England's Odd 15 yr olds and even odder judges Taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4743357.stm a report about the dumb new weapon against deliquency the ASBO (Anti-Social Behaviour Order) Maybe it should've been AASBO (anti anti-social behaviour order) ... but then that would just be silly ...
I wish I didn't sometimes. I am also sick of the way ASBO teens have somehow managed to give the rest of England the impression that all teens are the same. I hate that!
Oh I wouldn't lose sleep over it, Babe. Everyone knows that there is always a bad apple at the bottom of every barrel. The best thing to do with the human variety of bad apple is to laugh at them in an annoying way .... tee hee
It's not just England. Juvenile delinquents everywhere have always given all kids a bad reputation. It's not like it's anything new, if that's any consolation.
I came across a translation of a school essay from which I lifted some bits and pieces. It's a father admonishing his son. "...Preverse one with whom I am furious--who is the man who can really be furious with his son--I spoke to my kin and found something hitherto unnoticed. The words which I shall relate to you, fear them and be on you guard because of them....Your friend, your companion--you failed to appreciate him; why do you not emulate him? Emulate your older brother. Emulate your younger brother... I, night and day am tortured because of you. Night and day you waste in pleasures." In the essay he tells his son to go to school and do his assignments. He tells him not to hang around on the streets. He also complains that other sons work hard and help their fathers while his own is lazy and does nothing, and does not appreciate how easygoing his father has been, not burdening him with chores. The essay was translated from Sumerian (by S.N. Kramer) and is more than 3,700 years old.
I love history for that, Lynet. It never ceases to amaze me how mundanely commonplace a lot of historical documents are once they're translated ... soldiers worrying about what their wives are up to while they're away from home ... wives worrying about the self same subject in reverse. Nothing changes. Side note. Found a sensible country. Australia!!! Hooray for the Land Downunder
Worse than commonplace. There are hordes of ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, Egyptian and other peoples documents. And as they're translated we find land contracts and store inventories for the most part. My daughter's PhD thesis will probably be about Egyptian property contracts as written during the age of Greek rule. "yawn* I was hoping she'd do something with the 'mystery' religions, a subject she pursued for her B.A. So much more interesting. Still, those letters and records of ordinary people a thousand, two thousand years ago, show that we haven't changed. Husbands and wives worried about each other and kids wrote home asking for money (I kid you not.) I'd much rather read the letters of the merchant to his wife about what their son is doing than the edicts of kings.
Wish I was an Aussie. Y'all just seem so laid back and sensible. We watched the crocodile hunter on TV last night. I've been slipping and have actually seen animal planet a few times lately ... my daughter is fascinated by Steve Irwin. I know he's obnoxious, but I like that he cares so much about the animals. He's truly dedicated, not just out for the glory, though it's obvious he likes danger. He was moving crocodiles to new enclosures at the zoo. Riveting stuff. One false move and there goes your leg ... or your whole body. I learned a lot about croc behavior I didn't know before, such as always move the male first because he'll kill you if you try to touch his woman ... Sexism, and chivalry, apparently both have their roots in the animal kingdom.
For my ICT GCSE we have to do a presentation on some program that I can't be bothered remembering the name of. Oh, yeah - Hypertudio. And anyway, we have to do the presentation on Steve Irwin's Zoo, for visitors. It ain't real, not for a real zoo, and is basically a loa of rubbish! Eurgh.
