LOOK...

at what T-rav bought me today! He's the best!


I wish I lived in Harry Potter land.

Cheater!

What, in your opinion, makes one a cheater? Is sharing answers on an assignment cheating? What if it's a dumb assignment or busy work? What about on a test? What about finding information on the internet and "rephrasing it" (kind of) and claiming it as your own? How often did you cheat on things and get away with it? Did your teacher ever catch you?

There is a ton of cheating among ESL students. I don't know if it's because they have a different idea of what cheating means or what, but they all do it, even after we have long, in depth conversations about it. And one of the most unpleasant things I get to do as a teacher is tell students that I know they've cheated and this is how they're going to be punished for it. I always feel extremely awkward, but at the same time slightly vindictive. Ccome on people. If you're a level 3 ESL student, should you really be writing essays that look like a college student's senior thesis? Probably not. But somehow they think I won't notice. They really do think I'm that dumb.

I've been tagged!

Cousin Manda tagged me on a picture post, so here's the fourth picture from the fourth folder in my computer photo album:

In this picture, I'm testing out T-rav's new karate foot pads and gloves. Yes, I am trying to kick him as he takes this picture. I'm desperately hoping he'll buy me my very own set so we can fight without restraint (meaning I can wail on him and he can wail back with fewer visible bruises- after all, I wouldn't want anyone to think we actually beat each other...)

I tag: Layla, Krust, T-rav and Callie.

Good bye Samantha

I have urgent news for any of you who once loved or still love your Samantha American Girl Doll: Samantha is being retired!

Yes, it's true. She and Nellie are going the way of all the earth, and almost ALL of her beautiful accessories and clothing are already out of stock on the american girl website! Right now it's a mad (and expensive) rush on ebay to purchase anything anyone has left. I find this terribly depressing. If only it was my birthday TODAY so I could waste all my money on Samantha stuff, as well as the new head I promised her (her hair is badly in need of replacement).

So if you or a small young female are still in want of any Samantha items, you better hurry. They're going fast!

(to the few males who read my blogs, please disregard this post without any snide or snippety comments...I'm really being quite serious and sincere)

Change....what change?!

I'm kind of annoyed. Our dear Obama has not yet even been officially instated as president, and already there is great reason to become quite skeptical about the great "changes" that he's promising to enact. Take, for example, Obama's emphasis on having "new blood" in Washington, even hinting at crossing party lines in his choices for Cabinet members. And then when it actually comes down to it, he chooses more "Washington insiders" than either Bush or Clinton. "Obama's first four likely Cabinet choices, including former First Lady Hillary Clinton, bring a combined total of more than 60 years of Washington experience" (go here to read the full article). Let's look at some of his selections so far:

• Secretary of Health and human Services: Senator Tom Daschle, a 30 years in Washington AND most recently working as a Lobbyist (mems, Obama, how you said you weren't a fan of Lobbyists?)
• Attorney General: Eric Holder, 20 years in Washington
• White House Chief of Staff: Rahm Emanuel, a strongly partisan Democrat, and, according to wikipedia and npr, kind of scary and emotionally volatile
• Senior Advisor to the President: David Axelrod

and the most TERRIFYING of ALL:

• Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Heaven help us!
  

Please bear in mind that I have never had any strong dislike for Obama, so I'm not complaining about this out of some kind of I'm mad McCain or Romney or Huckabee or Nader or whoever didn't get elected so I'm going to complain about it vendetta. I just think if you're going to run a campaign based solely on the promise of change, maybe the first official acts you do as a president elect should reflect just a little hint of change, rather than the Clinton administration all over again.

And then there's that whole I'm 47 and have written 4 dozen books about my life because I have so much to say...but that's a complaint for another time.

Today, I was told by one of my Korean students that I am "pretty...but smart."

He sounded surprised. Does this mean all semester he's been thinking I'm dumb? Exactly how am I supposed to take that?

So I was just wondering if you peeps were more likely to think have lots of kids or just have kids in general. It appears that have kids in general wins. I've always gotten the impression, probably incorrect and spurred by my rabid fear/distaste/displeasure at the thought of having children any time in the near future, that it meant have lots of kids, which would also explain why many Mormons are so prone to reproducing like rabbits. Not that it mattered, for, as you've noticed, I still don't have any kids. Which I'm totally fine with.

Take that all you people who shall remain nameless who want me to have a babby asap! :P

I would really be much better of if multiply and replenish meant grow a nice garden and plant trees. I'm really quite good at that...

What does this phrase mean to you?

"multiply and replenish the earth"

Please try not to let other comments sway your opinion. I want to know what you think!

*And will someone other than my family PLEASE comment. I'm trying to win an argument and I need real comments!

Here is one of the journal questions my level 2 writing students were asked:

Complete this sentence: If I were rich, I would... Describe the things you would do.

Here is 1 student's answer:

If I were rich, I would start a new enterprise. However, I fail a project because that project is beyond my power. Nevertheless, I like a venture, so I'm busted to beggary, so my wife leaves me, and I go to subway, and I beg.

Hm- Maybe this is only funny if you're an ESL teacher.

the pains of fashion

So I've been searching for a new pair of black flats for weeks, trying to find something attractive, marginally comfortable, and definitely cheap. What I discovered was this: there are no comfortable, cute, cheap shoes. If you want them comfortable, you either have to pay a bootleg of money, or they're doomed to be hideous. Why is that?

The ones I bought are very cute, but appallingly stiff, wreaking havoc on my no-longer-tough-because-it's-almost-winter feet. It didn't help that I had to walk all over campus today...or that I think my feet magically grow or shrink, depending on the time of day and my location.

Because of the ginormous blisters threatening to form in 3 locations per foot, I taught barefoot for nearly 3 hours. When several of my Korean girls asked me why I wasn't wearing my shoes, all I had to say was "I got new shoes" and they instantly responded with a knowing smile. Girls just understand the sacrifices required to look good.