h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dear Feisor, pity you must leave so soon, we were really enjoying your company!! Thanks for playing God Almighty and bringing people
together (I meant just that when I called you big boss). And on Christmas Day too...
One last word - what about this exclusive club of ours?
Any hints on how to do it?
As a novice, I tend to be over-enthusiastic, but there are two of us already, aren't there? Jim Lynn might find himself in favour of the idea...
Best regards and thanks for the pleasure...

Oh I'm not actually leaving, you'll find me lurking all over the place

It's just that I thought that I would leave you and hayafi to have conversation without me butting in ....

I am so pleased that you have found each other and you seem to be making friends all over the place - that's great!!

forgot about your question about the club - I think it's a terrific idea

I suggest that you get to know this place first, learn about Guide ML by Spicing up your user space and then, when you feel confident with it start your club by creating a Guide Entry (there's a button for that on your page) Do NOT hit the "Submit For Review" button and you're underway. Have a look at some of the clubs here and see how they do it ...

Remember though, there is no such thing here as an "exclusive" club or conversation - as long as anyone is able to join in the conversations that's fine

Dear Feisor, that’s very thoughtful of you, thanks for your help. One more favour: could you look at Hayayfi’s Journal? Her remark about a kind of ‘anti – God’ spirit on this site caught my eye. I have very little time to read other people’s conversations and won’t be able to become fully aware of the domineering mood until much later. I certainly don’t want it to be too late.
[I felt awkward about some dirty jokes and a discussion of the importance of the length of penises (sorry about that, we haven’t yet got used to this kind of talk in my culture. If we were talking in Russian, I would find it difficult to say this sentence). But this kind of thing is on every corner, one takes it very much for granted and tries to ignore.]
However, if there’s such a thing as community mentality on h2g2 and it is indeed, as Hayayfi puts it, ‘anti-God’, I won’t be able to feel at home here.
It makes me sad. As you noticed, I was enjoying myself.
Hope to hear from you again. There’s much, much more to say.

Oh yes, and
'learn about Guide ML by Spicing up your user space'
is incomprehensible - can you translate?

Sorry about the delay. Moved by your Observations, wrote a letter to Feisor. I take writing too seriously and it takes me ages to write a few lines. My answer to you is on the way.
Meanwhile, how do you go about home schooling? I'm very interested.
Here's my signature: , which stands for 'weird'.

Good morning,

I am just in from my garden and watering the orchard read you comments in my journal, I am not sure if there is an anti God feeling but I have noticed that much of the discussion that touches on God that I have read seems very negative which made me wonder what it is about their experiences that have made them so anti… through to outright angry. Is it that people in cyberspace tend to see the two as being totally incompatible with one being irrational and one rational a science verses a faith thing I don't know?

I too avoid conversations that tend towards being smutty which is one of the reasons I am so happy to meet you. Finally conversation I can follow and enjoy some of them are totally incomprehensible to me.

I like your signature and will now try and develop one of my own I wonder if there is a way to transfer some of the other smiley's available to the bottom of the sheet if you are going to use them regularly?

I tend to write too much I think

I am curious as to what are some of the biggest challenges you face as a mum?

Am also curious about how you home teach.

Home schooling here for us is different each day we follow what is called an eclectic model that is biblically based with a strong emphasis on developing critical thinking and utilising metacognition, whilst employing many different approaches designed to foster helping the children find out who they are, what their gifting is and then developing that gifting. Let me know if that is too much to understand

A typical day might go something like this:

Start with a critical thinking session on some part of scripture then we might read from the horrible history series which the children love and then read from a novel..at present we are reading Tolkien .

Then one of the children makes an assessment of what needs doing around the place, they then appoint tasks to everyone including me (and hubby if he is home) and oversee the work making sure it meets their standards and encouraging and instructing where ever it is needed. I am happy to say that all the children including our youngest now know how to run a home and care for it boys included. Though it is hysterical sometimes seeing what is important to one and not to another.

Then they generally go off for a bush wander or play a board game use computers, work on a project etc etc. At present we are looking at nutrition and budgets and the children are taking it in turns to plan a weeks worth of menus and then they are given the house keeping money for the week we go buy the groceries and then with my help cook the meals. Sometimes this means that the last two days of the week we live on baked beans and toast while the first part of the week we dine like kings but already they are starting to appreciate that money is not endless and that preparation and planning are needed. I cracked up laughing the first time I took our 16 year old shopping when he picked up a tray of meat with six chops in it and said well I'll need three of these trays for one meal as I will eat three of these myself then he looked at the price and demanded to know why it was so expensive as to buy three trays for one meal was going to use up most of his budget.

We don't use text books but instead use what I term real books, learning is seen as a 24/7 thing and that no method of obtaining information is better than another meaning seeing a movie is just as valid as reading a book… though they have learned that some sources are more reliable than others last year the children studied Latin this year it is to be ancient Greek and Spanish, with chemistry, astronomy and electronics being the main areas they have expressed an interest at looking at this year.

Well this is probably way too much info sorry if I have gone on as you can see I love facilitating the children’s learning

Ladies,

As you have both expressed concern about the "anti-god" thing, I will adddress it here so that you can both read it

This site prides itself on generally open discussion of all types.

As in any social group these conversations will naturally end up on some controversial subjects (religion, politics etc) and the opinions will naturally be strong and may be argued with vehemence (for weirdo this means forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction). Please be assured though that there are many committed Christians here (of lots of denominations) just as there are many Muslims, Buddhists and people of all different religious convictions. That is the nature of the internet and the magic of it - it brings together people of all different types and hopefully they will find that they have much in common (as you two have )

You can lurk in any conversation and take part in them all - if you find them not to your taste simply unsubscribe and don't go back there. This is a huge place and there is something for everyone. This also goes for conversations that you consider "smutty" - if you consider the conversation may be offensive (for instance the "infamous" Penis thread) then stay away from it. It's like an offensive TV show - if it's offensive change the channel

If however you are taking part in a conversation and someone posts something that you find offensive you can hit the "Yikes" or complaints button which appears against each message and submit a complaint. In the Brunel skin it is a ! on a blue circle. For more information about what is acceptable click on this link <./>HouseRules</.> to read the rules

Generally this site is one which thrives on respect for others, and balanced, rational and considered discussion (and more than a little madness ) - we hope that all researchers will treat everyone in the community with the respect that they expect for themselves.

Hope all this helps

" 'learn about Guide ML by Spicing up your user space' "

GuideMl is the "mark-up" language that we use on hootoo (h2g2) to make colours and put pictures on our Personal Spaces and Guide Entries. It's not that hard but can be a little confusing at times.

Spicing Up Your User Space - is adding those colours, picture and tricks to your personal space.

For information about what Guide ML does here's a hint
If you see something you like you can see how it's done by typing http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/testuserpageXXXXX where XXX is the user number, for instance to view the code for my page type http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/testuserpage38014 or just click on <---- that link- it's probably nice if you ask people before "pinching" code from their space by cutting and pasting but you can have anything off my page without asking

To Spice Up Your User Space there's a simple step by step instruction page here ----> A690518

Take it slowly - there's lots of time

BTW - when I started here, to get used to the smileys, I pasted then into a Word document and printed them out so that I could keep them next to my keyboard as a reference - after a while they become almost second nature

Hello helpful guide,

For my part concern is probabley too strong a word it was more of an observation and a wondering why? But good advice none the less, personally I think everybody is entitled to their opinion and to express it even if it is not in accord with my own.

In the mean time it would appear I have discovered a second kindred spirit in cyberspace so all is looking good from my end thank you

and and lots of
Off to work, comforted. You are addressing every need of mine!
I pride myself on having known 'vehemence'(thanks anyway!), 'smutty' was the tricky one.
Holidays over, hectic week begins. Hope to be back on Sunday and see you again. Meanwhile - take care!Yours truly, 'o

Dear hayayfi , here I am again.
Thank you for your home schooling stories, it would be great to hear more. Is there any kind of a set curriculum for what you are doing? Are there more ‘home schoolers’ around? Is online teaching/learning involved? Do you get any help?
Will your kids have to take some standard exams, if they want to go on with their education?
What about your eldest child? Any plans for the future?
Well, my children’s education is conventional. I can’t say that I’m satisfied with it, but I work so much that I have very little time left for my children. All I can do is stay at home as much as possible to keep an eye on them. So I work at home most of the time tutoring other people’s kids in one of the three rooms we have while mine are more or less growing up on their own. 'Don't you try to outweird me', as one of our fellow researchers said. So far I am not totally dissatisfied with the results... We need space (both inside the flat and outside) more than anything else. Now you see why I envy you the bush!
I bumped into this site by accident, somebody on BBC Learning English Message boards (where I started a couple of weeks ago) gave me this link by mistake. I need this kind of natural language environment to keep thinking in English, which is a must but hard to achieve when you have so many Russian things to think about and don't meet native speakers.
It's a pleasure to talk to you, Hayayfi!
Bye for now...
P.S. Let's sort out the time difference. It's 22.30 p.m. in Moscow. Good night.'o

Dear Mind Feisor!
In your Internet wanderings, have you come across any good 'community' space for children? My students are mostly teenagers with quite high level of English, and generally bright. Thanks.

Dear Hayayfi!I address the same question to you.
BTW Is the wind still jasmine scented?

Hello

Wind is now fragranced with this evenings dinner silverside with roasted homegrown vegies....have had a lovely day visiting with a friend who drove up from the city we had a good .

There are a couple of sites which I will send through separately but they are not so much chat sites as science sites would be happy for your children to correspond with mine if you liked.

I am going to go back to other letter so I can see all your questions

Hello time here is 6.24pm

The education department in this state has a curriculum framework that all schools use and which they send out to all who homeschool in the state. It directs what subjects need to be taught( english maths lote etc) and what outcomes to aim for but how we interpret it and how we deliver it are left up to the individual homeschool family. Western Australia has two million people in it total and of that population their are officially 1800 families registered unoffically its more like 2500.

Everyhome schooling family approaches it differently and is there for different reasons some keep to themselves and basically do traditional school at home, others are into Charlotte Mason, others classical some unschooling and the list goes on and on and on.

I tend to look for people who are passionate about their subject and then get them to come out to the property on a semi regular basis to supplement those areas I have no ability or knowledge ie latin or greek

We have chosen not to participate in exams can explain why if you want to know others choose to adopt them as part and parcel of their objectives.

Our oldest son is already involved in a carpentry apprenticehip when he was 13 I rang a local craftsman and asked if TJ could gain a weeks work experience with him he agreed after a chat with him at his home at the end of the first day he was so impressed with Tj he offered him a permanent job (TJ had been hanging out in his dads shed since he was two and has a real gift with wood) from there it was very easy to get him an apprenticehip. So now he studies part time and works full time and is very happy.

Beth our daughter wants to be a nurse so she will need to go to uni when the time comes she will take a portfolio of her work and achievements and have a formal interview with the bursar at the uni of her choice and go from there. Homeschooling is getting bigger and bigger here and the children are doing so well that it is actually easier for a homeschooled child to get in to uni then a traditionally educated child.

We are truly blessed to live where we do and how we do and everyday I wake up I offer up a thank you for all the beauty that surrounds us. I lived in Yugoslavia for a year before I married and I remeber one family I knew that had two chidren and lived in a three room flat the children had the bedroom and each night the parents would fold out the couch into a bed and sleep in the main living area people are truly amazing with what they can do and achieve under any circumstances

I talked to my guys and they would very much like to chat with yours and learn about your country and culture

Personally I think that children do better left to explore and learn on their own within a framework of love and support with guidance interjected from time to time though like every mum I think my children are perfect

I really enjoy talking too you to and heres a bouquet of flowers for your kitchen

Look forward to many more long chats by the way have you always lived in moscow where di you grow up?

oops
forgot to spell check
sorry,

Ladies,

I'm afraid that I'm not "up" on children's sites - but, for the teenagers why not let them sign up here? We have researchers here as young as 9 - though I must admit that, for the younger ones, I probably wouldn't let them on the net anywhere unsupervised.

Have a look at echomikeromeo's space U929375 for an example of what an intelligent and erudite teen can do here - she's been here since she was about 13 and has written so many articles for the Edited Guide it's embarassing

She also has some links on her page that your lot might find interesting

Areas that they may be interested in here

The Young Researchers' Club A983171
SEx - Science Explained Forum A4108330

Oh and this link might help them get a bit of help BEFORE they start posting anywhere.

Good advice for all of us really ....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/chatguide/personalsafety/details.shtml

Dear Ace, many thanks, as helpful as ever