PC RANT

[JLB]

Nick Kew wrote:
> vernon levy wrote:
>
>
>><PEDANT>
>>
>>It's not political correctness to blame. In this litigious age, it's risk
>>aversion that's to blame for the pulling of the plug on what should have
>>been an enjoyable day for all concerned.
>>
>></PEDANT>
>
>
> Indeed.
>
> If you saw a toddler drowning in two foot of water, would you pull them
> out? Common humanity makes the answer obvious. Self-preservation and
> the risk of lawyers blighting your life - and maybe costing you things
> like your job and house[1] - tells you the opposite answer.
>
> [1] That is NOT exaggeration. I might have added family there, but
> (unlike job and house) I have no firm, real-life evidence of that.
>
Please give more details. If you don't want to post them on usenet, I
don't mind an email. However, without some way of getting to the source
I just do not give credence to that. It looks like typical urban myth
scarelore.

--
Joe * If I cannot be free I'll be cheap

 

[Velvet]

Tony Raven wrote:
> Sandy Morton wrote:
>
>>
>> I was phoned this morning, day of the hire, by the researcher to say
>> that the person in London in carge of health and safety would not
>> allow children to cycle on the public roads.
>>
>
> Yet they routinely let their reporters drive while talking to camera
>
> Tony

Yes, I've wondered about this. I know it used to be the case that they
*looked* like they were driving, but in actual fact their car was on a
trolley, towed/pushed by another vehicle (ignore the wittering and look
at the relationship between bumps/steeringwheel/gear changes and the
scenery going past etc). I'm not so sure these days that practice (if
talking to camera, you and vehicle will be on trolley) is still used.

Maybe they've just got better at syncing 'driving' acting with what's
really happening. I'd like to believe that's the reason, but wouldn't
be suprised to find they are actually driving whilst filming.

--


Velvet

 

[James Annan]

Tony Raven wrote:
> Richard wrote:
>
>>
>> Rocket science isn't really very hard, it's just solving a few
>> differential equations, running the odd Monte Carlo simulations, and a
>> bit of first principles engineering.
>
>
> ...and then wondering why your Beagle has disappeared around the time
> astronomers spotted a new crater on Mars.

At least that particular flash and bang didn't involve people...other
than a few red-faced ones in lab coats.

James

 

[Tony Raven]

JLB wrote:
>
> There has to be some balance. I enjoyed metalwork at school but I've got
> doubts about the occasion (mid 1970's) when we were making things from
> cast aluminium; one of my friends dropped a crucible of molten metal on
> the concrete floor and, propelled by vapourised moisture from the floor,
> the whole class, assembled to watch, was showered with drops of liquid
> aluminium. Clothes smouldering, hair burning and an unfortunate few
> clutching their faces while stumbling about screaming. Nobody was
> blinded. Perhaps it's not worth trying to prevent such things. If you've
> got children how would you feel?
>

In a curious way I bet the whole class had a better appreciation of the
risks and dangers from this incident than a modern class would have from
not being allowed to handle the stuff in the first place.

"Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad
judgment". Barry LePatner

Tony

 

[Pyromancer]

Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as JLB
<[email protected]> breathed:

>There has to be some balance. I enjoyed metalwork at school but I've
>got doubts about the occasion (mid 1970's) when we were making things
>from cast aluminium; one of my friends dropped a crucible of molten
>metal on the concrete floor and, propelled by vapourised moisture from
>the floor, the whole class, assembled to watch, was showered with drops
>of liquid aluminium. Clothes smouldering, hair burning and an
>unfortunate few clutching their faces while stumbling about screaming.
>Nobody was blinded. Perhaps it's not worth trying to prevent such
>things. If you've got children how would you feel?

That's the problem - people elevate "my child!!!" to a status higher
than society as a whole. This is bad for society.

--
- Pyromancer.
- http://www.inkubus-sukkubus.co.uk <-- Pagan Gothic Rock!
- http://www.littlematchgirl.co.uk <-- Electronic Metal!
- http://www.revival.stormshadow.com <-- The Gothic Revival.

 

[Colin Blackburn]

Pyromancer wrote:

>
> That's the problem - people elevate "my child!!!" to a status higher
> than society as a whole. This is bad for society.

Yes, bloody selfish parents. If only they'd realise that the death of
their child might be good for society.

Colin

 

[Richard]

Colin Blackburn wrote:
> Pyromancer wrote:
>
>>
>> That's the problem - people elevate "my child!!!" to a status higher
>> than society as a whole. This is bad for society.
>
>
> Yes, bloody selfish parents. If only they'd realise that the death of
> their child might be good for society.

Pyromancer is right, though. In a way it's the opposite of speeding,
where a benefit accrues to one individual (self-pleasure) at the cost of
a disbenefit to a large number of bystanders (pollution, delays, etc);
the metalwork thing has a benefit to a large number of children
(education) at the cost of a disbenefit (death and serious injury) to
one or two individuals.

R.

 

[David Martin]

On 30/3/05 3:15 pm, in article [email protected], "Colin
Blackburn" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Pyromancer wrote:
>
>>
>> That's the problem - people elevate "my child!!!" to a status higher
>> than society as a whole. This is bad for society.
>
> Yes, bloody selfish parents. If only they'd realise that the death of
> their child might be good for society.

"Better drowned than duffers if not duffers won't drown"

...d

 

[David Martin]

On 30/3/05 3:18 pm, in article [email protected], "Richard"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Colin Blackburn wrote:
>> Pyromancer wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> That's the problem - people elevate "my child!!!" to a status higher
>>> than society as a whole. This is bad for society.
>>
>>
>> Yes, bloody selfish parents. If only they'd realise that the death of
>> their child might be good for society.
>
> Pyromancer is right, though. In a way it's the opposite of speeding,
> where a benefit accrues to one individual (self-pleasure) at the cost of
> a disbenefit to a large number of bystanders (pollution, delays, etc);
> the metalwork thing has a benefit to a large number of children
> (education) at the cost of a disbenefit (death and serious injury) to
> one or two individuals.
>
There is however a case for making the kids stand back a bit further and
wear appropriate PPE. What convinced me to always wear my lab specs was when
I had something go up in my face. I made a silly error and ended up with a
very salty face (it was a sodium chloride solution.)

It could have been much worse. Small accidents prevent big accidents.

...d

 

[Richard]

David Martin wrote:

> There is however a case for making the kids stand back a bit further and
> wear appropriate PPE. What convinced me to always wear my lab specs was when
> I had something go up in my face.

Yes, learning from experience. When I use the wire brush on the
circular drill (or, indeed, anything rotating at speed), I always wear
safety specs. I never used to, but then I worked with a guy with a
glass eye, who'd lost his eye through one of the bristles being ejected
at high speed...

R.

 

[wafflycat]

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>
> In a curious way I bet the whole class had a better appreciation of the
> risks and dangers from this incident than a modern class would have from
> not being allowed to handle the stuff in the first place.
>

My favourite recollection of grammar school chemistry was when one of the
lads in class set fire to the workbench during the experiment of
distillation of crude oil by managing to concoct a river of oil along the
top of the bench which connected to the bunsen burner flame

Cheers, helen s


> "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad
> judgment". Barry LePatner
>
> Tony

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, JLB
('[email protected]') wrote:

> There has to be some balance. I enjoyed metalwork at school but I've
> got doubts about the occasion (mid 1970's) when we were making things
> from cast aluminium; one of my friends dropped a crucible of molten
> metal on the concrete floor and, propelled by vapourised moisture from
> the floor, the whole class, assembled to watch, was showered with
> drops of liquid aluminium. Clothes smouldering, hair burning and an
> unfortunate few clutching their faces while stumbling about screaming.
> Nobody was blinded. Perhaps it's not worth trying to prevent such
> things. If you've got children how would you feel?

So you had an exciting experience (which you've remembered) and you
learned something about handling hot materials? This is a bad thing?

Yes, you can 'protect' people from 'risks', but all you'll do is end up
with half a population that's so timid it doesn't dare live life, and
the other half that are so uneducated about risk that they don't know
not to take foolish ones. Any child who gets through childhood without
at least one broken limb has missed out on a lot of necessary learning.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben... Ist
nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren
keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und
watchen das cursorblinken. -- quoted from the jargon file

 

[Richard]

David Martin wrote:
> On 30/3/05 3:15 pm, in article [email protected], "Colin
> Blackburn" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Pyromancer wrote:
>>
>>
>>>That's the problem - people elevate "my child!!!" to a status higher
>>>than society as a whole. This is bad for society.
>>
>>Yes, bloody selfish parents. If only they'd realise that the death of
>>their child might be good for society.
>
>
> "Better drowned than duffers if not duffers won't drown"

But what are "duffers if not duffers"?

Roger.

 

[RJ Webb]

>My favourite recollection of grammar school chemistry was when one of the
>lads in class set fire to the workbench during the experiment of
>distillation of crude oil

Not allowed to do that now...

Use a made up concoction of ethanol, lubricating oil , white spirit
and various other things.....

Richard Webb

 

[Michael MacClancy]

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 15:41:58 +0100, wafflycat wrote:


>
> My favourite recollection of grammar school chemistry was when one of the
> lads in class set fire to the workbench during the experiment of
> distillation of crude oil by managing to concoct a river of oil along the
> top of the bench which connected to the bunsen burner flame
>

Similar things happened in my comprehensive school. Indeed, I'm sure the
type of school has no relevance. I wonder then why wafflycat included a
reference to her grammar school?
--
Michael MacClancy

 

[wafflycat]

"Michael MacClancy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 15:41:58 +0100, wafflycat wrote:

> Similar things happened in my comprehensive school. Indeed, I'm sure the
> type of school has no relevance. I wonder then why wafflycat included a
> reference to her grammar school?
> --
> Michael MacClancy

Err... because it *was* a grammar school?

Cheers, helen s

 

[wafflycat]

"Simon Brooke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Yes, you can 'protect' people from 'risks', but all you'll do is end up
> with half a population that's so timid it doesn't dare live life, and
> the other half that are so uneducated about risk that they don't know
> not to take foolish ones. Any child who gets through childhood without
> at least one broken limb has missed out on a lot of necessary learning.
>

Well Nathan did manage to break a finger when he was younger, so he's
alright then ;-)

Cheers, helen s

 

[Dave Larrington]

wafflycat wrote:

> My favourite recollection of grammar school chemistry was when one of
> the lads in class set fire to the workbench during the experiment of
> distillation of crude oil by managing to concoct a river of oil along
> the top of the bench which connected to the bunsen burner flame

One chemistry teacher wot I had decided to demonstrate the reaction between
sodium (or was it potassium?) and water, by chucking a large lump of the
former into a glass wossname of the latter. The resultant explosion would
have done the gas board proud, though happily no-one was injured.

He left at the end of the year to work in the H&S department at Leafy
Meadows (formerly Sellafield (formerly Windscale))...

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)

 

[Jeremy Parker]

"Sandy Morton" <[email protected]> wrote

> I was phoned this morning, day of the hire, by the researcher to
say
> that the person in London in carge of health and safety would not
> allow children to cycle on the public roads.

"Censorship" I think is the word that you want to use, when laughing
at the reporter for being timid enough to bow to such things, and
mocking the BBC for having a censorship department.

Mind you, when the lady from BBC London phoned me up about Barnet's
vanishing bike lanes,and I said, yes, wasn't it great to see them go,
there wasn't much I could do as I heard the enthusiasm for having me
on the air gradually vanishing from her voice.

Jeremy Parker

 

[wafflycat]

"Dave Larrington" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>
> One chemistry teacher wot I had decided to demonstrate the reaction
> between
> sodium (or was it potassium?) and water, by chucking a large lump of the
> former into a glass wossname of the latter. The resultant explosion would
> have done the gas board proud, though happily no-one was injured.
>

Potassium. Yor kemistree teechur was mi kemistree teechur and i klame mi
five powndz.

Cheers, helen s



> He left at the end of the year to work in the H&S department at Leafy
> Meadows (formerly Sellafield (formerly Windscale))...
>
> --
>
> Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
> World Domination?
> Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
> floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)
>
>