On a more positive note...

[Bodisathva]

Fact or Fiction

Just to clarify:

Summary of the eRumor
Bill Gates spoke before a group of high school students and gave them his eleven rules of life.

The Truth
This is not from Bill Gates. It's an excerpt from the book "Dumbing Down our Kids" by educator Charles Sykes. It is a list of eleven things you did not learn in school and directed at high school and college grads.

However, a listing of the various speeches from the B&M Gates Foundation can be found here. And there are some schools listed, I'm just not energetic enough to read them all


I still liked it, Ken.

 

[KenHigg]

Maybe a technicality I guess... Maybe it's 'God bless the Queen' or something like that. Anyway, you knew I was talking about the 'something, something the Queen' every time you say her name... Funny thing is, it only sounds sappy when you say it... I guess it comes from your adamantly self professed atheistic views.

Why not say something like 'Sun bless the Queen'. I believe you've mentioned that maybe the sun should be what we worship instead of God...

 

[KenHigg]

I still liked it, Ken.

I would have liked it even if Col or Rich had said it...

(maybe not - )

 

[ColinEssex]

Maybe a technicality I guess... Maybe it's 'God bless the Queen' or something like that. Anyway, you knew I was talking about the 'something, something the Queen' every time you say her name... Funny thing is, it only sounds sappy when you say it... I guess it comes from your adamantly self professed atheistic views.

Oh so thats what you're on about more than a "technicality" I think - what you said is the same as me saying that "De Camptown Ladies" is the national anthem of the USA

Why not say something like 'Sun bless the Queen'. I believe you've mentioned that maybe the sun should be what we worship instead of God...

there is much more kudos in worshipping the sun as opposed to a fairy tale - without the sun we'd all be dead.

Col

 

[KenHigg]

Sorry if you feel I'm picking it apart, but I think if you're going to aim a message at young people it only makes sense to use terms that are relevant to them. Teaching them life lessons through references to outdated things sends the signal that your lessons are outdated. I realize your audience is actually the members of the Watercooler, but then, well... the message really becomes nothing more than reminding ourselves how pleased we should be that we've learned this wisdom. Sorry if my reaction is cynical, but hey that's the way I am sometimes.

If bringing up Bill Gates is irrelevent, then dropping his name in the first place must have been irrelevant to the message. Which it is. Which irritates me. If the message is good enough to stand on its own, let it stand on its own. Don't try to artificially enhance it with appeals to authority. In other words, just because the message might be good is not an excuse to lie. *Glares at the anti-drug people* (BTW, I'm speaking rhetorically here. I know you didn't write this, Ken.)

And as far as the boss v. teachers thing, yes that's certainly one way you could look at it and you're quite correct, but you're also reading a lot into it. The "rule" as stated referred specifically to the experiences of being subordinate to people in different roles, not to the ramifications of failure in different environments. To me, it looked like a rephrasing of the plattitude "if you think school is hard, wait until you get into the real world", which is drilled into your head from the time you enter school until the time you leave it. And frankly, such things simply piss me off because they are complete lies.

I know you post these to add more positive messages to the 'Cooler environment, but so many times the positive messages that get circulated contain negative ones in disguise. And I don't like it when people are tricked into accepting bad messages along with the good ones. I don't think it is unreasonable to root such things out.

I do appreciate your insight - But I'm guessing it's possible to eventually twist any statement into a 'negative' for someone - Still, good banter though

 

[Bodisathva]

De camptown ladies sing dis song...doo-dah, doo-dah
God Save the Queen / all the Christians are wrong...oh a doo-dah-day!

 

[KenHigg]

- what you said is the same as me saying that "De Camptown Ladies" is the national anthem of the USA

No it's not.

... there is much more kudos in worshipping the sun ...
Col

Maybe for you

 

[KenHigg]

De camptown ladies sing dis song...doo-dah, doo-dah
God Save the Queen / all the Christians are wrong...oh a doo-dah-day!

.
.
.

 

[dan-cat]

*sigh* - "God Save The Queen" is the name of the British national anthem, how can you say "I said nothing of any anthem thing"?????.

By arguing that "God save the Queen" could refer to anything.

Like this song perhaps

 

[Kraj]

I do appreciate your insight - But I'm guessing it's possible to eventually twist any statement into a 'negative' for someone - Still, good banter though

Yes, I'd agree that it possible. It's the statements that don't require much twisting that bother me.

And BTW, Colin, if you honestly take offense to the idea that saying "(God bless her)" every single time you refer to the Queen is sickening or annoying, ask yourself how you'd react if every time an American refers to the U.S.A. (God bless it) or the President (God bless him) that we add "(God bless it/him)" to it. If your excuse is that you're simply referencing the national anthem, then ask yourself how you'd react if every time an American refers the the U.S.A. (Star Spangled Banner) or the President (Star Spangled Banner) that we add "(Star Spangled Banner)" to it.

 

[ColinEssex]

And BTW, Colin, if you honestly take offense to the idea that saying "(God bless her)" every single time you refer to the Queen is sickening or annoying, ask yourself how you'd react if every time an American refers to the U.S.A. (God bless it) or the President (God bless him) that we add "(God bless it/him)" to it. If your excuse is that you're simply referencing the national anthem, then ask yourself how you'd react if every time an American refers the the U.S.A. (Star Spangled Banner) or the President (Star Spangled Banner) that we add "(Star Spangled Banner)" to it.

I did not take offence and I am not referencing the National Anthem - the national anthem has nothing to do with putting "God bless her" after mentioning the Queen (God Bless Her).

Ken brought it up by saying "God Save The Queen" - I was pointing out to him that that is not what I said. . . . . Christ - why is it so difficult for you lot to understand that Ken is talking about 2 different things and as usual is totally confused. Once again it displays how totally out of touch the USA is with reality.

You can type whatever you want after "The USA", or "The President" or whatever - its up to you, I'm not bothered Actually, Americans usually have a "hidden" comment like "I'm from the USA (arn't we the greatest?)" like we're supposed to bow down before them or something

Oh BTW - totally off subject. . . . there's a new drink just being marketed here called "Coca Cola Zero" - apparently it has zero sugar. Is that the same as diet Coke? it seems we now have Coca Cola (normal), Coca Cola Diet and Coca Cola Zero - whats going on here?? not that I drink the foul tasting stuff anyway, I just wondered if its another Coke scam like that Dasani tap water they tried to flog us

Col

 

[ColinEssex]

By arguing that "God save the Queen" could refer to anything.

Like this song perhaps

Ah, the good old Sex Pistols The BBC banned playing this record because it was deemed offensive, obviously it shot straight to number one after it was banned.

Col

 

[ColinEssex]

De camptown ladies sing dis song...doo-dah, doo-dah
God Save the Queen / all the Christians are wrong...oh a doo-dah-day!

I'm surprised you say that Christians are wrong Bod. Thats rather a sweeping statement.
I thought it was against the constitution to say that. Christians can believe whatever rubbish (garbage I think you call it) they like - you should be more open and understanding to peoples differing beliefs like Me and Rich are.

Col

 

[KenHigg]

... after mentioning the Queen (God Bless Her).

There it is again, my point exactly - Isn't that kinda sappy coming from an atheist? I wonder if she is an atheist as well? And he speaks of getting touch with reality... Seems he must still be living in fairy tale land where there are kings and queens and magical wizards...

 

[Bodisathva]

There it is again, my point exactly - Isn't that kinda sappy coming from an atheist? I wonder if she is an atheist as well?

OK...I move we change it...we'll use a less obtrusive and more atheistic method of referring to the Queen(Gesundheit) The whole "God Bless Her" thing always puts me in the mind of a sneeze, anyway

I'm surprised you say that Christians are wrong Bod. Thats rather a sweeping statement

I was actually making a satirical comment on the rhetoric that is so common in the cooler. Besides, I prefer to think of my self as Agnostic more than Atheist. I am quite spiritual but in no way shape or form religious as I find the majority of them to be completely arrogant and entirely short-sighted, but that's a discussion for another time.
(not to let the side down and to be recited in the deepest Texan accent possible) ...And it's all because I live in this great nation of ours that I have the freedom to express such beliefs.

 

[ColinEssex]

There it is again, my point exactly

wrong - your point was that you were saying "God Save the Queen" which is not what I said.

- Isn't that kinda sappy coming from an atheist?

There are many Gods, you know not, of which one I speak

I wonder if she is an atheist

quite likely as she is the head of the Church of England, most Bishops and Archbishops are.

Seems he must still be living in fairy tale land where there are kings and queens and magical wizards...

Nice description of your bible there Kenny - there was a TV programme on recently, oddly an American one, where a magician performed all the "miracles" jesus did, proving that had he existed he was nothing more than a con artist.

You going to answer my question about Coca cola?

Oh and the website Danny boy posted that references the Sex Pistols song has a virus. Our virus checker found it

Col

 

[KenHigg]

wrong - your point was that you were saying "God Save the Queen" which is not what I said.


There are many Gods, you know not, of which one I speak


quite likely as she is the head of the Church of England, most Bishops and Archbishops are.



Nice description of your bible there Kenny - there was a TV programme on recently, oddly an American one, where a magician performed all the "miracles" jesus did, proving that had he existed he was nothing more than a con artist.

You going to answer my question about Coca cola?

Oh and the website Danny boy posted that references the Sex Pistols song has a virus. Our virus checker found it

Col

You're hopeless...

What was the Coke question again

 

[ColinEssex]

What was the Coke question again

Lost the ability to scroll up a few posts Ken?

there's a new drink just being marketed here called "Coca Cola Zero" - apparently it has zero sugar. Is that the same as diet Coke? it seems we now have Coca Cola (normal), Coca Cola Diet and Coca Cola Zero - whats going on here?? not that I drink the foul tasting stuff anyway, I just wondered if its another Coke scam like that Dasani tap water they tried to flog us

Col

 

[KenHigg]

You think I'm some kind of coke expert? If you don't plan on drinking it regardless, let it go and get a life -

 

[ColinEssex]

You think I'm some kind of coke expert? If you don't plan on drinking it regardless, let it go and get a life -

I knew it was pointless asking an American a simple question

Sod it all, I'm off now

Col