Yes, but rarely can I figure out how to use it. Whether it’s a text, email, or web site I want to look at, the keys don’t work the way they are supposed to or the keys themselves do not make sense.

This is why we need to make this happen! I can sub mit a few scripts myself to start really establishing the world, but I want to hear what other people have imagined this might be.

I agree wholeheartedly with all you have said. It is especially frustrating when someone else’s emotions prime me to feel that emotion overwhelmingly when the next slightly justifiable situation occurs.

For example, I had a friend who was going through the end of a terrible marriage and we talked about it a lot. She would leave, and then the next thing that came out of someone else’s mouth would often make me snap at them, which would confuse them. I would feel justified in my anger at the time because it felt so real, but later realize it was just carry over from my conversation with my friend.

Luckily, she is divorced now and doing great.

Yes, at least some do. I know I’m ready to take the bullet instead of my students, and I’d do the same in other situations as well.

The damp must be the amount of sarcasm in the joke.

Yeah, I do have trouble sometimes when it comes to those accused of sexual crimes… Cosby is especially difficult because he portrayed himself as a role model to such a degree. Can’t really do Allen, either, but he was never my type of filmmaker. They both just come off as hideous hypocrites and gross in their products now. I can’t even bring myself to call their doings art anymore, really. But they made themselves the center of the work in many cases, so it is more difficult to ignore than what some rock bands have gotten up to. I know Page and Plant did some fucked up things, and thus I dislike them, but I can’t not listen to the music they created. It’s too fundamental to me.

Appreciate that perspective: it really does boil down to art vs. artist. I tend to err toward keeping the bathwater and throwing the baby out.

The artist can be speratated from the work and the work can be appreciated without understanding the author’s intent.

But is there a line where the artist overshadows the art? Is that based on our personal morals?

Edit: I know my adjectives vs. adverbs, really!

Yes, line from song but if any one actually has a take on Cassavetes, I am very interested to hear it.

Definitely alcoholic and misogynist.

Messiah or genius of independent film? Not sure myself.

I am not a super fan, and think he’s might be both. I mean, he was clearly an alcoholic, but his rejection of the mainstream was pretty cool for what that is worth. I love also absolutely sure he was a misogynist. His Columbo episode, Etude in Black, is really good and is a gateway to understanding his movies. Soooo… I think my real question might be: was he a genius?

Edit clarified my take on Cassavetes. 😊

Please, everyone listen to this person. I’m am so thankful to work at a school with NASA engineers and successful novelists/journalists who just want to share their passion. Kids know when you are phoning it in, and they respond by phoning it in themselves. Nothing good is accomplished. If you can afford it and handle it, please give your time to the next generation. They are awesome already, but could use as many mentors as they can get. Passion is hard to find these days.

Oh, I use “is,” “was,” and other “to be” verbs often in speech and even in writing, though I do try to find ways around it simply because I prefer to use more precise language. A “to be” verb is basically an equals sign, i.e. “The job is terrible” could be roughly expressed as “The job = terrible.” While that construction is fine and tells the reader something, it would be better to be more specific because what is usually meant is something more nuanced: “The job has me walking around too much, which hurts my legs.”

I love these stories so much! I had an English teacher who would take 10 points off for every “to be” verb you used in any assignment. Most people thought it was ridiculous, but I saw it as a challenge. I learned so much that year, I still refer to her as my Yoda. She actually convinced me to get back into the teaching game after a terrible first job that made me slip into the legal field for awhile.

My first exposure to Rodney Dangerfield was Natural Born Killers. I can never find his shit funny because of this introduction.

It is awesome when they get there. My favorite thing is to see light bulbs go off in their heads. I thank you for the feedback: wish I could use these comments to prove to students why to listen to me.

Ahhh… You have no idea how awesome it feels to hear it’s helpful. Only some teenagers are ready to hear it.

Clear, precise written communication helps everyone, and I love that I get to spend my time helping the next generation share their ideas in effective ways.

I honestly saw three four guys mooning the camera at first!

I don’t think the warning meant it was too large literal size of image, but the size of the file.

ETA: Apologies, I feel my lack of reading comprehension on this one deeply.

Ah, so he was just following his set of the instructions. This situation is exactly why I teach students to always put some kind of noun after a “this,” so that it is clear what “this” refers to.

But then why did he also send the product?