Malala Yousafzai
11 October 2014, 03:37 PM
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She has honary Canadian citizenhip which is just symbolic. I didn't know she was a UK citizen yet. No doubt she would be fast tracked of course....
11 October 2014, 05:26 PM
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She's just a kid who we have made made into a mascot, no worse than that, we've build a weird cult around her.
Nothing against her per se, I'm fairly indifferent to her, she certainly doesn't say anything interesting or especially insightful, just bien pensant feel good platitudes.
Nothing against her per se, I'm fairly indifferent to her, she certainly doesn't say anything interesting or especially insightful, just bien pensant feel good platitudes.
11 October 2014, 10:21 PM
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11 October 2014, 10:26 PM
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12 October 2014, 07:10 AM
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I honour your forthright and honest opinion. But she's only 17, not 36! She may not say anything interesting or insightful, but what about her actions?? There're plenty of people that talk 'interesting' and 'insightful' all day long, but in action, they do **** all with that. Easy to spout 'insightful' talk-the-talk, I'd rather credit the ones that bring those insightful talks to action / perform with least 'insightful' words and more 'insightful' actions. Going around campaigning bravely with a bullet in her head for something that the irrational ones from her community can shoot her down again is quite an action.
I suppose I just find the beatification/idolatry a bit weird, the way we worship the innocence of children too. Perhaps to make up for our own cynicism.
12 October 2014, 12:27 PM
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I suppose I just find the beatification/idolatry a bit weird, the way we worship the innocence of children too. Perhaps to make up for our own cynicism.
LOL you yourself sound like a cynical old fart with your usual, third angle perspective. When everyone's cheering, you have to come in and deflate the celebration with your grump. My great granddad was like that.
In all seriousness, it's refreshing to have your third angle to things. Spanner for argument to some, but food for thought for some. In one word- 'interesting'.
12 October 2014, 03:33 PM
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12 October 2014, 03:38 PM
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13 October 2014, 01:24 PM
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If they were nationalists or patriots of any depth and reasonably far-sighted they'd recognise that Malala's Nobel Prize and her residency in and support from the UK is in this country's interests. Cynical, I know, but that's the realpolitik. That aside, I'm reminded of the notion that if one educates a women, one educates a nation; for me Malala is the embodiment of that idea.
It'll be interesting to witness her career over the coming decades and I pray that her God is kind to her.
It'll be interesting to witness her career over the coming decades and I pray that her God is kind to her.
13 October 2014, 01:32 PM
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If they were nationalists or patriots of any depth and reasonably far-sighted they'd recognise that Malala's Nobel Prize and her residency in and support from the UK is in this country's interests. Cynical, I know, but that's the realpolitik. That aside, I'm reminded of the notion that if one educates a women, one educates a nation; for me Malala is the embodiment of that idea.
It'll be interesting to witness her career over the coming decades and I pray that her God is kind to her.
It'll be interesting to witness her career over the coming decades and I pray that her God is kind to her.
21 August 2015, 06:28 PM
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21 August 2015, 06:55 PM
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Yes, well done to Malala for her super achievement, and well done to all other kids of the UK who couldn't get fantastic grades for one reason or other. Don't lose heart and keep going. 
22 August 2015, 12:43 PM
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Academic results aren't the sole indicator of one having 'it' to its full. Sometimes you've got more than 'it' but you couldn't use it due to external disturbances or internal turmoil caused by whatever, and therefore you needn't feel disheartened. Yes, Malala had a bullet in her head and she could still do A*s and As, very inspiring. Bear in mind that her Asian mindset/background retains the drive for excelling academically. but there're some very bright British kids with many invisible bullets in their heads and their hearts.
A lot of them do have 'it', but it gets messy with all that going on. Spare them and do not judge their intelligence with their academic performance alone. Intelligence isn't just about writing big essays and getting good results. It comes in different forms.
Some who don't have 'it' in abundance may have some of some rare 'that'. No one is a write off or a small because he/she didn't manage to get top grades in school or couldn't get them no matter how hard they worked. Intelligence manifests in many other ways, not just in As and Bs reflections.
Just on academics, Sir baby face Brian *** didn't do that well in school either, but look at him now.
By the way, everyone seems to do better at GCSEs, not that big deal imo. My daughter hardly studied during her year 11, and ended up getting top grades in all her GCSEs. A levels and onwards are the ones one needs to watch out.
A lot of them do have 'it', but it gets messy with all that going on. Spare them and do not judge their intelligence with their academic performance alone. Intelligence isn't just about writing big essays and getting good results. It comes in different forms.
Some who don't have 'it' in abundance may have some of some rare 'that'. No one is a write off or a small because he/she didn't manage to get top grades in school or couldn't get them no matter how hard they worked. Intelligence manifests in many other ways, not just in As and Bs reflections.
Just on academics, Sir baby face Brian *** didn't do that well in school either, but look at him now.
By the way, everyone seems to do better at GCSEs, not that big deal imo. My daughter hardly studied during her year 11, and ended up getting top grades in all her GCSEs. A levels and onwards are the ones one needs to watch out.
23 August 2015, 01:01 PM
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Yes, well done Malala, great results
It also backs up my deeply held view that most people are capable of amazing things - given the chance and opportunity
And sad to think so many of the world population have very little of either - what a loss to mankind
It also backs up my deeply held view that most people are capable of amazing things - given the chance and opportunity
And sad to think so many of the world population have very little of either - what a loss to mankind
23 August 2015, 08:32 PM
#83
Sums me up nicely
...Or to be more precise - Jack of all trades; Master of none
4 Cs
4 Bs
1 A*
The A* was a fluke; It didn't stop me wasting ten years in the deluding thinking that I was actually good at something
Last edited by ALi-B; 23 August 2015 at 08:34 PM.
24 August 2015, 12:12 PM
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24 August 2015, 09:04 PM
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But that does not explain the fact that in the UK a child's chances in life are, by and large, determined by the postcode they live are born/live in
Now you can explain that by conferring some mythical powers on postcodes - or imagine that something else is a factor
24 August 2015, 09:39 PM
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Sure I get that - you will always have freeloading chancers, in every society/country
But that does not explain the fact that in the UK a child's chances in life are, by and large, determined by the postcode they live are born/live in
Now you can explain that by conferring some mythical powers on postcodes - or imagine that something else is a factor
But that does not explain the fact that in the UK a child's chances in life are, by and large, determined by the postcode they live are born/live in
Now you can explain that by conferring some mythical powers on postcodes - or imagine that something else is a factor
24 August 2015, 09:49 PM
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24 August 2015, 10:08 PM
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