With AnnaStrophic's permission, I start another new thread for the posting of neat non-word-topic stuff that Board members would like to pass along for the delectation of all. s and s especially encouraged ! wow
I have a non-word discussion subject. Several contributors have felt that Weekly Themes is under-utilized. I respectfully challenge them to supply some samples of the uses they believe can be made of it.
>Several contributors have felt that Weekly Themes is under-utilized. I respectfully challenge them to supply some samples of the uses they believe can be made of it.
The problem, for me, is that it is at the bottom of the page and I've usually given up by then. I always think that I can leave it for next time and then, the same problem happens.
To be fair to Anu, it is the only place that he posts items for discussion and it seems a shame to make better use of it. He did set up the board, after all. I'm always suprised when I do get to look at it, to see what I have missed.
On of the things that I find interesting about this board is the opportunity to get an insight into different cultures from the perspective of the people who actually live there, rather than filtered through news media. I loved the moment when Jackie posted that it had never ocurred to her that people in other countries would have any reason to be interested in the election taking place in her country. I also loved it when Jazz asked why the production values of British TV shows were so bad - he got a few shots through the ether but maybe he was right, either way, an honest opinion is worth so much more than the tripe we are fed through the press.
My latest cultural sterotype to bite the dust is that the US cannot cope with sex on TV. I sometimes watch "Sex in the City" (HBO in the US, on our terrestial Channel 4), it deals with taboo
One of the things that I find interesting about this board is the opportunity to get an insight into different cultures from the perspective of the people who actually live there, rather than filtered through news media. I loved the moment when Jackie posted that it had never ocurred to her that people in other countries would have any reason to be interested in the election taking place in her country. I also loved it when Jazz asked why the production values of British TV shows were so bad - he got a few shots through the ether but maybe he was right, either way, an honest opinion is worth so much more than the tripe we are fed through the press.
My latest cultural sterotype to bite the dust is that the US cannot cope with sex on TV. I sometimes watch "Sex in the City" (HBO in the US, on our terrestial Channel 4), it deals with taboo subjects in a very amusing way, especially interesting as it from the viewpoint of (over??) sexually liberated women, rather than the usual tacky male sub-porno stuff. It has attempted to discuss some very interesting topics about life and relationships, sadly(???) it is not at all like my life. A couple of weeks ago I videoed the show (it is shown at 10pm) and caught up with it later. I was amazed, even I was (almost) shocked, I certainly made sure that I taped over it, in case the children (10 and 12) saw it by mistake. Like the judge in the Lady Chatterley case, I'm not sure I would allow my servant to see it. So what I want to know, is America getting less prudish, which certainly seems to be the case judging by some episodes of "Friends" (usually shown here at 9pm but sometimes at 6pm). I'm less interested in whether that is good or bad, just whether it is true or not.
>So what I want to know, is America getting less prudish
our tv and movies are certainly so; but there is also the real possibility of some backlash, what with the 'religious right' having seemingly gotten some renewed stroke as a result of the recent elections....
>if we're not careful, we might even wind up with - gasp - prayer in schools being legalized.
Mmmm another strange thing. We have to have prayer in schools. Yes, I know the argument about not having an established church, some schools here break and everyone heads off in different directions to pray to the divine being (if, any) of their choice, it really isn't seen as a big issue
I sometimes wonder if we all had to explain the things that are regarded as "normal" and "problems" in our own countries to a Martian, I wonder if we'd be able to do it.
I don't think so Jo. I think that values are changing, but it it becoming lower class-- by which i mean, sex is still "dirty", but in lower classes, its not a taboo subject. [rant] I do think there still is the victorian/purtian view that sex is dirty-- and middle and upper classes don't speak of it, but its lower classes do. I think most europeans don't think of sex as dirty-- its just an other subject. So, in some european shows, there is nudity that is not neccessarly "sexy"-- some one steps out of a shower, and you see their buttocks-- and then they put on a robe, get dressed, what ever. In the US, it would be a BIG deal to show someones buttocks, and it would always be the beginning of a sex scene.
Likewise, sex scenes are always "steamy"-- since the whole subject is still slightly taboo-. Even somewhat realistic sit coms about normal married people (I think of "Everyone Loves Raymond" have you seen that?) still try to treat sex between a married couple as "steamy"-- and while it can be, after three children, and two jobs, and life in general, i think for the most part, sex between married couples is pleasurable, comforting, and except for odd vacations, or anniversaries, not steamy. and in Everyone, it "fun" to show the young couple trying to be or find momemts to be "steamy", but Raymonds parents are never shown to have any sex life.. or if it is refered to, it is past tense. "Old couples" can't be steamy, unlike the Britcom--As time goes by, which is about an older couple, who are in love, and do all the things loving couples do.. they are not always presented as "steamy" but are presented as a loving couple..it is not extrordinary that they have sex. That almost never happens on US TV.
Sex in the City in US is a cable show, and in general, all cable shows have "looser rules" (they are not as dependant on advertizing $$'s.)
Through out the US, there is still major opposition to sex educations-- (the thought being if you teach kids about sex, they will want it!) and sex and birth control information. I have no problem in the world teaching abstinence-- i encouraged my children-- but i also taught them, that it was their body-- and their decisions.. and should they chose to act, they should act with knowledge-- and know about sex, (and sexual transmitted diseases) and birth control. When i started giving general information they where in their preteens, by early teen years, i was quite open. My ex though it total irresponsible to teach my children about birthcontrol... they shouldn't have sex was his attitude. (meanwhile, we met when i was 17, and i was living with him by the time we had been going out for 3 months.. so was was good for mommy and daddy was not going to happen to his kids... I really though it stupid!)
I don't know what choices my children made (well i can guess some, since my son lived with his wife for 7 months before they got married) and i really didn't want to know... but i wanted them to make informed choices..
Abortion is still a major issue in this country, and while i think it should exist as a choice, i would much prefer to see all teen (and pre-teens) everywhere educated about sex, and treating it as part of growing up. then teen that want to engage in sex could do so with out needing abortion services. studies show the rate of abortion in US for teens is higher, (as is giving birth) than for most european countries. [/rant]
>Through out the US, there is still major opposition to sex education
I'm amazed. My children undertook a major programme of sex education in Primary 5 (8-10 year olds). We, as parents had to go along and watch two videos with them as well as join in a discussion, over two evenings. It was intelligent and caring with all the anatonical explanations. They don't cover the abuse-related subjects until the following year, when there is a full drugs programme too. The programme is run in all the Catholic schools in the area and is highly regarded.
Bridget--prayers to who? to which flavor/version of god? Jesus or jehovah or buddha? or one of the hindu gods?
my kids when to school with christians, jews, budist, and hindus. to which version of god should they pray to?
If you want to pray in school, fine, but don't expect me to support "school prayer". If parent want "school prayer" go to a private religious school. School prayer is a slippery slope. And yes i know that there is "Prayer" in some political institutions-- but that is Adults-- kids have enough pressure.
How would you feel about school prayer if the majority of student/teachers in your school district where muslims, and you said prayers from the Koran? -- If your kids where forced to start the day praying to a Hindu god-- does than sit okay with you? but somehow, its okay to force muslims and hindus to pray to jesus, right?
I do think, and most public schools shy away from this, is starting in 5th or 6th grade (10 to 12 years olds) a course on comparative religions. Let kid learn about the idea of religion, and why it continues to exist, and why one single religion is not taught in school. they learn about other "cultures" in social studies, but religion is a big part of culture, and almost never covered.
Let them learn too, about all the evil done in the name of religion-- Pick any one and you can find evil done in religions name. many "christian" churches supported slavery, and "jim crow" in US-- just as bad as catholic church "Spanish inquisition"-- or Hindu caste system. Religions might have done more good than evil, but there is no one "perfect" religion-- and not all the world agrees that there is even one god-- so until then, no school prayer!
You asked, so here you are, a real trivia thread. It is about communication but not necessarily verbal.
My daughter was given “The Little Book of Text Messages” as a present. I was a bit sniffy about it at first, having avoided then for years but ended up in stitches. Here’s few extracts:
Messages from: (_8^(I) Homer Simpson @@@@:-) Marge Simpson IIII8^)X Cat in the Hat ((:=)X Charlie Chaplin
I also now understand a few more emoticons: :-( boo hoo :-I hmmm :-O oops (-: I am left handed :-& I feel tongue tied :-S My last message didn’t make sense (could be useful!) :-o zz z z Z Z I am bored (not possible here) O :-) I am an angel
:-)<////> message about/from some one wearing a bad tie <<<<(:-) message from a hat salesman
Bridget--prayers to who? to which flavor/version of god? Jesus or jehovah or buddha? or one of the hindu gods?
jo anticipated your argument, in her post above:
"Yes, I know the argument about not having an established church, some schools here break and everyone heads off in different directions to pray to the divine being (if, any) of their choice, it really isn't seen as a big issue
i'm not suggesting that all students be forced to pray to a particular god; merely that those that wish to do so are afforded that opportunity, even if their parents do not have the means to send them to private schools. as for the argument that muslims, jews and other children would be ostracized for praying in a different manner, i would submit that religious intolerance is a learned trait, not an inborn one, and that the implementation of school prayer would go further toward encouraging attitudes of religious tolerance than the absence of same.
I'm not too interested in getting bogged down in the argument, I'm sure that we could fill up pages and pages and still not find a resolution, matters of belief rarely do. I'm more interested in the differences between cultures.
I suspect that it hasn't been an issue in the UK to any great extent is that a) We have never been offered the choice of removing it (certainly in recent times) so what passes for "religion" in most schools is rather tame moral stuff that most people can subscribed to. A catholic priest told a friend (true, but maybe a little out on a limb) that she would be better to sent her child out of the Catholic system as the doctrine was so far watered down for schools as to be almost unrecognisible. There are a high proportion of non-Catholics and (mainly) Muslems who choose the Catholic schools because of their better results and (supposedly) higher standards of behaviour. Church of England schools are full to the brim for the same reason. b) We are much more hypocritical about religion. I suspect that people are more honest about the subject in the US. Anyone is Church of England or Church of Scotland by default and that seems to worry very few people. The only time most of my friends seem to "get religion" is when there is competition for a good school. Outside Northern Ireland and the West of Scotland there is a high degree of religious tolerance and a low level of interest in the subject.
>>Through out the US, there is still major opposition to sex education
> I'm amazed.
Oh, yes, sex education is quite taboo. As far as I can remember the only time my mother has ever mentioned birth control to me is just after my wedding! I'm sure she firmly believes that I had never .. well, um.. you know.. until I was married despite the fact that my husband and I lived together 2 years before we were married.
somewhere along this thread, the messages (for me, at least) suddenly lost their format, and i have to use the scroll bar to read the 20-plus-inch lines.
is it happening to everyone? any idea why? tsuwm, resident technical expert??
It is definitely a sign from above. I think we should call in Father Steve. I just knew that there was a problem with non-word based threads .... aaaaagh
[Edit] = Maybe we're wrong, perhpas Anu has just decided to go out in cinemascope!
That several contributors of advanced status felt that posts I made to Q&A about Words, and to Miscellany should have been put in Weekly Themes where nobody would see them.
...instead of which you are intent on keeping this particular thread alive which is so horrendously wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide that no-one can be bothered to read the end of the sentences.....
>until i realized that it occurred first in the post above mine.
I don't think we know (short of cutting and pasting bits into a new message in a new thread) -- one "bad" message messes up the whole "page", above and below. btw, this "page" is now normal for me also.
Same thing happened to me ... and then it righted itself with my Feb 20 post. However, the problem persists in my "Words Learned in Genealogy" flat mode, started by wwh. Arrrrggggghhhh! wow
>I don't think we know [where the wide page problem originated] (short of cutting and pasting bits into a new message in a new thread)
Oh yes we do! Unlike the rest of you, the problem still persisted for me, because I was still on Page 1, having set my Display Preferences to 99 posts per page (a la lusy).
Setting preferences (temporarily!) to 1 post/page reveals that the problem is in fact bridget96's post with the long purple quote.
Sorry to dob you in, bridget, but I just couldn't let you weasel out of it like that.
Tried evey hint gleaned from these posts and STILL the window in Geneology thread in Miscellany is w--i--d--e, as is page one in this thread. It seems the problem popped up after the shutdown for maintenance on the ISP from 5 to 7 p.m. last Saturday. Coincidence? I wonder !!??!! Gremlins maybe? Should send a note to Webmaster? Someone with some literacy in computers perhaps? (That lets me out! Whew) wow
>maybe so, but I had suspected that as well and pasted the "purple quote" into another post with no problem....
Did you put ["pre"] and ["/pre"] markup around it as I have done here, and as I suspect bridget did in her offending (as distinct from offensive) post?
I think that the ["pre"] and ["/pre"] cause the same behaviour as the ["url"] and ["/url"] that we have noted with long links.
What does this post do to the display?
[edit-in later] Having established that this is indeed the problem, I've broken the red bit into shorter lines.
*FINE*. First my signature line, now my inept attempts to follow *TSUWM*'s advice on making neat-o fonts.... i don't want to play with you guys anymore.
*runs sobbing back to her ICQ friends, who all use the word 'prolly' in every other sentence*
Sure now, we wouldn't be having this discussion at all, but for you You're the momemtary star of the thread-- and just because we happen, for the moment, to find your face a fine target for our cream pies, you're going to run away crying? a fine irish name you're sporting, and not a bit of irish in ya? what a shame! Why its a grand thing! sure any attention paid is a compliment!
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s especially encouraged !
