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  3. Churchill was a myth, Sherlock Holmes was real, and Charles Dickens is a work of fiction

Churchill was a myth, Sherlock Holmes was real, and Charles Dickens is a work of fiction

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  • R R Giskard Reventlov

    Dalek Dave wrote:

    there was this one scene in a Monty Python where Cleese was hilarious.

    Doubtful: Monty Python was NEVER funny. 'At Last The 1948 Show' was far better. So I've been told. By older people. Much older people. I know a kid with a Geography degree. Couldn't tell me the capital of Wales. We're just educating them to use iPods, nothing ore cos the teachers are just as thick.

    bin the spin home

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    Colin Angus Mackay
    wrote on last edited by
    #10

    digital man wrote:

    I know a kid with a Geography degree. Couldn't tell me the capital of Wales.

    For a bonus point. WHEN did it become the capital of Wales?

    Upcoming FREE developer events: * Developer Day Scotland Recent blog posts: * The Value of Smaller Methods * Creating Many-to-Many joins My website | blog

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    • C Colin Angus Mackay

      digital man wrote:

      I know a kid with a Geography degree. Couldn't tell me the capital of Wales.

      For a bonus point. WHEN did it become the capital of Wales?

      Upcoming FREE developer events: * Developer Day Scotland Recent blog posts: * The Value of Smaller Methods * Creating Many-to-Many joins My website | blog

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      Dalek Dave
      wrote on last edited by
      #11

      Shortly after W became a letter?

      ------------------------------------ I try to appear cooler, by calling him Euler.

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      • L Lost User

        Patrick Sears wrote:

        Among other insane things that apparently large sections of Britain believe[^]

        About 30% still believe in man made global warming. Believeing Elvis works in a chippy in Bolton is no less fanciful.

        Morality is indistinguishable from social proscription

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        Rajesh R Subramanian
        wrote on last edited by
        #12

        fat_boy wrote:

        About 30% still believe in man made global warming.

        About 89.154% of all statistics are "made-up" at the time of argument.

        Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself. - Cicero .·´¯`·->Rajesh<-·´¯`·. Codeproject.com: Visual C++ MVP

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        • B Baconbutty

          Having been amongst the younger people who have started work here and experiencing their general "knowledge" I am not surprised at all. One wonders what they actualy teach children at school these days. I went to my daughter's school evening where we were told what choices there are for their GCSE exams (age 16). One subject had two levels, Level 1 is aiming at grade D-G! I was horrified! This is, to all intents and purposes, a fail. Level 2 is A-C. So the school is encouraging pupils to "aim for a successful failure". I was speechless (which is a rare event for me :) )

          I still remember having to write your own code in FORTRAN rather than be a cut and paste merchant being pampered by colour coded Intellisense - ahh proper programming - those were the days :)

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          Lost User
          wrote on last edited by
          #13

          Baconbutty wrote:

          daughter's school

          Is this the norm in your town or are they on special measures? My youngest is at a Mathematics and Sciences Technology College and their aim is A to C grade with a target of A* for each pupil. Whereas my oldest, some years ago, was at a Council run school who were in special measures and didn't appear to care what, if anything, was learned, they have since improved but not to Technology College excellence.

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          • L Lost User

            Baconbutty wrote:

            daughter's school

            Is this the norm in your town or are they on special measures? My youngest is at a Mathematics and Sciences Technology College and their aim is A to C grade with a target of A* for each pupil. Whereas my oldest, some years ago, was at a Council run school who were in special measures and didn't appear to care what, if anything, was learned, they have since improved but not to Technology College excellence.

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            Baconbutty
            wrote on last edited by
            #14

            Our school is a Technology School. Most of the subjects are "proper subjects" but it was just this one that staggered me. Seems like the Govt are using us as a pilot for some madcap scheme. Thanks!

            I still remember having to write your own code in FORTRAN rather than be a cut and paste merchant being pampered by colour coded Intellisense - ahh proper programming - those were the days :)

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            • R Rajesh R Subramanian

              fat_boy wrote:

              About 30% still believe in man made global warming.

              About 89.154% of all statistics are "made-up" at the time of argument.

              Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself. - Cicero .·´¯`·->Rajesh<-·´¯`·. Codeproject.com: Visual C++ MVP

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              Pete OHanlon
              wrote on last edited by
              #15

              Rajesh R Subramanian wrote:

              About 89.154% of all statistics are "made-up" at the time of argument.

              They're only statistics if the other person uses them. They're facts when you do.

              Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.

              My blog | My articles

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              • V Vikram A Punathambekar

                First, I'm not sure if 3000 is large enough a sample for a country of ~60m people. :~ The 3% that think Dickens is a work of fiction can be written off as nutjobs, or just people without a literary bent. That nearly a quarter think Gandhi and Churchill are myths is definitely cause for worry. :suss:

                Cheers, Vikram.


                "I will put my new found knolage to good use" - Captain See Sharp. "Every time Lotus Notes starts up, somewhere a puppy, a kitten, a lamb, and a baby seal are killed." - Gary Wheeler.

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                El Corazon
                wrote on last edited by
                #16

                Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

                That nearly a quarter think Gandhi and Churchill are myths

                I'd almost rather that than my step son was taught in private school. Gandhi was a mass murderer about equal in scope to Hitler.

                _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)

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                • E El Corazon

                  Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

                  That nearly a quarter think Gandhi and Churchill are myths

                  I'd almost rather that than my step son was taught in private school. Gandhi was a mass murderer about equal in scope to Hitler.

                  _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)

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                  Dan Neely
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #17

                  :wtf: If you're not being facetious could you give some sort of citation/explanation for that statement?

                  Otherwise [Microsoft is] toast in the long term no matter how much money they've got. They would be already if the Linux community didn't have it's head so firmly up it's own command line buffer that it looks like taking 15 years to find the desktop. -- Matthew Faithfull

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                  • L Lost User

                    Patrick Sears wrote:

                    Among other insane things that apparently large sections of Britain believe[^]

                    About 30% still believe in man made global warming. Believeing Elvis works in a chippy in Bolton is no less fanciful.

                    Morality is indistinguishable from social proscription

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                    Patrick Etc
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #18

                    First of all, :zzz: Second of all, there's a wide difference between debating an issue whose science is not settled, and debating whether someone of whom there are thousands of pictures and recorded speeches, existed.


                    It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. - Albert Einstein

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                    • E El Corazon

                      Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

                      That nearly a quarter think Gandhi and Churchill are myths

                      I'd almost rather that than my step son was taught in private school. Gandhi was a mass murderer about equal in scope to Hitler.

                      _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)

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                      Vikram A Punathambekar
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #19

                      Please tell me you forgot to use the joke icon. Please. Gandhi? Somebody who, literally, did not hurt a fly? Did they get him mixed up with somebody else from the subcontinent? Even Jinnah wasn't on the scale of Hitler.

                      Cheers, Vikram.


                      "I will put my new found knolage to good use" - Captain See Sharp. "Every time Lotus Notes starts up, somewhere a puppy, a kitten, a lamb, and a baby seal are killed." - Gary Wheeler.

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                      • D Dalek Dave

                        There are people who think we went to the moon, others who still think Elvis is Dead and some who even believe that the Gulf War had nothing to do with oil. I personally believe that Robin Hood existed, I have seen all his films. Winston Churchill was invented by Clement Atlee in order to win the war and John Cleese was funny once. I know others think I may be mad, but honestly there was this one scene in a Monty Python where Cleese was hilarious. :)

                        ------------------------------------ I try to appear cooler, by calling him Euler.

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                        Patrick Etc
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #20

                        Dalek Dave wrote:

                        but honestly there was this one scene in a Monty Python where Cleese was hilarious.

                        :~ I find Monty Python to be hilarious.. from which side of the pond do you hail?


                        It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. - Albert Einstein

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                        • D Dan Neely

                          :wtf: If you're not being facetious could you give some sort of citation/explanation for that statement?

                          Otherwise [Microsoft is] toast in the long term no matter how much money they've got. They would be already if the Linux community didn't have it's head so firmly up it's own command line buffer that it looks like taking 15 years to find the desktop. -- Matthew Faithfull

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                          El Corazon
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #21

                          dan neely wrote:

                          If you're not being facetious could you give some sort of citation/explanation for that statement?

                          Abeka books, Gandhi led his people away from the correct path damning his people and his country forever. Had he simply let them all die he would have been kinder than destroying his people and his country by leading them to independance from the British empire and the Christian church....

                          _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)

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                          • V Vikram A Punathambekar

                            Please tell me you forgot to use the joke icon. Please. Gandhi? Somebody who, literally, did not hurt a fly? Did they get him mixed up with somebody else from the subcontinent? Even Jinnah wasn't on the scale of Hitler.

                            Cheers, Vikram.


                            "I will put my new found knolage to good use" - Captain See Sharp. "Every time Lotus Notes starts up, somewhere a puppy, a kitten, a lamb, and a baby seal are killed." - Gary Wheeler.

                            E Offline
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                            El Corazon
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #22

                            Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

                            Please tell me you forgot to use the joke icon.

                            I really wish I had. It made me physically ill to read it. It was the most horrible basterdization of history I have ever read, ever, EVER. I asked my wife about it later, saying it made me ill to read that, and worse that it was taught to kids as history. She said simply, "by someone's perspective it could be true, right?"

                            _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)

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                            • R Rajesh R Subramanian

                              fat_boy wrote:

                              About 30% still believe in man made global warming.

                              About 89.154% of all statistics are "made-up" at the time of argument.

                              Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself. - Cicero .·´¯`·->Rajesh<-·´¯`·. Codeproject.com: Visual C++ MVP

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                              Lost User
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #23

                              Rajesh R Subramanian wrote:

                              About 89.154% of all statistics are "made-up" at the time of argument.

                              What! Its 82.45%!

                              Morality is indistinguishable from social proscription

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                              • E El Corazon

                                dan neely wrote:

                                If you're not being facetious could you give some sort of citation/explanation for that statement?

                                Abeka books, Gandhi led his people away from the correct path damning his people and his country forever. Had he simply let them all die he would have been kinder than destroying his people and his country by leading them to independance from the British empire and the Christian church....

                                _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)

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                                Dan Neely
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #24

                                El Corazon wrote:

                                Abeka books

                                Is this some sort of bi-hemispherectomy required fundamentalist drivel?

                                Otherwise [Microsoft is] toast in the long term no matter how much money they've got. They would be already if the Linux community didn't have it's head so firmly up it's own command line buffer that it looks like taking 15 years to find the desktop. -- Matthew Faithfull

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                                • P Patrick Etc

                                  First of all, :zzz: Second of all, there's a wide difference between debating an issue whose science is not settled, and debating whether someone of whom there are thousands of pictures and recorded speeches, existed.


                                  It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. - Albert Einstein

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                                  L Offline
                                  Lost User
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #25

                                  Patrick Sears wrote:

                                  an issue whose science is not settled

                                  Good, you are on my side then. Anyway, I SAW Elvis in Bolton, he served me a battered saussage and chips!

                                  Morality is indistinguishable from social proscription

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                                  • P Patrick Etc

                                    Dalek Dave wrote:

                                    but honestly there was this one scene in a Monty Python where Cleese was hilarious.

                                    :~ I find Monty Python to be hilarious.. from which side of the pond do you hail?


                                    It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. - Albert Einstein

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                                    Dan Neely
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #26

                                    A lot of MP humor doesn't translate well on the western side. Quest for the Holy Grail and The Life of Brian worked, but all of the short MP stuff I've seen left me with varying degrees of :wtf:

                                    Otherwise [Microsoft is] toast in the long term no matter how much money they've got. They would be already if the Linux community didn't have it's head so firmly up it's own command line buffer that it looks like taking 15 years to find the desktop. -- Matthew Faithfull

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                                    • D Dan Neely

                                      El Corazon wrote:

                                      Abeka books

                                      Is this some sort of bi-hemispherectomy required fundamentalist drivel?

                                      Otherwise [Microsoft is] toast in the long term no matter how much money they've got. They would be already if the Linux community didn't have it's head so firmly up it's own command line buffer that it looks like taking 15 years to find the desktop. -- Matthew Faithfull

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                                      El Corazon
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #27

                                      dan neely wrote:

                                      Is this some sort of bi-hemispherectomy required fundamentalist drivel?

                                      I have already said too much.... sorry, but I had to vent. It has beeen making me angry and hurt and ill alternately since I read it. Luckily it was short, basically laid full blame on all deaths during the independance of India square on Gandhi's shoulders as well as the future destruction of the entire country. There were kinder things said about some pretty infamous people. anyhow I have already said too much for the lounge... sorry. It still bothers me though....

                                      _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)

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                                      • D Dan Neely

                                        A lot of MP humor doesn't translate well on the western side. Quest for the Holy Grail and The Life of Brian worked, but all of the short MP stuff I've seen left me with varying degrees of :wtf:

                                        Otherwise [Microsoft is] toast in the long term no matter how much money they've got. They would be already if the Linux community didn't have it's head so firmly up it's own command line buffer that it looks like taking 15 years to find the desktop. -- Matthew Faithfull

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                                        t7bros
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #28

                                        I don't know. I love the movies and I've seen most of Flying Circus. I love it all. I even bought a Monty Python music CD. And I'm on the western side of the pond. A lot of my friends feel the same way too. Just like everything else, it all depends on the person/people watching.

                                        Have faith in yourself; amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic.

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                                        • D Dan Neely

                                          A lot of MP humor doesn't translate well on the western side. Quest for the Holy Grail and The Life of Brian worked, but all of the short MP stuff I've seen left me with varying degrees of :wtf:

                                          Otherwise [Microsoft is] toast in the long term no matter how much money they've got. They would be already if the Linux community didn't have it's head so firmly up it's own command line buffer that it looks like taking 15 years to find the desktop. -- Matthew Faithfull

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                                          Patrick Etc
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #29

                                          dan neely wrote:

                                          Quest for the Holy Grail and The Life of Brian worked, but all of the short MP stuff I've seen left me with varying degrees of :wtf:

                                          Hmm.. I think I've seen the majority of everything Cleese has done. I find his work overwhelmingly hilarious, but maybe that's just Cleese himself - able to evoke a humor that Americans will also understand, even though the humor is British. I've seen most of Flying Circus, I even took a liking to Faulty Towers for awhile (not that they made many episodes, so I probably only missed a few).

                                          dan neely wrote:

                                          A lot of MP humor doesn't translate well on the western side.

                                          That's probably true. I happen to have a basic understanding of British politics though, so I think I'm able to get jokes that alot of Americans don't.


                                          It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. - Albert Einstein

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