Rants

[Bryn]

I absolutly hate it when people break promises. My dad was supposed to let me play my whistle with him, and his friend and his friends kids well not really kids they around the same age as me. At this concert, thingy in a few weeks. I was really excited about playing with him, because not only would i be presenting my penny whistling skills, but I would also be spending time with him.

So instead of finding a song that we could all do, I can name at least 5 on the top of my head. So instead of letting those kids learn a bloody new song, they just decide to exclude me from it. Also I am mad because he wants to spend his time with that family, to practise with them. He doesnt even want to sit down with me for a 1/2 and help me practise my violin, or play a tune with me on the whistle.

The only thought that keeps me coming back to reality again, is the fact that Maybe it is for the better that I dont play with them. Do I really want to waste my time with the snobby bunch?

[Doubar]

Aw, wind, I am sorry to hear that. *offers big hug*

[Sinbad]

So this morning, a HOLIDAY, so I can theoretically sleep in, my effing phone rings at 8 a.m. I am not that quick to get out of bed but I manage to have a look at a display and it´s a number I do not recognize. I answer the phone but apparently it was just a second too late so I go back to bed again.

Just when I´m about to fall asleep 20 minutes later, the stupid phone rings AGAIN. Really annoyed I jump out of bed and before answering the phone I can notice that it´s the same number from earlier.
So it turns out the woman on the phone is from some weird make up or whatever institute.

Her: Good morning is this Mrs. H.?
Me: Yes.
Her: Oh good. We have a special offer for you today. You have been recommended to us by a known make up company.
Me: Er... for what exactly? Recommended?
Her: We will offer you to test products of well known companies and we send it to you all for free.
Me: I´m sorry to interrupt but I´m not really interested in that.
Her: You´re not.
Me: No. I don´t actually use that much make up or cosmetic products.
Her: But Mrs H. it´s totally free and this is just for you because you´ve been chosen, you´ve been recommended. We´re not one of these phone lotteries
Me: Who exactly recommended me?
Her: Well, I can´t tell you that, but I do have your data here.
Me: I can´t imagine I was recommended for anything into that direction. How does that work?
Her: Well, probably you ordered cosmetics online...
Me: *thinks* Wait. Didn´t I just tell her I was NOT interested in make up stuff and that I hardly USED any?*
Her:... or it was mentioned in the terms of service somewhere when you ordered something that you allowed this.
Me:Well, anyways, I am not interested.
Her: But why not? It´s totally free, you´re the only one who has advantages from this, it´s not like we´re trying to sell something.

I managed to end the call about half a minute later. Seriously WTF!?

[/rant]

[Khei]

We got rid of our land-line and got Cell phones cause of this phone call..

Me: "Hello?"
Telemarketer: "Good evening Ma'am. I'm calling to offer you service in our one-of-a-kind program that will stop telemarketers from calling your phone!"
Me: *Deadpans*
Telemarketer: "Hello? Are you still there?"
Me: "Lemmie get this straight.. You're a telemarketer right?"
Telemarketer: "Yeah.."
Me: "And you're trying to sell me a frigging subscription to stop telemarketers from calling?"
Telemarketer: "Yes Ma'am."
Me: "Isn't that akin to cannibalism?"
Telemarketer: *Click*

*DING* Game over! I Win! lol

That was the real kicker.

[Doubar]

@sinbad: Oh sheesh. I had one of these make-up-poeple call me, too, one day. But it was just a survey ... and I was done with it pretty fast because I'm just as you when it comes to make-up. ;D But seriously, at 8 am ... on a holiday? Argh! Poor you. Hope you were able to return to sleep afterwards.

Khei: Haha, whee! Yep, you win! How cool was that! ;D

[Sinbad]

What an annoying morning

So I get back to school extra early today for my 12th grade exam because since I have to do at least one exam where they work with film material instead of just text, I meant to be there early so I could set up the tv and start the DVD and everything so I would be ready when the time started and stuff.
Up till now I have been assigned to one special room for EVERY 11th or 12th grade English exam, always the same room, all year. The room with the board that has the dictionaries and that also has the tv set now. I had told my colleague T. two days ago that I was using film this time he was like "Oh okay, they can write a few mins longer then and also you have room U10 anyways, like always. English exams are always there so that will fit nicely."

But no.
This mornign I get to school only to find out that I am in U31 instead of U10. The rooms are about like... the whole corridor apart so I had to drag the dictionaries from U10 into U31 and had to organise a tv. Problem. TV set one is on a too high shelf that doesn´t fit through some of the doors, the door of U31 included. So I had to drag the tv set from room U12 aaaaall the way to U31. I couldn´t be assigned to my usual exam room U10 because they had centralized math exams there, starting at 9, me starting at 8. So, another problem, after I finally managed to install the tv in the room my course was to write their exams in it was a good five mins after starting time, argh and as if this was not enough I had to drag the dictionaries back (with the students helping) after the exam. I could not take the TV back to U12 however because, yay, math exams in there. And I could get the keys for the U12 tv set back to the board in U10 where they are kept because... yay... more math exams. So I put the tv in the media store room and took the keys to the secretary and later took the keys back into U10 and the tv back into U12 during the lunch break.
Oh, not to forget that I had to tell the first student to leave the exam that he should please tell the secretary to tell one of teh two trainees who would be joining me in my 7th grade in 3rd period to please improvise something for the first 5 to 10 minutes because I would be late for that since I first had to take back all the media stuff. Argh!!

[19101989]

Oh, god

that must be so mean...... but might i ask if you always make this exam using a movie or was it your first time? I mean it's really an experience..we never got a movie to analyze in the exam time

[Sinbad]

It´s compulsory now, but I didn´t have grade 12 English before this year and in grade 11 it wasn´t compulsory in my old school that was a first time.

We had watched the first 20 mins of the movie so far and I focussed on the role of the father who is really like the big loser of the family (he´s seen like that by his wife and daughter and he acts accordingly)
One of the crucial scenes of the first 20 minutes is this one:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXyXIYF2A7U

And for today´s class test I gave them this scene which is set about an hour into the movie (we didn´t watch that far yet)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRfZQN9cMfo&feature=related
I also gave them the lyrics of the swing song that plays in the background.


Call me irresponsible, call me unreliable
Throw in undependable too
Do my foolish alibis bore you
Well, I´m too clever, I just adore you.

Call me unpredictable, tell me I´m impractical
Rainbows, I´m inclined to pursue.
Call me irresponsible, yes, I´m unrealiable
But it´s undeniably true
I´m irresponsibly mad for you.

Call me irresponsible, yes, I´m unreliable
But it´s undeniably true
I´m irresponsibly mad for you


The assignments that went with it:

1)Describe what happens in this film scene and very briefly point out how it differs from the first family dinner scene that we already watched in class (no more than 150 words).

2)Analyse Lester´s new role within the family as it is shown in this scene and explain how the film techniques (camera work, character arangement, music and soundtrack) support this role. Pay special attention to the background music and use the lyrics.

3)You have a choice here:
3.1) Write an inner monologue for Jane that fits with the scene.
Or:
3.2) Discuss whether or not the song „Call me irresponsible“ was a good choice to underline the scene.

[19101989]

Wow! this is a great test. I'd like to answer it
but isn't it a bit difficult for the students? I mean the camera work and the effect of the soundtrack, they must have been watching it many times before to memorize all of that so they can analyze it better.

Oh, my you too use 150 words or whatsoever...I don't like this technique I've to admit
Our lecturer made his exam like that
Answer the following in up too 400 /600 words....Boy...I left the rest of the exam and spent my time counting down the number of words i wrote to make sure it fits the 400 words....adding to that that the exam wasn't that great

[Sinbad]

Well, they got to watch the scene three times. Once at the beginning, then 10 minutes later so they could take some first notes before second viewing and then a last time about an hour in. And that worked rather nicely. And we´ve worked with vocabulary into the direction before, they have vocabulary worksheets with terms they can use to describe stuff like close up and long shots and the like.

I usually don´t give a word cound, but for no 1 I did it this time because you could easily write 300 words for number one and some of the kids suck in time management. So they would spend far too much time on number one so the 150 words signal to them that they should not write too much there because no 2 is more important for example.

[19101989]

oh that's good

well all the questions in the exam included word count from the first till the last. boy I really pray for this subject to pass

[Sinbad]

I think that word counts should just be used to limit people´s words like in this case. Or to make younger students write a bit more.

But I don´t ask my students to count their words, so the word count is more like a rough guideline. At my old school the error quote was still a fixed measure so they had to count their words, luckily the new guidelines deal with things a little differently.

[19101989]

Well, It is our first time to deal with things like word counts....W used to things like "explain briefly or in less than one or two pages" but word counts caused some confusions for us and yeah may be the lecturer meant the way you used it too. bu we got it wrong..

but a big surprise for s our "Political theory lecturer told us that the exam will be only two questions....Yey...but hey guys before you got all hyper...every question has to be answered in 8 to 10 pages......*Facepalms* and we already take the book where we will study from...before our exams with few days

[Doubar]

Aw no, that's mean. Sorry you had to endure that, Nili.
But I have to agree with Bryn there - that's a fairly interesting concept for a test I have to admit. We never did movie analyzing and the likes as a test or exam. Very interesting that is.

[Bryn]

I being apart of my sisters boyfriends turtle rescue "Lil ResQ" have the oppertunity to see many abused, and neglected turtles and reptiles before they come in. We are getting a case in a while, of one that is so neglected, (I dont even think the woman knew she was neglecting her) that I wont share to you the extent of it. But we believe right now she didnt have any UV light in her tank. Which caused her not to grow, and develope

I just thought you all should learn and know. That turtles, like all reptiles do not stay small for ever, Many pet stores will tell people that a 2 inch Red eared slider or map turtle will not get much bigger when fully grown. They are wrong.

Reptiles also do not grow with their surroundings. Like a german shepherd they get big, (There is a red eared slider turtle with a 13 inch shell spread, Most red eared sliders are 8 inches tops) So one will need to be prepared with buying a bigger tank/enclosure.

Turtles, also need a heat source, A water heater, and a UV light is essential. This is another thing that a petstore may not tell you they need.

One added note: When owning a reptile and you feed it in its tank/enclosure. It is not a good idea to use sand, shavings,or other fibers as substrate (bottom of the tank bedding) This is because if they animal were to eat its food, it could accidently swollow some of that substrate and then that substrate would get stuck in the digestive tract, and ultimetly death would occur. So my reccomendation is using paper towel, or maybe a old towel.

So, even if you guys dont have reptiles or like them. It is good to know, so you can hopefully be aware of what they need to survive, and to be able to tell your friends and relatives who may want a reptile to make sure they have done there research before selecting the right animal.

And also, if you are thinking of buying any new pet from a petstore, Be aware that Not all employee's know what they are talking about in terms of care. and well being of animals Some (like mine) only care about money. So make sure you do your research.