Signs for the obvious.

This is the longest I've gone without a new post, but I guess I've needed inspiration. Hubby was talking about a comedian whose routine was about how many stupid signs we routinely run into. Lately, I've noticed that he is right.

In the airport you'll see signs telling you that the moving sidewalks end. Good to know; one might not notice and expect the floor to carry us onward.

In Maui we came across a sign informing us that the sidewalk was ending. Within three feet, the concrete stopped and there was a sturdy fence across the end. The sign was obviously needed to keep us from walking into the fence.

After driving on a twisty, turning road for quite a while, we kept noticing signs that said "curves ahead." No kidding, this road is famous for its curves, that's why we were on it. I even bought a tee shirt that said I survived it.

How about the signs that tell you the road has no shoulder. That's something we would not know without a sign?

I know there are lots more. I'll post again when I remember what they are. In the meantime I'll ponder why we need these signs. Are people really that dumb or is it just a result of the "sue somebody" mentality that seems to be out there?

Say what?

It must be difficult for advertising agencies to come up with new ideas that will get people to pay attention to the products or companies they are working for. But from my own, admittedly critical, view, some of them are just too.....annoying. I've heard it said that hating a commercial is as good as liking it. Just as long as you pay attention. I don't think that is true for contrary folk like me. I've been known to boycott businesses whose commercials I hated. Here are some recent commercials you've probably heard:

"Do you dream in chocolate?" What does that mean? Everything is sepia-toned? It doesn't even make sense. Come to think about it, I don't ever remember any food in any of my dreams. So I suppose I don't dream in chocolate, about chocolate, with chocolate or looking at chocolate.

Makeup "feels invisible." Isn't the definition of invisible that something can't be seen? I've blogged, or Facebooked, before about feeling like I was invisible when people ignored me. (Oh no, I've just verbed another noun. It's getting to me.) Anyway, I'm not sure how makeup can feel invisible. If it is invisible, why would anyone wear it? If it has terrific qualities why not sell those points. Am I the only one who doesn't feel makeup once it's on? Do others go through their days conscious of the stuff on their faces? Maybe it's me.

A store has "more fashion, less price." This is so grammatically screwed up it doesn't even make sense. One has to assume that a person can own more fashion. Is that like more shoes? Less price is senseless (pun intended).

How about a credit card that gives you "50% more cash?" Just having the card gives one more cash? Cool, I didn't know one got cash by getting a credit card. Using my cards eventually costs me, but maybe I don't have the right one. If it's 50% more, would Oprah get multiple times what I would get because she already has way more money than I do?

I've got to stop paying attention to commercials, but then what would I have to blog about except my fabulous grandchildren? I'll keep thinking.

Gifted students need gifted teachers

Normally I defend teachers. I know that it is a tough job--way harder than an average outsider thinks it is. I've written opinion pieces for newspapers, debated with people (and parents) critical of teachers, and served as guest speaker in a few education courses in a local college.

It is also a career that I truly loved. I miss working with kids. There is nothing quite like watching a young person catch on to a difficult concept, or seeing the love of reading and books develop, or hearing someone say that you helped them understand something they never thought they could. Letters from former students thanking you for making a difference for them are worth more than gold for your heart.

However, it is much harder than it used to be. Teachers are constantly berated and criticized, blamed for things over which they had no control. Parents can be demanding and unreasonable. Government requirements and intrusion are squeezing out creativity and fun.

That said, all teachers are not good ones--especially for all students. It is unrealistic to expect a teacher with 30 students to individualize lessons in 30 different ways. Given. But, when a teacher has a class filled with mostly gifted students (tested and put there on purpose), I think the teacher should also be gifted. They know the frustrations.

Can anyone tell me the value of having a student write each of the spelling words in 8 different colors, if said student got 100% on the pretest?

Can anyone explain the value of having a parent of a second grade student (who reads comfortably at a 6th grade level) counting the number of words read in 20 minutes?

What does it benefit a talented student to spend time doing a math worksheet that contains problems he/she could do easily two years ago?

Some teachers, schools, and even school districts do a very real injustice to the capable students. They drown them with unnecessary busy work, require them to do nothing while reiterating material over and over for the struggling students, and ignore their needs for new and expanded learning.

No Child Left Behind has caused such concern about the students who need the most help, schools are seriously short-changing the gifted and talented.

Not a good trade.

I shouldn't reprint comics, I know. But sometimes they are just sooo good. Not many people are interested in reading my blog, so I think I can get away with it again.

I loved this one because it is so true. So many children now have grown up with electronic devices (my hubby calls these "glowing boxes") and they have missed the story-telling and talking that families used to do. I just heard about another study detailing how watching the fast-paced cartoons shows (they specifically mentioned Sponge Bob) have shortened toddlers' attention spans. I have noticed the difference.

I remember another comic where a smart-aleck student was relating asking his teacher what happened to Clark Kent's clothes when he left the phone booth as Superman. He said that before the teacher could formulate an answer, several students raised their hands to ask what a phone booth was. Oh, I'm getting old.

I have also watched the dip in vocabularies and reading levels. Kids today are learning too much too early about sexual things and not enough about patience, listening, and using their imaginations. I don't think it's a good trade off.

Right and wrong order.

I'm going back to my posts about the right and wrong way to do things having to do with marriage and sex. I just read an article with some real study results. The piece was written by a couple who speak about marriage and families, and just had their book published about how parents can avoid getting their children caught in the entitlement trap.

The article explains the research methods to study which relationships last the longest and are the happiest. The early sex, later marriage lost out to the marriage, then sex.

Of course there are exceptions; we all know some. The article went on to say that real life doesn't happen like it does in movies and TV programs. People don't generally end up in bed on a first date. But, we need to be careful making sure our children, and grandchildren, understand the reality and the pitfalls in believing the fantasy.

Perceived Intelligence

I was waiting somewhere and browsing through a Reader's Digest. There was an article about the importance of a good interview when applying for a job. It mentioned there were four common grammar errors that would raise or lower your perceived intelligence.

One was the correct use of good and well: knowing when to use an adjective or an adverb.

Another was knowing the difference between less and fewer (one of my own pet peeves): fewer gallons, less fuel.

A real tricky one for most people is the pronoun agreement: "I saw him and her," "He and I went to the game," etc.

The last one was a bit of a surprise because I can think of other errors that could have made the list (incorrect use of reflexive pronouns like myself and yourself, lay and lie, sit and set), but it was the sounding of the "t" in often. The article said that some thought pronouncing the "t" made them sound knowledgeable, but the effect was just the opposite.

I think sometimes it is just laziness or carelessness, but it does give others an impression that one might want to consider.

Entitlement

I like this Luann comic because it hits a problem I've posted about before. Lots of young people have come to believe that much is given but not much is required. Commercials are always telling people about the things they "deserve." Does everyone deserve a nice car, a comfortable house, a pocket full of credit cards? Why?

Hard work is for fools and those who don't know better. Work is to be avoided, gratification cannot be delayed. Parents reward their children for small tasks, until they won't perform the tasks without a reward. Why should they?

The newspaper also had a good article a few days ago titled The Entitlement Trap. Lots of today's young people are caught in it.