Davina wrote:

Of course teachers do not want to make their pupils feel like they are stupid but not telling them the correct way to spell a word, as one example, is not helping them in the long run. If everything that is written is perfectly valid as it is, then we are in danger of losing the common language that allows us to communicate clearly between ourselves. This is not what happens though. What happens is that those children grow into adults who are hindered socially, academically and in employment because they are unable to use different registers of speaking, depending upon the social situation, and are also unable to express themselves clearly in the written word.

Oh dear! This has turned into a bit of a rant. Sorry!

Well, it's frustrating. I don't want to grow old only to live in a country run by young people who couldn't pass 8th grade English. I worked very hard in school and, if I wasn't measuring up, I was called out on it. Or my mother was called. I hated Catholic school at the time, but I'm now pretty thankful for that education. That, and my mother did "refreshers" during the summer. She'd make little worksheets that I'd have to do before I could go play. I guess she was following the "If you don't use it, you lose it" mentality. Just another thing I hated that I'm now thankful for.

drummerchickSH wrote:

The staying alive music :D I'm not the only one with it as my ring tone

I have it as well. ;) My notification (text, voice mail) is Moriarty saying, "No rush."

ancientsgate wrote:

Banbha wrote:

Trying to read posts on Facebook used to be enough to make my skin crawl. I mean, I understand typos happen once in a while, but is it so difficult to remember which their/they're/there (and etc) you are to use?

Apparently.

In their defense, American school kids have been actively taught that "spelling doesn't matter" for over 30 years now. School kids are asked to write compositions of various kinds, supposedly to teach them how to tell a story, how to get their thoughts down in a coherent way, or just for fun, I suppose, but "spelling doesn't matter... you won't be marked down for misspelled words."  Is it any wonder then that people who are about 40 and under can't spell, don't think it matters a hoot anyway, and go so far as to deliberately misspell words because they think it's faster, more clever, etc.?

I grew up going to parochial school where spelling (and everything else) most certainly did matter. When I started public school in junior high, I felt as though I'd taken steps backward. I remember thinking, in some of my 7th grade classes, that the material being taught I'd already learned in grades previous.

Math is the exception. I've never been good at it. I remember being chapters behind everyone else as early as 3rd grade. But I majored in science at school so I guess I made it work somehow.

I mix British and American spelling. I didn't notice I was doing it until a few years ago, when someone called me out on how I spell theatre and words such as travelled, cancelled, signalled, and etc. (They only have one "L" here in the States.) I don't really have an explanation. It could be that, during my formative years, I read a good deal of Brit Lit and the spellings stuck in my brain. I don't know.

I used to be a real stickler when it came to grammar, but the longer I've been out of English classes at school, the worse I feel my grammar is getting. I blame society; some people are so completely ignorant of the ins and outs of their own language that they drag everyone else down with them. Trying to read posts on Facebook used to be enough to make my skin crawl. I mean, I understand typos happen once in a while, but is it so difficult to remember which their/they're/there (and etc) you are to use?

The Tudors is pretty good. I haven't followed it, however. I began the series when I was home ill from work for several days, watched it for hours on end (since I couldn't get out of bed and do much else), and I think I got sick of it. I might try to pick it up again.

Game of Thrones! I don't think anyone mentioned that show. It can be a bit complicated but the plot twists enough to keep me incredibly involved with it.

I really like Revenge--definitely a puzzle.

Wow. I feel like a complete couch potato. I know there are others I could suggest, but I can't think of them at the moment. There is a brand new series here called Mob Doctor. I've only seen the pilot, but it looks very promising. Of course, I like a good medical drama and I'd like one which doesn't involve everyone sleeping with one another and completely unrealistic scenarios, a la Grey's Anatomy. Thus my love for House.

Yes, I do as well. I think it helps people to better understand art and its importance.

@Susigo: It's not difficult, I know. My friend laughed at me; they just don't understand.

Sherli Bakerst wrote:

Davina wrote:

They always like a bit of Charles Dickens...don't they!

Yup!  Plus, all those period shows support many Americans' idealized view of England.  Sherlock doesn't fit into that so perhaps it's harder for some people to "get" it.  OTOH, Sherlock is a very creative and well-acted show, which Hollywood does sometimes reward.  So I'll probably watch the Emmy Awards show next week because at least this year, it won't be dull and boring.   

Totally prefer the Sherlock view of England. Great Expectations (the show) was weird, boring, and slow, in my opinion. I'm sure the book (as usual) is far better. I'll get to it eventually.

Davina wrote:

I expect he calls it because it is deeply buried in his long-term memory and is partially sub-conscious, not something he consciously learnt. I could be wrong though.

I think you're right. I remember a nursery rhyme my Polish grandmother used to sing to me (in Polish) when I was too young to remember much of anything else. 

I also like KeepersPrice's idea that Mycroft sang it when they were very little.

kazza474 wrote:

Banbha wrote:

kazza474 wrote:

Yes the fact that you two ARE in these roles wasn't the issue.  It was the potential for the game that I thought was amusing .

Never mind.

I don't believe either of us said it was an issue, either.

Sometimes people like to talk about things that aren't necessarily on your agenda.

*sighs*
It wasn't an agenda, it was a joke.
Playing "Doctors and Nurses" is used metaphorically for 'a bit of hanky panky' so to speak.

Why are people so uptight around here geez?!!!!!

*shrugs* I didn't know anyone was being uptight.

I was mainly just striking up conversation.