I work with fools

[AndyC]

Around here, school kids get the middle ages fairly young, but it's sort of a watered down version in which you get the basics of medieval society without a lot of the actual history. Often seems to wrap up with a feast where kids eat with their hands while wearing bathrobes and cardboard swords.

We do, however, have a bit more enhanced program in my own commmunity the last couple of years, because the local high school drama teacher gets his students together with a bunch of actors, vendors, blacksmiths and such, and puts on a pretty good medieval fair in the park. Huzzah! They actually do a weekday program for schools, with lessons on weapons, games, music, etc. of a particular period. Hundreds of kids get bused in to do it. Then they do a public thing on Saturday with staged fights, human chessboards and bands of ruffians roaming the park.

I don't mind going to it, but covering it for the paper can be a pain. Ever try to have a serious discussion with somebody who insists on staying in character? Or take a picture? "What manner of witchcraft be that box in thine hand? Will it stealeth mine soul? Perhaps I should waylayeth you and taketh it, blah blah."

Shut up and smile.

OK, this is getting way off topic, but it's so much fun.



Post Edited (05-04-05 21:13)

[Mr Hockstatter]

Sounds about like my history classes.  Four years studying slavery, a week on WWII, and like everyone else of my generation if the topic of cotton gins should ever come up in conversation, I will be prepared.  Of course, if someone mentions Nepal, I start wondering if that's in South America, or maybe Brazil?  Which is somewhere around Spain, right?

[raj]

Hm, I saw Clash of the Titans in the theaters, when it came out.  Now it's being used in school?  We only got film strips of Peter and the Wolf.  (I always rooted for the wolf.)  fortunately I learned my Greek, Norse and Egyptian mythology on my own.  (Yes, I was a nerd in grade school.)

I'm appalled that schools wouldn't teach about Vietnam  (My 7th & 8th grade History teacher was a vet, he discussed it in 1977-78) but not surprised.  Schools don't like to touch controversial issues.

[2xSlick]

Directed mostly at Odinn7 and Diablo44:The Vietnam war  banned from High school? That's just sad.  When did ya'll go to school? I might be able  to see it being too controversial if the war was still going on at the time. I  attended a rural school in Middle Georgia and we studied everything in American History from Colonization up to the first World War.  Actually,  throughout my education, the most modern event we ever discussed in history was Archduke Franz Ferdinand's assassination. Most of our time in  the class was studying the Civil War. We always spent a great deal of time on Abe, Grant, and Lee.  Stonewall was usually glossed over so we could spend more time on Sherman's march. Always great to hear teachers trying to explain that Sherman's plan and The Reconstruction was a good thing.
To return to topic Susa: at least you can chat it up with coworkers . I worked a summer job as a temp in an office last year and was suprised the company wasn't in the red with all the morons working there.  The cafeteria had a tv that would show the young and the restless during lunch. All the guys there talked about chicks they'd like to bang (they were all married and would play golf during lunch) and the women would show me pictures of their kids (All the kids were older than me). Sucks when you have to keep your mouth shut and work hard to avoid annoying coworkers. This has stretched on for too long. Susan, we all feel your pain.

[Bargle5]

Man, the only movies I got to see while I was in school were "Born Free", "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and "A Christmas Carol" (Though we did get a recommendation to see ''Damn Yankees"). Otherwise, it was the typical one and two reelers and film strips/slide shows.



Post Edited (05-04-05 17:59)

[DaveMunger]

I saw Jeremiah Johnson in school a bunch of times, on TV too. Can't figure out how I've managed never to have seen either version of Lord Of The Flies. Clash Of The Titans was one of Ray Harrihausen's last movies, about Perseus, Andromeda, Medusa, Pegasus, a Kracken (from Norse mythology I think), and a cute robotic owl he pulled out of his ass (someone asked). I never saw it in school, but it used to be on TV a lot. When something that's on TV all the time dissapears for a decade or so, I wonder if someone bought the rights to it or something and are planning a remake years and years from now. I saw Flight Of The Phoenix more times than I can count, then it vanished for a really long time until the remake came out.

I knew a girl who claimed not to know who Charlton Heston was, but she might have just been jerking me around.

[odinn7]

2xSlick wrote:

> Directed mostly at Odinn7 and Diablo44:The Vietnam war  banned
> from High school? That's just sad.  When did ya'll go to
> school? I might be able  to see it being too controversial if
> the war was still going on at the time.

I graduated in '85. I don't know for sure why they banned learning about it but to me it's just wrong. It did happen, it is history, we should have spent at least a few days on it.


"I knew a girl who claimed not to know who Charlton Heston was, but she might have just been jerking me around."

Charlton, who? Was that the chick from Charlies Angels?

[dean]

Foolish co-workers?  I think everyone has some of those...

I don't really think that its such a big deal not to know those three films personally.

Ok, so I have never seen Clash of the Titans [or if I have, I've forgotten it] and I only recently have seen Barbarella and Flash Gordon, at least I have known of their existence prior to that.

Also, AndyC;  that medieval fair thing sounds quite funny, in the sense that I'm laughing because it sounds like such a pain in the ass to you to even take a photo!  I'm cruel, I know, but to anyone else watching that sort of exchange you mentioned, I bet that would have been hilarious.

[Susan]

I think greek mythology was something we learned in english class or one of those classes where we read stuff about homer. :)  It was one of the few films we ever saw in school, i know i saw it a couple of times in fact. (music class we watched amadeus when it came out on video) but good lord, it's clash of the titans! To have never even heard of it. We didn't learn from the movie, it was one of those things they showed to get us interested in what we were learning. And sometimes they'd show it on one of those 'nothing' days toward the end of the schoolyear when the teacher didn't want to teach anymore. But my parents had it on vhs, so i saw it way before i ever did in school.

Yeah i'm a HUGE flash buff so when i was telling him i was going to feed my supervisor to the bore worms he looked perplexed. But I also let him listen to my queen soundtrack for that movie, which I thought would help ring a bell since he likes queen. No luck. The funny part is he's seen more diverse movies than anyone else in my group (who is mostly younger)

Sigh, I just don't know what to do with this new generation of kids that gets spoon fed hollywood remakes or sequels so that they never have to bother with watching the original amityville horror or exorcist. Even when I was a kid i watched old black and white stuff, in fact my mother is pretty amazed i've seen more movies from her era than she has. Ok yeah, i'm going to have to get back to this thread - my show "LOST" is on, my hair is wet and i'm still venting about my apartment manager sticking me with a late fee on my rent when there was a computer error on their part and it was really my discount month and..well i digress.  I live with idiots, remind me to tell you about my neighbor who does drugs, listens to loud bass and recently failed to use an oil pan when changing his oil. arghhhh!

[AndyC]

dean wrote:
> Also, AndyC;  that medieval fair thing sounds quite funny, in
> the sense that I'm laughing because it sounds like such a pain
> in the ass to you to even take a photo!  I'm cruel, I know, but
> to anyone else watching that sort of exchange you mentioned, I
> bet that would have been hilarious.

It is funny in hindsight, but it's such a pain in the ass at the time. Last time, I didn't even bother with posed pictures, just candid shots.

I also once interviewed a clown (she won an award) who came to my office in full regalia and stayed in character most of the time. Clowns make me nervous anyway, and here I was, shut in a room alone with one (shudder).

It's these sorts of things that make me want a badge that says "REPORTER, NOT SPECTATOR - You are yourself around me."

[Rombles]

I also work with fools - none of the guys in my department share my love of this crap. There is a girl in the next department over who has fairly geeky taste in movies (ie sort of partly like mine), but haven't got around to socialising with her yet(we're both married - to other people - with kids, so it can get complicated), but I occasionally get a good discussion going with her - other than her I am surrounded by fools.

Although I did go and see Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy with my boss last week. But that doesn't count, cos he only wanted to see it cos he thought it looked funny on the ads.


BTW, the final movie I ever watched at school was "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover" (In yr12 drama of course). Not bad considering it is rated R18+ here in Australia, and I don't think any of us were quite 18 yet.....

[ulthar]

Rombles wrote:

>There is a girl in the next
> department over who has fairly geeky taste in movies (ie sort
> of partly like mine), but haven't got around to socialising
> with her yet(we're both married - to other people - with kids,
> so it can get complicated).

Okay, this is OT for this thread, but I gotta ask.  Why is it complicated to talk to someone about movies?  Just because you are talking to her about a common interest doesn't mean you are hitting on her or cheating on your spouse.

Back On Topic:  I could say I work with a fool...I'm self employed.

[2xSlick]

Susan wrote:

>  I live with idiots, remind me to tell you about my neighbor who does drugs, listens to > loud bass and recently failed to use an oil pan when changing his oil. arghhhh!

Holy crap, you're my neighbor?! Sorry, I couldn't resist. Remember kids, stay in milk,  drink your  drugs and don't do school.

[Master Blaster]

Stop the jibba jabba, I need work!

[dean]

 >>>>"i was going to feed my supervisor to the bore worms"

I have seen the movie, yet completely missed out on that reference when another friend of mine was crapping on about Flash Gordon last week and mentioned bore worms.

That said, I don't work with fools, though they don't have nearly the same movie tastes as me. [on a side not, I had to really try hard to explain the main differences between Muslims, Christians and Catholics to one of the junior staff members since she didn't know]

So I guess we all have foolish people in our lives.  Its just how much we ridicule and embarrass them for being fools that defines us!!! [I do alot]