So Much For Humor

Well, it seems I have gotten myself into a bit of trouble with a reader - for two reasons. Perhaps you'll recall this humorous post from yesterday?

Can you read this?

Olny srmat poelpe can. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

It came to me in a small CC'd e mail group in which I don't know as I have been included before. I didn't credit reader CH, as it seemed to have been around some. Well, lo and behold, someone in the group, unknown to me, thought it would be funny to send this below to all.

Olny srmat poelpe can.

So, Rpebluicns cnat raed it? -- bruce

Well, I am not a Republican, but I thought I'd play along. And I did take offense that the joke might have been aimed at a conservative, too. I didn't point out that they spelled Republicans wrong at the time. Had I known they were likely a teacher, I might have. I simply sent out this:

Npoe, rindaeg inst our tinhg, we jsut gneretae the icnmoe taht sbusdiezs the shoocl ssyetm so lbireal ioidts who cnat wrok for a linivg can. - Dan

Well, CH then sent me this little item:

Dan, I don't mind that you used this on your blog (with no credit as to where you got it...) but I do mind that you are insulting the school systems since most of the people on this list that I sent this to are HARD-WORKING, DEDICATED, CAREER public school teachers!!!! Please take our names off of any list you may have, and I will remove your name from my short address book and not bother you with any more e-mails. Thank You, CH (veteran teacher)

I responded to CH individually from work and don't have a saved copy, but, while being polite, I also suggested she was taking it a might seriously, as well as using a double standard to judge the exchange. And I didn't even ask if she had corrected her fellow teacher's spelling. So, tonight I got this little missive below from a Barb, another teacher, perhaps?

Can you spell "asshole?"

Heavens, I am shocked! How can I ever respond to such lofty public school teacher fare?

Well, I certainly hope I have now credited CH appropriately ... and without embarrassing any of her school teacher friends. Why would I do that anyway, when it appears some of them are so intent on doing it to themselves?

Oh, I simply responded to Barb - touchy touchy ... lol. And rest assured CH, I have no CC list, such as you inferred. I do wish you hadn't taken this so seriously. I never did.

Sohcols out!

Comments

[Snazzy]

OMG Life is way to short to take things so seriously. I actually found alot of humor in it myself. When we forget to laugh and smell the roses along the way. One really misses out on so much in life. I hope I never forget to laugh. Laughter is good for the soul.....

[GrannyToad]

Laughter is good for endorphins.

[c]

You know Dan, Arnold has decided to attack "the Tenure System" touted by the most powerful group in the world, our educators. If he is successful, this little effort could conceivably have a "domino effect". Obviously they are now on their guard. Your little joke was probably perceived as a jab at teachers and the "teacher police" "got right on it". If someone decided to take away your "free vacation", "your job for life", "your ability , (when receiving tenure) to never have to be accountable again", "your ability to take 'seminars' all over the world at taxpayer expense"; don't you think you would also be scouring the internet and more than a little upset. After all, this is the only job left where you can hold the children of America hostage during your contract negotiations. Amazingly, the really good teachers, will always have a job, tenure or not. The others will fight like hell for a systtem which is perceived by many to hide incompetence on a daily basis. I know, teachers will immediately get down my back for this post but, hold on guys, I am not criticizing individual good teachers, I am criticizing the ones who take advantage of a system that isn't working anymore for their own benefit. When I realized that this reaction was not normal and that it came from teachers, I then realized that they must be monitoring communication to make sure that they expunge anything that doesn't put them in a good light. What is scary about this is the fact that they decided to attack a blogger with genuine heart. Besides, until they pointed it out, I'm sure it never occurred to anyone to connect Dan's little joke with the "teachers of America". In my book, you just failed the test guys, big time. Once you lose your sense of humor, particularly in today's frenetic world, you've lost more than you know.

[nc_mom]

Tahnks for psotnig taht Dan. Eyojend it!

[cindi in pa]

Blind Copy is a wonderful tool. Made the mistake of responging to a email, I hit the respond all mode. Caught hell the next day for responding to senders clients with an X rated joke. These people got over it, I am sure these teachers will as well. And I can spell A$$hole. Learned it in public school.

[bf]

Taht was spuer fnnuy. i love the "asshole" bit!

[Fellow Teacher]

If you don't have a sense of humor, the job will eat you alive.

[Fellow Teacher]

If you don't have a sense of humor, the job will eat you alive.

[Fellow Teacher]

Whoops. :)

[GreatOwl]

While I do know that public schools take more than their fair share of undue criticism concerning the education of our youth today, I have no problem with this type of humor. I have been an educator since the mid 60’s and still am. I learned of this type of writing decades ago and the research being done on it. While I certainly would not condone it being taught, I know that there is truth in it. I do feel all students should at least attempt to spell correctly and that it is an extremely important asset for them to have in finding future employment.

I may be more tolerant than others since I have had to overcome some dyslexic tendencies in my own visual interpretations. I have spent my entire career teaching and facilitating those with learning disabilities of varying etiology. Even before this research was released all of us in the field knew that it was possible to read almost anything. I had thousands of papers turned in that needed to be corrected.

I have suffered some loss of my own skills from a lifetime of struggling with my own disability and also from reading all that jumbled mess some students call their completion of an assignment. Today, I no longer try to be so exact in my grammatical structure nor in my spelling. The reason is that I do most of my typing on the internet and most people do not know the difference anyway. Of course, I do run across an occasional English Teacher who insists upon reading my entry only after it has been properly corrected. I can only say God Bless Them. I know they are dedicated. They mean well. If it were not for those insistent purveyors of the English Language we would never have the wonderful opportunity to sit back and enjoy the finer works of the masters.

I sometimes do have to counsel my own close friends to just lighten up a bit. I would hate to see anyone’s education get in the way of their learning.

[splashtc]

Thought it was very educational. Teachers don't own the english language. You know- new words are created everyday - and the creator chooses how it should be spelled.

[farmgirl]

Laughing ...thank you Dan.

[Amy]

I think it's called 'psis in the cronfklaes', Dan.

Just laugh - that's all you can do.

[Amy]

oh - and I hope I didn't offend too many cornflake eaters....

[sophie]

Dan-

I forwarded your humorous post to friends and family and they found it entertaining, as I did.

Most that read it were amused that they actually COULD, with ease. It's about the power of the
human brain.

How each of us perceives the same situation is another matter entirely.
Which is why we are at #241 and counting.

My mom was an English teacher.

She always used to say, Dno't sewat the samll sutff. Samrt lday.

[lori]

Very funny! Actually, there is a poster similar to that paragraph in one of my sons 8th grade classrooms (public school). I read it at open house and I found it fascinating that you can read like that! Life is short--lighten up people!

[lori]

Or should I say Lfie is sohrt--lgihetn up poelpe!

[L.]

Twelve years of public education taught me a few things,

First most of the teachers who become overly sensitive when anyone insults the public school system- is usually the very type of teacher who is actually responsible for the way it is- the truly great teachers are too involved and concerned with their students education to stop and worry about what people say. The good teachers realize that the problems exist, and for their part all they can do about it is ensure that they personally do not become part of the problem.

Second, sorry I can't share that one.

[tester]

to think I just wasted 3 minutes reading this garbage.

bandwidth must be cheap.

[DrTar&ProFeather]

Dan, I can't believe CH and others thought they deserved some kind of credit for something that has been going around the internet for at least two years.

Live and learn, huh.

And I am really enjoying the wide variety of topics you post on your blog. I could spend hours reading. Thanks.

[TheAlamo]

About 80% of the teachers....are the problem.