Signs of the Decline of Civilization

[Miss 1929]

i can't get my cat to wear anything more than a collar! You must have to train them to wigs from an early age. Or drug them.

 

[jake_fink]

A pimp suit for kids - now available from Amazon for only $39.95.

I'm not particularly offended, but the concept boggles my mind a bit. Jeez, what's next - Ho' outfits for little girls?

How are the armholes?

 

[Feraud]

How are the armholes?

lol lol

 

[Avalon]

i can't get my cat to wear anything more than a collar! You must have to train them to wigs from an early age. Or drug them.

I know! Velvet went berserk the first time I put a collar on him. lol

 

[Paisley]

I read about a mother and young daughter who were on a trip when they took a wrong turn and ended up in a seedy part of Amsterdam. The little girl saw a prostitute and said, "Mommy, she's so pretty, she looks just like a Bratz doll."

 

[ScionPI2005]

I solemnly swear here and now that if I ever have kids, I will never ever let them wear that sort of costume for Halloween!

And in regards to the wigs and costumes for pets, isn't that just cruel? I've never known a pet that actually enjoys or wants to have that sort of junk put on them, my cat included.

 

[jamespowers]

I read about a mother and young daughter who were on a trip when they took a wrong turn and ended up in a seedy part of Amsterdam. The little girl saw a prostitute and said, "Mommy, she's so pretty, she looks just like a Bratz doll."

lol lol lol lol lol Out of the mouth of babes. lol

 

[Warbaby]

How are the armholes?

lol Bwahahahaha!lol

 

[The Dame]

Wigs for cats? That is just wrong! No self-respecting cat would put up with that. I thought cats were smarter than dogs for not being amenable to dressing up.

The signs of decline are everywhere: Spelling and language usage are devolving thanks to advertizing, the internet and texting. When I taught high school, it was appalling to read notes high school students wrote to each other, not because of content (although that would definitely shock and appall aplenty), but because there was a complete lack of punctuation, proper spelling, word usage - you name it. Even worse, this was carried over into their schoolwork - in essays and reports. Of course, the trend in education is to avoid damaging a student's self-esteem by giving substandard work the grades it deserves - instead, teachers are supposed to praise their 'creativity' in spelling and language usage!!! Or how about this? The last inservice I had to attend (before my daughter was born four and a half years ago) centered around learning how to interrupt instruction every ten minutes to do a non-academic activity. I kid you not, folks. And at the same time, more emphasis is being placed on standardized test results. The End of Days is Nigh!

 

[jamespowers]

Wigs for cats? That is just wrong! No self-respecting cat would put up with that. I thought cats were smarter than dogs for not being amenable to dressing up.

The signs of decline are everywhere: Spelling and language usage are devolving thanks to advertizing, the internet and texting. When I taught high school, it was appalling to read notes high school students wrote to each other, not because of content (although that would definitely shock and appall aplenty), but because there was a complete lack of punctuation, proper spelling, word usage - you name it. Even worse, this was carried over into their schoolwork - in essays and reports. Of course, the trend in education is to avoid damaging a student's self-esteem by giving substandard work the grades it deserves - instead, teachers are supposed to praise their 'creativity' in spelling and language usage!!! Or how about this? The last inservice I had to attend (before my daughter was born four and a half years ago) centered around learning how to interrupt instruction every ten minutes to do a non-academic activity. I kid you not, folks. And at the same time, more emphasis is being placed on standardized test results. The End of Days is Nigh!

Every ten minutes?! Isn't that like fostering ADD? :eusa_doh:

 

[Paisley]

Wigs for cats? That is just wrong! No self-respecting cat would put up with that. I thought cats were smarter than dogs for not being amenable to dressing up.

The signs of decline are everywhere: Spelling and language usage are devolving thanks to advertizing, the internet and texting. When I taught high school, it was appalling to read notes high school students wrote to each other, not because of content (although that would definitely shock and appall aplenty), but because there was a complete lack of punctuation, proper spelling, word usage - you name it. Even worse, this was carried over into their schoolwork - in essays and reports. Of course, the trend in education is to avoid damaging a student's self-esteem by giving substandard work the grades it deserves - instead, teachers are supposed to praise their 'creativity' in spelling and language usage!!! Or how about this? The last inservice I had to attend (before my daughter was born four and a half years ago) centered around learning how to interrupt instruction every ten minutes to do a non-academic activity. I kid you not, folks. And at the same time, more emphasis is being placed on standardized test results. The End of Days is Nigh!

This is why I get paid so well to do secretarial work: it's rare to find anyone with good spelling and punctuation. Yet some of the young staff people here (where I work) think they know more about English than I, the other word processor (who has a bachelor of arts in English), and the people who wrote the grammar and style books we use.

 

[LizzieMaine]

This is why I get paid so well to do secretarial work: it's rare to find anyone with good spelling and punctuation. Yet some of the young staff people here (where I work) think they know more about English than I, the other word processor (who has a bachelor of arts in English), and the people who wrote the grammar and style books we use.

I've worked with people with advanced degrees who are functionally incapable of spelling or using apostrophes correctly -- and have very often had to completely rewrite memos or press releases for them in order to make them presentable. If I, with my meek little high school education, have to do this, I really do wonder about the whole point of college these days.

 

[jamespowers]

I've worked with people with advanced degrees who are functionally incapable of spelling or using apostrophes correctly -- and have very often had to completely rewrite memos or press releases for them in order to make them presentable. If I, with my meek little high school education, have to do this, I really do wonder about the whole point of college these days.

Well, as a wise person once said: "they stayed at thefont of knowledge so long they became waterlogged."
Actually, all a college degree tells me is that the person can follow directions. Beyond that is anyone's guess.[huh]

 

[Paisley]

Actually, all a college degree tells me is that the person can follow directions. Beyond that is anyone's guess.[huh]

Really? I haven't found that college graduates can follow directions any better than less-educated people.

 

[jamespowers]

Really? I haven't found that college graduates can follow directions any better than less-educated people.

Well, I figure they followed them enough to complete enough assignments in order to graduate.
Gee, is it just me or does the term less-educated people sound kind of derogatory? [huh] It brings up images of the cast from Deliverance.
I do agree that many college graduates seem to have been more involved with learnign enough to pass tests rather than actually obtaining marketable skills through education. They tend to have a hard time thinking outside the box because they have all those theories and formulas running around in their head rather than a simply curious mind. Says a guy with a degree in Corporate Finance. [huh]
BTW, good run on COH Paisley.

 

[The Dame]

Every ten minutes?! Isn't that like fostering ADD? :eusa_doh:

Well, it certainly wouldn't help anyone with ADD learn to concentrate. The conventional wisdom (and I use wisdom extremely loosely here) was that a teenager's brain was like a drinking glass - keep pouring stuff in and it'll overflow at some point - they decided it was at 10 minutes: A teenager was incapable of absorbing information for more than 10 minutes at a time. Anything after that, and you're wasting your breath (supposedly). It was positively surreal. And we were told that we were going to be evaluated according to how well we incorporated this new teaching technique in the classroom. Boy was I glad when my daughter came early and I decided to quit my job!!!

 

[jamespowers]

Well, it certainly wouldn't help anyone with ADD learn to concentrate. The conventional wisdom (and I use wisdom extremely loosely here) was that a teenager's brain was like a drinking glass - keep pouring stuff in and it'll overflow at some point - they decided it was at 10 minutes: A teenager was incapable of absorbing information for more than 10 minutes at a time. Anything after that, and you're wasting your breath (supposedly). It was positively surreal. And we were told that we were going to be evaluated according to how well we incorporated this new teaching technique in the classroom. Boy was I glad when my daughter came early and I decided to quit my job!!!

Thanks. You just strengthened my resolve to put my boys in private school. :eusa_doh:
They much have been drinking pretty heavily to come up with that analogy. :eusa_doh:

 

[The Dame]

Sadly, they're too humorless and earnest to be imbibers - further contributing to the appalling demise of social ritual along with the decline of civilization!

 

[Paisley]

Gee, is it just me or does the term less-educated people sound kind of derogatory? [huh] It brings up images of the cast from Deliverance.
BTW, good run on COH Paisley.

I'm sorry it sounded that way. I've known really sharp people who never went to college--or finished high school.


fftopic:
Yes, I'm really happy with COH (Coach stock). The more research I did on the company, and on Warren Buffett's investing methods, the better the company looked.

 

[jamespowers]

I'm sorry it sounded that way. I've known really sharp people who never went to college--or finished high school.

Oh, I know you didn't mean it that way. It just struck me as kind of funny.

fftopic:
Yes, I'm really happy with COH (Coach stock). The more research I did on the company, and on Warren Buffett's investing methods, the better the company looked.

Any other suggestions?