ThePyroPython

All of that perfectly marbled meat 🍖

Dog Soldiers.

It is known as the British Predator. You can see the low budget on the screen, but my god it's excellent. Do not watch the trailer, it's shit and will give you a bad impression of the film.

Which will be met with the response "but I'm not an 'immigrant' why should I have to carry this ID card?!"

'I'm not an immigrant' is their code for "I'm white".

As much as xenophobic cunts fantasise the idea of stricter border controls and US-ICE style raids, they're also the same cunts that complain about long queues at airport security and HATE it when an authority figure questions them or forces them to do something.

They keep trying this every few years.

This ain't going to work unless it's sold to the public like Estonia's X-Road:

Complete digitisation of government, using the NHS, passport application, driving, taxes, etc. to reduce cost overheads and speed up government services. It needs to be a properly implemented super app with best industry security practices. I'd even go so far as to make it open source and have UK developers who log contributions to the project get a tax rebate according to hours/lines contributed as a sort of payment.

Plus it would help sell UK digital services abroad by developing and advertising a local talent pool.

Getting the UK public to be on board with just a digital ID isn't going to fly. Why when your driving licence/learners license or passport is already being used as an ID that people carry around, and then you have your NHS number, your national insurance number, and even a gov.uk account.

What the point of adding another one?!

Or increase taxes on the rich's assets (including houses) to fund the silver sunami (i.e. the large amount of boomers retiring all at once) and therefore encourage more of the value generated to go to the worker's wages. Then you don't have to worry as much about the welfare state because income tax revenues increase, the worker's private pensions also increase, more economic activity happens because more people have money in their pockets, and the economy grows.

Either that or work more people to death to keep expanding the current wealth inequality and hope the population keeps getting distracted with culture wars and fascism.

In my unqualified opinion having gone through academia to get a master's degree in engineering, graded homework or assignments are way too simple for quantifying understanding of a subject.

For what it's worth I think, at least from my perspective having gone through a STEM education, it should be broken down into the following categories:

Exams

Open book, reference-sheet, or closed book depending on the subject and the desired objective.

Closed book

Closed book exams work well for simple questions where it is more about memorising a method or theory that will be required to be memorised when the subject is applied for quick thinking. For example V = I / R for calculating voltage, current, and resistance and Kirchoff's law: the sum of all currents into and out of a node must equal zero.

Then lots of these little questions and problems can be presented and it can be marked via a weighted measure of both how many you got correct and how many you did with no expectation that you would finish all of the questions exam paper.

There should only be a one of these types of exams in a given academic year and it should make up the smallest percentage of the grade for the year.

Reference Sheet

Reference sheet exams work well as an in-between for when you want to test memorised knowledge of how to apply a method or theory but not memorising of what that theory is. For example, the quadratic formula for finding the roots of a quadratic equation.

I'd say that a max of two exams of this type is suitable making up the next largest percentage of the grade and with the expectation that students can finish all the questions on the exam.

Open Book

Open book exams are perfect for essay style exams or exams with a few big problem questions which require the application of two or more theories / methods to get a (correct) answer.

These exams should be the largest percentage of exam grades from the year as these are about the students demonstrating their ability to find the knowledge they need in their reference sources (text books, literary works, etc.) and apply it in a long form answer with lots of working out or justification shown. Finding and thinking critically about information is a more pertinent skill in the modern day than just memorisation.

Coursework / Labwork

This should be ongoing throughout the academic year with the workload co-ordinated between subject teachers to ensure the students aren't overwhelmed perhaps split into half-year and quarter-year sections, with one solo piece and one group piece.

It will allow the students to demonstrate group work and independent learning, with assistance from the teachers if the students require guidance. Ideally it should be a mixture of theoretical and practical with a written report of the outcomes or essay to reflect how the knowledge is applied in the world outside of academia.

To combat an over-reliance on Wikipedia, ChatGPT, etc. a portfolio of marked up reference materials should also be submitted. This isn't just citing a source in the correct format you found on Wikipedia, a copy of the page(s) with the relevant text highlighted or a website print out or photographs or videos, anything to show that you have gone and done the work.

Depending on the subject, this should ideally be the largest contribution to your overall grade as it is the method that best demonstrates an understanding of a subject.

Presentations

This category encompasses everything from presenting and defending a thesis, demonstrating physical skill by showing something the student made, to delivering training of learnt knowledge.

This is key because no matter the subject, a student should have some ability to pass on the knowledge they have learnt to other students.

This assesment format has the most freedom in how the assessment should be performed and marked and will differ the most between subjects.

Finding a balance between these is key but if this framework was applied throughout the whole of a student's time in academia from primary school to university and give the students some agency in how they approach the learning then the education system would produce better students who are able to find how to engage with the subjects and therefore produce work to the best of their ability.

With a username like that I can only assume a level of expertise I cannot reach as I am follicle-ly challenged. I shall take your advice on board 😊

When I started getting nose hairs. Now I pluck those suckers and they bring anything else out with them.

I should also point out that when I get my hair cut, the barber also does a wax removal.

May I introduce the Victorian concept of Children in Workhouses.

That's where you're heading.

Yes. So LET'S FUCKING SEE IT!

Shaun of the Dead - Bill Nighy

"I ain't no bitch" that's some strong whining that makes you look like a bitch.

Where's your stoic attitude of "suck it up and deal with it" Mr Manly Man?

Christ, I've eaten peaches that didn't bruise as easily as his ego.