Posts by Neil Morrison

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  • Hard News: Feckless Solutions,

    I remain unconvinced that watching violent TV programmes or rugby, or smacking for that matter, lead in any casual sense to the sort of adult violence against children that is under discusion.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report

  • Hard News: Feckless Solutions,

    Apparently there's a gene that accounts for much of the variation.

    To systemic failure and personal responsibility add genetic susceptibility to the mix, just in case things weren't complicated enough.

    I do wonder if p use is playing a role in this.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report

  • Hard News: Idiotic and lamentable behaviour,

    Again, it comes to what is meant by delusional. If it means 'always wrong', then you simply can't have a true belief that you are delusional. If delusional simply means 'believes without justification', then you can believe whatever, there are no bounds. You could well be delusional and believe it. But on your strict definition, you couldn't know it.

    It depends a bit on whether one is talking Philosophy or Psychology. It's perfectly possible, altough seemingly counter-intuitive, to have a delusional thought system and to recognise that it is delusional (called having "insight"). That's a product of the mind not being a unity but of being composed of a cluster of bit and bobs.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report

  • Hard News: Idiotic and lamentable behaviour,

    These had a wide range of miraculous properties, from preventing cancer to increasing intelligence and boosting your sexual potency.

    I here that Apple has come up with the answer to all our hopes and dreams. It's called the iWish.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report

  • Hard News: Idiotic and lamentable behaviour,

    I think "misrepresents" was a bad choice of words. The Nats might not have meant "intentionally deceive" but that's the way it comes across.

    just chill out

    where's my natural therapeutic valium?

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report

  • Hard News: The cane and the strap,

    Is anyone else a little uneasy that only women are victims of domestic violence under the hospital questions?

    It could be more an issue of priorites and resource allocation but I suppose it would be logical to ask everyone these questions. It does seem quite odd that if you're over 65 no one is interested. The abuse of the aged is not uncommon.

    Are lesbians exempt?

    My understaning is that in most cases lesbians are women so presumably they won't be.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report

  • Hard News: The cane and the strap,

    Stop and thing before you hit post next time.

    well I did say that the FF opinion that there was a causal connection was spurious so I was thinging at the time.

    but I think a strong correlation would still be sufficient argument against corporal punishment.

    I agree, I wasn't implying any defense of coporal punishment just that there might be other factors causing boys to make trouble in class. Such as poor verbal skills compared to girls. The area of the brain related to language is late developing in boys.

    A friend's sister went back to Uni as adult to study maths to become a maths teacher. After a number of years of teaching she now no longer wants to be a teacher because of the intimidation and violence from pupils.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report

  • Hard News: The cane and the strap,

    Whatever happened to violence begets violence? I thought that was still self-evident. Line up all those kids that have hit their teachers, then go check what kind of extra-curricular bashing they get. I bet there's a pretty strong correlation.

    But a correlation it remains no matter how strong. There's a stronger correlation between the sex of those doing most of the teacher bashing and the sex of their father.

    But I agree about empowering teachers. It's all very well do away with corporal punishment but if what we get is the current increase in violence than that's pretty good ammunition for the likes of FF no matter how spurious.

    I would argue that kids, especially those with a Y chromosome, are not natural born angels and schools need to have a well developed disciplinary system that effectively prevents teachers and students being on the receiving end.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report

  • Hard News: The cane and the strap,

    I was sort of surprised that I wasn't surprised that 9 out of 10 acts of violence are carried out by boys (Bad Girl scoring a mere 1 out of 10).

    Boys will be boys. But this suggests schools are still having difficultly dealing with the less socially evolved member of the species.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report

  • Radiation: Back to the 80s,

    BTW, apropos of nothing Ingmar Bergman is now depressing the Almighty

    As Woody Allen might say - "He had it coming to him. But don't we all".

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report

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