The Off Topic Topic

[Sheilbh]

Would you be singing the same tune if your grades have landed you in the dishwasher career track?

It varies actually. When I was studying it was far more difficult to get into a humanities course than a hard science course. Because so few people had done chemistry A-level and wanted to study chemistry they needed significantly lower grades than me.

I was poking around a bit on Danish sites about education and it appears it's not just your grades that are considered, but life experience adds as well - so taking two years off to travel in Africa or whatever may very well improve your chances of going to med-school later. So it's far from uncommon to get mediocre grades, fail to get into the uni-course you want, and then spend some time doing other activities - including supplemental education - to get into the program you want at a later date. The whole system is a bit opaque to me be at first glance, but there's a system and it seems reasonably satisfying to the people in it and it's definitely not the Chinese model of "this one set of grades sets the course of your life, you better not fuck it up."

This is also true in the UK. I got told that while I obviously needed the grades what really mattered was my personal statement. If you fail to get the grades but have interesting relevant experience then you can get in later. Speaking to friends who went to Oxbridge the interview there is another level of your grades not necessarily mattering.

In the UK I think part of it is that there's basically enough people who will get the grades to fill every course in the big universities. So to get on it you actually need to have more than that - it's very much in their hands.

For example in medicine the cost of some highly demanded specialties are being substantially subsidized if the doctor promises to work in a particular geographic area for a specified period of time.

In the UK the NHS will cover your costs to study medicine (and dentistry or to be a nurse) but you have to work as an NHS doctor/nurse/dentist for a minimum number of years. Same for the armed forces.

Scandinavia's an interesting contrast though. Right now our government's reforming the education system on the Swedish model (with a couple of differences), while their opponents are all saying we should follow the Finnish model. As ever Scandinavia's a really interesting petri dish (and often produces very different systems that deliver decent results)

[derspiess]

Yankee Candle in the malls blow out my sinuses.

I guess I can leave you off the invite list for my next candle party

[CountDeMoney]

Yankee Candle in the malls blow out my sinuses.

I guess I can leave you off the invite list for my next candle party

Oooh, pick me instead!   

[Ed Anger]

Yankee Candle in the malls blow out my sinuses.

I guess I can leave you off the invite list for my next candle party

Thank god.

[CountDeMoney]

Hundreds of dogs rescued in multi-state dog fighting case

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Some 367 pit bulls, many scarred and emaciated, have been rescued and a dozen people across the southeastern United States have been charged with dog fighting in what animal advocacy groups called one of the largest such raids in U.S. history.

"The number of dogs seized and the amount of money involved in this case shows how extensive this underworld of dog fighting is," U.S. Attorney for the Middle District Alabama George Beck said in a statement on Monday. "These dog fighters abuse, starve and kill their dogs for the supposed 'fun' of watching and gambling on a dog fight."

The suspects, who come from Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and Texas, face multiple charges related to dog fighting and gambling, with each charge carrying up to five years in prison. Dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

At one site, some 114 emaciated, wounded dogs were found chained to tires, without food and water, and in makeshift shelters in scorching summer heat, rescue groups said.

"Thousands of others all over the country continue to endure unimaginable suffering and death just like this at the hands of dog fighters," said Tim Rickey of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which along with the Humane Society of the United States helped remove the dogs.

"We want to end it once and for all."

The U.S. Attorney said in a statement that the charges are the result of a three-year investigation by nearly two dozen state, local and federal agencies. They seized more than $500,000, drugs, guns and other evidence in what they called a high-stakes ring that saw bets up to $200,000 per fight, according to the statement.

This size of this raid is second only in the United States to a 2009 case in which more than 500 dogs were rescued and more than 100 people in eight states were arrested, according to the ASPCA.

[Josquius]

i'm back in Japan and homeless. Which sucks. Can't do anything to attempt to fix that till the weekend though. Hope I get lucky on the flat search this time and don't get messed about again.

[Ed Anger]

[derspiess]

Would've gone through most of a pack of those things today.  Goddamned virus.

[Grey Fox]

Pets?

[Lettow77]

i'm back in Japan and homeless. Which sucks.

It's fun! Carelessness is comfort! ゆっくりしていってね！

[Jacob]

Scandinavia's an interesting contrast though. Right now our government's reforming the education system on the Swedish model (with a couple of differences), while their opponents are all saying we should follow the Finnish model. As ever Scandinavia's a really interesting petri dish (and often produces very different systems that deliver decent results)

The ridiculous thing is that Scandinavia is full of the same BS fretting about the education system as anywhere else.

A few months ago there was a big thing about a Danish high school class and a Chinese high school class competing in some TV show or something, and the Chinese coming out ahead; and the public debate was all about how maybe the Danish education system needed to be reformed along the Chinese lines.

... which is an exceptionally idiotic conclusion to draw and demonstrates a very shallow exposure to the Chinese education system.

[Ideologue]

I've read that China's higher education system is just as bad if not worse than America's, in terms of vocational mismatch and wasted youth.

[Jacob]

I've read that China's higher education system is just as bad if not worse than America's, in terms of vocational mismatch and wasted youth.

From what little I know of the Chinese system, it's worse.

[Syt]

I've convinced my UK colleagues to adopt "prepone" as opposite word to "postpone". 

[Ideologue]

I would oppone that.