General Chit Chat

[TANGODANCER]

did you actually read these links you provide? if so - I'm puzzled as to why you think I might want to go and argue with them.

also - you're always so quick to jump to personal abuse and name-calling... it's not helpful.

I give up. No, really, I do. Why bother? Indeed, why did I bother saying "the story goes"? It was all just a friendly conversation about books till then. Oh, and I rarely abuse anyone, I just don't like someone who persistently makes sarcastic remarks in my direction. Now have your last word and be done with it.

[Bruce Rioja]

I once got told I should refrain from using the term 'Eskimos' and should instead use 'Inuits'.

[Gooner Girl]

I'm looking forward to Room on a broom! We love that book at bedtime.

It'll be the first time my 3yr old will see a film version of a book she knows, lookin forward to her reaction!

Just think, when she's a bit older you'll have all the joy of The Famous Five. Man, I loved those books.

Always thought The Secret Seven were better.

Start with The Five, then do The Seven. Double pleasure.

I did read a few Famous Five books......but always thought that The Secret Seven were better.....even though, they are essentially the same thing.

Famous five and Secret Seven both great series for kids to read. Lots of good Enid Blyton books but i think my favourites were the Cherry tree/Willow farm series and The Secret Island.

There may be plenty of good childrens books round today but bish is wrong, they're not far better then Blyton. I'd far rather my kids read innocent Enid Blyton adventure stories then filled their minds with all the vampire type crap thats around these days. When i had a year 4 class as a teacher, they were on tenterhooks whenever i read any of the Blyton Adventure stories to them wanting to know what happened next, begging me to read some more. Just because its old fashioned doesn't mean most kids don't love it.

My twins will also be educated in the delights of Jennings and Just William. Both complete classics (oh, and i had a collection of about 60 Biggles books too...)

[Annoyed Grunt]

My lad loves The Secret Seven books, along with the David Walliams kids books.

[Montreal Wanderer]

I once got told I should refrain from using the term 'Eskimos' and should instead use 'Inuits'.

This is true (though not a law!). Inuit is considered the correct term (they call themselves that) while Eskimo is an anglicization of a French colonial word.

[Montreal Wanderer]

I believe sure that Peter Rabbit was banned (I use the word advisedly) from schools in one part of England because he was too bourgeois and lived off the hard labour of Mr. McGregor.

[TANGODANCER]

Famous five and Secret Seven both great series for kids to read. Lots of good Enid Blyton books but i think my favourites were the Cherry tree/Willow farm series and The Secret Island.

There may be plenty of good childrens books round today but bish is wrong, they're not far better then Blyton. I'd far rather my kids read innocent Enid Blyton adventure stories then filled their minds with all the vampire type crap thats around these days. When i had a year 4 class as a teacher, they were on tenterhooks whenever i read any of the Blyton Adventure stories to them wanting to know what happened next, begging me to read some more. Just because its old fashioned doesn't mean most kids don't love it.

My twins will also be educated in the delights of Jennings and Just William. Both complete classics (oh, and i had a collection of about 60 Biggles books too...)

I can still remember when, as a very young kid, I was scared shxtless at the thought of a Wishing Chair that flew.

[Bruce Rioja]

I once got told I should refrain from using the term 'Eskimos' and should instead use 'Inuits'.

This is true (though not a law!). Inuit is considered the correct term (they call themselves that) while Eskimo is an anglicization of a French colonial word.

Thanks, Monty. I really didn't know that. Do they find it insulting do you know?

[Montreal Wanderer]

I once got told I should refrain from using the term 'Eskimos' and should instead use 'Inuits'.

This is true (though not a law!). Inuit is considered the correct term (they call themselves that) while Eskimo is an anglicization of a French colonial word.

Thanks, Monty. I really didn't know that. Do they find it insulting do you know?

I doubt they react angrily any more than you would at being called a Limey or Brit - it's just not the proper term here. I suppose we are more sensitive when dealing with minorities who have had their lifestyles altered by colonization or slavery in the case of Afro-Americans. We go further to avoid giving offense. I am, btw, referring to Canada - in the US they are still Eskimos.

The term Eskimo is commonly used by those in the lower 48 (states of the USA) and in Alaska to include both Yupik and Inupiat. No universal term other than Eskimo, inclusive of all Inuit and Yupik people, exists for the Inuit and Yupik peoples. In Canada and Greenland, the term Eskimo has fallen out of favour, as it is sometimes considered pejorative and has been replaced by the term Inuit. The Canadian Constitution Act of 1982, sections 25[2] and 35[3] recognized the Inuit as a distinctive group of aboriginal peoples in Canada.

We refer to the Indians as First Nations. First Nations are any aboriginal group that are not Inuit or of mixed ancestry.

[thebish]

did you actually read these links you provide? if so - I'm puzzled as to why you think I might want to go and argue with them.

also - you're always so quick to jump to personal abuse and name-calling... it's not helpful.

I give up. No, really, I do. Why bother? Indeed, why did I bother saying "the story goes"? It was all just a friendly conversation about books till then. Oh, and I rarely abuse anyone, I just don't like someone who persistently makes sarcastic remarks in my direction. Now have your last word and be done with it.

you rattled off a load of stuff that wasn't true - I simply pointed out that it wasn't true. I didn't abuse you or make any personal remarks about you. It's kind of sad that you always react with some kind of personal dig, but if you're gonna write stuff that is simply wrong, I don't think you can be that surprised if someone points it out...

[Worthy4England]

Anyway, back to the plot. I used to read Famous Five to my son, I just changed on the fly some of the more archaic turns of phrase such as "golly gosh" although I'm fairly sure I left flibbertygibbet in.

[Gooner Girl]

Anyway, back to the plot. I used to read Famous Five to my son, I just changed on the fly some of the more archaic turns of phrase such as "golly gosh" although I'm fairly sure I left flibbertygibbet in.

Agreed. I left out some of the more sexist references about the girls not being allowed to do the very scary things because they were girls when i read them to my class.

[Prufrock]

When I was very young I had books and books of the Enid Blyton short stories, 'Mr Icy Cold' and the like. I absolutely loved them. By the time I got older and found the longer Famous Five and Secret Seven books I found them boring. FF in particular, think I quite liked the SS (ahem). By that time I was down the library reading as much Asimov as I could get my hands on, and a quite a few Dickens (though not a tale of two cities as guillotines TERRIFIED me, I used to have nightmares about being executed). FF found it hard to compete with robots!

Weirdly, given how much I loved Asimov, I was never into Star Trek/Wars or any spacey shit when I was older.

[bobo the clown]

Anyway, back to the plot. I used to read Famous Five to my son, I just changed on the fly some of the more archaic turns of phrase such as "golly gosh" although I'm fairly sure I left flibbertygibbet in.

Agreed. I left out some of the more sexist references about the girls not being allowed to do the very scary things because they were girls when i read them to my class.

Revisionism of the worst kind !!

[Worthy4England]

Anyway, back to the plot. I used to read Famous Five to my son, I just changed on the fly some of the more archaic turns of phrase such as "golly gosh" although I'm fairly sure I left flibbertygibbet in.

Agreed. I left out some of the more sexist references about the girls not being allowed to do the very scary things because they were girls when i read them to my class.

Revisionism of the worst kind !!

Yeah, I left them bits in.

[Gooner Girl]

Anyway, back to the plot. I used to read Famous Five to my son, I just changed on the fly some of the more archaic turns of phrase such as "golly gosh" although I'm fairly sure I left flibbertygibbet in.

Agreed. I left out some of the more sexist references about the girls not being allowed to do the very scary things because they were girls when i read them to my class.

Revisionism of the worst kind !!

Why would i have wanted the girls in my class to think that they can't do the things that boys can do?

[Gooner Girl]

Anyway, back to the plot. I used to read Famous Five to my son, I just changed on the fly some of the more archaic turns of phrase such as "golly gosh" although I'm fairly sure I left flibbertygibbet in.

Agreed. I left out some of the more sexist references about the girls not being allowed to do the very scary things because they were girls when i read them to my class.

Revisionism of the worst kind !!

Yeah, I left them bits in.

why does that not surprise me?!

[Montreal Wanderer]

When I was very young I had books and books of the Enid Blyton short stories, 'Mr Icy Cold' and the like. I absolutely loved them. By the time I got older and found the longer Famous Five and Secret Seven books I found them boring. FF in particular, think I quite liked the SS (ahem). By that time I was down the library reading as much Asimov as I could get my hands on, and a quite a few Dickens (though not a tale of two cities as guillotines TERRIFIED me, I used to have nightmares about being executed). FF found it hard to compete with robots!

Weirdly, given how much I loved Asimov, I was never into Star Trek/Wars or any spacey shit when I was older.

I probably read everything that Asimov ever wrote in terms of science fiction and mystery stories. Were you into the novels or short stories, Pru?

[bobo the clown]

Anyway, back to the plot. I used to read Famous Five to my son, I just changed on the fly some of the more archaic turns of phrase such as "golly gosh" although I'm fairly sure I left flibbertygibbet in.

Agreed. I left out some of the more sexist references about the girls not being allowed to do the very scary things because they were girls when i read them to my class.

Revisionism of the worst kind !!

Why would i have wanted the girls in my class to think that they can't do the things that boys can do?

Because you'd happily let the boys think there are things THEY can't do which girls can ?? this sexism thing is usually very one-sided.

[Prufrock]

When I was very young I had books and books of the Enid Blyton short stories, 'Mr Icy Cold' and the like. I absolutely loved them. By the time I got older and found the longer Famous Five and Secret Seven books I found them boring. FF in particular, think I quite liked the SS (ahem). By that time I was down the library reading as much Asimov as I could get my hands on, and a quite a few Dickens (though not a tale of two cities as guillotines TERRIFIED me, I used to have nightmares about being executed). FF found it hard to compete with robots!

Weirdly, given how much I loved Asimov, I was never into Star Trek/Wars or any spacey shit when I was older.

I probably read everything that Asimov ever wrote in terms of science fiction and mystery stories. Were you into the novels or short stories, Pru?

I think, whatever I could get my hands on at the library. I was about ten I though so I'd imagine short stories. I don't remember a great deal about what I read, only that I loved it, if that makes sense? I think 'I, Robot' and 'Bicentennial Man' were among them, but I might just be projecting back memories because there have been fairly recent films of them both. I probably didn't get half of what was going on. I think, in a Matilda like moment I'd read all the kids books that interested me and asked the librarian what adult stuff I could read and got pointed that way. Thank f*ck she didn't give me Mills & Boon!

There was one collection of short stories I know I absolutely loved; Googling about, that might have been 'I, Robot'.

I also LOVED Jules Verne. 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth' and '20,000 Leagues' were amazing. Then I turned into a teenager and stopped reading until I was about 16 (A Clockwork Orange). Such a shame!