Poor numeracy 'blights the economy and ruins lives'

[Audley Strange]

My arse. Why is it not considered reasonable to generalise negatively, yet you generalise positively and no one minds that. We have 7 billion people on this planet, not one percent of them are ever going to do anything other than consume multiply and whine.

Quit whining.

Nah. I have no kids and I an not really a shopper, if I stop whining I'll cease to exist.

[Coito ergo sum]

There's plenty of people from any previous period in history who would have sold their children to live in our "Dark Age"....

And there are few libertarians who would sell their children to go back to the Dark ages

The Dark Ages were not libertarian. Further, given that the current state of affairs is as a result of policies which are the diametric opposite of libertarianism, then perhaps it is those who support the kind of education systems we have now that are pro-Dark Age?

[Coito ergo sum]

Generally life has never been better, go back 20 years it was quite shit, go back 40 years it was very shit go back 400 years it was so shit shit hadnt been invented and all you had was libertarians and dragons

Going forward , in 20 years time life will be better and people will look back to 2012 and think life was shit then (except libertarians)

I can tell you from experience, that life 20 and 40 years ago was neither better nor worse than it is now.

[Clinton Huxley]

My arse. Why is it not considered reasonable to generalise negatively, yet you generalise positively and no one minds that. We have 7 billion people on this planet, not one percent of them are ever going to do anything other than consume multiply and whine.

Quit whining.

Nah. I have no kids and I an not really a shopper, if I stop whining I'll cease to exist.

If a man whines on an internet forum but no-one reads the thread, does a tree fall over without.....I've not thought this through

[Clinton Huxley]

Generally life has never been better, go back 20 years it was quite shit, go back 40 years it was very shit go back 400 years it was so shit shit hadnt been invented and all you had was libertarians and dragons

Going forward , in 20 years time life will be better and people will look back to 2012 and think life was shit then (except libertarians)

I can tell you from experience, that life 20 and 40 years ago was neither better nor worse than it is now.

It was worse. You know, with the lower life expectancy and the casual racism, sexism and homophobia etc etc etc.

And you don't see so many brown cars, like you used to in the 70s, thank God.

[Audley Strange]

My arse. Why is it not considered reasonable to generalise negatively, yet you generalise positively and no one minds that. We have 7 billion people on this planet, not one percent of them are ever going to do anything other than consume multiply and whine.

Quit whining.

Nah. I have no kids and I an not really a shopper, if I stop whining I'll cease to exist.

If a man whines on an internet forum but no-one reads the thread, does a tree fall over without.....I've not thought this through

does a tree fall without hitting a shitting bear?

[Clinton Huxley]

does a tree fall without hitting a shitting bear?

It does, about 1/3 or, to put it another way, 25% of the time.....

[MrJonno]

Generally life has never been better, go back 20 years it was quite shit, go back 40 years it was very shit go back 400 years it was so shit shit hadnt been invented and all you had was libertarians and dragons

Going forward , in 20 years time life will be better and people will look back to 2012 and think life was shit then (except libertarians)

I can tell you from experience, that life 20 and 40 years ago was neither better nor worse than it is now.

Twenty years ago we wouldnt be having this conversation (no real internet) which adds greatly to dealing with my boredom at work, hence life is definitely better.

What did people young people do for entertainment before TV, went to the trenches and killed each other!

[Coito ergo sum]

The 70s were great. Pre-AIDS -- few hang-ups -- a loosening of cultural restrictions rather than a tightening of them. A better cultural understanding of freedom and less hypersensitivity to anything and everything, and not quite as annoying a sense of entitlement (or, at least, a cultural ability to see the sense of entitlement for what it is and not cater to it).

Bands like the Stones, Led Zepellin, Aerosmith, AC/DC and Van Halen were in their prime.

The need for hair gels and "mousse" had not yet entered the minds of any self-respecting male. It was acceptable to not cut ones hair for long periods of time.

The drinking age was 18, and when someone turned 18 they were regarded as being an adult, and not some sort of "delayed child."

Firecrackers, sparklers, cap-guns, water pistols, and plastic green army men were not considered threats to the health and safety of the "chil'run."

People could listen to a tape of a song, and have the song switch tracks in the middle of the song, and they thought it was just fine.

[Coito ergo sum]

Generally life has never been better, go back 20 years it was quite shit, go back 40 years it was very shit go back 400 years it was so shit shit hadnt been invented and all you had was libertarians and dragons

Going forward , in 20 years time life will be better and people will look back to 2012 and think life was shit then (except libertarians)

I can tell you from experience, that life 20 and 40 years ago was neither better nor worse than it is now.

Twenty years ago we wouldnt be having this conversation (no real internet) which adds greatly to dealing with my boredom at work, hence life is definitely better.

What did people young people do for entertainment before TV, went to the trenches and killed each other!

There were just other ways of dealing with boredom at work. 20 years ago...let's see...oh, yes... 20 years ago, I hooked up with this girl at work and for about six months I got regular blowjobs during the work day. That was a fine way to relieve boredom.

[Clinton Huxley]

It was much more difficult to make Merkins you'd never met cross, in the 70s.......

[Audley Strange]

does a tree fall without hitting a shitting bear?

It does, about 1/3 or, to put it another way, 25% of the time.....

You see this is the sort of thing quality thinking that kids don't learn anymore.

In all seriousness though, I think a dark age is when illiteracy levels are so low that the historical record goes dark. During the next enlightenment (if such is to happen) The Historians will find that the predominant fascination of our era is Hair.

[Clinton Huxley]

You know, I do have a remarkably thick and rather distinguished head of hair, my barber comments on it everytime I go.

Anyway, we don't need to count or do sums, we have machines for that.

[Audley Strange]

It sounds absurd doesn't it. Hair. But think about it, whether it be religious tomfoolery about wigs or turbans or hiding hair, or the saturation bombardment of shampoo and conditioner adverts, or even Hitler's Fringe and Tootbrush moustache. Skinheads and Hippies, Teddy boys with their quiffs, punks with their angular parrot disasters, Rastas and their dreads. The one thing that we all seem to have in common is an obsession with hair, it crosses cultural and religious boundaries. It's used as a group identifier and as a sign of authority, certain styles can lead to distrust or mockery. I guess we'll be referred to as the Capilluscene era.

[Clinton Huxley]

Hair today, gone tomorrow.

You don't get to trot that one out very often, these days.