Exam Paper Answers

The next time anyone tries to tell you standards are falling in our schools, direct them to this:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2108063/Funnyexam-com-Hilarious-exam-answers-given-students.html
I suspect some of my teachers might not have seen the funny side of these answers, but they deserve an A* for creativity in my opinion.

Human Dominoes

Today's pick of the news stories is that of the human dominoes. The world record has been broken by 850 people on New Orleans. Don't worry, they land on mattresses, which actually makes it even funnier, especially at the end when they all jump up and down on them in celebration.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/weirdnewsvideo/9112172/Human-mattress-dominoes-break-world-record.html
I definitely think this sport should be considered for inclusion in the Olympics.

School Staff Under Fire

A story has emerged today about a young girl with severe eczema whose school is refusing to assist in applying her medicated cream. The right wing media is banging its 'political correctness gone mad' drum, reporting that the school is using child protection fears to excuse itself from the responsibility.

How easy it is if you don't look at the other side of the story.

I used to work in a school, so I have some insight. There were often days when we could hardly move in the school office for medicine bottles, dropped off each morning by parents who assumed it was part of our duties to administer medicine. It wasn't. Not only did we not have time to be medicating twenty or even thirty different children, but we also had no legal protection if something had gone wrong. It was something we did as a favour, to help, but it was risky.

We all drew the line when a parent arrived demanding that we administer insulin injections. Given that we sometimes had parents threatening us with all kinds of retribution, simply because their child had taken a tumble in the playground, injecting a child was not something any of us wanted to take responsibility for.

Schools are there to teach. That's their purpose. They aren't childcare centres and they certainly aren't medical centres. If they are willing to help with your child's medication be very grateful, but please, don't automatically expect it.

New Story on Quirky Tales

Inspired by a challenge set by writing/ publishing group Café ThreeZero, I wrote a short story about the droughts. In my story a walker takes a rest and finds himself witness to mysterious goings on at a dried up lake. If you'd like to take a look, here's the link:
http://www.quirkytales.co.uk/stories/thedrought.php
Hope you enjoy it!

Diving the Mariana Trench

The BBC is currently running a fascinating series on its news website about the planned explorations of the Mariana Trench. It's worth setting aside a few minutes just to run through the first page alone, as it allows you to 'virtually' dive the trench, with video and stills explaining the pressures and life at the different depths.
There are other pages too, with details of the three teams aiming for the bottom and some background of the science.  It's incredible to think that the trench was first successfully dived over 50 years ago, and that we're only just returning to its exploration now.
If you have a little time and fancy a look, here's the link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17013285

Catching Up!

It's a sure sign I've had a busy week when I reach the sign in page for my blog and realise I've completely forgotten my password! I've missed adding some interesting news stories to the blog this week thanks to carpets and painting, but I'm happy to report the work is now finished, more or less.
In my trawl of the news sites this morning I found it impossible to choose a story to promote, such was the embarrassment of bizarre riches. So, to round up: we have an MP who has been arrested for headbutting someone in a bar at the House of Commons: Croydon Council cutting down three mature and much loved rowan trees because it received one, yes that's one, complaint about the risk of slipping on the berries: we have the blue gnomes of Totnes causing a stir among some of the rather more sensitive locals who suggest they rather lower the tone: and then there's poor Alex Deakin accidentally slipping an unfortunate profanity into his weather forecast.
It's always the way, isn't it? You wait all week for one good story ... I'll leave you with a gallery of 3D street art from the Telegraph website:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/8953124/Street-artist-Eduardo-Releros-3D-illusions-on-pavements.html
Just 'coz I rather like them!

Paint, Carpets and Bad Backs

I've managed to drag myself back to the blog today, just briefly. To get here I've had to wade through rolls of carpet and underlay (old and new), tins of gloss paint and stacks of furniture. My fingernails, hair, arms and slippers are liberally splattered with paint, and we had a small panic last night when the TV remote control was AWOL. I found it, where I had put it for sake keeping and then forgotten. I can hardly bend from the waist down and my back has seized up from contorting myself around furniture in my bid to get the woodwork painted before the carpet fitter gets to work.
Still, the new carpet looks great, showing up the old one in all its disgustingly faded and grubby glory. The new underlay has added a certain spring to the step too. If you pass our house you may see two paint speckled people, moonwalking around their living room with silly grins on their faces. Please don't be alarmed. Give us a few weeks and we'll have grown used to it!