The United States depresses me.

[butterfly]

The people I work with don't know what 'arbitrary' means. Or 'crone', even (I used 'crone' randomly the other day, and got confusion. I used 'arbitary' and was asked what it meant. And then was informed that about half of the things I say go over their heads, which I hadn't known. I just thought that they hadn't found my jokes funny, which, yeah, they didn't, but for a totally different reason than I thought.). This is a clear failure of U.S. public education systems.

Oh, I'm so looking forward to going to college again. Because... damn.

Comments

[timian.livejournal.com]

Wow. Crone and arbitrary? So not unusual. And I'm sure your humor is brilliant. :)

And word pie on going back to college.

<--yearns

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

College is a wonderful thing. People who, for the most part, actually want to learn. People who own dictionaries.

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

I sympathise on the college bit; I've been wanting to go back for a while now, and as nice as the LJ and other discusion groups are, I know a good bit of this is desire for RL conversation.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Wonderful as it is to talk to y'all (and it is truly marvelous), it also good to actually talk to people who are on the same wavelengths (I do have some friends in RL that I can talk to, but there are schedule problems much of the time -- haven't had a chance to face-to-face intelligent talk for a while).

[tistur.livejournal.com]

That's very sad. (Unless you were working with immigrants who are learning english, which you clearly aren't.)

Now I'm scared about life after college.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

That's very sad. (Unless you were working with immigrants who are learning english, which you clearly aren't.)

If that were the case, I would be the last person to be upset, as I can say one sentence in spanish -- no hablo espanol. Also, I may have spelled it wrong.

But yeah, they just don't care about words. And I care so deeply about words -- meanings, possibilities, origins... everything.

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

It's amazing how small a working vocabulary you can have and "get by" in English. OTOH, a varied vocabulary is a Good Thing. Even if it makes those with a limited one see you as different and strange.
*nods*

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

Amazing and depressing.

But yeah, I'd much rather have an extensive vocabulary and get looked down on than not be as passionate about words and language as I am.

[joshy.livejournal.com]

Eeek. That's scary. I had to explain to people at school a couple of days ago what "swine" and "obligatory" meant.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I had to explain to people at school a couple of days ago what "swine" and "obligatory" meant.

And I must repeat your words -- That's scary.

This country has its priorities screwed. In the words of our (oh, help me) leader, "Is our children learning?"

[joshy.livejournal.com]

George Bush said that? *prays for America*

And it's not just your country - I'm in England, and our education system is just as screwed up.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

He really did.

*sigh*

But yeah, the ways high schools are... they definitely feel more like prisons than places of possbility.

[shati.livejournal.com]

But it's not just the United States! I bet if you went to China or Russia or Djibouti a lot of people wouldn't know what "crone" and "arbitrary" mean.

Er. Speaking of bad jokes.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

*giggles*

[lasheremaleth.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've said things I think are perfectly normal and had people ask me what particular words mean. It's a really bizarre thing.

Also, hi. I found you through thawrecka's friend list. I really like reading your thoughts on Angel, LOTR etc, and so I'm friending you, I hope you don't mind :)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

*waves*

Pleased to meet you. thawreaka is indeed cool. Friend of hers, etc.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Though it would help if I could spell her username correctly.

This is a time when I wish I could edit my comments.

*looks longingly at her previous comment, with glaring spelling error*

[blendwiththebad.livejournal.com]

i like that i looked up "arbitrary" and still don't know what it means, it has like 30 definitions and is barely used in passing.