BillyD

I asked all three too, they all said “Get a life”. Harsh. 😢

MoAlpha

Seat-bar drop was certainly less on road bikes.

No to neon.

Wife says to eat more.

NomarsGirl

Well, I may have come out of a public school system in a working class town, but I got a damn fine education and was well prepared for university. And I didn't have to Google that. Miss Ward made sure we all knew our Greek myths.

NomarsGirl

It's very difficult to read Shakespeare if you haven't had a good foundation in classics - especially Greek Mythology. Or perhaps we should just leave out Shakespeare as well since only math and science have any value? In addition to a good foundation in the classics and English and American literature, I also learned French well enough to read French classic literature in the original French. Oh, and I learned calculus, physics and chemistry as well. I hold a degree in Engineering. Not bad for the daughter of a bricklayer.

livedarklions

And Shakespearean costumes look a lot like bike kit, so we're back on topic!

indyfabz

Yep. Somewhere at home I have a photo I took at the start of the final stage of the 2013 Giro. Lots of riders in the same position.

Caliper

YOU may look like that. But I did ask my wife about my kit and she loves it.

Of course, I still fit into the same kit from several decades ago, so I'll thank my parents and cycling for that!

eja_ bottecchia

You seem to assume that working class equal deficient school system. As you yourself have proved that is not the case.

Well done for the bricklayer's daughter.

Incidentally, no one in my family ever set foot in college, yet I hold multiple college degrees.

Not bad for the son of immigrants (and an immigrant himself).

livedarklions

There's no arguing taste, of course, but in my opinion, no one looks good in bike kit, it's just a matter of who looks less worse.

As someone who's raised a couple of kids, I'll let you in on a secret--bike kit is just giant baby clothes with funny shoes.

mstateglfr 

I have no idea if this is good or bad for the daughter of a bricklayer, but if you say it isnt bad, ill take your word for it. Not sure what that has to do with much of anything, but i guess 'kudos' to you?

I am not suggesting we leave out Billy S, as I specifically mentioned him in a different post as a focus for those that are interested. Everyone reading a few of his plays/stories is great, then offer a class to focus on them.
At some point, some mythology needs to be left off the curriculum. Greek? Roman? Norse? Egyptian? Asian? Its unrealistic to include all of them to the depth of knowing who mythical beings like Sisyphus are.

I am not arguing that math and science are the only subjects with value. Is like you havent actually read my posts- I specifically state that I think students should focus on other subjects too.
"It does have its place though- a high school literature elective focusing on Greek Mythology...Others can instead focus on poetry, or creative writing, or Billy S, or modern fiction, etc."
"Given the options for what to cut, Greek Mythology should always come first. You simply can't justify it over math, various sciences, various history classes, social studies, geography, practical life(welding, auto repair, wood working, design, etc), art, music, and more."


Knowing the name of a fictional minor character in Greek Mythology is not a sign of a good school system(public or private). Conversely, not knowing that minor character is not a sign of a deficient school system(public or private). Such a comment is absurd.

Bandera

Plato's Euthydemus: Worth a careful read for all Eristic BF Sophists.

-Bandera

Happy Feet

I would think Sun Tzu would be required reading for BF debates.

spelger

i think I burned my eyes.

fietsbob

never, none , she is dead. (22-99)

Koyote

Back in the good old days, before the standards and expectations were dumbed down, we managed to learn about the classics and science in the public school systems. I think my HS curricula of the '70s was about equivalent to the HS "honors" program that my daughter did a couple years ago.

mstateglfr 

Interesting. Seeing my oldest niece's schedule last year as a freshman in high school(city high school too...so not one of the top ranked in the state suburban ones), I was quietly humbled at what she took compared to what I took 25 years prior. And I went to what was regarded as a pretty solid high school in the Chicago burbs where we learned about 'the classics' and science, math, etc etc.
Again though, what 'classics' should be taught and to what depth? Learning about Zeus, Icarus, Oedipus, and Pandora's Box can make sense since all are used to reference things in modern day life. Reading Iliad and Odyssey in a lit class- sure. But at some point it needs to be decided whether to learn breadth or depth on subjects and I disagree that the depth must be all the way to learning about randos like Sisyphus. In my view, learning about a character like Sisyphus is not an accurate measure of a good school system. I would much rather the time that could be spent forcing all students to dig deep into Greek Mythology instead move on and learn about other historical mythology from across the world. Or move on and learn programming/bridge building/pottery/changing auto oil/robotics/pretty much anything else.
25-50 years after leaving high school- knowing the name of a fictional minor character in Greek Mythology is worthless for most everyone in life(except for 'winning' an argument on the internet.).


https://www.businessinsider.com/high...ration-2011-12
Business Insider disagrees that HS is easier now than 'back in my day'.
- More class credits are taken
- More difficult classes are taken

Gathering information to cite for research back in the 70s would have been more difficult than it is now. In the 80s/90s for me it was more difficult than it is now. In that respect, yes its easier now for students. But around me- thats pretty much where it ends for HS being easier.
Like all things in life though- its all about the effort you put in.

Lemond1985

Without knowing how the grading is curved, seeing the curriculum is not that useful. Kids could be taking all kinds of advanced classes, but without strict grading, it's all in vain.

I would argue that you could have an extremely difficult PHD level course on the book "Cat in the Hat", and if the grading was severe enough, half the class could be made to flunk out.

shrtdstncrdr

It doesn't really matter which myths you read, certain themes run through all the better stories. Read enough cultural tribalism and there it is. Same stuff, different setting. Which is exactly why we should read it. As much of it as possible. Suddenly you're not as different from me as I once thought you were.

Or maybe you are, in that weird conglomeration of clothing you call appropriate. All fabric-y and choosing colors you yourself deem appropriate as opposed to what others think...

livedarklions

This is one of the funniest examples of a hijacked thread I have ever seen.

jackb

Of course the people who put the least value on reading the so-called "classics" are those who are not familiar with them or, if they had ever read them, didn't understand them. In this case the discussion doesn't focus on classics but on Greek mythology. Mythology in general is studied because it tells us about ourselves in ways that help us deal with the difficulties that humans experience in living life. If you read the two great Greek classics, The Illiad and the Odyssey, you are not reading about "fake" characters but rather the distillation of certain human characteristics that are present in many people. We can learn a lot about our attitudes and behaviors from the conduct of characters like Agamemnon, Achilles, Odysseus and the many others who people these works. Agamemnon is a study in the failings of the use of unreasonable power, Achilles in the dangers of harboring undue pride, Odysseus in the virtues of loyalty to one's family and to the idea of the sanctity of the home and of marriage. These characters display many other common human characteristics as well, and to read of them is, really, to study ourselves. But of course not all people are interested in such topics and in reading in general. The educational system is right in including such works in public school curricula because it is important to expose students to the full range of human learning in a variety of disciplines. After basic required courses are completed, students are generally free to choose courses that better suit their interests. But a basic, well-rounded education is essential if the system is to produce thinking individuals who can carry the responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy, not to mention its value in living a thoughtful and meaningful life.


As to the the original topic of the thread, wear what you like.

jackb

Of course the people who put the least value on reading the so-called "classics" are those who are not familiar with them or, if they had ever read them, didn't understand them. In this case the discussion doesn't focus on classics but on Greek mythology. Mythology in general is studied because it tells us about ourselves in ways that help us deal with the difficulties that humans experience in living life. If you read the two great Greek classics, The Illiad and the Odyssey, you are not reading about "fake" characters but rather the distillation of certain human characteristics that are present in many people. We can learn a lot about our attitudes and behaviors from the conduct of characters like Agamemnon, Achilles, Odysseus and the many others who people these works. Agamemnon is a study in the failings of the use of unreasonable power, Achilles in the dangers of harboring undue pride, Odysseus in the virtues of loyalty to one's family and to the idea of the sanctity of the home and of marriage. These characters display many other common human characteristics as well, and to read of them is, really, to study ourselves. But of course not all people are interested in such topics and in reading in general. The educational system is right in including such works in public school curricula because it is important to expose students to the full range of human learning in a variety of disciplines. After basic required courses are completed, students are generally free to choose courses that better suit their interests. But a basic, well-rounded education is essential if the system is to produce thinking individuals who can carry the responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy, not to mention its value in living a thoughtful and meaningful life.

As to the the original topic of the thread, wear what you like.

BillyD

Also one of the worst. Closed.