I also feel that he is often trolling to get a reaction - again, I hope so.

You are correct in your hopes; he is clever and quiet knowledgeable. He is indeed trolling, he knows it will be inflamatory so he does, but he is also quiet serious.

Trust me, I used to know the guy quiet well. Never shared many of his "beliefs", but I could see the "logic" that held it all together.

[jonesthecurl]

I don't think it counts as trolling if you mean it ...

[Jenos Ridan]

I don't think it counts as trolling if you mean it ...

That might make a good topic in of itself.

But still, we are dealing with someone who is sincerely trying to irrate people with his sincerely held and methodically reinforced beliefs.

[jonesthecurl]

Putting forward your opinions in a deliberately provocative manner may be bad manners at times. It may reveal you to be unlikeable.
And it may degenerate into simple name-calling.
But that's still different to trolling, which as I understand it means putting forward a point of view which you don't hold, making it so extreme as to produce outrage.