Fannish Items of Interest

[calliopes_pen]

rude_not_ginger made a flowchart of the Tenth Doctor’s adventures. All roads lead to angst. In the comments, there are a couple for the Eighth Doctor. Most things end in amnesia—or playing with a ball of string.

Looks like this month’s book for bibliophyles is The Count of Monte Cristo. Read that in high school, and did not get a good grade (then again, nobody did—40/100 for all!) when asked to describe the plot line and every single detail (without notes or preparation for anyone) in front of the class. So I’ll read it again and see if I like it this time around.

Meanwhile, over at mythical_truth, this month’s book selection is The Last Unicorn. So that’s moving to the top of my book pile, so I can get started on it sooner.

out_of_milk compiled 10 Marvelous Martha Moments.

And from Cracked: The 7 Most Bizarrely Unlucky People Who Ever Lived.

Anthony Stewart Head on the concept of a Buffy remake—and the whedonesque discussion of it.

Comments

[hradzka.livejournal.com]

I do not think it is possible to describe the plot line in detail without notes or preparation. THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is one of those books where the main character's plan is insanely devious and convoluted to begin with, and only becomes more so as new subplots are added and half the supporting characters turn out to be out for revenge, too.

It is, of course, awesome.

[frenchroast.livejournal.com]

The Count of Monte Cristo is a great book, but it sounds like your teacher was crazy or something, 'cause I don't know anyone who could describe the whole thing in detail to anyone after just one reading of it. Probably not even after several. Alexandre Dumas's books are just a tad too complicated for that...

[calliopes_pen]

Yeah, she was nuts. Extremely scatterbrained--to the point where a lot of the time she couldn't remember what time her first class of the day was--when school started--so she was always late. Sometimes arriving 2 minutes before the bell rang for class to end. Took 30 seconds or so to actually get the door unlocked, so people could get in.

And then, there's the time she randomly screamed that it was time to "Get Chicken With It!" or "Get Chickey with it." Someone had to explain (once they figured out what she meant) that the Will Smith song was called Get Jiggy With It. She continued to do the funky chicken despite this.

It was an interesting year.

I've had crazier teachers, if you wonder.

[frenchroast.livejournal.com]

...wow. Just...wow.

[calliopes_pen]

I have many stories about nutty and just plain psycho (a teacher in middle school threw students--another threw desks and screamed a lot) teachers.

On the weirder side, my Mom had a teacher that would scream and sob if anyone sat near the window. The lady feared people would fall out and die--they were on the first floor, next to the parking lot, with less than a few inches down from the window. The woman's mind snapped when one student lay half in the window, and half out, with some ketchup on his cheek.

When last seen, (20 years later?) she was screaming that she would become mayor. She was sitting on the steps of the courthouse, screaming at Mom and Dad to vote for her, and trying to drag Dad away to vouch for her. The two fled quickly.

The woman had children. She let them eat paint chips, so they all have brain damage.

[frenchroast.livejournal.com]

...from the sound of it, brain damage would be a step up for people swimming in that woman's gene pool.

How on earth were these teachers not fired? Are the schools *that* desperate?

[calliopes_pen]

All I can say is that most of the teachers at my schools were awful. There were a handful or two that were actually good, but it was rare to get them.

I had the teacher that screamed and threw desks for a class in 6th grade, and another in 7th grade. He was literally counting down the days before he could retire, because he hated teaching and kids. As of when I was in 12th grade, I heard he didn't have much longer.

The one that threw students? Everyone knew he did it, but nobody could catch him at it for a long time. One day--about a year or so after I graduated middle school--the principal walked in on him doing it. He was immediately fired, and a judge banned him from working anywhere with children, last I heard.

[frenchroast.livejournal.com]

Jeez. It sucks you had such terrible teachers. And I'll never understand the teacher who teach even though they hate kids. I mean, why on earth go into a profession that revolves around the very thing you hate? Especially a profession that pays so little.

At least the principal fired that one guy.

[calliopes_pen]

There was one odd teacher in middle school who was nice. She let a rabbit roam free in her classroom. So while she taught, a tiny little paw would nudge your leg, if it wanted some attention. He would hop from student to student, wanting a stomach rub.

She was one of the few good teachers in middle school. Of course, when she gave the rabbit up for adoption to someone else during the school year, there was almost a revolt. Heh.

Another one that was nice was my English teacher in 8th grade. Right after I graduated middle school, she became the guidance counselor at my high school.