belladonnis

With the advent (do I get points?) of the computer, education as we know it is gone. Especially in the written word. I remember practicing my cursive writting, my hand all crampy from gripping the pencil so firmly. Just practicing being neat. Ive seen notes that the kids write each other in Ash's backpack its awfull!! They can spell but they just cant write.

Baldur

The points are self-assigned belladonnis, though at times Baldur has intervened when a co-host of mine has been too enthusiastic in awarding herself points.

The loss of cursive does seem to foretell a decline in writing skills. Such things are tragic and skills are hard to rebuild once they've left our culture.

marius

Two puzzles in two days? Astounding what happens when I'm away from my computer!

Dragon

Though I never use cursive writing myself (mine's awful) I do remember learning it and think it's almost a crime if they refuse to teach it in schools. Saying it's the parents responsibility seems like a cop out to me. Teachers are supposed to teach. Perhaps it comes down to the fact that they are trying to fit so much into a curriculum with a very limited amount of funding and cursive writing is one of those things that was simply deemed less important than math and english (I hope english or language arts as we called in in Junior High is still considered important. I'm not sure when I hear kids talking nowadays)

sheftali52

Oh Baldur, your latest word puzzle is indeed challenging. Sheftali has stared at it a bit with no solution evident as yet. I also bemoan the lack of cursive writing these days. It's indeed becoming a lost art. My mother and mother-in-law had beautiful cursive writing skills. Sheftali's are just adequate, but I enjoy writing with a fountain pen on even mundane correspondence. Some people collect stamps, some collect coins, but Sheftali collects pens! Not a lot of pens, but a few good ones that probably cost more than I should have paid for them. But, at least they're useful!! As for the demise of the English language in written and spoken form, my poor father is probably rolling his eyes and gritting his teeth somewhere there in heaven.

Dragon

Dragon's handwriting is atrocious (+20). I was once told by a teacher who insisted on everything being handwriten that I was the one exception in class as it looked like my essay had been written in the back of a moving freight train. I still think it's a skill everyone should have though.

marius

That is a strange story about cursive writing, belladonnis. My grandkids can all write cursive and pretty nicely. They are 11, 12, 13 and 18. I'll ask my friend who teaches fourth grade, but think in Missouri - cursive is still on track.

Anyone having luck with Baldur's other puzzle?

marius

And regarding the last line Baldur typed on post #2454 .... "may the gods help you all" ... I'm thinking more help than that is needed! Not asking for hints .... yet ... maybe tomorrow. We'll see. : )

Baldur

It is a tricky one, Baldur will offer the hint that it helps if you first pair up the words that have only one match.
Also Baldur didn't reverse any couplings.

An example I used was

APPLE PIE

In the list answers will appear in the common order of how they are used so it wouls always be

APPLE
PIE

never

PIE
APPLE

Baldur

wouls -s +d =would

Baldur

Actually that was a bad example as PIE APPLE is sometimes used as a term for apples suitable for baking, but I think my meaning was clear.

Baldur

I am happy to report that the school system in Woonsocket, Rhode Island still teaches cursive.
Baldur's god-daughter and her younger brother are still in grade school there so it was a simple matter to inquire about the matter to their father, Baldur's dear friend, Frank.

Baldur

..and Robin you've been uncharacteristically quiet.
How are you this morning?

marius

Yes, where is that rascal?

Robindcr8l

Thank you for asking Baldur. I was on my work week. I work Sat., Sun., Mon. 7p-7:30a every week. Sometimes it is slow enough at work to chime in here, but this was not one of those weekends. Yesterday I ended up working a double, and believe me, I am no martyr. I do not EVER work extra hours, no matter what the incentive. But in the end, my guilty conscience couldn't permit me to leave them so short staffed. So I "took one for the team!" However, I don't sleep well during the day (or the night either, come to thin of it) so my brain is too slow for puzzle-solving. Headed off to bed right now, in fact.

By the way, my son is in 7th grade. He had cursive in 3rd and 4th, but never became good at either reading OR writing it. He can write it a little, but absolutely cannot read it. I think it is a disability. It's like when they made the cash registers so they could figure out the change, instead of the cashiers having to count it out themselves. Made for a whole generation of people who can't do simple math in their heads. My son can't read birthday cards or other personal notes sent to him by anyone who writes in cursive. I don't agree with it.

Good night everyone. And Baldur, I wonder if you know how much you're appreciated by the ThinkDraw masses?? The time and thought that went into your puzzles...I'm astounded! And grateful!

Robindcr8l

And hi to you, too Marius! didn't mean to overlook you. It's the sleep deprivation.

marius

Sweet dreams, Robin. And yes - I appreciate Baldur's puzzles too - just not great at solving them. Well, at solving them quickly.

However, that is not a problem, the answers are being posted!
I like that VERY much! Thank you oh satyrday person. : )

Baldur

Oh happy day.
While straightening out papers on the desk Robert found a gift certificate we had received from our neighbor, the widow. It was a Christmas gift and Baldur admits having forgotten completely about it.
So we had $50 (USD) to spend at a Chili's restaurant, inspired we went out to dinner this evening.

Baldur

I had a large mug of Same Adams October Ale, Robert had a huge glass of something evil.
Baldur had a couple appetizers for dinner, including battered onion strings with jalepenos and a nachoplatter sans meat.
Robert had a huge bacon cheese burger with french fries.

There is still enough left another trip out to dinner.

Baldur

+for

After all that there was no room for desert.