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Post by pie on Sept 26, 2011 15:14:31 GMT
Great interview and much food for thought. I completely agree with his opinion on the overbearing amount of red tape, bureaucracy and computer crap we have to deal with. I work in the statutory sector where such things seem to have greater import than the job itself. For example, I have so many passwords - different by necessity, some of which I am not allowed (by pain of sacking) to write down or record except in my mind. Nightmare. We have computer based checks and balances for everything stultifying our every move. Oh I feel a rant coming on......AND! recently, some berk where I work forgot to check the toaster, so it burnt and the alarm went off. Result? Toasters banned, kettles (tis true) banned. Installation of weird modern hot (not boiling) water providers. Result? Crap tea. All because one person didn't check the toaster. There was no danger of fire, just a bit of smoke. Wouldnt it be better just to remind those not so sensible among us to not leave toasters unattended rather than the rather draconian measure of banning them? There is an increasing wave of 'lets treat adults like children with no common sense'. It's annoying, time consuming and therefore expensive. Now, having said that, I'm well aware there are some people who need more guidance than others. Let's help and advise them rather than treat us all as a race with very little brain or common sense. I would love to see James do a history or music programme - he'd be fabulous. A teacher? He can teach me any time! It's so silly, isn't it.  And it all gets back to one thing: money. Better to ban a toaster than run the minute risk of having the place burn down, or someone getting injured. We may as well just ban electricity. (At least then there'd be no need for all those passwords! ;D) If only people would take responsibility for their actions and stop blaming others for their misfortunes. James would make a great teacher because he would combine three very important things: knowledge, passion and humour. Assuming he'd be teaching something he was passionate about, that is. I'd like to see him teach French. ;D |
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Post by xjsarah on Sept 26, 2011 16:38:37 GMT
And James,if you're reading,please,please, do the music programme.  I've been saying that for the past few years! ;D Here's hoping that the BBC will eventually see sense and give such a project the go-ahead. Actually, the history of music could make for quite a good documentary series, as it can be divided into several fairly distinct eras (at least, that's the way I was taught about it at school). One era per episode. Could be good! ;D Great interview, by the way. I enjoyed reading that.  |
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Post by dit on Sept 28, 2011 20:20:29 GMT
There's been a fair amount of response in teh Times Educational Supplement (almost compulsory reading for teachers in the UK, especially if you're looking for a new job!) to the idea in the interview that James expressed interest in the idea of teaching. Feelings seems to be mixed, but it makes an interesting read. community.tes.co.uk/forums/p/521539/7023402.aspx |
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Post by liverbird on Sept 28, 2011 21:51:20 GMT
I've just read the responses. Some of the replies were not warranted. My belief is that those who do the most complaining are the ones who feel threatened. James probably has more qualifications than some people on that forum.
If the posters are all in the teaching profession, they are living up to the public perception of teachers. Up until April I worked in the education sector for 27 years and have worked with some amazing practitioners. These people are the unsung heroes of teaching. I'm pretty sure they would welcome someone like James to re-train and join the teaching profession.
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Post by dit on Sept 28, 2011 22:19:54 GMT
Yes, there were some rather venomous comments, weren't there? I was quite pleased to see the occasional positive viewpoint, though.
As someone who managed to escape from the teaching profession around a year ago (I still loved teaching but had got totally fed up of management responsibilities and the ever-increasing need to hit targets regardless of the children's needs) I would certainly welcome someone like James to come in from the Real World, no matter how esoteric that area of the world may be, in order to enthuse about various subjects and pass that enthusiasm on to kids. I taught teenagers and I'm sure he could get through to them, whether as a full-time colleague or, perhaps more likely, as a short-term project manager.
Yes, it's true that some teachers have very limited ideas as to what makes a good practitioner, which is a great shame. The more enlightened ones are able to think outside the box.
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Post by amie8 on Sept 28, 2011 23:44:15 GMT
I think James would be a teacher like my old chemistry teacher, Mr Valentine. He was an ex footballer (a few seasons with West Ham, forced out by injury) who retrained. He was certainly enthusiastic about his subject, in a quiet way, but he was also a bit of a bumbling eccentric who once set fire to the bench he was working on without noticing (it was blazing merrily away behind him while he bashed on regardless with his talk, ignoring the sea of elevated hands and 36 people all shouting "Sir!") and once took out one of the strip-lights in the lab while demonstrating how to create an explosion in a paint tin. Big explosion in a paint tin...
He was adored by his pupils and, for a while, I almost became enthused about science. Sadly, he left teaching to seek his fortune as a writer (on football).
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fallatyourfeet
Filthy Mayhemer
You'll never see the end of the road while you're travelling with me.
Posts: 779
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Post by fallatyourfeet on Sept 29, 2011 14:30:07 GMT
Perhaps he doesn't need to train as a teacher. Couldn't he just go in to a school and do a day's workshop on something?
He could certainly engage the kids with his enthusiasm. They have authors and theatre productions at my son's junior school so why not James.
After wards the mums could meet him for a cup of tea and a debriefing session. ;D
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Post by dit on Sept 29, 2011 14:37:07 GMT
I think that's probably the sort of thing I meant when I wrote 'short-term project manager'. Jargon, huh! Schools often plan anything from one day to a day or two a week over several weeks for someone to come into school and enthuse about their subject, or to start a project with some kids then help them to follow it through.
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fallatyourfeet
Filthy Mayhemer
You'll never see the end of the road while you're travelling with me.
Posts: 779
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Post by fallatyourfeet on Sept 29, 2011 14:44:14 GMT
I think that's probably the sort of thing I meant when I wrote 'short-term project manager'. Jargon, huh! Schools often plan anything from one day to a day or two a week over several weeks for someone to come into school and enthuse about their subject, or to start a project with some kids then help them to follow it through. Oh yes. I see what you mean now. |
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Post by antonia on Sept 29, 2011 15:28:20 GMT
He'd be good with teens if he could make it interesting.My 13yr old has the attention span of a goldfish at the mo because the teachers don't engage her or even explain when they don't quite get the lesson. This when they are trying to get her prepared for her GCSE exams soon.
He would have to learn crowd control as well for when the kids kick off.
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Post by dit on Oct 24, 2011 22:19:43 GMT
I've got a lovely interview with James in front of me - Daily Telegraph last Saturday (22nd October) which a friend has passed on to me, but I can't find it on the website, which is very frustrating. Can anyone help?
The headline is "Defiantly geeky - but fun with it" and James is promoting the new Man Lab series (of course). There's a lovely photo of him and some super quotes such as
May, 48, is a bundle of endearing contradictions. He has the hair os a 14-year-old girl, the enthusiasm of an 8-year-old boy and the on-screen 'Captain Slow' persona of a fuddy-duddy in his 60s
'Men need to be dependable, first and foremost. Then you can lark around and be an idiot.'
and
'Sadly, no woman has ever come up to me in the strreet and asked me to mend a toaster. I'd find that quite erotic.'
If anyone can find it, please post it!
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Post by slfriend79 on Oct 24, 2011 23:36:41 GMT
Is this what your looking for dit.  twitter.com/#!/claramolden/status/128504199087529984/photo/1 twitter.com/#!/claramolden/status/128504199087529984/photo/1/large |
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Post by amie8 on Oct 25, 2011 0:06:37 GMT
Is this what your looking for dit. twitter.com/#!/claramolden/status/128504199087529984/photo/1 twitter.com/#!/claramolden/status/128504199087529984/photo/1/large This looks like it. The lady is obviously just tweeting her photo (and very nice it is too), so some of the text is missing from the bottom of the article. Perhaps dit could fill in the missing bits! It's everything below "fish finger sandwich..." |
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Post by dit on Oct 25, 2011 0:22:41 GMT
Oh yes, this is it! Wonder why the DT hasn't included it? Below "fish finger sandwich" "Men need to be dependable, first and foremost", says May. "Then you can lark around and be an idiot".
The show's demographic appears to be the twentysomethings finally learning the skills May lamented them losing. It is also....." (up to next column.) Bottom of next column: "....and use yoga to overcome fear.
"Manly is as manly does" says May, like a West London Forrest Gump.
"There has been a trend for dismissing anything that's heartfelt or meticulous as gay or OCD or a bit sad. Well, I think that's pure cant. Versatility is a great quality. We've dipped in (top of next column) and out ...."And the final column, same point on the page: "My destiny is to open a shoe shop", he says. "I rather like shoes. But I don't think I'd let any customers in. I'd have to talk to them and get the shoes out of the boxes, which would annoy me. So maybe it would have to be a shoe museum."Pic that went with the interview  |
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Post by pie on Oct 25, 2011 2:17:58 GMT
A shoe museum...that is epic. I'd run a store in much the same manner: GYO (Get Your Own). ;D
*goes out to buy faulty toaster*
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Post by meimichan on Oct 25, 2011 2:24:58 GMT
A shoe museum...that is epic. I'd run a store in much the same manner: GYO (Get Your Own). ;D *goes out to buy faulty toaster* *mails you my broken one* Well it's in Ohio, not sure if it ever got thrown out or not. $5 piece of garbage, half the side melted. Don't own one now, just use a toaster oven. My dad managed a shoe shop when I was very young. Spent a lot of time in the stock room because it was cheaper than having a babysitter. Lord that was boring. Except the time my brother nearly chopped off his finger because some freaking IMBECILE(who I'm sure was later fired) left a razor blade sticking out of a box. That was not a good day. And having done replenishment myself now, 20 years after that event...what kind of freaking moron leaves a razor blade sticking out of the box?! Anyone who needed anything from that area could've cut themselves on it. Although as it turned out, it severely injured the manager's kid. Good move. |
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Post by amie8 on Oct 25, 2011 8:07:28 GMT
Breaking the habit of a lifetime and logging in at work (I'm temporarily alone in the office) to say thanks to dit for filling in the gaps
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Post by mightybabs on Oct 25, 2011 22:15:18 GMT
From the article:
"I'd quite like to do a song and dance routine on Man Lab."
Oh please, James, puhleeeeeaase pull a Christopher Walken ("Weapon of Choice"). That would be infinitely cool!!
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Heartabam
Smutty Mayhemer
Curse you careless air!!
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Post by Heartabam on Oct 25, 2011 22:59:05 GMT
Bugger weapon of choice. Risky Business scene is in my mind.
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Post by britishsteamwave on Nov 3, 2011 11:23:08 GMT
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Post by pie on Nov 3, 2011 11:42:45 GMT
And it's located in Burnt Hills. ;D |
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Post by britishsteamwave on Nov 3, 2011 12:36:22 GMT
And it's located in Burnt Hills. ;D *snickers* Classic, I didn't notice that before, well spotted.  |
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Post by devil-may-care on Nov 3, 2011 19:27:07 GMT
I like the fact that he says 'it has been priced accordingly' - $13.00 for a broken toaster?
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Post by dit on Nov 17, 2011 13:35:35 GMT
This is an old article but quite interesting. It's from the local government page for Hammersmith and Fulham. If you hover over the bottom of the article and click the cross, it enlarges. www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/poeple_tcm21-77984.pdf |
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Post by pie on Nov 17, 2011 20:32:24 GMT
This is an old article but quite interesting. It's from the local government page for Hammersmith and Fulham. If you hover over the bottom of the article and click the cross, it enlarges. www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/poeple_tcm21-77984.pdfOMG...now I'm awake. How gorgeous does he look in that article??!   It's always surprised me how willing he's been over the years to broadcast where he lives, sometimes (and in this case) quite specifically. It shows how much of a "normal bloke" he thinks he is...despite being a household name. |
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Post by pie on Nov 17, 2011 21:26:38 GMT
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Post by dit on Nov 18, 2011 15:01:01 GMT
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Post by Marilyn Merlot on Nov 23, 2011 3:05:53 GMT
This is an old article but quite interesting. It's from the local government page for Hammersmith and Fulham. If you hover over the bottom of the article and click the cross, it enlarges. www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/poeple_tcm21-77984.pdfThat was interesting, I didn't know he used to do travel writing. I will have to dig some of that up! |
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Post by eolise on Nov 23, 2011 17:07:32 GMT
my god, Pie!!!!! I hadnt seen that pic yet, oh my.... What a man...........
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Post by dit on Jan 11, 2012 17:12:48 GMT
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And it all gets back to one thing: money. Better to ban a toaster than run the minute risk of having the place burn down, or someone getting injured. We may as well just ban electricity. (At least then there'd be no need for all those passwords! ;D) If only people would take responsibility for their actions and stop blaming others for their misfortunes.
