Message for animaux

On 1/15/04 10:11 PM, in article , "Ericka
Kammerer" wrote:

Linda D. wrote:


I was quite taken aback at the book my son's English
Instructor chose for them to read in English 116 at college. I don't
know if you've heard of it, but it's called "A Handmaids Tale", Why
would any English teacher assign a book that is so geared to women is
beyond me. What a great way to turn off guys to literature.


Are you kidding me? We are supposed to still be
coddling students in *college* and trying to drag them
kicking and screaming into literature? By the time
you're in college, it's lump it or leave it, as far
as I'm concerned. You read the book because it's a
significant book and you can learn something from it,
not because you have to have education sugar-coated.
And, assuming that the offerings in the course
covered a wide variety of genres, I see nothing more
wrong with having the men in the class read Atwood
than with the women reading Shakespeare.
Sorry if that's too blunt, but I have little
patience left for *adults* (even young adults) who
*pay* to get an education and then complain that it's
not all "fun."

Best wishes,
Ericka

What a great choice of book - it could be science fiction, it could be
morality play. I'd have paired it with A Brave New World or even 1984.

Cheryl

These are things that a child has to be surrounded
with from birth. You don't wake up at 16 and decide you like Picasso.


Why not?

I continually grow as a human being, I discover new likes, and outgrow old
ones. The things I enjoyed as a child, I didn't enjoy as a teen, and these
things continued to change as I went thru my 20's, and 30's.

I'm in my 40's now, I've discovered that I actually do like asparagus, Frank
Lloyd Wright's style isn't boring anymore, rainbows are still pretty, but
definately don't play a part in how I choose colors for afghans anymore.

I don't like Picasso now, nor did I when I first saw one of his paintings as a
teenager. I really like Monet now, but thought it looked like blobs when I was
younger. My childhood field trips were to places as varied as a potato chip
factory and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY. I like some art, I like some
potato chips. I don't think either field trip was a waste of time, as I
learned something during both.

A trip to a football field may not seem "important" or educational, but
sometimes part of the reason they take kids on field trips is to foster
feelings of camaraderie, and also because sometimes kids just need a break from
the day to day school grind in order to be able to settle in and actually learn
something afterwards.

Just because you, a person without a child in the school system, doesn't see
the value, doesn't mean there isn't one. If the parents who are the ones
paying for the field trip object, they can choose to have their children not
participate. It's not for an outsider to get all huffy and decide for them.

Caryn
Blue Wizard Designs
http://hometown.aol.com/crzy4xst/index.html
Updated: 7/7/03 -- now available Dragon of the Stars
View WIPs at: http://community.webshots.com/user/carynlws (Caryn's UFO's)

Linda D. wrote:


I was quite taken aback at the book my son's English
Instructor chose for them to read in English 116 at college. I don't
know if you've heard of it, but it's called "A Handmaids Tale", Why
would any English teacher assign a book that is so geared to women is
beyond me. What a great way to turn off guys to literature.


Are you kidding me? We are supposed to still be
coddling students in *college* and trying to drag them
kicking and screaming into literature? By the time
you're in college, it's lump it or leave it, as far
as I'm concerned. You read the book because it's a
significant book and you can learn something from it,
not because you have to have education sugar-coated.
And, assuming that the offerings in the course
covered a wide variety of genres, I see nothing more
wrong with having the men in the class read Atwood
than with the women reading Shakespeare.
Sorry if that's too blunt, but I have little
patience left for *adults* (even young adults) who
*pay* to get an education and then complain that it's
not all "fun."

Best wishes,
Ericka

In article , Cheryl Isaak
writes:

Spew!

You expect any different of a post from me?

But, Cheryl dear, you seem to be spewing a lot this evening. You aren't coming
down with the flu, are you? Here, lie down on the couch with this nice quilt,
a warm cat on your feet, and I'll bring you some chicken soup, in the special
Campbell's Chicken Noodle cup. I'll even let you have the spot with the
daylight bulb so you can stitch easier.




--
Finished 12/14/03 -- Mermaid (Dimensions)
WIP: Angel of Autumn, Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe, Guide the Hands (2d
one)

Paralegal - Writer - Editor - Researcher
http://hometown.aol.com/kmc528/KMC.html

S (Karen C - California) had some very interesting
things to say about OT school trips WAS Message for animaux:

(I'll have to have Mom try to track down MY version of the Ring, including a
bunch of mermaids singing "My beer is Rheingold, the dry beer" and one of the
lovesick wailing "Since my baby left me, I found a new place to dwell, it's
down the end of Lonely Street, the Heartbreak Hotel", while the guy fashioning
the magic ring sings "Take a ring, and add another ring, and add another ring,
and now you've got three rings, Ballantyne!". Hey -- it's a German opera, and
what's more German than beer?)

So where does the "one Ring to rule them all" come in? [GD&R]
--
"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
:-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL

Ericka Kammerer had some very interesting things to
say about OT school trips WAS Message for animaux:

Opera tends to be an acquired taste. It's hard to
appreciate opera without doing your homework so that you
understand the story and something about the music itself.
It is *much* easier to understand it if you see the opera
in person. If you do it a few times, you'll start seeing
it in a whole new light. The music isn't as melodramatic
as it might seem from the "outside."

My major difficulties with opera are the language barrier [hard to
follow the plot when I can't understand what they're saying] and the
pain factor when the sopranos start in [I'm serious. Opera sopranos
can hit notes that are physically painful to me].
--
"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
:-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL

Cheryl Isaak wrote:


I've read the libretto prior to listening to Aida and Don Juan. My roommate
raved about those two in particular. Stories are interesting enough, I think
I don't have the "ear". And yes, an act from Don Juan live once. Just
doesn't entrance me like some other things do.


It's not an easy thing. Much of the music pushes your
ear into territory it's not accustomed to. Once you work your
way up to it, you can see the beauty of it, but until your
ear can make heads or tails out of it, it just doesn't know
how to appreciate it. Most of the music we listen to doesn't
demand much from us. Our ears just know where it's going
and what it's doing and we don't even have to pay much
attention to "get" it. Most of the "heavier" operas *do*
demand a lot. I suspect that if you wanted to put in
the effort, you would get to a point where it *would*
entrance you, but obviously it's a personal decision
whether one wants to put in that sort of effort. I
didn't have a lot of choice at music school, so I got to
learn to like it regardless of my original intentions
or desires ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

In article , Seanette Blaylock
writes:

[I'm serious. Opera sopranos
can hit notes that are physically painful to me].

Ooooooooooooooooooh, now I know how to make Seanette behave next time she comes
to visit. I'll send the crystal home with DBF, tape the windows against
breakage, and hit high C. VBEG


--
Finished 12/14/03 -- Mermaid (Dimensions)
WIP: Angel of Autumn, Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe, Guide the Hands (2d
one)

Paralegal - Writer - Editor - Researcher
http://hometown.aol.com/kmc528/KMC.html

While opera (and viloins and organs) drive me nuts, i Just love the skirl of
the bagpipes and the classical thai music and focourse the drums and
percussive stuff at the deep end go figger
Actually I think it may have something to do with the pattern of my hearing
loss- which tones are ok
kathy
san antonio

Seanette Blaylock wrote:


My major difficulties with opera are the language barrier [hard to
follow the plot when I can't understand what they're saying] and the
pain factor when the sopranos start in [I'm serious. Opera sopranos
can hit notes that are physically painful to me].


Don't you just wonder how the heck they stand it
themselves? ;-) I play flute, so I'm used to the really
high notes, but I can't imagine producing them with my
own *body*! Of course, vocally I can't carry a tune in
a bucket with a lid, so I have a lot of admiration for
vocalists.

Best wishes,
Ericka