A recent thread on Plastic addresses the apparent rabid political-correctness of a Colorado middle school, and most likely, in schools natiionwide. pharmaciesreview.com
The issue? A young boy used the word "Gay" as a negative term in response to a call he disagreed with while playing four-square.
Kids still play four-square?
In all seriousness, is thins kind of language harmful to kids, or are we just overreacting? On one hand, I think that it was a bit extreme to suspend the boy. On the other hand, I think that it is a bit extreme for the boy's parents to bring lawyers into the picture.
One reader makes the point that
"Turning it into a casual term of derogation is a worse insult to gays than making it an outright insult to our sexual orientation."
Another reader states
"Turning teachers into thought police and forcing a worldview on kids that censors their slang, however wrongheaded, is not going to win hearts and minds."
Oh, but there are too many good points in this thread, not just on the same lines as those above, but encompassing all points of view. You must go read it yourself.
I think that it is a matter of kids being uneducated and not really knowing what they are saying, and the meanings behind the words. That's what it boils down to. They're saying it because all the other kids say it. Yeah, I cringe a little when I hear kids using terms such as "gay", "retarded" and the like as derogatory terms, but I don't hold it against them as making a statement against said groups of people. They just need to be educated.
The discussion also turns to mentions of adults using derogatory terms in different ways. For instance, african american people calling each other "nigger".
The meaning of such terms seems to all be in the context.
What do you think? Is it proper for kids to use such terms on the playground? Are you offended by use of such terms?
Why is it, when another filipina spots me in the wild, she will approach me and ask: "Are you Filipina?"
Not that I mind so much that they ask, but it happens time after time after time... almost always followed by: "Do you speak Tagalog?" (said in either English or Tagalog)
When I answer "No, sorry", their response is an "Oh..." followed by a turning away of their head, or bowing their head. Kinda like I was suddenly cursed. This happened to me this afternoon.
I had yet another interesting encounter earlier today on our cross street, some random dude slowed down his car next to me and asked if I spoke Spanish. I do, a little, but I said "no, not really".
He had the same look of disappointment, and said, "oh, never mind..."
I asked him if I could help him with anything, and he got all flustered, started driving away slowly, and was shaking his outstretched palm, still chanting, "never mind, never mind..."
I guess I'm missing out on some sort of secret camraderie by not speaking foreign languages well...
who else hasn't done their taxes yet?
I swear, I never put them off... I guess that the whole freelancing/contracting/two-state-filing thing is scaring me this year.
I know what I'm doing tomorrow...
I think I'm getting sick. Woke up with a sore throat and popping ears... almost fluish feeling, too. bleargh.
I swear, I kept a certain radius from him yesterday. Guess I caught it anyways... I've always had a crappy immune system.
I guess I should bust out the Tylenol Cold or something. What are your cold remedies, or how do you fight off your pending illnesses?
The other day, I went to do some darkroom work in the community lab at school.
I forgot what a pain in the patoot it was to do this.
Firstly, the lab tech tells me that I will be the first to be kicked out, because I am a digital photo student. Harrumph. I mean, heck, what am I paying lab fees for again? This made me frustrated, annoyed, and rushed. I was treating every print I made like it was my last, and made a lot of foolish mistakes because I was rushing through it all.
Second, almost all the students were frantic. People elbowing each other for space, everyone was either rude or grumpy (or both), and I think it's because they were feeling just as rushed as I. Double harrumph.
Community darkrooms are the epitome of chaos.
This experience the other day has pushed me more and more into clearing out the garage to make way for our own darkroom. Kev already owns an enlarger, so we're halfway there. I spent a good chunk of the afternoon clearing out old boxes (from our relocation *last year*... sheesh, it's about time) and moving things around. I think if I do a little bit every day, I can have the space ready within a month.
Then I can be as selfish as I want with the enlarger, take my time with my prints, and have a more satisfactory experience overall.
Sometimes, we gotta take things slow... and we really *should* apply this to every aspect of our lives. It's the most efficient and satisfactory way to get things done.
Slow down, you move too fast.
Sorry about the lack of content I've been having these past couple of days. Blog farts, I guess. Anyways, I have a bit of a rant to share.
I was driving to class this morning, when I saw an early-nineties sedan driving a little bit ahead and to the right of me. Not just any run-of-the mill sedan, but one sporting an American Flag, hanging off of the left rear passenger window.
What is so bad about that, you ask?
The flag was damaged beyond repair. It was frayed, torn and in very sad shape. If the Flag is damaged in such a way, aren't you supposed to retire it in a dignified fashion? Isn't it more patriotic to retire your flag if it has served its duty, and give it proper respect?
The US Scouting Service Project says:
When the flag is in such condition, through wear or damage, that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, it shall be destroyed in a dignified manner befitting such a symbol. The traditional way is to cut the flag into pieces and burn it in a modest but blazing fire. As we perform this respected duty, let us reflect on the design and meaning of our flag.
I've seen way to many flags lately that are sadly threadbare and falling to pieces. That doesn't really show much respect, although I'm sure the intentions are to fly their flags as long as they can to show patriotism.
What *is* patriotism, these days, anyways?
The current issue of Lenswork magazine has a photo collection of American Flags across the country. It's a cliched photograph by now... but people continue to shoot numerous photos of the flag waving... of people declaring their patriotism and shouting never ending choruses of "United We Stand".
Honestly, I'm almost tiring of this imagery. I know the events over the past couple of years have shocked everyone and made them sad, angry, and most of all, loyal to their country. But there *is* a limit, isn't there? Can't we just let it go and move on? Can we concentrate on making our country better instead of trying to make it even with the people and countries that we have been damaged by?
I'm often not one to rant about politics and related issues, but this brief moment this morning made me think a bit.
I have no idea what just happened, but I lost all of my bookmarks that I had in Chimera. They just... disappeared.
fdsalkjfgdl;'';;
I had some old bookmarks from a few months back from IE, before I made the switch to Chimera... so I'm salvaging. All my recent bookmarks are gone. Isn't it funny that when we lose something as simple as bookmarks, we feel so lost?
Oh well. This pushed me over the fine line to finally make Safari my default browser, and I have been slowly rebuilding my bookmarks. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.
The Blogiverse has been bored with itself lately. I've seen a lot of people wondering why we're not blogging, not commenting, not really interested in online activity lately.
My theory is that we're all having a little bit of cabin fever. We have been spending all winter cooped up inside, and not making much effort to be outside. It is definitely that time of year for winter depression (or I guess, Seasonal Affective Disorder), and it is not exclusive to the blogiverse... I've noticed a lot or people are generally mopey.
I'm gonna try and make the effort to be outside today. We're planning on going on a hike or something this afternoon. Maybe that'll lift my spirits. I should at least be thankful that I'm in California, where it's nice enough out to do that.
What are you folks doing to combat these winter blahs?
to the wanna-be haxx0rs that are thinking they can wreak havoc on this page, remember this: your IP is logged, and I don't hesitate to report lamers like you to your ISP.
now go away or I will replace you with a very small shell script.
Man, this year's holiday season has been one of the worst so far.
The series of storms sweeping through the area aren't helping much... I had to brave them for most of the afternoon yesterday to try and accomplish some Christmas shopping. What a miserable day! My favorite part was parking blindly (with all the windows fogged up, and a huge downpour going on) into a parking spot at the bookstore, only to open my car door to a knee-high puddle surrounding my car.
I was in a crazed state trying to finish up gifts for our long distance friends and family. Got them all wrapped and packaged for shipping... but now we can't find the one of the damned addresses. *sigh*
Apologies to my fellow Bay Area Webloggers that I did not make it to this month's meetup. I completely forgot about it amongst the craziness of the season. I've been forgetting a LOT this week. I can't wait till this is all over.
Add this all to typing up a holiday letter and sending the Christmas cards, doing holiday baking, doing a couple days worth of freelance work at a location a hour away... and oh, don't forget that I am the ONLY one in this house taking care of the gifts... what a horrible holiday stew!
And to think, I thought that being back in the Bay Area this year would make my holidays easier. No freakin' way, Jose.
I am lame because on Saturday, I rented a DVD from a store almost an hour away and did not bring it back today, when I was back in that area.
All because I was conducting a Mystery Shop. Blah.
Oh well... just one more night with Clerks: the Animated Series, then! Good thing, since I didn't finish watching it.
Snootch to the nootch.
Grr. How annoying is this? They're taunting me, I tell you! I professed my weakness for shiny new things with buttons, and what does Apple go and do?
They have a special sales event on the 29th... which, as you may have read the other day, is Buy Nothing Day, of course.
Yes, it's tempting, but I made the vow. And I'm sticking to it.
Damn you retail devils.
Awright, who the hell tried to fax my voice line at 4am this morning? I was sound asleep, and having a pretty cool dream, and you awoke me with that damned fax tone.
Arrrrgh! It's all your fault that I feel so damned tired right now.
*shakes angry fist*
Last night, I spent the evening with Andy and Mish... had a quickie BBQ dinner and watched Andy kick some good roller hockey boo-tay. 'Twas a good evening. The funny thing was, right before I got to their house (spending 40 minutes in rush-hour traffic from Santa Clara to SAN JOSE, for chrissakes), the alarm on my Treo went off. What could it be?
I had forgotten that many many months ago (try sometime in the beginning of summer), I had discovered that my culinary hero, Alton Brown, was going to be in Los Gatos. Argh! But being the good friend I am(!), I decided to stick with my plan to go watch the hockey game.
It wasn't a big loss, really. I had a lot of fun, and forgot about my frustration with the traffic and missing out on Mr. Brown.
So where does this tie in for today, you ask? Yeah, I'm getting to that.
Today, I spent a lot of the day catching up on the school work that I had put off for the past coupla days... yeah, I know I'm bad. I've been slacking cos I've been outta sorts since Kev has been outta town. Amazing how I've watched more teevee in the past 3 days than I have in the past 3 months. So today, I was pretty good about working on my studies, and not doing any blog reading or surfing until noon (taking a page from Ealasaid's book).
I had class this evening, and I was all done with my work, ready to go. So then I start doing my blog reads and some various site surfing. I happened upon this page on Mr. Brown's site, and discovered that he had yet another appearance in the Bay Area, but farther away than last night. Hrrm. Should I stay or shall I go? I thought that I'd be a good girl and head off to class... do the right thing. Yay me, good for me.
I drive to Cupertino, to discover class was cancelled. Blah. Hence tonight's rant. I was just trying to do the right thing!
It happens to everyone eventually.
I was just writing a lengthy post, and really getting into it, when my browser crashed and lost my post. Grr.
I don't know why, but I keep going back to IE, although I have Chimera set as my default browser. I think it may be because I have been too damn lazy to move my bookmark file over. I know, I know... such a simple thing, but I just never got around to it (no round tuit jokes, please).
I really don't feel like re-typing the entry. Sorry, dear reader. Maybe my thoughts will be even clearer tomorrow. :)