The Chair

The Chair nods sagely, and refers the honourable gentleman to the opening sentence of his post...

The Chair is far too sensible/cowardly to get drawn into this one. He is though reminded that religious "discussions" online are usually futile and tend to reinforce entrenched beliefs... Please play nicely...

You two should know better! Please stay on topic!

The following is posted on behalf of bigbadwolf I've been keeping track of this thread since it's inception and have been genuinely interested in it's track and content. As well as hearing peoples experience of their course and uni life in general. I went but didn't study for or get a degree. I went for a HNC diploma in Civil Engineering. I'd never before even considered going to university but when I was working on a big job in Westminster I was a demolition foreman attached to the engineers. I found their profession intrigueing and diverse. I got involved with what they were doing in whatever minor capacity I could. In turn, they were impressed with the way I supervised the structual removal of a section of floors and gave me a heads up to the head honchos of the company. I was invited to a meeting at the head office and was asked if I'd like to go to university to study engineering on their tab. I'd be released from work every tuesday and spend a the whole day in lectures and the laboratories. I had to work the remaining 4 days of the working week. To repay the company I signed an agreement that dictated I would contractually obliged to work for them for a further 2 years. I couldn't work for anyone else even if they offered more money. This set up was ideal for me. I found the study quite difficult at first but I had the benefit of working with actual engineers for the remaining 4 days and I learned a great deal more about what I'd learnt in class such as figuring out how to work the theodlodite, leveling scope and all the formula's and equations that went along with measuring loads and stresses. My progress was also reported to the company to make sure I wasn't bunking off and that I was meeting my coursework deadlines. They had a vested interest in their investment after all. I didn't really like uni life in general. I was a bit older than the majority and I seriously disliked the whole "lets go and get pissed after lectures" attitude. I also found them rude towards the lecturers and surly. After about 5 p.m I couldn't wait to get out of there. Anyway... What I'm trying to explain are the visible benefits of studying on a bursery agreement. The student doesn't have to worry about the massive debt they'd be otherwise saddled with. Also, in most cases they'll get to put what they've learnt into practice which in my experience was invaluable to make sure I passed and gained the credentials. A lot of companies (especially the construction and heavy engineering industry) are waking up to the benefits of sending their employee's to study on their ticket. It encourages the individuals faith in who they're working for and makes the firm seem an attractive candidate to developers who are tendering out work because they know the contractor investing in it's work force will deliver a competent package of works carried out by competent individuals. It also shows the Commission of Investing In People that they're willing to give their people an advantage in their future career in an industry that most people don't want to be involved in. The attitude towards going to university is, like most things, influenced by peoples attitude to class. If people started viewing vocational jobs/trades as the respectable jobs they are, then less people will feel pressured into going to studying for a job that's percieved to be "more respectable in that I wear a suit and wont get my hands dirty". A good friend of mine is a general building contractor who did an apprenticeship and he earns a lot more money than I do. Over all I'm glad I went. It's given me the credentials to be independant and live a comfortable life. Bearing in mind that I don't have any dependents or real responsibilities like a mortgage.

Please stay on topic!

This has not been an easy topic to oversee/moderate/"censor". It would have been simpler and safer I suppose to say merely that the deleted posts were "off-topic", but it did seem to me that, here and there, certain arguments/observations owed more to smear and/or sweeping generalisation than any basis in fact, which is why, perhaps ill-advisedly, I added the "Sun" feedback page comment. I did not suggest anything was "malicious" but I still stand by the warning about libellous or potentially libellous posts. And I am sure you are quite intelligent enough to be in the drawing room as well as the lounge! In some cases posts got deleleted simply because they were responses to the "key" post which I deleted either because it was off-topic or possibly libellous. I did consider editing out parts of posts rather than obliteration but this did not seem feasible and in any case might have been even more unacceptable to the original poster than complete deletion. I can assure you I spent a good deal longer than four seconds. But I still think the Kinski/Tess stuff is too remote from the issues raised by Polanski's recent arrest and the original alleged offence to be on topic. These do remain excellent questions for discussion but care should still be taken. Polanski is notoriously litigious, incredible as this may seem!

Just to clarify, no posts would ever be deleted simply because they contained the word "nonce"

Several messages in this thread have been purged on grounds ranging from simply wandering too far off topic to resembling a feedback page of "The Sun" on a bad day. To clarify:- 1) Libellous, or potentially libellous, messages will be vaporised. 2) The dictionary definition of "paedophile" is simply "a person sexually attracted to children"

Please try to stay on topic.

The last few messages have drifted rather too far off topic. Please return to the path of righteousness.

If anyone wants to discuss Enoch Powell further then please start a new thread.

Start a new thread please!

Please stay on topic

This thread made a promising start, but unless someone returns it to the straight and narrow pretty soon, then off to the Lounge it goes!

Previous message deleted as the gratuitous name-calling was in no way suited to the ethos or raison d'etre of the Drawing Room. More generally, The Chair has an extremely low tolerance for any message which purports to be some form of apology or explanation, but resorts to phrases like "I was only joking" or "It's just my sense of humour", or anything else along similar lines.

Time to move this to the Lounge - which means I may ask, what became of Constantinople, butt of schoolboy jokes?

The Chair wishes to have HAL9000's babies.

Patience...saint...

The Chair suggests you start a separate thread for financial advice.

Warning: The Chair is in a bad mood and liable to throw this thread to the Lounge. To remind you, the original post was: What is it about clowns that is so terrifying?

This is veering off-track a little - tempting, I know! It may be lounge bound before long unless the argument goes back to the original premise.

The Chair is moving this to the Lounge for general interest. Several posts have been slightly off kilter from the original motion and it probably deserves wider participation.

This seems to be veering away from the OP, somewhat. The lounge is only a door away.

Please note The Chair is not Sean MacGabhann - no issues of detached objectivity have been compromised.

To the Lounge, gentlemen, you will be far more comfortable there.