Posts by Nat
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Hard News: Briefing, blaming, backing down, in reply to Ross Mason,
Thanks for that Ross. I am waiting for Hattie's book, which I have reserved from the library. I would like to understand effect size better. I am hoping he thoroughly defines it in the book. Or perhaps someone else can elucidate?
I think it's really important that the debate around class sizes includes the assumptions and context of this research. Otherwise we just end up in a "Research says class size doesn't matter" vs "It is obvious class size matters" stalemate.
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Hard News: The Editorial Image, in reply to DeepRed,
In Freakonomics, the authors linked falling US crime rates in the 1990s to the fewer unwanted babies that resulted from Roe vs Wade in the early 1970s. They also made it clear that it all happened by accident, with no government coercion – hence the title of the book.
That link was questioned fairly rigourously in Stephen Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature ...
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Up Front: Making It Better, in reply to Joe Wylie,
The only time I encountered one of those in use was at a 1977 Wellington gallery opening of a gay-themed show. If memory serves the wording was 'presume'. There have been moments since when I've had a hankering for something similar to fit the occasion, like "How dare you presume I give a shit about the Black Caps".
Ha! So useful for so many situations - my particular bugbear is people assuming or presuming I am married. Referring to my "husband" or asking for Mrs <partner's surname> on the phone (I say she's not here).
And Emma said:
We do have an utterly conditioned basic assumption that everyone we meet is heterosexual-monogamous-vanilla, and it comes through in our language.
I think it is even more general than this: people who are part of a mainstream majority assume that everyone else is too, whether it is about sexuality, chocolate or football preferences. And one way to discourage this way of thinking (as you do with your writing), is to keep pointing out that this is not true.
I find it disheartening that most of my gay colleagues past and present have not been out at work, even in environments which I didn't perceive to be homophobic or threatening at all, but they obviously felt to be too risky. They don't talk about their partners, holidays and weekends are referred to in the first person singular. Not that any of us necessarily fully express who we are at work, but this seems like a pretty fundamental prohibition of expression. I would love to see that/help that change.
On a more heartening note, before she died, I took my 87 year old Gran on a road trip to Western Australia, where she had grown up, and we were staying with a dire relative who was regaling us with his homophobic best. And my Gran gave him what for, on the basis of her acquaintance with one of my gay friends. I cheered her then, and I cheer her now, and I hope that she planted a small seed of doubt in said dire relative's mind.
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Hard News: Friday is for all the things, in reply to Paul Williams,
Loving First Aid Kit, but agree, would never have thought them Swedish. They're touring Sydney and am seeing them later this month... try the track Emmylou
I'm not really into altish.country either but could get tempted by First Aid Kit. I love this line from Emmylou Paul: "Now so much I know that things just don’t grow if you don’t bless them with your patience"
While we're on the topic of Swedish (are we still?), I spent a large part of yesterday trying to remember the name Taken by Trees
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Up Front: A Real Character, in reply to Kracklite,
and Ursula LeGuin's much-reprinted essay, Science Fiction and Mrs Brown.
Thanks, I really enjoyed that!
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Hard News: Merry Christmas, Blossoms, in reply to Danielle,
I'm spending Christmas Day in hospital with my present: the newest member of our family, born yesterday. I await the Auckland hospital version of Xmas dinner with some trepidation!
Congratulations! My daughter was my Christmas present four years ago today. I hope your family can bring you in some yummy treats.
And I love the Auckland Pohutukawa. They make me want to compose haiku!
Merry Christmas everyone.
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You all deserve a good long sleep/rest/restorative therapy of some sort.
+about a million
And you made us all laugh ourselves silly at the OGB in the middle of all of this David!
Russell, can we have a fundraiser for the Haywoods' lost $20k? :-)
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flog
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Overheard in a Baker's Delight in West Auckland:
Shop Assistant 1: "I just don't think the election affects me."
Shop Assistant 2: "Um, what about the minimum wage?"
Shop Assistant 1: "Oh yeah, but I don't think my vote will count."
Shop Assistant 2: "How about if there was a 50-50 split and your vote made the difference?"
Shop Assistant 1: "I guess..."I hope she was convinced, and good on her colleague for having the discussion.
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OnPoint: Brain Drain Et Cetera, in reply to Lucy Stewart,
You can't assume people are only going overseas because of student loans.
I definitely wasn't assuming that - I just thought it was interesting that there seemed to be such distinct spikes and dips and I am curious about what was going on at each of these. But maybe that's just me :-)