The separation of the arts and sciences as different mutually exclusive skills requiring different personality traits to understand them is a recent western cultural thing. It wasn't the case even in the 1800's where people like Humphrey Davie were compatriots of the Shelly's and their ilk. It's still not the case in Asia.

Ultimately I think Kate is just a manipulated product of our times and she can't really be blamed for her prejudices. The problem with pigeon holing people (like she does) is that some people believe it (like she does) and then live up to it (like she does). So an artist will dismiss something requiring engineering and an engineer will dismiss the arts; both will say it's because they don't understand it even though they probably haven't even tried. But then I would say that because I'm a Taurus.

Am I allowed to agree with you even though I'm a Scorpio?

Conversely, old Adolf was a big fan of the arts.

Godwin!

Well that'll go someway to repairing his somewhat tarnished reputation.

Lordy, now I feel like a dummy. That's lost on me, sir.

ahh - I thought I was Speshul

Um, yes I can keep up with my friends because I don't neglect them! That's why they are friends - innit - or am losing the will to live?

Any way, I am off to Whistler for the night with MY FRIENDS from the Uk, who I do not neglect and hence have come to visit me

Is there any snow left?

Yeah - but we are going for drinking and shopping - not skiing

Which of course has nothing to do with your occupation or indeed formal training but rather to do with your ability to learn and appreciate new things.

Ah, I just Googled and discovered "Godwin's Law"... for those unfamiliar, it basically says that you can tell when an internet discussion is becoming tired and tedious whenever someone refers to Hitler or Nazism.

Well, this thread certainly falls into the tired and tedious category, so perhaps Mr. Godwin is a clever old chap.

Oh - it also says that whomever makes the Hitler/Nazi reference "loses" the argument, but seeing as I wasn't actually participating in the argument, contenting myself with facetiousness about broken sanitaryware, perhaps I don't have much to lose.

But thanks for making me learn something new today!

Will you be properly able to appreciate it or do you lack a higher degree?

Probably just as well - it was getting ropey last time I was there and that was over three weeks ago now.

One last try,but only because that Greenhill made me laugh my head off. Perhaps I need to talk to you slooooooooowly and simply so that it doesn't upset your fragile minds.

Here's me Kate, a working class girl dragged up through the council estates and military bases of a breaking Britain. I didn't have the privileges of nanny making tea for me, and picnics at Ascot. I haven't drank Pimms on the lawn of Buckingham palace as a lot of you have. it was grim, coal fires and beans on toast when we were lucky. A bath once a week, and avoiding the drug pushers and thugs in school halls. The highlight of the week was Coronation street and the daily paper was the Mirror. sometimes we had the Titbits and If I was a really good girl I got to read the Beano.

Now what chance as a child, did I have of understanding the finer points of life? We didn't discuss the odyessy around the dinner table It was, "did you fill the pools in and what won at Aintree", "have you paid the milkman."

How can you jump from that to the collective unconcious without some education???? A university is a center of learning nice professors are there who point out the nuances of literature, history and philosophy. that would otherwise be missed by someone used to reading the bloody BEANO.

I personally, have had my learning advanced by going to Uni. I have nothing against people who didn't go. For me personally it was beneficial. It has enhanced my understanding of life

I have nothing against engineers, carpenters, plumbers, Scorpios Taureans
thick bar stewards on forums, Whatever.


What is so bad in saying a university enhances knowledge.


Now the snooty will look down their noses at poor little under privileged Kate.
"The working classes should stay in the gutter where their mediocre intellect belongs."

Too bad I crawled out hahahahahhaaa