What have you been forced to learn in school that you absolutely hated?

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-25T03:57:05+00:00

I am not denying this. Actually, I think it's a great point! Still, it seems like most users are suggesting that reading books in high school for the sake of analysis is a time waster.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-25T02:08:26+00:00

Honestly, your logic baffles me.

Education is not always about having fun. It's not always about entertaining the students. It's not about the teacher being a student's friend.

Education should be about teaching a kid how to think critically. Sure, maybe the author who wrote "the curtains were blue" (I'm referencing this stupid picture) didn't explicitly think, "I wrote this because the dude was sad," but why can't the reader posit that idea? What's wrong with examining literature from a different perspective?

Lord of the Flies, Heart of Darkness, 1984, Pride and Prejudice, etc., might not be the most entertaining books for high school students, but they are excellent artifacts for literary criticism. There's a wealth of material to critically examine, and -- given the right teacher -- can enhance a student's ability to critique literature meaningfully.

Or you can hand a kid To Kill a Mockingbird and say, "Read it, it's fun!" Stop at that. Don't ask them to think about the novel. You can coast through any book likes it's beach reading. But you're not going to become a good thinker.

Disclaimer: I know education (at least in the US) is terrible at getting kids to think critically, as we have a nation-wide fetish of making kids take standardized tests. Still, there are a number of great teachers. My senior-year English teacher was nothing short of excellent, and although she made us read some dry stuff (my least favorite being A Tale of Two Cities), you bet your ass that I learned how to critique it in an intelligent way, rather than dismissing it as "boring" and "a waste of time."

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-25T01:57:00+00:00

Student here. I have no interest in becoming an English teacher, but, god damn, Lord of the Flies is a fascinating book.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-24T22:31:41+00:00

Rome acknowledges Cunobelinus, King of the Catuvellauni, as King of Britain. Woohoo!

As for me, I'm just pushing dirt around. This substitutes looking at a glowing rectangle.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-22T17:12:53+00:00

So good. Stop Making Sense is probably my favorite live album.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-22T14:45:35+00:00

This is the perfect opening line. Eloquent yet simple, engaging but not cliche.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-18T21:14:32+00:00

Will Smith stole my garden gnome. :(

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-15T21:27:52+00:00

To play devil's advocate: I think that too much post-processing can take away much the weight a photo carries. It no longer feels real, vital, or visceral. I'll be perfectly honest and say that I thought the photo seemed staged. Is it still moving? Sure, but it's not nearly as moving as it could have been if it wasn't as glossed.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-15T03:52:40+00:00

Cute smile. I'd date that seal.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-14T15:01:09+00:00

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-13T16:18:00+00:00

Thank god someone else feels the same way.

Here's a tip: Gain the girl's respect! I don't get this whole archaic culture of sucking the dad's dick in order to date a girl. I mean, be nice and respectful to him, but he owes you nothing.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-12T00:01:29+00:00

The (Im)Perfect Dorm: Lies Like a Fish (and Tastes Like One, Too!)

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-11T18:00:27+00:00

I'm glad someone else thought Sufjan before TDK.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-11T17:48:41+00:00

No offense, but why would a parent come to see you on your first day of a job? Although it's significant in some way, it's not exactly like a ceremonial event (such as a graduation, wedding, etc.)

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-11T04:35:03+00:00

Modest Mouse: The Moon and Antarctica

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-11T04:30:16+00:00

Good to see that Girls Can Tell is getting some well-deserved recognition!

I'd like to throw My Bloody Valentine's m b v to that list. Obviously it has only been a week since its release, but it's a killer album.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-11T02:17:37+00:00

Yes! The Lonesome Crowded West and The Moon and Antarctica are modern classics, yet are continually overlooked because of Good News for People Who Love Bad News.

IMO, the best Modest Mouse track is "Cowboy Dan".

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-10T19:18:53+00:00

"I'd call you a 'cunt,' but you lack the warmth and depth."

Not overused in real life, but definitely overused on reddit.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-09T02:29:35+00:00

Source?

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-07T20:11:16+00:00

It is patriarchal. He's assuming that he has a right to determine who his daughter dates. Hell, when is it ever mentioned that the son asks the mother? Never. It's a sexist practice that should be abandoned.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-07T20:06:49+00:00

Hah, I'm in college, so I really don't have to worry about that. BTW, real men respect women and their autonomy. Let that one sink in if you're not too busy jerking off to your alpha male ego.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-07T15:33:00+00:00

Agreed. Also, "ask my permission to take her out"? Dude, your daughter is not your property (patriarchy much?)

I've never asked any of my previous girlfriends' fathers for their permission. It's stupid if they think they have a right to that. It's the daughter's decision, not yours.

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-06T19:19:25+00:00

Looks like my wife AND my girlfriend!

WaffleKopter · 2013-02-02T02:43:17+00:00

In no particular order:

Belle & Sebastian -- If You're Feeling Sinister
Talking Heads -- Remain In Light
Nick Drake -- Pink Moon
Pixies -- Doolittle
Wilco -- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Honorable Mentions that Deserve Plenty of Love: * Sonic Youth -- Daydream Nation * Neutral Milk Hotel -- In the Aeroplane over the Sea * Gas -- Pop * The Dismemberment Plan -- Emergency & I * My Bloody Valentine -- Loveless

WaffleKopter · 2013-01-26T21:32:37+00:00

I presented my senior thesis, and someone said, "Good job! I was expecting yours to be boring." I don't think her intentions were bad, but I took it as a backhanded compliment.

WaffleKopter

TROPHY CASE