TygerBryght, you are an ass.

[Guinastasia]

I can understand her style, although it comes off as a wee bit pretentious.

[lissener]

@Guinastasia

I can understand her style, although it comes off as a wee bit pretentious.

Hmm. The panel has determined that this post requires ajudication. The near-unanimous decision (only the French judge dissenting) is as follows: since Guinistasia is retarded, technically this counts as a point *for *TygerBryght.

[Malacandra]

@tygerbryght

Somebody up the thread complained about my writing style, which was barely good enough to get me the highest grade in my H.S. senior English class final, forty-some years ago. IOW, there were some other bright kids in the class; I had competition, including another Merit Scholarship semi-finalist (back when there was no way to prep for them; if you scored high, it was because you already had the skills), who is now on the faculty of a University of California law school. Not saying which UCxx because he’s a busy man. Of course, he’ll probably be retiring before the decade’s out.

I just happened to visit Chaos Manor a little while ago. Dr. Jerry Pournelle is known for military SF, and for writing about new stuff in computing, for those unfamiliar with who he is. Jerry is also husband to a noted remedial educationist, Roberta by name. Through her, he takes a strong - and very painful - interest in education. Friday’s date has a subhead: The Education Disaster. He offers two links, one to a MSNBC poll on the reading comprehension of upper level college students. The other is to an even more “bigoted” opiner than he: a cheery soul who calls his blog Fred On Everything. His January 18th post is titled, “A Colony Again” :eek:

I offer them as recommended reading - not because you’ll enjoy what you read, unless maybe you’re North Korean or PRC Chinese. I’m not nearly as far to the right as either of them, but “facks ez facks,” as they say. I ain’t a-gonna say, “After me the deluge” (sorry, but I don’t recall the French original precisely, and I prefer to murder no one’s language but my own). I’ll just let you think/stew/fume about it, okay?

Uh, should I be thanking even sven for doing this to me, do you suppose?

I’ve read Fred. He’s entertaining. I take it you visited Pournelle’s website, not the man himself, or I’ll be forced to charge you with name-dropping

It’d be “Apres moi le deluge” unless you’re channelling 617 Squadron, in which case “Apres nous…”. The reader can provide his own accents.

[Cat_Whisperer]

@Left Hand of Dorkness

As I understand it, her point is somewhere between “Kids these days!” and “through the snow, uphill, both ways!” She was a great writer forty years ago, and we all know how much better schools were then --just look at these two cranky blogs for proof!

I’m a bit skeptical, you may’ve gathered :).

Daniel

Ah! I still don’t get it. But, I’m willing to admit defeat. If all y’all say her writing is perfectly clear to you (except the retarded Guinastasia ), then I will humbly admit that the failing is on my end and leave it at that.

[Morelin]

To me, she writes like Dickens. Who was reportedly paid by the word. I’m a fan of simple speech, with a few “10 dollar words” tossed in to keep things interesting.

[tygerbryght]

@Malacandra

I’ve read Fred. He’s entertaining. I take it you visited Pournelle’s website, not the man himself, or I’ll be forced to charge you with name-dropping

Website, not Tep’s Town. You’re absolutely right. I don’t know him; I’m just a reader.

I don’t read Fred very often. I don’t think I qualify as a feminist (I’m not militant on anything except for equal pay for equal work), but I do find him grating at times. He is clever, though, and says worthwhile stuff at times. Certainly what he said is grossest exaggeration, but there is a grain of painful truth to what he says.

Several people have criticized my last post. Upon re-reading, I have to concede that it has some flaws. :rolleyes:

Guinastasia probably said it most succinctly: “pompous”. To which I respond, “Owwwwwwww” :o

I think we need (or at least I do) another smiley - waving a white flag, maybe?

OTOH, that might warrant a complementary one that has some sort of weapon. Sword, maybe? Gun? Bow and arrow?