What bemused you today?

[ABERS]

Social mobility is a state of mind, in fact what does it actually mean? Does it mean the ability to earn a fortune with all the trappings that brings, does it mean the ability to mix with every stratum of life or just being happy?

Like Howard I passed the 'scholarship', later to be called the 11+, back in 1948 and attended a well established grammar school. Whether that made me socially mobile I have no idea, since I still keep in touch with some old friends that were farmed off to the secondary modern.

[Reinardina]

I'm not sure what the precise definition is, but as long as every individual can reach the top of his or her abilities, I think you (can) 'create' a happy person. Whether a cabinet maker or a brain surgeon.

Everyone will have to make their own life, but having learnt how to use the necessary tools to get the best performance out of them, will certainly help to make life better.

This day and age a lot of teachers, don't seem to be able to engage their pupils, and make them realise learning is not just fun, but requires a lot of hard work and boring repetitiveness, before it  pays off, in the end.

[Hinfrance]

The fall in the Facebook share price. Even faster than I expected.

All together now: Facebook, what's it really worth? Absolutely nothing . .

OK, not quite that little, but pretty close.

[Reinardina]

It never appealed to me, does that mean I can spot a lame duck? (Or whatever the expression is.) Even before it's lame?

[jinky]

I'm not sure what the precise definition is, but as long as every individual can reach the top of his or her abilities, I think you (can) 'create' a happy person. Whether a cabinet maker or a brain surgeon.

Everyone will have to make their own life, but having learnt how to use the necessary tools to get the best performance out of them, will certainly help to make life better.

This day and age a lot of teachers, don't seem to be able to engage their pupils, and make them realise learning is not just fun, but requires a lot of hard work and boring repetitiveness, before it  pays off, in the end.

This day and age teachers don`t get the chance to push hard work and repetitiveness. OFSTED inspectors forget their own teaching practice and expect  teachers to be outstanding and general populace bang on about failing standards and how schools should do everything from instilling right and wrong to delivering high grades consistently no matter what the calibre of pupil. I`m glad my wife got out of it because it was crushing her and her passion for delivering languages amidst changing government initiatives and paperwork/plans over personality and p[positive engagement. Knowing one or two inspectors who were probably the worst teachers I know - delivering appalling stuff in cloistered private education establishments with less than 20 in a class and then judging state school teachers working with 30+ kids in a group of mixed abilities I wonder what happened to their own recollections of teaching delivery. If the money that went into supposedly ensuring standards went to the front line of teaching we might see the improvements people want through smaller classes and more happily engaged students. Same argument as managers in the health service I suppose! My wife`s old school became a trendy new academy against the will of staff and majority of parents on the promise of £500 k of new money. 6 months on none of the departments have seen any new money for needed equipment / books etc because "our debts as a school were bigger than I thought" according to the head. Her shiny brand new sports car standing in the reserved spot suggests she at least saw a salary increase.

[jinky]

The fall in the Facebook share price. Even faster than I expected.

All together now: Facebook, what's it really worth? Absolutely nothing . .

OK, not quite that little, but pretty close.

With the stuff I write and put on there the shares should be going through the roof - cannot understand it and regret buying 500,000 now!

[Oldboy]

Her shiny brand new sports car standing in the reserved spot suggests she at least saw a salary increase.

It was ever thus! 

It reminds me of the boards of limited companies, who would suggest to the shareholders, that the offer on the table was the best deal for all. As they stood to receive large cash awards plus a nice job with the takeover company, can we really believe what they say. 

[Oldboy]

The fall in the Facebook share price. Even faster than I expected.

All together now: Facebook, what's it really worth? Absolutely nothing . .

OK, not quite that little, but pretty close.

It never appealed to me, does that mean I can spot a lame duck? (Or whatever the expression is.) Even before it's lame?

It was just hype with no substance! 

[Reinardina]

This day and age teachers don`t get the chance to push hard work and repetitiveness.

I'd forgotten the red tape, thinking of my own schooldays. Teachers could simply teach in those days, even in large classes. Pupils were well behaved and did as they were told. We were not allowed 'free expression,'  had to do that in our spare time. No one ever questioned it.

And of course we were taught the core subjects, including three foreign languages.
Citizenship, racial awareness, how to use cutlery, social skills, personal hygiene etc etc did not have to be taught by teachers.

[Hinfrance]

One of THESE going the wrong way around one of the main roundabouts in town this morning  . It's a Voiture Sans Permis - a little car you can drive without a licence, usually owned and run by banned drunk drivers or really old rural people who never bothered to get a licence. The French call them yoghurt pots, we call them ant cars.

Everyone was very calm, or maybe just gobsmacked; there was no honking or gesturing, just trying to get out of the way 

[jinky]

One of THESE going the wrong way around one of the main roundabouts in town this morning  . It's a Voiture Sans Permis - a little car you can drive without a licence, usually owned and run by banned drunk drivers or really old rural people who never bothered to get a licence. The French call them yoghurt pots, we call them ant cars.

Everyone was very calm, or maybe just gobsmacked; there was no honking or gesturing, just trying to get out of the way 

You`ll have to give me driving tips if I end up down your way! I thought the French could handle roundabouts and not always giving way to the right now.

[Beaux Reflets]

One of THESE going the wrong way around one of the main roundabouts in town this morning  . It's a Voiture Sans Permis - a little car you can drive without a licence, usually owned and run by banned drunk drivers or really old rural people who never bothered to get a licence. The French call them yoghurt pots, we call them ant cars.

Everyone was very calm, or maybe just gobsmacked; there was no honking or gesturing, just trying to get out of the way 

Perhaps it was driven by a retired Brit with a damp seat (half way round) 

[Hinfrance]

Hearing the name 'Harriet Harman' and the word 'culture' in the same sentence.

[ABERS]

The Scottish Indepedance campaign is launched today. Why don't us Sassenachs get a say. The yes vote would walk it.

[Oldboy]

The Scottish Indepedance campaign is launched today. Why don't us Sassenachs get a say. The yes vote would walk it.

As long as we can get rid of all the Scottish descendant MP's in the House of Commons!