Let's speak English!, practise conversation with us Options

[walpurgik]

I kept thinking these days that most of us consider English as a second language, a privileged linguistic area from which we take words/phrases and "jargonize" our Romanian sometimes pushing it up to extremes. I also believe it to be nourishment to our minds as a lot of info provided by media comes to us through this means, the music we psychedelically apprehend and feel is mostly filtered through this language, our job which demands it more and more imperatively nowadays. It's a river of words which we fish sometimes to appease our hunger of expression, of more meaningful communication, caringly making use, but also carelessly making abuse of.
I thought we might create a virtual space here where we could share opinions, exercise our minds in other languages than our own, enhance our skills in writing and speaking-in-writing through colloquialisms. If this be taken enthusiastically, I suggest we have session of conversation in other languages as well (Francais, Deutsch, Italiano, Espagnol, so on and so forth), perhaps it suits us well to get to improve language skills with pleasure and along with friends than alone trying to decipher the mystery of grammar stuff or so.
We may talk about certain issues or let the flow of language follow its way, it's up to you.
As a topic starter I thought of demanding you about what you think of the following affirmation; feel free to state your point of view, discuss, argue, whatever.
Here it is: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pistolar.gif) It's a challenge!

The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.
-James A. Michener, attributed

[walpurgik]

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, and then began...)"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental...

You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them criticize.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, because we live in the United States of America .

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.

(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.) "Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. Do you want to know what I make?

I make a difference. What do you make?"


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The School Answering Machine
This is hilarious -- no wonder some people were offended! Apparently this is the message that the school staff voted unanimously to record on their school telephone answering machine.

According to the story, this is the actual answering machine message for the school. This came about because they implemented a policy requiring students and parents to be responsible for their children's absences and missing homework. The school and teachers are being sued by parents who want their children's failing grades changed to passing grades -- even though those children were absent 15-30 times during the semester and did not complete enough schoolwork to pass their classes.

The outgoing message:

"Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting to the right staff member, please listen to all the options before making a selection:
* To lie about why your child is absent - Press 1
* To make excuses for why your child did not do his work - Press 2
* To complain about what we do - Press 3
* To swear at staff members - Press 4
* To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several flyers mailed to you - Press 5
* If you want us to raise your child - Press 6
* If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone - Press 7
* To request another teacher, for the third time this year - Press 8
* To complain about bus transportation - Press 9
* To complain about school lunches - Press 0
* If you realize this is the real world and your child must be accountable and responsible for his/her own behavior, class work, homework and that it's not the teachers' fault for your child's lack of effort: Hang up and have a nice day!