- Joined
- Jun 2, 2014
Random Confessions
- Thread starter Sam-Skwantch
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Maybe the snow conditions be just right for Iditarod!
*Rant alert
I'm currently reading Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli because my current favourite student (I still like Julie, but during the turbulent period of me being on the brink of getting sacked, um... let's just say I needed support from students and she wasn't one of the ones who showed that support) is going get it for her next book (=learning material) and I can't be the one to teach her if I haven't read it. I'm on chapter 26 so far, and I (bleep) HATE it. :gaah:
I'm an individualist to the core and I was never a conformist (one of the reasons I had issues during my high school years, but I digress), and I can very much say that this book irks me like no other. Like, I get the message and kudos for actually provoking me enough to be infuriated, but I'm suffering here. I don't know, maybe it's that my culture is different from the US, maybe it's that I was in 10th grade more than a decade after this book was published and things have changed, but I just can't with the in-your-face tone of it all and the character of Stargirl. Telling teenagers to be yourself and care for others is one thing, presenting a hippie maniac pixie dream girl as the ideal person is another. And please, how the everloving (bleep) am I supposed to root for a character that sings to a total stranger Happy Birthday in the cafeteria? If that happened to me, I'd run away or smash that ukulele because I'd be mortified to insanity. That is just being inconsiderate, period. No matter how I see it she's just an extremity, an idea roughly shoved into a human form to be represented in the story (which is pretty weak if you take out the message). I see the reasoning from the author's point of view, but that makes me more pissed because as an (aspiring) one I hate how heavy-handed everything is. That's just assuming the reader is dense and stupid, something no author should do. I have a million other gripes with the book, but it all boils down to this: this book is black-and-white 'be free from the crowd or you're not living properly' while also preaching 'you are okay however you are'. It conveys conflicting themes and thereby creates a massive dissonance. And it's like rubbing wet styrofoam together to both my literary senses and my beliefs, it's (bleep) awful.
I am going to get through this because I am determined to be of the best service to Min (I'm going to call her that here), but damnit she's too clear-headed and intelligent for this. If I had enough time with her I could've gotten a well-developed argument on euthanasia and hope against the odds and so on out of her last week (she was given Sadako and the thousand paper cranes), she could do so much with better books. The things she could get if she got To Kill A Mockingbid...Aaaargh never have I hated the fact that I don't have authority over the curriculum this much, oh well here's hoping Min can get something out of this book and not suffer like I'm suffering right now...
YA tends to be rather black and white because the intended audience are teenagers who are idealistic/extremist who still see things in OR and than AND and are are trying to find an identity. Like the IT book I couldn't get through this year was CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE which should have been so up my alley but it was so f*ing YA with the romance and the plot lines that I stopped reading halfway through. And I realized it was not a book intended for me.
But, Ichatdelune, if you're trying to get published, feel free to DM me. I used to work at a literary agency and publishing house and can offer some advice.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2018
PSA: Don't be both a figure skating fan and a rhythmic gymnastics fan, you have to listen to quadruple times the amount of warhorse songs and worse (usually with awful cuts) 
Yup, I am on this unlucky path (tries to yell at past self), and in the new RG season there is a Carmen, a Moonlight Sonata, a POTO, a Never Enough (with some really bad cuts), a Pirates of the Carribean, and believe it or not, an In This Shirt routine among others. I have high tolerance for classical pieces (minus the terrible cuts), but I did a double take when the "I am lost" breathy opening of In This Shirt started playing. I don't want to start hating that song, help
The competition is still on, and as I type a hummed version of Uptown Funk comes out for a second time. Oh well, so far no La La Land... (Last season a top gymnast had one, although the routine was actually pretty good and the gymnast did it well that didn't make it not La La Land... No City of Stars though, thank heavens)
Yup, I am on this unlucky path (tries to yell at past self), and in the new RG season there is a Carmen, a Moonlight Sonata, a POTO, a Never Enough (with some really bad cuts), a Pirates of the Carribean, and believe it or not, an In This Shirt routine among others. I have high tolerance for classical pieces (minus the terrible cuts), but I did a double take when the "I am lost" breathy opening of In This Shirt started playing. I don't want to start hating that song, help
The competition is still on, and as I type a hummed version of Uptown Funk comes out for a second time. Oh well, so far no La La Land... (Last season a top gymnast had one, although the routine was actually pretty good and the gymnast did it well that didn't make it not La La Land... No City of Stars though, thank heavens)
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- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
Kenai just got dumped on for the last 12+ hours... Willow, too (which is where Iditarod really starts from). So fingers crossed we don't get chinook winds to make this a mess.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2012
Another Saturday, another trip to thrift store... Guess I will wear only jackets this spring as I seem to lately find them every week 
, I also bought a pretty dark blue oversize blouse from Weekday brand https://twitter.com/NoNameFace10/status/1096783305511440384?s=19
, I also bought a pretty dark blue oversize blouse from Weekday brand https://twitter.com/NoNameFace10/status/1096783305511440384?s=19
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2012
My dinner in making
, tomorrow I am making a fit pumpkin pie with a glaze, wish me luck because it is, a new recipe!
https://twitter.com/NoNameFace10/status/1099361200759099393?s=19
, tomorrow I am making a fit pumpkin pie with a glaze, wish me luck because it is, a new recipe! https://twitter.com/NoNameFace10/status/1099361200759099393?s=19
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2018
Just some news from the English academy:
- Julie has changed her English name to Cordelia, but first she wrote it as 'Cordila'. Had to google the name to convince her that Cordelia is the traditional spelling. Also, she was firmly convinced that the name was "A rich lady's". I did tell her the existence of King Lear, but since she's only 10 and doesn't even know who Shakespeare is I doubt she's going to change her mind.
- Little miss Julia's older sister (also studies at the academy) came back from her family vacation in Hawaii and gave all the teachers dried banana chips, I didn't have the heart to tell her I don't like banana-flavoured things and the bag is sitting in the last drawer underneath my desk. I still have no idea what to do with it.
- I'm calling this cherub of 7 years Faye because her temperament is of the fair folk, maybe she's a changeling. Last Tuesday this happened:
Me: So chérie, tell me who the main character is.
Faye: The main character is ugly chameleon.
Me: (trying not to laugh) Aww chérie, that's mean.
Faye: But chameleon is ugly.
Me: No, he's not.
Faye: Yes, he is.
Me: (in Korean) All right darling, if you call the chameleon 'ugly' I'm going to be mad, and that means no more candy. (pretends to be serious, which is hard to do because her smile is adorable)
Faye: Okay.
Me: (back to English) So, let's do it over. Who's the main character?
Faye: Um... bleep chameleon.
Me: (pinches her cheeks)
I had to drag her back on topic after that. And on Friday, she got Frog and Toad and called them 'Fat Frog' and 'Fat Toad'. I went along for once, and she burst into a giggling fit that just wouldn't stop. Thank goodness the manager was talking with a parent then, I must have gotten a message from her if she saw me indulging Faye like that. But then, all the teachers are under that faerie's charm so
- This boy was yawning through his book, saw an Iron Man wristwatch on him so asked him if he liked Iron Man. Boy he got enthusiastic right away, and when I sneaked him an Avengers book (not one of the graphic novels, those kiddie books where superheroes appear) he sat still for 10 minutes reading the thing. Again, I don't have a say on the curriculum so all I could do was write on my report that he got really enthusiastic when Iron Man was mentioned.
- Julie has changed her English name to Cordelia, but first she wrote it as 'Cordila'. Had to google the name to convince her that Cordelia is the traditional spelling. Also, she was firmly convinced that the name was "A rich lady's". I did tell her the existence of King Lear, but since she's only 10 and doesn't even know who Shakespeare is I doubt she's going to change her mind.
- Little miss Julia's older sister (also studies at the academy) came back from her family vacation in Hawaii and gave all the teachers dried banana chips, I didn't have the heart to tell her I don't like banana-flavoured things and the bag is sitting in the last drawer underneath my desk. I still have no idea what to do with it.
- I'm calling this cherub of 7 years Faye because her temperament is of the fair folk, maybe she's a changeling. Last Tuesday this happened:
Me: So chérie, tell me who the main character is.
Faye: The main character is ugly chameleon.
Me: (trying not to laugh) Aww chérie, that's mean.
Faye: But chameleon is ugly.
Me: No, he's not.
Faye: Yes, he is.
Me: (in Korean) All right darling, if you call the chameleon 'ugly' I'm going to be mad, and that means no more candy. (pretends to be serious, which is hard to do because her smile is adorable)
Faye: Okay.
Me: (back to English) So, let's do it over. Who's the main character?
Faye: Um... bleep chameleon.
Me: (pinches her cheeks)
I had to drag her back on topic after that. And on Friday, she got Frog and Toad and called them 'Fat Frog' and 'Fat Toad'. I went along for once, and she burst into a giggling fit that just wouldn't stop. Thank goodness the manager was talking with a parent then, I must have gotten a message from her if she saw me indulging Faye like that. But then, all the teachers are under that faerie's charm so
- This boy was yawning through his book, saw an Iron Man wristwatch on him so asked him if he liked Iron Man. Boy he got enthusiastic right away, and when I sneaked him an Avengers book (not one of the graphic novels, those kiddie books where superheroes appear) he sat still for 10 minutes reading the thing. Again, I don't have a say on the curriculum so all I could do was write on my report that he got really enthusiastic when Iron Man was mentioned.
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- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
There is an abbreviation that I have been seeing used increasingly on here by the non-native English speaking members in recent months. Including by some of the Moderators. And I have been puzzled as to why the Admins haven't put out a warning to stop it's use, as it has an extremely rude meaning. 
However, I have just discovered that it also has another meaning which is actually rather nice. And which makes more sense in the context that it is being used in on here.
But, even with now knowing this, that still isn't stopping me from reading it as the rude meaning any time I see it...
...which in a way is really worrying, considering that I am somebody who doesn't use words like that themselves. :shocked:
CaroLiza_fan
However, I have just discovered that it also has another meaning which is actually rather nice. And which makes more sense in the context that it is being used in on here.
But, even with now knowing this, that still isn't stopping me from reading it as the rude meaning any time I see it...
...which in a way is really worrying, considering that I am somebody who doesn't use words like that themselves. :shocked:
CaroLiza_fan
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2017
There is an abbreviation that I have been seeing used increasingly on here by the non-native English speaking members in recent months. Including by some of the Moderators. And I have been puzzled as to why the Admins haven't put out a warning to stop it's use, as it has an extremely rude meaning.
However, I have just discovered that it also has another meaning which is actually rather nice. And which makes more sense in the context that it is being used in on here.
But, even with now knowing this, that still isn't stopping me from reading it as the rude meaning any time I see it...
...which in a way is really worrying, considering that I am somebody who doesn't use words like that themselves. :shocked:
CaroLiza_fan
And now I want to find it haha. I'm curious
Is it a three-letter word with only one vowel?
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
And now I want to find it haha. I'm curious
Is it a three-letter word with only one vowel?
The abbreviation I am talking about is 3 letters, but none of those letters is a vowel.
The bad word that one of those letters stands for is a four letter word with one vowel, though. And it rhymes with a type of bird.
CaroLiza_fan
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2017
Is one of the three letters the first letter of the surname of one the skaters in your username?
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
I had to think for the moment, there.
Yes.
I'll save you the bother of asking any more questions. The abbreviation is being used on here to represent the phrase "For The Win". But, it is more commonly used to represent the phrase "[Insert bad word] The World".
Right. Time for some food.
CaroLiza_fan
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2017
I had to think for the moment, there.
Yes.
I'll save you the bother of asking any more questions. The abbreviation is being used on here to represent the phrase "For The Win". But, it is more commonly used to represent the phrase "[Insert bad word] The World".
Right. Time for some food.
CaroLiza_fan
OK, I got it right the second time round.
I always think of it as "for the win".
My first guess was fab/FAB, which, according to Urban Dictionary, also has a pejorative meaning.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
Mmmm. I hadn't come across that one before. I always think of the brilliant children's TV show "Thunderbirds" when I hear "FAB".
The Urban Dictionary is a godsend for me. I consult it all the time because I am not familiar with most of the abbreviations that people use when texting to save characters, and which younger members use on here even though there are no character limits to posts. And to check if there are any dodgy alternative meanings to phrases I use in everyday life.
And it has been VERY eye-opening! :shocked:
CaroLiza_fan
- Joined
- May 19, 2018
I had to think for the moment, there.
Yes.
I'll save you the bother of asking any more questions. The abbreviation is being used on here to represent the phrase "For The Win". But, it is more commonly used to represent the phrase "[Insert bad word] The World".
Right. Time for some food.
CaroLiza_fan
I've never heard of it as anything but "for the win". Either I'm sheltered, or that's not a well-known meaning in the US! I'll certainly be careful with it if I ever end up in an informal written conversation with someone from another English-speaking country.
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2013
F-T-W: For the Win
W-T-F: What the Fudge
The one I always struggled with was SMH. Then I upped my Snapchat and Insta game and by using the “stickers” finally figured it out
W-T-F: What the Fudge
The one I always struggled with was SMH. Then I upped my Snapchat and Insta game and by using the “stickers” finally figured it out
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
I've never heard of it as anything but "for the win". Either I'm sheltered, or that's not a well-known meaning in the US! I'll certainly be careful with it if I ever end up in an informal written conversation with someone from another English-speaking country.
It is totally all down to regional differences.
There was a similar situation a couple of months ago where myself and another British member were having a conversation. A member from America then came in and said that they weren't familiar with a phrase we were using (it was the catchphrase of a much-loved British entertainer who died a few years ago), so looked it up on Urban Dictionary, and found that the top definition on there was VERY dirty. We had never come across that meaning before, and were totally shocked and disgusted that it was being used in that way.
That's the problem when you have places that are far apart using the same language. It can then evolve in each place in very different ways.
Which reminds me. I recommended this in the Speakeasy about a week ago, but I would urge the wider membership to try out this quiz:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/02/15/upshot/british-irish-dialect-quiz.html
It got me totally spot on!!!
It is primarily designed for those of us that are from the British Isles. But, it could be very interesting for people from other parts of the world. You may discover where the version of English that you speak originated. And you may discover alternative terms for things that you have always referred to by a certain term.
Go on, give it a try!
CaroLiza_fan
