The Best Standard Committee Report. EVER!

http://www.markpack.org.uk/the-best-standards-commitee-ruling-ever/

 

SH

My brain experiment

Today I visited John Moores University, where I had agreed to volunteer to o under a psychophysiology examination as part of a research study. I'd like to imply it was my particular brain they were interested in, but that's not true - I was wired up and had to carry out some tasks. Being a psychology test though they weren't just interested in how my brain works (but why it works???), but also how I would react to various stimuli....

Emma did psychology at the University of Manchester, and had told me about what they got up to there, so I half expected to be suddenly invaded by zombies (or students dressed up as them) or a priest come in and give me an ethical dilemma, or something to test me. I even began to wonder if the fact one of the electrodes wouldn't stay on me right ear lobe was part of the test...

In truth there was a bit of grooming in the tasks I did, but not too much. It was worth doing just because I had never done anything like that before.

(and yes, I am flashing a bit of my right moob in this picture.....;-)

SH

Mao's March - a lesson in American education

At great risk of copyright infringement, I had to quote this letter from the Economist:

 

"Texas's high school exam still flunks an appalling number of students despite efforts over the years to lower standards and make passing easier.  I took the test three years ago.  One page showed a map of the Long March in China, with a massive arrow indicating where Mao and his men moved through the countryside.  The accompanying question did not test students' knowledge of Chinese history, but asked, "which end of the arrow symbol marks the destination and which end of the arrow marks the beginning?"

 

Brian Reinhart, Houston.

I reject your offer!

Dear Hewitt and May,

 

You recently sent me an email, saying you had not heard from me after sending me a promotional email in the past, offering me shirts for £19.50

 

I have no objection to you carrying out a marketing exercise.  However, there is a basic element of the whole supply and demand equation missing.

 

You don't make shirts in my size.  That's why I will never buy anything from you.  In fact I am amazed how small the range of sizes actually is.  Is your company snobbish when it comes to larger people?

 

The irony is, that as much as I spend on nice shirts and clothes, I will continue to spend it in the likes of Debenhams rather than the more stylish range you supply.  Given your reliance on presenting your company as tailored fashion - I have to rely on a high-street chain.

 

Let's have a look at your offer - for £19.50 I would get £10 off next time and £40 of wine vouchers.  oh, and a shirt.  You apparently are competing with Jesus with what has to be, I admit, a much more impressive trick of turning cloth into wine.  Now that's a marketing exercise!

 

Yours hoping you would invest that money in making ranges that I might actually be able to buy,

 

Tris Brown