Different Guest. A Canadian Guest. Just popped in to say that 'dafuq' needs to get off his high horse and realise that Canadian public schools are often times comparable to American public schools. The major difference I've found is in geography and history classes; the American school system allows a lot of U.S.A. friendly propaganda to be taught in classes that would benefit from expansion of the curriculum.
The fact that both Canada and the United States allow phonetic spelling at lower grades upsets me personally.
Canadian school aren't that great either ( I Live in Canada). The standards for academics are set too low in primary and high school. By the time kids reach the age to apply to university or college, they are either too stupid or never learned enough to match the university standards, so they get royally fucked after high school. It basically creates a legion of "dumbed down" people to keep the majority at a certain social and economical level.
"Wise".
Does anyone know how taxes work anymore??? You don't pay them for individual things like school or welfare. Everyone's taxes are bundled up and allocated to different areas without regard to who the dollars are from. If it was possible to "not like" paying taxes to schools, we'd be in even worse shape than we are now.
Now, will people stop putting this guy on a pedestal? Just because you cried over his mediocre teen lit does NOT make him a genius, philosopher, or w/e the next post will be.
I understand your point about tax, I know how the system works. I'm just saying, I could be "wise". You could be "wise". We all have wisdom about different things, we can all philosophise. Don't call his work mediocre if you don't like it, I'm not saying his work is for everyone, you have every right not to like it, or the tax system, and you have every right not to like him, but we're allowed to appreciate him, his book and his ability.
*pops enigma's bubble* Calling his work mediocre is an opinion mgoveia is allowed to have. Saying "don't call his work mediocre if you don't like it" is bullshit.
I know he is. Sorry. It IS a joke, you're right. I just shouldn't have said anything. However, I also said mcgoveia is allowed their opinion. I said that. But just because he/she doesn't like it doesn't take away from the fact that is a quality piece of work. I could hate harry potter with a fiery passion (not that I do) but they are well-written books.
don't think you shouldn't have said anything, I was just pointing out that it was a joke because everyone was taking it wayyy to seriously. everyone is entitled to their own opinion as well, even if i disagree with it.
What a cluster.
I've read a ton of books in my time. I've read the synopsis of this hack's crown jewel. It's trash. Sorry, not sorry if you're upset. It'll pass in about the same amount of time that it takes you to read about 2 more books. /cheesystory
FS is overflowing with info, including spoilers, about the book. I've also read synopses, seen interviews with the author, etc. I've all but read the book, which I'm never going to do, since all evidence points to it sucking ginormous elephant satchel.
Well, to start, I've read most of what Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum have written. My wife gives me books she thinks I'll like from time to time. Some notable examples are God's Demon, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and A Dog's Purpose.
If I had to suggest a book to FS in general, it'd probably be A Dog's Purpose. It's not sappy, but it definitely tugged at my heart a bit.
Well if you would like to continue on that path . . . Have you ever read anything by Jane Austen? I don't know if she would be your type, but she is one of my favorites.
I actually had to look this up, since I don't really stick to genres, but my Jack Ryan, Bourne, Covert One, etc would fall under Political Thriller and Conspiracy/Spy Fiction. Dexter would be Crime/Detective Fiction, I suppose. I read a ton of Dragonlance since about 4th grade, so Medieval Fantasy, as well as a dozen or so Star Trek: TNG novels around the same time, so Science Fiction is in, as well.
I'm not against non-fiction, ie Soldier Dogs, though it's probably my least-read genre.
Long story short (heh), I just appreciate a well-spun yarn, and I'm always up for suggestions. I have a small backlog right now, though, since a fellow reader from work has suggested Wool, along with Sigma Force. He's read a few of my suggestions and liked them, so I'm taking our similar tastes as a good sign.
I'll have to admit... I didn't see these comments leading to this, but I do also enjoy Robert Ludlum's books. I enjoyed the "matarese circle" outside of the Bourne saga. The Scorpio illusion was good as well. RIP Mr. Ludlum.
It kinda does, I liked that about it, but after the second one they start skipping a few parts that were very interesting in the book, even some of the awesome encounters/fights. So I started watching the movies before the books, that way it just gets better. I wish they would do a "matarese circle" movie, the whole cold war era is always something I found interesting and the conspiracy in the book was awesome.
yeah the older version was more indie-like so it didn't have as much popularity as big blockbuster movies. Mostly because it was a tv movie (so only available in a certain channel)
American public school is fucked 5 ways to Saturday because private corporate interest and crazy right wing religious nuts will always have more sway than the public. In Texas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Missouri, South Carolina, and Alabama science classes are required to teach students an alternative to evolution eg. creationism. In Kansas, science teachers are not allowed to even mention the age of the Earth. Schools are at the whim of the text book industry, which can really put whatever they want into their books.
Well that's not nearly as bad as in Maryland, where my dad (a highschool math teacher) isn't allowed to fail any students because the left-wing nutjobs running the school system are more concerned about how the stupid kid feels than they are about the kid learning anything. The public school system is a complete joke.
I don't think it's wrong to teach creationism, so long as you explain that it's just what some people believe. At least the kids are still learning stuff.
Not allowed to even mention the age of the Earth... I think that's a little over the top. Although, if you do any research on your own, you will find that scientists really have no clue how old the earth is, and their methods of determining its age are flawed at best, and completely unreliable at worst.
But my main point is, you can't blame it on right-wing religious nuts, because the left-wing dingbats are screwing things up just as much, only in different ways.
Creationism is not science. Creationism is pseudoscience, up there with phrenology. You shouldn't teach kids "stuff" unless, you know, that stuff is actually true.
So all the kids can be uninformed idiots? I guess we shouldn't teach them Greek mythology either. Or half the things they teach in history books for that matter.
You're creating a false premise. History can be verified with sources, both primary and secondary. Greek mythology is not taught as actually happening, but as an aspect that greatly influenced Greek culture. No teacher is saying that the Zeus actually walked the planet, impregnating woman while looking like a swan. The problem with creationism is that zero percent of it has any consensus in the scientific community, but many people want to teach it as fact.
I'm not saying it should be taught as fact. But there is a vast difference between not teaching something as fact, and not teaching it at all. If you choose to not teach something at all, you are just indoctrinating a generation in ignorance.
The way I see it, church is for religion and school is for the other stuff. You shouldn't learn about that stuff in school because that's not what school is for. If you want to learn about creationism, go to your priest or pastor or bishop or rabbi or whatever religion you subscribe to. If you want to learn about physics or biology or literature or history, that's what school is for.
But in case you were asking me, I was raised in Europe, but live in Canada and often go on trip to "amurica"
The fact that both Canada and the United States allow phonetic spelling at lower grades upsets me personally.
Does anyone know how taxes work anymore??? You don't pay them for individual things like school or welfare. Everyone's taxes are bundled up and allocated to different areas without regard to who the dollars are from. If it was possible to "not like" paying taxes to schools, we'd be in even worse shape than we are now.
Now, will people stop putting this guy on a pedestal? Just because you cried over his mediocre teen lit does NOT make him a genius, philosopher, or w/e the next post will be.
Don't worry if you're confused, I'm not talking about his book.
I've read a ton of books in my time. I've read the synopsis of this hack's crown jewel. It's trash. Sorry, not sorry if you're upset. It'll pass in about the same amount of time that it takes you to read about 2 more books. /cheesystory
If I had to suggest a book to FS in general, it'd probably be A Dog's Purpose. It's not sappy, but it definitely tugged at my heart a bit.
I'm not against non-fiction, ie Soldier Dogs, though it's probably my least-read genre.
Long story short (heh), I just appreciate a well-spun yarn, and I'm always up for suggestions. I have a small backlog right now, though, since a fellow reader from work has suggested Wool, along with Sigma Force. He's read a few of my suggestions and liked them, so I'm taking our similar tastes as a good sign.
I don't think it's wrong to teach creationism, so long as you explain that it's just what some people believe. At least the kids are still learning stuff.
Not allowed to even mention the age of the Earth... I think that's a little over the top. Although, if you do any research on your own, you will find that scientists really have no clue how old the earth is, and their methods of determining its age are flawed at best, and completely unreliable at worst.
But my main point is, you can't blame it on right-wing religious nuts, because the left-wing dingbats are screwing things up just as much, only in different ways.