# University results



## john2054 (Feb 2, 2012)

Well I got a c + for an essay which I submitted at university before Christmas. PS I'm not having much joy with this site. Every time I post they dock points from my reputation for no reason other than a clear attitude problem from the boys on high. This really doesn't bother me, I very much doubt they'd every knew a Ninja if they met one, and that's besides the point isn't it? What is to the point is that this site can't hack me, a thirty year old sociology undergraduate with minimal martial arts training other then a handy Ikkyu, and so it seems like I am running head first into another ban, but don't say I didn't make an effort!


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## Tez3 (Feb 2, 2012)

John ,if you look at your profile and the reputation bit you should see who is giving you bad rep, they should have their names attached, some do it anonymously but thats just bad manners. any poster can rep you depending on what they think.
I think it's your somewhat eccentric style of posting that has people confused and maybe annoyed. Perhaps if you told us why a Ninja, yourself, is running around in Derbyshire, I'm sure the Peak District isn't quite used to such things so being considered different can't be new to you? What made you take up Ninjaring?


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## granfire (Feb 2, 2012)

john2054 said:


> Well I got a c + for an essay which I submitted at university before Christmas. PS I'm not having much joy with this site. Every time I post they dock points from my reputation for no reason other than a clear attitude problem from the boys on high. This really doesn't bother me, I very much doubt they'd every knew a Ninja if they met one, and that's besides the point isn't it? What is to the point is that this site can't hack me, a thirty year old sociology undergraduate with minimal martial arts training other then a handy Ikkyu, and so it seems like I am running head first into another ban, but don't say I didn't make an effort!





Well I am thoroughly confused.

A C+ isn't all that great, but a passing grade? 

As to the rep, well, yes, as Tez said. But the red dots usually come with a 'No' and no name....had a couple of those myself.


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## john2054 (Feb 2, 2012)

Tez3 said:


> John ,if you look at your profile and the reputation bit you should see who is giving you bad rep, they should have their names attached, some do it anonymously but thats just bad manners. any poster can rep you depending on what they think.
> I think it's your somewhat eccentric style of posting that has people confused and maybe annoyed. Perhaps if you told us why a Ninja, yourself, is running around in Derbyshire, I'm sure the Peak District isn't quite used to such things so being considered different can't be new to you? What made you take up Ninjaring?



[h=6]*John Robinson*
[/h][h=6]I think I won a big battle today because I had to see my DR because I had mentioned the word Ninja in a conversation with my community psychiatric nurse a couple of days ago, and they agreed not to up my meds, or put me back in hospital, only force me to meet my support workers more often. Result?![/h]Like ·  · Unfollow post · 24 minutes ago


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## Tez3 (Feb 2, 2012)

granfire said:


> Well I am thoroughly confused.
> 
> A C+ isn't all that great, but a passing grade?
> 
> As to the rep, well, yes, as Tez said. But the red dots usually come with a 'No' and no name....had a couple of those myself.



I got a neg rep yesterday, it was signed and I howled with laughter, it was very prissy. 

It probably is a pass in sociology!


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## MJS (Feb 2, 2012)

john2054 said:


> Well I got a c + for an essay which I submitted at university before Christmas. PS I'm not having much joy with this site. Every time I post they dock points from my reputation for no reason other than a clear attitude problem from the boys on high. This really doesn't bother me, I very much doubt they'd every knew a Ninja if they met one, and that's besides the point isn't it? What is to the point is that this site can't hack me, a thirty year old sociology undergraduate with minimal martial arts training other then a handy Ikkyu, and so it seems like I am running head first into another ban, but don't say I didn't make an effort!



John,

This is the 2nd time you've started a thread, and the 2nd time that you've gone off track, and started talking about negative rep.  As I said, if you're having rep issues, we'll look into it.  If you're going to comtinue to complain and bash the staff and forum, you'll probably end up adding this forum to the ones you've already been banned from.

If you want to talk about the essay, fine, talk about it.


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## Steve (Feb 2, 2012)

Hey, John.  One of the negative reps was from me, and I neglected to sign it.  

But, if you're getting a lot of negative reputation, that means that either you need to think about why, or congratulate yourself on how great of a job trolling you're doing.


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## granfire (Feb 2, 2012)

Tez3 said:


> I got a neg rep yesterday, it was signed and I howled with laughter, it was very prissy.
> 
> It probably is a pass in sociology!





That must have been a forum first! :lfao:


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## Tez3 (Feb 2, 2012)

john2054 said:


> *John Robinson
> *
> 
> *I think I won a big battle today because I had to see my DR because I had mentioned the word Ninja in a conversation with my community psychiatric nurse a couple of days ago, and they agreed not to up my meds, or put me back in hospital, only force me to meet my support workers more often. Result?!*



Ok John, I think we need to take a few steps back and get onto a productive conversation. It would be a shame to have you banned again, the people here are actually kind and understand a lot more things than perhaps you'd think on a website. We are all martial artists who while we do different styles enjoy discussing different ways of doing techniques, self defence techniques and sometimes other subjects.

What attracted you to sociology? is there anything in particular you are interested in that made you take this subject? If you want to you can tell us why mentioning ninjas upsets your doctor so much, I admit I'm curious... okay I'm nosey!


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## john2054 (Feb 2, 2012)

Er ok so about the essay... Well I tell you one thing which my lecturer apparently marked me down upon, was my Socrates (Greek) device of asking a question to immediately answer it. So for an example is it ok to prefer tea to coffee in the morning? Not if you like to get out of bed early! (That is only an example note, please don't quote me on that one). Anyway I used this device a couple of times in the essay, with regards to social inequality, or class, or the students, or whatever it was I was harking on about. And he didn't like it, and flagged it up as a mistake in his final appreciation. But this is a device I have used with some great success over the years, the simple ability to ask a prosaic (ordinary) question, and answer it in the course of the thought thread, and quite frankly I'll be damned if I'm going to stop using this literary device now because one 'professional' tells me not to. What I will do, I guess, is check with some of my other teachers for this term, if they mind that i use it, but I'm not going to preempt them by suggesting that one has already told me not to. Rather I will just leave it as an open query, and see what replies I get. Also please note that I have today checked in but two of my academic uni books, and in both of them found examples of the authors using this very device in just the same way as I have been castigated for! Outrageous huh??


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## Tez3 (Feb 2, 2012)

granfire said:


> That must have been a forum first! :lfao:




Imagine my surprise! I get a few, mostly from people who can't handle either my sense of humour or my plain speaking lol! they all think I'm upset though or angry, when I'm hardly ever either and just about never on here.


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## john2054 (Feb 2, 2012)

Tez3 said:


> Ok John, I think we need to take a few steps back and get onto a productive conversation. It would be a shame to have you banned again, the people here are actually kind and understand a lot more things than perhaps you'd think on a website. We are all martial artists who while we do different styles enjoy discussing different ways of doing techniques, self defence techniques and sometimes other subjects.
> 
> What attracted you to sociology? is there anything in particular you are interested in that made you take this subject? If you want to you can tell us why mentioning ninjas upsets your doctor so much, I admit I'm curious... okay I'm nosey!



Thanks Tez, also as to why my consultant psychiatrist feels so threatened/upset by mentioning Ninjas? Well hopefully he doesn't actually, as proven by the fact that I was not forced to take an increased dose of medication after this latest stint was brought to his attention. Actually it was my community psychiatric nurse  (CPN), who first suggested that I take an increased dose (after I mentioned a couple of Ninjas to him who i had had recent dealings with (one someone I know from years ago whom works in a nearby Chinese takeout shop, and another who only leaves graffiti messages for me, but he is connected to the sas i am sure)), anyway maybe he was just walking through the steps. But Ninjas have in the past been flagged up as trigger points in a sign to a relapse of my mental illness, and consequently they weren't taking any chances. In fact I had not seen that consultant for over two years, and it was nice to see him. Consequently I don't feel at all threatened by his request for a follow up appointment in a month. And the truth be told I'm even hoping to use him as a tool to help me lever and get my wife over from Kenya, which is another question altogether, but there we go!


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## Flying Crane (Feb 2, 2012)

john2054 said:


> But Ninjas have in the past been flagged up as trigger points in a sign to a relapse of my mental illness, and consequently they weren't taking any chances.



Here's the problem.  John, if you are dealing with mental illness and need medication, that can be a very serious issue and can create some very real difficulties in your life.  I suspect this problem may be what is making it difficult for you to have an active presence on a forum site such as MartialTalk.  The people here are really great on the whole, but as a community we are not in a position to help you with your mental illness.  You need to keep seeing your doctors and follow their instructions and take the meds if they are prescribing them.

But in the end, this may create enough problems that it proves too difficult for you to be here.

I don't think anyone is trying to push you out.  It's just that reality may not allow for it.  Good luck to you and all the best.


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## MJS (Feb 2, 2012)

*Admin Note:

Please return to the topic of the thread, which is about an essay for college.  Martial Talk is not in the business of talking about mental illness, domestic disuptes and things of that nature, which should be kept off the forum.

MJS
MT Asst. Admin*


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## john2054 (Feb 2, 2012)

Flying Crane said:


> But in the end, this may create enough problems that it proves too difficult for you to be here.



Yeah. I realise I have been cutting it pretty close to the mark so far. But what am I supposed to do, pretend that all of that bad chi i have been through didn't happen? Better to throw the bones up in the air and let the tao arrange them as it will I say.


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## Flying Crane (Feb 2, 2012)

MJS said:


> *Admin Note:
> 
> Please return to the topic of the thread, which is about an essay for college. Martial Talk is not in the business of talking about mental illness, domestic disuptes and things of that nature, which should be kept off the forum.
> 
> ...



sorry Mike, just trying to give some friendly advice, since the OPer brought it up.


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## john2054 (Feb 2, 2012)

MJS said:


> *Admin Note:
> 
> Please return to the topic of the thread, which is about an essay for college.  Martial Talk is not in the business of talking about mental illness, domestic disuptes and things of that nature, which should be kept off the forum.
> 
> ...



Sorry admin you posted that one just before me. Well with regards to the essay I am still waiting for a comment I made on the message that my lecturer has a problem with my practice of asking questions in the prose of the essay body text. Any takers?


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## elder999 (Feb 2, 2012)

john2054 said:
			
		

> Sorry admin you posted that one just before me. Well with regards to the essay I am still waiting for a comment I made on the message that my lecturer has a problem with my practice of asking questions in the prose of the essay body text.




Yeah. That's not accpeted university formatting for an essay. I'd suggest you look up the "five paragraph essay," if you're at all concerned about grades





			
				john2054 said:
			
		

> Any takers?



Uh......huh.


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## Tez3 (Feb 2, 2012)

I started a sociology course with the OU and promptly dumped it, the tutor and the whole thing smacked of anti police, anti male, had women as victims and most of the population as being kept down by the rich...probably sounds familiar to many here. I did one essay that was more pro police than against, it got rubbished lol. I'm doing a law degree now and while it has it's very boring parts it's actually much more interesting and far less mind boggling. Sociology is a very odd subject, studying something more prosaic might suit you better.


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## Grenadier (Feb 3, 2012)

john2054 said:


> Well I got a c + for an essay which I submitted at university before Christmas. PS I'm not having much joy with this site. Every time I post they dock points from my reputation for no reason other than a clear attitude problem from the boys on high. This really doesn't bother me, I very much doubt they'd every knew a Ninja if they met one, and that's besides the point isn't it? What is to the point is that this site can't hack me, a thirty year old sociology undergraduate with minimal martial arts training other then a handy Ikkyu, and so it seems like I am running head first into another ban, but don't say I didn't make an effort!



First of all, a C+ isn't a terrible grade for an undergraduate.  Most of the colleges and universities that I know of around the civilized world, won't even bother to put anyone on academic probation, unless his GPA falls below a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (sub-C).  A C+ at most places will be worth a 2.33 or a 2.50, so you should be quite safe.  

Second, If you want a better grade, maybe you should speak with the professor, and ask what you could do to get a better result the next time.  It could be something as simple as improper writing styles, poor grammar, or just plain missing the point of the exercise.  It's no different than a martial arts class, where sometimes the fix can be as simple as a tweak to one's mechanics.  

It is up to *you* to fix the mess, plain and simple.  The first step towards getting better is to admit that you have deficiencies, and quit denying that you need to be more responsible.


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## Chris Parker (Feb 3, 2012)

Hi John,

I haven't dealt with you much either here, or on MAP before you were banned there, but a few things to consider. We are not your therapy group. This much has been said. But more importantly, we cannot be here to enable you, either. What I mean by that is that you are not a ninja, you don't know any ninja, you have no concept of what a ninja was (note the past tense there, it's important), and your entire construct is based in your mental health issues, which is why it is considered a trigger by those looking after you. I am recommending to all who do deal with you here that we do not engage you on that topic, as all it would do would be to feed into your issues, which is not healthy for you, nor good for this site.

Next, as I said, we are not your therapy group. Starting a thread by saying what grade you got on an essay with no actual discussion being posted is not what this board is for. We aren't here to talk you up when you get something not go your way (or not your perceived way) in the real world. We cannot be your crutch or your prop. That won't help you or us, and will simply waste our time, and potentially damage your progress in your treatment.

If you want to discuss martial arts, and can do so without drifting off the way you do, keeping it coherent and directed, that is fine, and can help you I feel. But at this point in time, I don't see that happening. Your thread on Glenn Morris was closed pretty quickly for that reason, and this one started off exactly the same way.

I'm sorry to be cold and blunt, but I would suggest you rethink whether or not the forums are really the best place for you right now. It seems to me that they are not doing you any good, as they are adding to your stress, and feeding your mental health issues, so I would suggest considering if you are not better off leaving them for a while.

Oh, and before you suggest it, I have never given you any rep positive or negative.


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## john2054 (Feb 5, 2012)

OK Chris, I appreciate that you don't think that I'm a Ninja, and by a strict definition of the word i'm not. However I am an author as you may know, and as far as that goes well let's just say that Ninja feature heavily in each of the three books I have written and that is enough. As to the essay, well I have written my lecturer saying that his dislike of proscaic questions in the body of the essay was unfounded because, well I have noted several examples from two academic books where the authors use just this trick, on more then a few occasions. Hopefully he won't be too offended by me asking him this, and more over I get another grade back tomorrow. I think the main thing is that I pass in order to get this first mode of study out of the way.

And Tez, I'm sorry that you had such an unpleasant experience with the open university. It could be seen as ironic I suppose how this supposedly almighty police service can be belittled and undermined on such a insignificant root as an open university class! But then I suppose I am treading on risky waters there. What I will say is that I am glad that you have taken to Law, and yes Sociology is an old subject, but it is also being constantly reborn and renewed with new thinkers and perspectives, and note the c + I got for my first essay is a much better grade then the es and fs which I used to get at 6th form so there is plenty of scope I am sure.

At risk of deviating from the title, I would like to remark that my priorities right now must focus not just on my studies but also my wife's visa application from Kenya. But perhaps that should be the starting point for another thread?


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## Tez3 (Feb 5, 2012)

I think sociology along with perhaps history is one of those subjects that can be taught entirely along the lines of the teacher's political views. I haven't yet found a use for sociology as a subject, a lot of what is taught doesn't seem to bear much resemblence to real life.

We were snowed in last night, severe frosts forecast tonight so along with your wife's visa I think a supply of warm clothes is needed.!


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## Chris Parker (Feb 5, 2012)

john2054 said:


> OK Chris, I appreciate that you don't think that I'm a Ninja, and by a strict definition of the word i'm not. However I am an author as you may know, and as far as that goes well let's just say that Ninja feature heavily in each of the three books I have written and that is enough. As to the essay, well I have written my lecturer saying that his dislike of proscaic questions in the body of the essay was unfounded because, well I have noted several examples from two academic books where the authors use just this trick, on more then a few occasions. Hopefully he won't be too offended by me asking him this, and more over I get another grade back tomorrow. I think the main thing is that I pass in order to get this first mode of study out of the way.



None of that has any bearing on you even knowing anything about ninja, though. The amount of publications that I have read, movies I have seen, references that have been made, with no actual knowledge of anything related whatsoever outweighs legitimately informed information by approximately 100:1. I might suggest you check the art listed in my signature for where I'm coming from on this.

I repeat, you are not a ninja, you have never known a ninja, and you show no evidence of knowing the first thing about ninja. This is not to be cruel, it is to avoid feeding into the mental issues you freely admit to in your posts.

As to disagreeing with your lecturer, that is something that would be taken up with a higher authority in the university, not with the lecturer himself. He obviously has expectations for an essay (as opposed to an article, story, or anything else) which you failed to meet to the level of your hopes. If you truly think it was unfair, you need to appeal above his authority. But I have to say, I don't think you'll have much success.



john2054 said:


> At risk of deviating from the title, I would like to remark that my priorities right now must focus not just on my studies but also my wife's visa application from Kenya. But perhaps that should be the starting point for another thread?



For others, I'd probably suggest that yes, that should be a new thread. For yourself, I'd suggest concentrating on it offline, if you want to know what to discuss here, the prevalent topic is martial arts. Not emigration, not essays on sociology, not whether or not you're an author about non-martial concepts and themes, not the "fairness" of University grades, not your wife in Kenya, or anything similar. There are areas that non-martial arts topics are covered, but the thrust of the site is martial arts. If you're not contributing to that, the question would be why are you here? 

But again, I'm going to recommend that you look after yourself first and foremost, and the best thing for that may be to stay off the forums. They don't seem to be a good place for you at present.


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## john2054 (Feb 6, 2012)

Hi Tez, yes sure I have a thick woollen jumper which I am wearing at the moment which I find useful to keep the cold from out of my bones. And in response to Chris' comments that I have never met a Ninja, well you believe what you will mate. But I certainly have met members of the British army (I talked to one in a stall in my town centre a couple of weeks back), and if they aren't comparable to modern day Ninjas, I don't know what else is!

Also today I got the results for my second essay back, and I got a b - , which I am very pleased with as I hope you can imagine. True this is a martial arts website, but this area and subforum within the website (the study) is dedicated to perhaps some of the softer ideas related to the arts, and hence the justification for me posting here.


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## Chris Parker (Feb 6, 2012)

They're not comparable. At all, really. And, once again, look to the art in my signature to understand who you're talking to about this. There is no such thing as a "modern day ninja". Ninja no longer exist. Believe me on that one. Because, if they did, you'd be talking to one right now, and believe me, you're not.


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## Tez3 (Feb 6, 2012)

Chris Parker said:


> They're not comparable. At all, really. And, once again, look to the art in my signature to understand who you're talking to about this. There is no such thing as a "modern day ninja". Ninja no longer exist. Believe me on that one. Because, if they did, you'd be talking to one right now, and believe me, you're not.




To be fair Chris, if he's met members of the army ,they may well have spun him a good line! You could easily come away after speaking to them thinking they are a cross between Ninjas, Rambo and Robin Hood. I know John said he'd seen someone from the SAS as well, I wouldn't dismiss that out of hand as we have the TA SAS who he is likely to have met. They especially tend to be a bit 'show offy' where as the full time lot are a bit more closed mouthed but for many of us are actually easy enough to tell.


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## john2054 (Feb 7, 2012)

Hi Tez and Chris, well nice one for not spam fishing my post right out of the water as I was afraid was going to happen. As for the whole Ninja thing, please bear in mind that much of my understanding and learning about Ninjas has come from reading books, the likes of which the late G Morris, S Hayes and E Lustabader so lovingly wrote about. Even if the latter is purely a fictional novelist. As to actually having met a Ninja, well I saw one once and heard one another time. When I saw him he was flanked by a couple of army high ranking officers. I could tell that they were high ranking by their age and the way they carried themselves. (They were also wearing desert camoflage). As to the young man in the middle, well he was dressed in plain clothes.

Then I heard him a while before all of that one day and night when i had been confined to the local police holding cell and he was outside with someone. But I really think the enough said about that time the better, for a very real danger of getting banned if I tell you more about that time.

I also know an ex member of the sas who I'm not claiming was a Ninja, but was obviously one of the best to have reached that position. He now sells flowers outside a music shop in town. I also once saw a man who claimed to have just got back from Iraq, and he was in the sas as well. Well I once punched him by accident when we were playing ping pong in the local physio, and he winded me for that in a flash. Suffice to say the next time I saw him was in the street about a year later with a pretty bird on his arm. But they are sas men and NOT Ninjas! There is only one Ninja I know in a formal capacity (see above for the details), and yes I do know his name and a personal detail or two about him, but I will refrain from disclosing them for the obvious matters of confidentiality.

I am also a part of the private group Hoshin Nexus on facebook, which is a closed collection of mainly Ninja type folks both young and old, one with a mental health condition like me (she's the one who invited me on it). And so you see, it takes all sorts!


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## ballen0351 (Feb 7, 2012)

Oh boy


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## The Last Legionary (Feb 7, 2012)

When I was going to school I had a hamburger. It was a very good hamburger. It had pickles on it. You know the real crunchy kind. And it had onions on it but I hate onions so I climbed over the counter and grabbed the pimply faced teen by his long greasy hair and screamed at him "I said no onions", then I shoved his face in the fryer. It was a lot of fun, but the tasers hurt me. When I got in front of the judge he asked me if I was sorry but I said I wasn't because I don't like onions and he should have known better than to mess with me because I'm a member of GI Joe. He didn't believe me and put me in jail where they didn't have hamburgers. Can you believe that ****? No burgers. It sucked. I kept waiting to be rescued but then Snake Eyes got me a message in the comic saying they couldn't bust me out because they were looking for Osama and that was more important but here is my new secret decoder ring. He said to keep it safe so each day I swallow it and recover it in the evening to decode the days orders. They say I'll be out soon but for now I need to stay in. I think the guy in the next cell is a CObra agent and it's important I watch him. He keeps muttering about being beaten up by his mother and how he smacked a little kid around and how he's a ninja.   I think he might be slipping up and soon will tell me where he hid the plans to the Death Star.


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## Flea (Feb 7, 2012)

Legionary, that really isn't necessary or appropriate.  Bob goes to some pains to ensure that we're all grown-ups on this forum, and I think it's reasonable to ask that we settle our disagreements without resorting to childish snot and bullying.

I've seen three (by my subjective judgement) openly hostile responses on this thread toward the OP for having a medical condition that he's clearly very proactive about managing.  We have members here with diabetes, cerebral palsy, PTSD, hearing loss, learning disabilities, and balance problems.  Is it acceptable to mock and insult them with fake ads for crutches and hearing aids? Of course not.  There's no difference here.

It's one thing if you have something productive to add to the conversation by commenting on his paper (remember the OP?) or something relevant about mental illness and treatment.  But if you don't like him personally or have nothing relevant to offer, find another thread.


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## ballen0351 (Feb 7, 2012)

That would be true if this dude was for real.  I don't think he is.  He likes going from site to site to site getting more and more outrageous until he's banned.  Its like a game for him.  He sees how far he can push it until he gets banned.  I mean really "I was in a jail cell and could hear ninjas outside"  he's looking for a reaction.  His welcome post was hi im a troll.  He wasn't kidding.


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## MJS (Feb 7, 2012)

This thread is about to implode very soon.  So, for clarification purposes...what was the essay about?


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## jks9199 (Feb 7, 2012)

Admin Note

Thread closed for staff review.

jks9199
Asst. Administrator


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