national handwriting day

Fri Jan 12 17:40:24 UTC 2007

People really learn what they need.  After all, I don't know how to
throw a speer, shoot an arrow, or drive a team of oxen--things that
would have been common knowledge to my ancestors. Obviously, many people
don't need to write cursive.  Fine.  Maybe they don't need to be able to
tie their shoes, but not being able to tell time?  That does
seem a bit much.  I just wonder what other 'common knowledge' is not
common knowledge.  Maybe I should start my own (Dr.) Jay-walking
sketch.
Fritz J
>>> spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM 1/12/2007 9:09 AM >>>
Wow, not being able to tell the time from a clock? That is bad. But I
still
see cursive writing as (much!) less important than that. Then again,
maybe
we should start burning all non-digital clocks now before they become
too
obsolete.
Scot

>From: FRITZ JUENGLING <juengling_fritz at SALKEIZ.K12.OR.US>
>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Re: national handwriting day
>Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2007 08:50:58 -0800
>
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       FRITZ JUENGLING <juengling_fritz at SALKEIZ.K12.OR.US>
>Subject:      Re: national handwriting day
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> >>> spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM 1/12/2007 8:02 AM >>>
>Although I understand your pain, I (someone who once learned cursive)
>find
>cursive to be unnecessary. Printing works just as well, it just isn't
>as
>"fancy" or "pretty." But that's just my controversial take on the
>matter.
>
>Scot
>
>I guess I put this in the same category with teenagers not knowing
how
>to tie their shoes or tell time on a traditional clock.  These things
>just seem like common knowledge to me, but they're not.  I had a girl
>only a few weeks ago when we were learning time just sit and look at
me
>when I asked her the time.  She couldn't say anything.  She's bright
and
>I had done a good job of teaching the concept. Finally, she just
blurted
>out that she couldn't tell time on a traditional clock.  Since she
>couldn't do it in English, she wasn't able to do it in German.  I
really
>wonder what these kids think about and how they deal with the world
>around them.  I guess they just ignore a lot of things.
>Fritz
> >
> >
> > >From: Dennis Baron <debaron at UIUC.EDU>
> > >Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > >Subject: national handwriting day
> > >Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 23:51:34 -0600
> > >
> > >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > >-----------------------
> > >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > >Poster:       Dennis Baron <debaron at UIUC.EDU>
> > >Subject:      national handwriting day
> >
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > >It's time to celebrate National Handwriting Day, and you can read
>all
> >=20=
> > >
> > >about it on
> > >the Web of Language:
> > >
> > >"January 23 is National Handwriting Day.  WIMA, the Writing
>Implement
> >=20=
> > >
> > >Manufacturers Association, which has sponsored the event for
thirty
> >=20
> > >years, wants you to take a break from =93the rigorous world of
=20
> > >electronic communication=94 and write =93a good, old-fashioned
>letter,
> >=20=
> > >
> > >complete with your penned signature,=94 just like John Hancock.
In
> >=20
> > >fact WIMA picked Jan. 23 for National Handwriting Day to coincide
>=20
> > >with Hancock=92s birthday.  Actually John Hancock, author of the
>=20
> > >largest and most famous American signature, was born not on Jan.
23
> >=20
> > >but on Jan. 12.  But that's not the point.  ... "  find out what
>the
> >=20
> > >point is, and lots more about National Handwriting Day. at
> > >
> > >the Web of Language
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Dennis Baron
> > >Professor of English and Linguistics
> > >Department of English
> > >University of Illinois
> > >608 S. Wright St.
> > >Urbana, IL 61801
> > >
> > >office: 217-244-0568
> > >fax: 217-333-4321
> > >
> > >www.uiuc.edu/goto/debaron
> > >
> > >read the Web of Language:
> > >www.uiuc.edu/goto/weboflanguage
> > >
> > >------------------------------------------------------------
> > >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
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