Posts by tim kong
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I know it's been mentioned - but the Well had some very simple ideas about conduct, and I would suggest it had individuals who frequented it - who were much like those here at PA.
Self-policing and self-respecting.
I don't think you can ever really formalise that in a code of conduct. You can remind people of it - but if they don't get it - they're not going to follow a set of rules.
In my experiences, in bbs land and on various boards and online forums the conduct of those who most frequent it determines the nature and way of the place. It's a tough balance being too "in" and still allowing others to contribute, while not being just all light and nothing.
PA balances pretty it all out pretty well. And that, like any good online forum is based not just on the contributors but on those who set it up and watch over it.
I for one never feel looked down or judged - at least I never get that from responses to my odd post. I like that sense of a place - where it's OK to be me.
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Ditto Jackie. And can I add my thumbs up to slarty.
To me this is a simple thing - it's a statement about the society we want to have, the nation we want to have - one that says it's not OK to hit children.
Will it still happen? Sure. But it won't be OK.
While it's not the fine city of sail - I had a discussion with my intermediate age students yesterday about the bill and the thoughts were excellent. Several were candid about the fact they "got a bash" or had "weapons" used on them.
All agreed that it was not OK for teachers to hit children, and it definitely wasn't OK to hit animals, but several asked, "But what do you do - if they don't listen, how do you make them stop?"
I wondered aloud at how silly it was that teachers got training and ongoing development - but there wasn't any instruction or training on how to be a parent.
We talked about the march on Parliament on Wed and there was shock when I told them that these children and adults were demanding the right to smack.
"But that doesn't make sense - why would you do that? Those kids are just saying they want to get hit? What are they on?"
One was savvy and resigned enough to state: "It'll still happen - we'll still get smacked - it'll just be when the curtains are closed."
couldn't but help think of Bowie:
and these children that you spit on,
as they try to change their worlds
are immune to your consolations
they're quite aware of what they're going through -
on the rss feeds - I use Vienna - and yesterday, 27/3 a few odd entries popped up - ones that I'm sure I'd read many moons back.
all seems back in order today though.
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RE: mystery Telecom spam
Don't know if it's the same one - but I got email from Telecom telling me that
"In accordance with instructions received, your Telecom account is no
longer subscribed to Bill Online. The invoice(s) for this account will no longer be
delivered to you electronically. Your next invoice(s) will be paper based."Except I haven't emailed them since I registered, and I really would prefer to keep getting my bill online thanks.
Thought it was a hoax - but the number is the correct Telecom one - so tried calling - but no answers as yet.
I'll be slightly pissed off when/if I start getting boxloads of tree through my mailbox again.
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Sort of off-topic, but also I thought appropriate given the general level in intelligent discourse amongst punters here. This link is Malcolm X at presenting at the Oxford union - and I thought his closing comments spoke to some - eloquent as he often was.
In keeping with random youtube type links and in light of the UNICEF report too.
The oculture site has plenty of other good stuff to chew on.
http://www.oculture.com/weblog/2007/02/malcolm_x_at_ox.html
“I read once, passingly, about a man named Shakespeare. I only read about him passingly, but I remember one thing he wrote that kind of moved me. He put it in the mouth of Hamlet, I think, it was, who said, ‘To be or not to be.’ He was in doubt about something—whether it was nobler in the mind of man to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune—moderation—or to take up arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them. And I go for that. If you take up arms, you’ll end it, but if you sit around and wait for the one who’s in power to make up his mind that he should end it, you’ll be waiting a long time. And in my opinion, the young generation of whites, blacks, browns, whatever else there is, you’re living at a time of extremism, a time of revolution, a time when there’s got to be a change. People in power have misused it, and now there has to be a change and a better world has to be built, and the only way it’s going to be built—is with extreme methods. And I, for one, will join in with anyone—I don’t care what color you are—as long as you want to change this miserable condition that exists on this earth.”
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cracker of a match - windy and cold - but brilliant to be a part of a little slice of Kiwi and cricket history.
course - there's a record broken at almost every cricket match if you look hard enough! But it was class nonetheless.
Bond's caught and bowled in real time was amazing.
Australian body language and attitude to fielding was decidedly un-Ockerlike. Kim Hughes needs to address them and remind this generation of cricket players how harsh it can be. Possibly it's been so long, they've forgotten how losing hurts so much.
Or it could have been standing around in the southerly breeze and having to wear tops that resembled art class pinnies that was annoying them. :D
Either way - a fine way to spend an evening.
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I'm a teacher at decile 2 intermediate here in lower Hutt - and while we do not do breakfasts, we actively encourage students to eat something to get some energy in their system for the day.
It is frustrating to see them slugging down a V from the corner dairy, that washes down a pie - if only cause they'll probably crash by about 10:30.
We are part of the health-promoting schools initiative, although I'm not sure who/where the cash comes from. Health is pretty general - including an upgrade to toilet facilities, but also fruit breaks and healthy sandwiches - ie. ham and salad, tuna and salad, all on brown bread.
Fruit breaks are fresh fruit, some supplied by the students, that are chopped up in class - and about 2pm - kids get 5 min to get a drink of water and some fruit. They seem to enjoy the fruit breaks, but the sandwiches are so-so.
Much like the Jamie Oliver experience, the taste and texture is something that most students don't know.
Does it help? Not sure if it makes them extra healthy or is preventing scurvy or anything that dramatic. For me as a teacher, having students who get a boost early afternoon is handy, particularly these past few blazing hot days in the Hutt!
one of these days I'm getting to a Blend - annoyed i totally missed the timing of this one.
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Ahh - so that makes some sense then.
Is then the main article?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Meetup
If so, that makes more sense.
Seems to me that the arguing of semantics and some fine splitting of hairs is causing grief. Which is possibly inherent in something such as wikipedia.
I didn't mean to pick out Simon, lin or gadfium for criticism, hope it didn't come across that way.
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I've never been a Wikipedia editor, so I'm happy to be schooled in the ways and means of it as a source/guardian of truth.
What's really confusing me though - after reading the AFD thread, and what is currently standing as the Foo Camp entry - and sort of understanding the possible thinking behind the deletion of Russell's article - but not agreeing with it - what I don't understand is how this wiki article does NOT get deleted:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Meetup/Auckland_2
Strikes me as nothing more than a dinner party... with little to no sourcing in site. It's more a myspace type entry to my mind.
A Kiwi Foo Camp seems eminently more "notable" than a gathering of WP contributors to me - not only because I'm fascinated by the idea of Tizard and Cunliffe being there, but to have such a diverse range of NZ and international creatives and future inclined people in one arena is fascinating. Also - hearing about Hodge and Free being referred to as the next Pink Floyd amused me greatly.
I have nothing against those at the WP meetup, one of whom comments on the Foo Camp AFD page - from my reading though, if it's fair and valid as a wikipedia entry - I don't understand why RB's one isn't.
apologies, i've used far too many hyphens in this post. -
Nick,
Totally agree with comments about Japan. Working on shows there was always great - as mentioned Japanese audiences are distinctly enthusiastic and non-violent. They want all the wackiness of rock n roll - but it's about enjoyment, never about aggro.
Fuji Rock Festival has to be my favourite outdoor and festy venue ever - in large parts due to that approach to live events.
I remember standing on stage thinking you could draw a long line in the sand in front of the stage, and they wouldn't cross it. Who needs steel pit barriers? The "large black guys" there - are Marines from the nearby US bases - who just do a lot of standing around looking large.
Japanese road crews are without exception highly professional and well managed. I seemed to have one crew for every piece of equipment. My operating table was marked out with tape - with individual components labelled, then carefully packed away after sound checks - then on show day - everything was exactly as I left it.