Posts by Bart Janssen
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
The tragedies of the last few days have highlighted the lot of cyclists in New Zealand. The roads are for cars and trucks and the drivers of those have all the rights, at least that's how they behave.
When I lived in Davis California we rode everywhere. Apart from the dedicated bike paths completely independent of the road system, the drivers in Davis will move heaven and earth to avoid putting a cyclist at risk or even inconvenience. It can be embarrassing to look forward to a little rest at an intersection only to have the car wave you through.
But In NZ that isn't the case. In NZ bikes aren't really accepted as legitimate road users. And as I drive I occasionally see cyclists who make me embarrassed to have ever been a cyclist. But even with the odd wanker on a bike it is the cars that have the power. When you drive a car you have the power to kill and we should be aware of that power and behave appropriately.
But most of the drivers don't. For most folks a car is simply a convenient means of getting around and anything that makes that task less convenient should be ignored. A red light is inconvenient - if you think you can get away with it simply run the light. A no U-turn sign is inconvenient if you missed your turn - just ignore it. A cyclist will slow you down - just nudge them out of the way.
The only way to improve things is to teach people how to drive properly. With care and consideration and with considerably more skill and attention to the task than is usual. A car is a lethal weapon but anyone and everyone gets a license to use one. I honestly can't accept that everyone who sits the test is skilled enough to be a driver, but they all pass.
And once you have that license, it's yours for life? Really? Surely at least a 5 year refresher on the rules, if not an actual test to see if you haven't developed bad habits. And it's just about impossible to actually lose your license folks, drunk driving lost your license ... no worries mate there are dozens of lawyers who'll get you on the road again.
To me the problem is we expect to be allowed to drive our cars whenever and wherever we want to, as if it was part of the bill of rights. Perhaps if it was bit harder to become and stay a driver folks might actually take it more seriously.
If driving a car was a hard earned privilege maybe we'd kill fewer people with our cars.
-
It's kind of interesting that the school thinks they can prevent the kids rebelling by defining and then enforcing uniform regulations. As near as I can tell if you could get the kids to all look the same you'd just shift their need to rebel into some different mode.
I went to GBHS, a school with no uniform at all. There clothes expressed individuality not sexuality.
-
Oh and in general after getting past the initial "no they changed everything" response ... did I mention I'm not so good with change ... it does all look very nice.
Despite my above comment the rotating featured post thingy isn't that bad, I just hadn't really looked at it because I'm kind of used to ignoring that part of most web pages, not entirely sure why I ignore that part of the page usually but it seems I do, especially if there is a picture there.
-
Argh so that annoying thing where 5 posts slowly rotate just after you missed seeing the one you were interested in is called "the featured rotate"
Ok not my favourite new feature but at least I understand what the gerbil is doing now.
And Emma you so missed the opportunity to be all knowing ...
-
can wear what she wants to fully aware of the consequences of doing so
boggle
Because, like, once she put on that skirt everything else follows logically.
-
Sorry but I haven't read the previous 12 pages so I don't know if this has been explained but,
How does it (the gerbil inside the box) decide what is a recent post? It doesn't seem to be based on how recently it was posted? -
Up Front: That's Inappropriate!, in reply to Jackie Clark,
the teachers’ Code of Ethics
Could they have made that less clear. I know it's meant to be flexible and modern and inclusive etc etc. But where's the bit that says don't xxxx the kids. Yeah I know it should be obvious but yah think a code of ethics would actually bother to be specific.
I can see how teachers like Jackie would be angrier at the teacher in question than I might be. After all it is Jackie's profession she has undermined.
I still don't know enough to know if this is a one time mistake, which I would tend to discipline and forgive. Or if it is part of that teacher's (or that school's) normal behaviour which would be a much more serious thing.
I have no tolerance for bullies and I'm with Emma that calling someone a slut is as bad as any abuse and if repeated then constitutes bullying. I am well aware of the power imbalance here as well as the dehumanising nature of the whole uniform thing. Teachers (deans especially) have power that they must be very careful not to abuse. But I still am conscious that we could be talking about a really good teacher here who had a bad day, I don't know enough to be willing to condemn.
-
Up Front: That's Inappropriate!, in reply to Emma Hart,
Yeah I am much more comfortable talking about bullying (in this case slut shaming) in general than in talking about this teacher in particular. Because I know SFA about this teacher's history. And I am equally disgusted by the editorials.
As for the teacher being a dean and her being senior and she should know better - well I'm sorry but really good people have bad days. The key here is does she have a history. That doesn't excuse the single incident and she deserves criticism and possible censure over the incident.
Yes she is the adult. But all of us adults stuff up. And adults recognise that and deal with it appropriately.
-
Up Front: That's Inappropriate!, in reply to Jackie Clark,
What Jackie said. Essentially the teacher failed that day.
However, that happens and I'm inclined to accept that teachers have bad days and fail. For which they should apologise and try and do better ... wait isn't that what the teacher did? Did the teacher have a history of such behaviour? If so then there is a problem that should be dealt with by the teacher's employers.
Should the parents raise the question of if the teacher has a problem? Sure. Should the parents ask that a record of this instance be made so that if it occurs again it can be seen as a trend and not an isolated incident? Sure. Should the teacher be treated as a bully and pilloried? Um no. A single act does not equal bullying, it may be wrong and even reprehensible but it isn't bullying.
I think the editorials are completely unacceptable but I also have a problem with using this teacher's mistake to highlight bullying of students by teacher. I really don't think this is fair on the teacher. No question she failed but equally setting her up as an example of teacher bullying is also a failure of fairness.
-
Speaker: My People, in reply to Jackie Clark,
Pragmatically speaking, we can only deal with what’s happening in our backyard.
Which is fine. But even then I'd argue that we still need to figure out a smarter way of increasing "wealth" then simply increasing the number of bodies producing wealth. To me the obvious approach is to try and get the smartest most creative most "productive" children - rather than simpler more children.