Irony.

[Sid Squid]

I love this, you couldn't make it up.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZI9ZC-oL5KQ/S_Y9WbrAy_I/AAAAAAAAGPU/d4geIyeBnDE/s1600/orwell-sign.jpg

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

You can't make this stuff up!

[hongman]

Dont get it, am I uncultured?

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Look up George Orwell

[Holdup]

Dont get it, am I uncultured?

No just thick :wink:

(i dont get either)

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

No just thick :wink:

(i dont get either)

Now is that ironic, idiotic or hypocritical?

[Holdup]

shut it you

[lily]

(i dont get either)

Please tell me that is your idea of a joke!

[Holdup]

Nah i honestly dont get it

[Messie]

Brilliant!

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Please tell me that is your idea of a joke!

No, it is just James... sad, but, true...

[Holdup]

Stop bullying me :cry:

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

If you don't want it known, don't post it!

[Holdup]

Well said!

[hongman]

I googled George Orwell and ended up on wiki. Fell asleep about 3 sentences in, I'l do it tomorrow ;)

[Messie]

Holdup -George Orwell wrote 1984,which includes,among other famous ironic sayings, 'big brother is watching you'.
Therefore having a CCTV sign (watchingyou)next to George Orwell Street makes the juxtaposition slightly amusing.

It's probabaly got more to do with the time he spent in Spain during their Civil War and the chronicles he wrote about his experiences. But that spoils the irony a bit ;)

[Holdup]

Messie

Thank you very much for explaining to me :kiss:

At least some ones kind enough unlike others i could mention :rolleyes:

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Well said!

Irony...

I googled George Orwell and ended up on wiki. Fell asleep about 3 sentences in, I'l do it tomorrow ;)

Dude, what a wimp out...

Holdup -George Orwell wrote 1984,which includes,among other famous ironic sayings, 'big brother is watching you'.
Therefore having a CCTV sign (watchingyou)next to George Orwell Street makes the juxtaposition slightly amusing.

It's probabaly got more to do with the time he spent in Spain during their Civil War and the chronicles he wrote about his experiences. But that spoils the irony a bit ;)

Spoil-sport! lol

[Biker Biggles]

Great stuff(The OP and the responses)
By coincidence I have sitting on the table in front of me an old copy of 1984,very motheaten and one or two pages missing.
Its an absolute must read especially for the younger generation who are growing up with no knowledge of the freedoms we all took for granted.

[hongman]

Remember I am in agony from my CBT, have sympathy :( I even had to go to work afterwards to try and catch up on stuff that happened whilst I was out popping wheelies.

Im going to bed, screw you :(

[SoulKiss]

Remember I am in agony from my CBT, have sympathy :(

That is also funny for reasons you also wont understand :)

[hongman]

Wut

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

That is also funny for reasons you also wont understand :)

Stop confusing the newbies SK

[metalmonkey]

Brillant find I love it! I think even more some since the the new government intend to reduce CCTV:rolleyes: like that will ever happen!

Oh watch the moive V if you don't get it, there are "shout towers" in place as I type...

[Stingo]

:thumbsup:

[BigBaddad]

Love it.

[BigBaddad]

Google 1984 George Orwell.

[Biker Biggles]

Its all doublethink to me
Im off to room 101 to rewrite a bit of out of date history

[-Ralph-]

We are great at teaching English literature in schools nowadays aren't we :rolleyes:

[Sid Squid]

(Re: 1984) - Its an absolute must read especially for the younger generation who are growing up with no knowledge of the freedoms we all took for granted.
What he said.

A good book, and a timely warning of the power of the state over the individual - let it never be even partly true.

See also: Animal Farm.

[-Ralph-]

I'd love to do a bit of an experiment on the forum, where every participant over the age of 30 has to pose a question from their days at secondary school, on a piece of literature, a grammatical principal, a mathematical principal, a basic bit of geography, a basic phrase in a modern foreign language, etc, etc, to generate a general knowledge questionnaire that any secondary school leaver should be able complete. Then see how well the under 20's do in that questionnaire compared to the over 30's. I can't see how you'd achieve it without getting answers off google though.

[Sid Squid]

Interesting idea - I think we all consider that education standards have fallen, but might it perhaps be that the emphasis has changed?

I'm not sure I think that's true - but it must be given consideration.

[simesb]

I'd love to do a bit of an experiment on the forum, where every participant over the age of 30 has to pose a question from their days at secondary school, on a piece of literature, a grammatical principal, a mathematical principal, a basic bit of geography, a basic phrase in a modern foreign language, etc, etc, to generate a general knowledge questionnaire that any secondary school leaver should be able complete. Then see how well the under 20's do in that questionnaire compared to the over 30's. I can't see how you'd achieve it without getting answers off google though.

You'll just get grammar nazi's such as me asking the difference between there, their, and they're :p

[-Ralph-]

You'll just get grammar nazi's such as me asking the difference between there, their, and they're :p

Or where to put the dreaded apostrophe, but it's all valid stuff for secondary school leavers.

[ophic]

I'd love to do a bit of an experiment on the forum, where every participant over the age of 30 has to pose a question from their days at secondary school, on a piece of literature, a grammatical principal, a mathematical principal, a basic bit of geography, a basic phrase in a modern foreign language, etc, etc, to generate a general knowledge questionnaire that any secondary school leaver should be able complete. Then see how well the under 20's do in that questionnaire compared to the over 30's. I can't see how you'd achieve it without getting answers off google though.
I can't remember any of the answers or the questions. I was appalled though that 4 out of the 5 voices on radio 1 the other morning didn't know how to work out the volume of a cube.

[lukemillar]

I can't remember any of the answers or the questions. I was appalled though that 4 out of the 5 voices on radio 1 the other morning didn't know how to work out the volume of a cube.

Ok, I give up. How do you work it out?

[BigBaddad]

Labour education for you....all they teach people to do is how to fill in benefit forms. Adult education extended to how to claim asylum. The only English lessons were for non-speakers. The only thing you know how to work the volume of is and iPod. Education was a way of keeping people off the unemployed lists.

Grrrrr

RALPH Re. your last post....I could help you out with a few. Perhaps you could also do another questionaire where the "kiddies" ask the questions...i.e. how can you tweet from a mobile.

[timwilky]

I thought everyone had to read 1984. Well when I went to school we did as it was on the O level English Literature reading list.

Quite amusing. I would have thought even the Spaniards would have seen the irony

[wyrdness]

That is also funny for reasons you also wont understand :)

Good thing that I didn't have a mouthful of coffee when I read that. :D

[Stig]

Ironic indeed.

[Sudoxe]

Wut
What?

[Owenski]

hehe me like.

[BigBaddad]

It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife.

[SoulKiss]

It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife.

Or meeting the man of your dreams, then meeting his beautiful wife?

:p

I think you will find those are Alanic (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=alanic) which proves that Canadians believe Irony to be like Silvery but not to shiny....

[_Stretchie_]

Holdup -George Orwell wrote 1984,which includes,among other famous ironic sayings, 'big brother is watching you'.
Therefore having a CCTV sign (watchingyou)next to George Orwell Street makes the juxtaposition slightly amusing.


Making words up just makes you look daft...

;)

It's not big and it's not clever

[gettin2dizzy]

It's a fantastic book to re-read too. I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone who hasn't laid eyes on it since Labour.

[Rai86]

One of my favourite books, its sat on my desk as i type.

When at school, we went to go see it on the stage. It was the most powerful bit of theatre ive ever seen! Found myself hiding behind my jumper at some parts! They did a really awesome mix of filmed on location footage on big moveable screens and stage. If you ever get to go see it. ….totally do it

[simesb]

When at school, we went to go see it on the stage. It was the most powerful bit of theatre ive ever seen!

People should just go to the theatre more, period. And I don't mean that musical trash they keep coming up with...

[hongman]

I remember animal farm.

I'd be naffed if I remember what it was about. I like to think I'm not exactly "thick", I came out of secondary school with 1 A*, 2 A's and the rest B's.

Its just this holds no interest for me, so more interesting things stick to mind.

[Rai86]

People should just go to the theatre more, period. And I don't mean that musical trash they keep coming up with...

+
1 I try to go once a month. There is a place in Exeter called the Phoenix which host quite a lot of alt theatre and some really interesting stuff

But lets not tar us "youngens" with the same brush, old folk are just as uncultured as some of the young folk

[gettin2dizzy]

+
1 I try to go once a month. There is a place in Exeter called the Phoenix which host quite a lot of alt theatre and some really interesting stuff

But lets not tar us "youngens" with the same brush, old folk are just as uncultured as some of the young folk
Most of these old folk probably didn't try pasta until they were 30. Cultured?! :lol:

[timwilky]

Most of these old folk probably didn't try pasta until they were 30. Cultured?! :lol:

Oi not our fault, it didn't exist until we turned 30. Except for cans of spaghetti. We came from a generation that was exposed to a TV April fool of a report of the annual spaghetti harvest in Italy where you could see them cutting the spaghetti off the trees. People believed it.


We were also told to be really cultured we should drink Blue Nun and Black Tower. Although these days I like a nice Amarone

[gettin2dizzy]

Oi not our fault, it didn't exist until we turned 30. Except for cans of spaghetti. We came from a generation that was exposed to a TV April fool of a report of the annual spaghetti harvest in Italy where you could see them cutting the spaghetti off the trees. People believed it.


We were also told to be really cultured we should drink Blue Nun and Black Tower. Although these days I like a nice Amarone
:lol:


I've met more cultured yoghurt!

[Lozzo]

On the subject of irony

http://bit.ly/dvMPX7

Work safe

[Jabba]

We were also told to be really cultured we should drink Blue Nun and Black Tower. Although these days I like a nice Amarone

Aye, and angel cake covered with Angel Delight was the height of sophistication at dinner parties ;-)

If those who haven't read it only read one book in their lives then, to my mind at least, it should be 1984.

Civil liberties and the Labour govt? Google for statistics on CCTV cameras per head of population. Then read some of the arguments for and against ID cards. Look up whe previous government's plans for a DNA database and the child database. Then make up your own minds.

Then re-read 1984.

Oh, and Mr Squid - great picture, dude :thumbsup:

[Berlin]

It's not big and it's not clever

That'll be a dyslexic Dwarf then!

:D

[Miss_Undaztood]

:)

[L3nny]

There is no need to read 1984 as there is a film. Many hours of your life saved there.

It's funny how some people are amazed when someone doesn't know something they do. I was taught the volume of a cube in school and in the 16 years since I left I have never used it once, nor have I have I ever had to work out the value of a hypotenuse by using the sum of the square of the other two sides.

In fact 90% of the stuff I was taught at school has been of no relevance to me in adulthood a whatsoever. What would have been more helpfull would be if they teach you life skills such as how to service your car, how to buy a house etc which is what I thinks schools are starting to lean towards.

Most people in the world don't know the difference between a pointy and a curvy, doesn't mean they are thick or uneducated just means that that piece of information isn't relevant to them.

Noone knows everyting (apart from my Mrs of course lol)

[-Ralph-]

There is no need to read 1984 as there is a film. Many hours of your life saved there.

It's funny how some people are amazed when someone doesn't know something they do. I was taught the volume of a cube in school and in the 16 years since I left I have never used it once, nor have I have I ever had to work out the value of a hypotenuse by using the sum of the square of the other two sides.

Really? I used the volume of a cube last week, I have a pretty much cubed shaped pond, and the instructions on the anti-algae chemical said 25ml per 1000 litres of water. So I measured the width and depth and calculated the volume, then converted cm3 to ml to figure out approx how many litres of water were in the pond.

I'm certainly not knocking people for not knowing something. Chris Tarrant says it bang on in who wants to be a millionaire, "only easy if you've been taught the answer". It's not about forgetting useless information over 16 years either, it's the under 20's I am talking about.

What I am knocking is the education system that seems to be failing those under 20's. I see it in every communication I have with my young cousins, young guys on this forum, my wife is a languages teacher and I see the kids books when she brings them home, etc. Some of her students know their French grammar better than they know their English.

And just because you've never used something it doesn't mean it shouldn't be taught, surely you are better off knowing the geometry of a hypotenuse so that the one day you do need it you are not stumped not knowing how to work it out. Last time I used it was measuring up and drawing out a design for a pannier rack for the tail of a bike, and needed to know on paper how long one of the bits of metal bar would need to be, the cross member that was going to brace the rectangle.

I'd like to think I would never decide not to read a book, because there was a film, but that's just me. I have two weeks on a sunbed in Majorca coming up and I'll take 2 or 3 books and get through the lot.

[thedonal]

I love this, you couldn't make it up.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZI9ZC-oL5KQ/S_Y9WbrAy_I/AAAAAAAAGPU/d4geIyeBnDE/s1600/orwell-sign.jpg

That's doubleplusironic!

[yorkie_chris]

then converted cm3 to ml


I bet that didn't take long :smt082


And just because you've never used something it doesn't mean it shouldn't be taught, surely you are better off knowing the geometry of a hypotenuse so that the one day you do need it you are not stumped not knowing how to work it out. Last time I used it was measuring up and drawing out a design for a pannier rack for the tail of a bike, and needed to know on paper how long one of the bits of metal bar would need to be, the cross member that was going to brace the rectangle.

Exactly.

Fact is knowing how to work out the hypotenuse of a triangle and knowing how to service a car are pretty similar chunks of brain to apply. Difference is the base maths is applicable to everything. Rather than being told "then you put this spanner on here...."

http://www.arisbe.com/detached/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/purity.png

[Messie]

Ouch!!!

But I know how the brain works and I teach that. So Ralph - just because you don't use something doesn't mean it shouldn't be taught lol? Ergo, everyone should learn psychology!!

[yorkie_chris]

Ouch!!!

But I know how the brain works and I teach that. So Ralph - just because you don't use something doesn't mean it shouldn't be taught lol? Ergo, everyone should learn psychology!!

I think he was more meaning sciences...

[SoulKiss]

There is no need to read 1984 as there is a film. Many hours of your life saved there.

And that, is why you fail...

No film can ever be a substitute for a book.

[ophic]

And that, is why you fail...

No film can ever be a substitute for a book.
You could just about prop a door open with a VHS tape, but these DVD thingies are utterly useless :rolleyes:

[dizzyblonde]

You could just about prop a door open with a VHS tape, but these DVD thingies are utterly useless :rolleyes:

Oh I dunno, crap DVDs are particularly good for getting small stones trapped under your living room door, when you have a wooden floor that scratches;)

[ophic]

Oh I dunno, crap DVDs are particularly good for getting small stones trapped under your living room door, when you have a wooden floor that scratches;)
Proper solution would be trim a bit off the door and fit a brush.

[-Ralph-]

Ouch!!!

But I know how the brain works and I teach that. So Ralph - just because you don't use something doesn't mean it shouldn't be taught lol? Ergo, everyone should learn psychology!!

I don't quite understand where your post and your "ouch" and "lol" is coming from.

"Just because you don't use something doesn't mean it shouldn't be taught" Do you disagree with that or did you just find it funny in the context that everyone should learn Psychology? Anyway that's my opinion and I'll stick by that 100% and not just for sciences.

Being taught anything broadens your horizons in some respect.

Of course you can't teach everything, but should we stop teaching religious education to pupils who will never become a priest, teach RE themselves, or even go to church? No of course we shouldn't, the things learned during RE will be of use to those pupils in later years, understanding the world around them. Whether it's top priority for classroom time is another argument, but it certainly can't do any harm for pupils to study RE as part of a compulsory curriculum if there is time for it (I don't know whether it is still compulsory or not).

The world would probably be a better place if everyone learned some psychology, it would help them to better understand the people around them, be a bit more tolerant with others, and perhaps know how to change their approach when they are struggling to deal with another person. Whether we have time to fit psychology into the mainstream secondary school curriculum is again an entirely different matter.

[Biker Biggles]

So without looking it up what is the State Capital of Louisiana?

[-Ralph-]

So without looking it up what is the State Capital of Louisiana?

I don't know, and...

I'm certainly not knocking people for not knowing something.

Is that OK with you?

If you tell me though I'll be very happy to have learned something, even though I'll probably never use it again.

[dizzyblonde]

Proper solution would be trim a bit off the door and fit a brush.


well quite, but I can't lift a door off its hinges right now;)

[timwilky]

Education is marvellous, wasted on kids though.

I remember hating French and thinking what a waste of time. 35 years after leaving school, I now work for a French company. Have to work in the country most weeks and it does help to be able to order your meal/beer etc in the language. But I was right all along, the French are a waste of time.

I need to contact my sister who has lived in Spain the past 30+ years to see if they teach their kids Orwell/1984 and if the Spaniards would appreciate the irony of their sign

[ophic]

well quite, but I can't lift a door off its hinges right now;)
I'll lend you Kaiser, he'll have it off its hinges in no time. Just put him on one side and his dinner on the other.

[Bear]

And that, is why you fail...

No film can ever be a substitute for a book.

Oh contrare (I know that's not how you spell it, but as it isn't English it's spelled wrong anyway!)

Have you ever read the book adaptation of the Tim Burton film Mars Attacks!

I have.

That's part of my life I will never see again...

My favourite piece of recent irony: doing an interview for Tonight with Trev, Michael Howard, Neil Kinnock and some Lib Dem fellow who I can't remember (so not Clegg or Cable, anyone name me a third?): Howard, as the answer to pretty much every question, gave this reply;

"Of course, the problem with modern politics is that every party concentrates on merely slagging off the other parties. And the Lib Dems are particularly bad at it..."

[timwilky]

I need to contact my sister who has lived in Spain the past 30+ years to see if they teach their kids Orwell/1984 and if the Spaniards would appreciate the irony of their signHer Reply

Dear Tim:

On the contrary,I think that they probably did it on purpose. The Catalans are the intelligent part of Spain.

Besitos,

[ophic]

Just in - a list of internal vacancies. The wording at the top of the application form:

******* recruits people on merit and suitability.
Applications are welcome from people with relevant skills and potential to do the job.
Please complete all sections of the application are completed in full.
You may attach an up to date CV if you wish.

[Biker Biggles]

Just in - a list of internal vacancies. The wording at the top of the application form:

******* recruits people on merit and suitability.
Applications are welcome from people with relevant skills and potential to do the job.
Please complete all sections of the application are completed in full.
You may attach an up to date CV if you wish.
No you missed the point.Its written in Newspeak so cant be wrong.;)

[Jayneflakes]

I do like that pic, so true and yet so sad. We are all being watched all of the time. :(

I love Orwell and have my well thumbed but loved copy of 1984 right next to my bed, I tend to read it about once a year and the scene with Winston betraying Julia, actually makes me cry.

As an experiment I watched the 1984 version of 1984 (With Richard Burton playing O'Brien and John Hurt play Winston) with my book in hand and it was pretty close to the script of the book. I also tried to watch the earlier (1954) version with Peter Cushing, but it lacked the dark edge of the book.

I have also read a few other Orwell books and seen a staged version of Animal Farm, written for the youth theater and again was in awe of the kids playing such striking roles.

The last Orwell book I read was "A Clergyman's Daughter (http://www.amazon.com/Clergymans-Daughter-George-Orwell/dp/0156180650/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1274972690&sr=1-1-fkmr0)" which was a horrifying read at times and a desperately sad read at others. I also read one of his short essays in which he describes being witness to a Hanging and that was tragic, I believe it was this experience that gave him the knowledge to describe it so well in some of his works.

I love film and do have an extensive collection of DVD movies, including Brazil, Equilibrium and V for Vendetta, all movies that explore the dark future of human kind. I was also lucky enough to spend a semester reading stuff like this while reading for my degree as part of my Global Futures studies. My Tutor was presented with an essay so dark and depressing that I am amazed I passed the course, it turned out to be the only first of my entire degree!

Although I loved reading as a child and was always off in a quiet corner with a great book (some of which were confiscated from me at school because they were deemed to be too "adult" in nature), yet when it came to reading in English lessons, I was chastised for being too far ahead of the class. Also the one book I can report actually hating while at school was "Welcome Home Jellybean (http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Home-Jellybean-Aladdin-Books/dp/0689712138)", which should have been a worthy book. The way I was forced to read it at such a slow pace and was ridiculed for getting a few bits wrong while reading aloud to the class (which always made me nervous), means that to this day I would refuse to pick it up. So much for instilling compassion in the reader.
:smt068 I would have had Jerri shot!