I saw something on tv about an US national spelling competition. How on earth can anyone turn spelling into a competitive event? And why award correct spelling? Why not award imaginative spelling? 'ere est whatt th' whyrlde wydd bee lykh'f spellyng were't l'ft mor t' individual choyce. A mutsh freeer and mor' ecspressyyv plaiss.
Someone who can only think of one way to spell a word has no imagination.

[ 06-05-2004, 01:58 AM: Message edited by: Dirty Meg ]

Oh c'mon. Did you see that kid faint? Better than anything from the Stanley Cup Finals. :D

Is the stanley cup ice hockey?
Personally I suspect the reason ice hockey players fight so much is to compensate for the fact that they indulge in effeminate activities like ice-skating. Figure skating is beautiful and at least guys who figure skate can admit to being camp. Ice hockey players are just closet cases. Mind you, its not as overtly pansified as American football, which is just rugby for people who are to scared to go without armour. Even I could kick an American footballers arse.

[ 06-05-2004, 03:45 AM: Message edited by: Dirty Meg ]

I'd rather see a spelling competition on tv than anything circus wrestling-related - now that is truely pathetic.

[ 06-05-2004, 03:31 AM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]

Brilliant. I love it. :D

I'm glad they're finally making bad spelling an issue. It's an absolute epidemic among American children. The average kid in the U.S. has serious trouble with even the most basic words. I wouldn't even say I'm painting with too broad a brush here - I was amazed when I moved from Europe to the States and saw what some of the kids here churn out in terms of writing. I think it shows apathy and indifference towards language, which is arguably the most important aspect of education as a whole. Anyone can learn to write and spell properly. I hate competitiveness in crap game shows and reality tv, so to finally see it in one aspect of life that really does matter, I can only say I'm pretty glad.

ROFL nicely put about the american footballers :D However, I disagree that ice hockey is camp - figure skating is, yeah, but ice hockey is fun and there's nothing camp about it. You really do need the armour as those pucks can HURT and when skating crashing into other people can happen at great speed and it IS dangerous.

I agree completely. It is far more educative than most of the BS that is shown on TV.

yes....if i had a dime for everytime i proofread one of my friends' papers and they misused their and there, i would be able to buy that nice Escalade i've always wanted...and the words that the kids have to spell are so random and assinine. Didn't that fainting kid win 2nd place?

Well, noone's really supposed to think of multiple ways to spell a word. For instance, if someone would write 'Eet chocklet,' then not only would it be completely irrevelant and pointless, but also uneducative and possibly misguiding.

One would be better off writing a book or drawing something to express his thoughts. ;)

I don't mind them showing the spelling bee (they should pay more attention to things like spelling, math, etc...see below). I just disagree with it being shown on the sports station (that's where they showed it here). Show it on regular television; unless they tackle or cross-check you if you get the word wrong, I really can't see how it get put on the sports station.

I was going to start another thread to mention this incident today, but this thread is heading in that direction, so I'll put it here. I was at the grocery store today, and they had a sale on Gatorade. They had 32oz bottles on sale, and the price on the sign stated "2 for $3, or $1.50 each" (the part about $1.50 each was in smaller print, to encourage you to get 2 bottles). It shouldn't take a genius to realize that $3.00 divided by 2 is $1.50, so there is no benefit for buying two bottles over one bottle. So I picked up one bottle, and walked with the few items I also had in my basket to the register. As the cashier was ringing it up, he stopped when he got to the Gatorade, and stated that I should get 2 bottles, since they are 2 for $3.00 and would then save money over the $1.50 per bottle for each one. [img]graemlins/laugh2.gif[/img] I told him that they are the same price either way, and he told me with complete and total seriousness "no, they aren't". What then commenced was a two-minute argument where I had to convince him that the two prices were the same. I explained it at first using division ($3.00 / 2 = $1.50), then multiplication ($1.50 x 2 = $3.00). Finally, I had to resort to addition ($1.50 + $1.50 = $3.00) not once but twice to finally get him to see that the prices are the same either way.

And the funny thing about it is, the guy looked familiar to me. It wasn't until the way home that I placed him. I've seen him in the halls at the university I go to. He is a college student that had to pass the admission exams and SAT to get into college in the first place, and he can't figure out that $3.00 / 2 = $1.50?

I've spoken to people who own their own businesses, and they constantly complain about not being able to hire good help anymore. Now I see why. They definitely need to emphasize education in general. If it takes televising educational competitions, so be it.

Wow, Nerull, that's just crazy! The most outrageous story I have is that 'Kõige parimad hinnad(Literally translated: Most best prices)' was written on a sign by a market, while it should've been 'Kõige paremad hinnad/Parimad hinnad(Literally translated: Most good prices/Best prices).' But then again, that's not too outrageous and that's the only story I have, so yeah. [img]tongue.gif[/img] ;)

sigh some people..

[ 06-06-2004, 01:24 AM: Message edited by: Harkoliar ]

Haha, yea ok :rolleyes:

Yes, it is an issue for spelling in America, but I happen to recall either Dreamer or Donut posting a thread about how poorly people spelt in the Netherlands, too far back to remember clearly though. So clearly the problem is worldwide. I think a spelling contest is a good thing, it shows competition by having people show their knowledge of his or her language.

Nerull, about that, honestly I don't know if the guy you ran into really was illiterate in that area, or just lacked a lot of common sense.

I like both spelling and violence :D
But spelling is more needed in every day life, so it's good that they have children in spelling competitions(so they can increase their vocabulary), but yes I have to agree, Dirty Meg, that competing for correct spelling is a little pathetic.

I know why don't they have Spelling Ice Hockey!!
All the violence and education you need right in your very own home.
Everytime you get a shot your team has to spell a word, if they get the spelling wrong, the other team gets a chance to spell it. If that other team gets it right they get a point.

Spelling Ice Hockey: Could there be anything more useful.

Heh heh :D

[ 06-07-2004, 09:01 PM: Message edited by: Lauren ]

uhh Nerull, is that WITH taxes or without taxes? [img]smile.gif[/img]

Yeah I seen that kid faint. I think I may have seen it on TSN highlights. Poor guy had to sit in a chair for the rest of the compition.

On a side note I seen nothing wrong with a spelling bee. I would imagine that alot of work goes in to the studing of words and there origin. And for these kids to have that kid of work ethic towards learning at a early age can only help them in the future. ;)

Without taxes, so yes the tax effect might make a difference (depending on rounding, would be about a penny). ;)

Oh, and I had someone today walk right by the elevators and ask me where the elevators were at...

heh heh heh...how funny is that....weird [img]graemlins/crazyeyes.gif[/img]

Man, I keep seeing the look on one of my dear hero's face when so many people tell him that competing in a spelling bee is pathetic. Charlie Brown, man, Charlie Brown! Poor chap. He tried so hard but failed at the last national hurdle to spell beagle correctly. :D Or so one of the many tales of his attempts to achieve something worthwhile goes...*sigh* Good grief. I love the guy too much. Inference: Tis human nature to strive and compete. Thus, I can see nothing wrong with competing in a linguistic way. :D

I agree with Areledrian about the learning epidemic - this is the future of a world language we are talking about and if the conventions become overly mutated, it would likely become difficult to understand anything anyone says. Having some english tutoring experience makes me feel quite adamant about trying to keep the soundness and richness of language in tact. [img]smile.gif[/img]

And Nerull - You tell some amusing tales there.
It frightens me the depths of stupidity in the world sometimes.

Nerull, that's a classic! I know I'm not a whiz with numbers but I think that's a no-brainer! LOL

Rofl.

Nerull, that $1.50 story made me laugh so much. The fact that he wants to attend uni is a bonus!

[ 06-09-2004, 04:58 PM: Message edited by: 9_1_6 ]

No, he doesn't WANT to attend the university. He DOES attend the university. That really begs the question of who is worse: him or the university that let him in.