We will all suffer for it but perhaps the USA needs to go thru this hell so that it never happens again as Germany learned 80 years ago. Fancy seeing the rise of facism a second time in some folks lifetime. You could not make this up!
Things that frustrate us all
- Thread starter rhubarbodendron
- Start date
What a Load of Crap.
^ I think a zero is appropriate if they turn in a blank sheet or nothing at all. Giving a 1 is much more like a "screw you." I think I'd find a 1 more insulting than a zero.
People are far too concerned with "self esteem" these days. I think a little guilt and shame would do this country's kids a hell of a lot of good. If you do badly, you should feel bad. Then maybe you won't do so poorly next time.
People are far too concerned with "self esteem" these days. I think a little guilt and shame would do this country's kids a hell of a lot of good. If you do badly, you should feel bad. Then maybe you won't do so poorly next time.
What! And have them grow up to be thoughtful and considerate adults who recognise the planet is called Earth and not 'U.S.A, U.S.A' ! Hell no! We need to make America great again, so you going to include Canada and the rest of North America?
BTW we over here are making Great Britain great again, so if everyone is making their country 'great' what a wonderful world it will be. Right?
One from my wife, who's a teacher: Not being allowed to give a "zero" grade. She can give a "1" out of 100, but not a zero. Apparently a zero would hurt the students' feelings or their self-esteem or somesuch crap like that. Seriously?!?
Can you give them minus figures?
Everyone in the world, without exception, believes that their country is the greatest. And they are all correct.
I don't.
If their definition of 'greatest' means 'my country can do whatever the hell it likes in my name' then no wonder the world is a mess.
I would beg to differ, they may think they live in a "Great" country but that is not the same as believing they live in the "Greatest" country.
That would not be my definition, no.
Well, better than GWB or Trump 
frustrating thing today: in a few days we'll get a new colleague who is a refugee from Syria. An international specialist on water management. The colleague with whom he'll have to work together refuses cooperation due to the newbie being a foreigner. I'd never have thought it possible anyone at my office could be such an ass!
I'd request to share rooms with our newbie but my office is simply too tiny to put in a second desk. I'm not sure wether to hope he'll find a nice colleague to share rooms with or to hope that the xenophobic colleague will be forced to cooperate - maybe he'd realize his foolishness once he gets to know the newbie closer (Duh, who am I kidding? People never drop stupid prejudices, regardless of how often they get proven wrong.)
frustrating thing today: in a few days we'll get a new colleague who is a refugee from Syria. An international specialist on water management. The colleague with whom he'll have to work together refuses cooperation due to the newbie being a foreigner. I'd never have thought it possible anyone at my office could be such an ass!
I'd request to share rooms with our newbie but my office is simply too tiny to put in a second desk. I'm not sure wether to hope he'll find a nice colleague to share rooms with or to hope that the xenophobic colleague will be forced to cooperate - maybe he'd realize his foolishness once he gets to know the newbie closer (Duh, who am I kidding? People never drop stupid prejudices, regardless of how often they get proven wrong.)
^^ ??? What an asshat.
I take it he's also not a Christian since he's disregarding the lesson taught by the Good Samaritan, which Jesus not only uses as an example of charity but afterwards instructs his followers, "Go and do likewise." (Yes, I'm an atheist but I know my shit).
It's a good thing your co-worker doesn't work with me; I'd tear him a new one.
I take it he's also not a Christian since he's disregarding the lesson taught by the Good Samaritan, which Jesus not only uses as an example of charity but afterwards instructs his followers, "Go and do likewise." (Yes, I'm an atheist but I know my shit).
It's a good thing your co-worker doesn't work with me; I'd tear him a new one.
Same here, auntie 
I'm an atheist as well, but was incarcerated in a boarding school run by nuns for 3 years. (And yep, all the scandals and abuse stories you've heard about that sort of establishment are true.)
What makes me particularly furious about the whole affair is that the xenophobic colleague was my pupil for 6 months when he was a newbie. I should have thought he'd learned something about social behaviour and cooperation back then. Fortunately, of some 200 colleagues only about 10-15 are xenophobic, so I think there won't be a major problem. It wouldn't surprise me if our new colleague was a Christian himself - many Syrian refugees are. And if he isn't - so what? Imo everyone can believe or doubt whatever they like as long as they don't inconvenience others.
I'm an atheist as well, but was incarcerated in a boarding school run by nuns for 3 years. (And yep, all the scandals and abuse stories you've heard about that sort of establishment are true.)What makes me particularly furious about the whole affair is that the xenophobic colleague was my pupil for 6 months when he was a newbie. I should have thought he'd learned something about social behaviour and cooperation back then. Fortunately, of some 200 colleagues only about 10-15 are xenophobic, so I think there won't be a major problem. It wouldn't surprise me if our new colleague was a Christian himself - many Syrian refugees are. And if he isn't - so what? Imo everyone can believe or doubt whatever they like as long as they don't inconvenience others.
Avast. Thankfully it's ok now, but last night it was driving me nuts. 
One from my wife, who's a teacher: Not being allowed to give a "zero" grade. She can give a "1" out of 100, but not a zero. Apparently a zero would hurt the students' feelings or their self-esteem or somesuch crap like that. Seriously?!?
Oh, man, don't get me started. Here are some news stories from across my country that I've heard over the years:
* Lowering over all student scores so the ones who failed don't feel bad.
* Trophies for kids who didn't win. "Participation trophy" as some people call it.
* Using a "color neutral" purple marker instead of red to mark work, because red might scare students.
* An ADD aflicted kid who was trying to cut a Pop Tart into a mountain shape, but ended up with an "L" shape that the teacher thought looked like a gun and was threatening (you know how deadly Pop Tarts can be). Deemed a level-two look alike firearm and he was suspended for three days. The parents tried to get his record expunged, but couldn't. The state, Florida, actually had to pass a bill to get schools to not punish students for things just ten years ago would have been common sense not to punish kids over.
Hell, I remember a story where students surveyed thought they should get an "A" or "B" just for reading the subject material.
And my weekly encounter with asshole drivers continues.
Today's encounter was some douchebag behind me. I'm in a one-lane that was soon dividing into three lanes. I'm coming up to the point the solid white line breaks up into passing lines, so I turn on my blinker in advance.
When it comes time to merge, I do what any safe driver does: checks behind them to maker certain nobody is there. There's a car, but not close enough, so I look again and see the asshole behind me merging and speeding up, trying to cut me off even though I indicated first and was ahead of that douchebag. So I give my way of saying "Thanks, douchebag" but immediately cutting him off.
He weaves back into the other lane and speeds passed me like I was the douchebag. No, sorry, you were the douchebag, douchebag.
Today's encounter was some douchebag behind me. I'm in a one-lane that was soon dividing into three lanes. I'm coming up to the point the solid white line breaks up into passing lines, so I turn on my blinker in advance.
When it comes time to merge, I do what any safe driver does: checks behind them to maker certain nobody is there. There's a car, but not close enough, so I look again and see the asshole behind me merging and speeding up, trying to cut me off even though I indicated first and was ahead of that douchebag. So I give my way of saying "Thanks, douchebag" but immediately cutting him off.
He weaves back into the other lane and speeds passed me like I was the douchebag. No, sorry, you were the douchebag, douchebag.
