@spendius,
Right then fm. Ask Roberta to edit this post. Let's see what she makes of it. It is on that vexed subject, no more so than on these evolution threads, of the Ignore function.
In Kingsley Amis' book, DIFFICULTIES WITH GIRLS, a must read for those with aspirations, there is a scene at a "getting to know the neighbours" party which delves into the psychological aspects of resorting to such mean measures.
Stevie is one half of what the reader is expected to think of the homosexual trial "marriage" two doors down the landing. He is a retired actor who was fairly famous for his portrayals of tough guys with wobbly integrity. He is "him indoors". Eric being his squeeze. There's no evidence for any funny goings on of the sort with which the hero of the book renders his wife pale by answering her innocent question about such things. Eric has a deep "yo-ho-ho" voice with a strong west country burr. Cornwall I think.
Anyway--it gets catty and I might as well pick it up where Eric says, " 'Look, all right, all right, Stevie, we'll forget all about the--' "
What Eric is offering to forget about is the "veal concoction" and the movie coming on TV later in which an old pal of Stevie's is feeched. (That's "feechewered" a subtle play on "featured"---as in Features' Editor. It's a new word I invented years ago.) Stevie wants to stay in and Eric wants to go to the pub with the others.
Stevie then says, " 'I don't like you at all, you know. I think you're a mean killjoy sort of fellow, that I do.' "
"Staring gloomily at Eric", the narrator goes on, " Stevie poured the contents of his glass, only an inch or so of liquid, slowly on to the carpet and walked with his rolling tread into the kitchen whose door he shut behind him firmly but not noisily."
He put them on Ignore. Mr Amis knew a lot about being put on Ignore as did his two best mates who it would insult your literary pretensions for me to name.
The scene that follows involves Mr and Mrs Armitage leaving at her prompting. Mr Armitage is Eric's boss in the Navy pensions office and he returns on some silly excuse involving non-existent cigarettes to tell Eric that he quite understands and accepts that this life has its difficulties and for all of us.
Then--"Something large and breakable fell to the kitchen floor".
To which stimulus," 'That's just in case we start patching things up amongst ourselves,' Eric said."
The Ignore function on the anatomy table. Even the having a peep part.
Before any sort of realistic debate between adults on a subject as important as teaching evolution theory can possibly proceed it must be taken for granted that no seats at the table are to be taken by those who have a tendency to employ gambits such as Ignore and its many variations. They are profoundly unscientific which is the reason they are considered bad mannered.
Launching into a spiel about my prose needing Roberta's attention, which is only a cheap trick to get Roberta on fm's side, and that other stuff about me not being as hot as he thinks I think I am, A2K's only wem, as a light flurry of snow to evade the questions I raised without being seen to do so is a fairly simple variation of Ignore.
One might easily see why no seats are available at the table in a grown up scientific debate. One might just as easily say that my questions need no answer because I don't mow the lawn properly. By which is meant in a manner fm approves of.
His circularities are such that if you fixed a tungsten-carbide tip to the end of his nose you could saw a teak tree trunk into six inch planks in very quick time.
Let's see what Roberta makes of that.
