Updates from astah on Rainbow Dash Network!
astah: Hey all! Moved out here back in June but finally have enough free time to be socially active (work work work). Shoot me a /) if there are any meetups and stuff happening~
astah's status on Sunday, 18-May-14 15:05:07 UTC
Hey all! Moved out here back in June but finally have enough free time to be socially active (work work work). Shoot me a /) if there are any meetups and stuff happening~
astah: Moved back to Sunny (and hot) Las Vegas so anyone in the area who wants to meet up shoot me a /)
astah's status on Sunday, 18-May-14 14:49:26 UTC
Moved back to Sunny (and hot) Las Vegas so anyone in the area who wants to meet up shoot me a /)
astah: Moved back to Las Vegas. Anyone in the area who wants to meet up shoot me a /)
astah's status on Sunday, 18-May-14 14:48:30 UTC
Moved back to Las Vegas. Anyone in the area who wants to meet up shoot me a /)
astah: @pony benefits as well. plus, and this is most important to me, our job is different every day. Having to adapt to individual student needs forces (or encourages) you to stay on your toes. No day is the same as the next. I can't imagine NOT teaching, though I would prefer to teach lit or creative writing. * SIIIIIIG * oh well.
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:49:47 UTC
@pony benefits as well. plus, and this is most important to me, our job is different every day. Having to adapt to individual student needs forces (or encourages) you to stay on your toes. No day is the same as the next. I can't imagine NOT teaching, though I would prefer to teach lit or creative writing. * SIIIIIIG * oh well.
astah: @pony after having the pieces of paper, the economy has forced almost everyone into the position of nepotism. you gotta know someone regardless of your talents. Don't get me wrong, good grades, work experience, etc etc etc will give you a leg up, but the degree of competition is apparently exponentially higher than it was even 8 years ago
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:41:14 UTC
@pony after having the pieces of paper, the economy has forced almost everyone into the position of nepotism. you gotta know someone regardless of your talents. Don't get me wrong, good grades, work experience, etc etc etc will give you a leg up, but the degree of competition is apparently exponentially higher than it was even 8 years ago
astah: @pony well, for example, BYU has one of the top programs in foreign language, and their law school is in the top 95% as well. UNLV where I went is one of the top 5 creative writing post-graduate programs, USC has film, football, business, you name it
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:39:43 UTC
@pony well, for example, BYU has one of the top programs in foreign language, and their law school is in the top 95% as well. UNLV where I went is one of the top 5 creative writing post-graduate programs, USC has film, football, business, you name it
astah: @pony often the 'best' universities don't produce the top people in the field.... it's more a means of having a 100% certainty of getting a job. My father's met plenty of Harvard grad lawyers who were mediocre at best (if not morons) and for writing there are plenty of people who come out of Iowa's program with nothing to show for it academically or creatively. Whenever I get discouraged, I try to remember things like the fact that W.C. Williams was a pediatrician, Wallace Stevens sold insurance door to door, and Philip Larkin was a librarian. My old mentore himself has worked as a high school teacher, a chef, and a tattoo artists. Some of these feilds lend themselves to a necessity to find additional income...
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:36:50 UTC
@pony often the 'best' universities don't produce the top people in the field.... it's more a means of having a 100% certainty of getting a job. My father's met plenty of Harvard grad lawyers who were mediocre at best (if not morons) and for writing there are plenty of people who come out of Iowa's program with nothing to show for it academically or creatively. Whenever I get discouraged, I try to remember things like the fact that W.C. Williams was a pediatrician, Wallace Stevens sold insurance door to door, and Philip Larkin was a librarian. My old mentore himself has worked as a high school teacher, a chef, and a tattoo artists. Some of these feilds lend themselves to a necessity to find additional income...
astah: @pony anyhoo... my first roommate did computer science. I believe he's programming for NeoPets now... and acting in a sketch comedy troupe called The Big Game Hunters in LA. What sorts of visual arts do you do?
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:25:40 UTC
@pony anyhoo... my first roommate did computer science. I believe he's programming for NeoPets now... and acting in a sketch comedy troupe called The Big Game Hunters in LA. What sorts of visual arts do you do?
astah: @pony darn typos again! Ugh... computers are over-glorified typewriters to me... despite being only 26... * sigh *
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:24:33 UTC
@pony darn typos again! Ugh... computers are over-glorified typewriters to me... despite being only 26... * sigh *
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:23:46 UTC
@pony
astah: @pony Well, if you're studying language BYU is an excellent place to be. Lots of people rag on it but their language programs are the bee's knees
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:21:08 UTC
@pony Well, if you're studying language BYU is an excellent place to be. Lots of people rag on it but their language programs are the bee's knees
astah: @abigpony y'all very loving and tolerant are you? Most of your comments are relatively abrasive. Look though, I don't want to win or anything like that. I joined this online community because everyone here that I've talked to has been incredibly friendly. So, that being said, I'd like to say that I'm sorry my comments offended you or anyone else, that they may have appeared narrow-minded or insensitive. I have also had a super long day, and I probably should've thought a bit more before venting about what I considered to be a common workplace woe among instructors, and thought of light-hearted and of little consequence. I really like being a part of this community and I would hate to do something silly like start a flame war or act like a jerk because I'm sleep deprived and my argumentative/academic side got the better of me. Sometimes arguments gain their own inertia and people end up yelling/sparring for the sake of sparring. So, just wanted to extend a brohoof of apology
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:19:25 UTC
@abigpony y'all very loving and tolerant are you? Most of your comments are relatively abrasive. Look though, I don't want to win or anything like that. I joined this online community because everyone here that I've talked to has been incredibly friendly. So, that being said, I'd like to say that I'm sorry my comments offended you or anyone else, that they may have appeared narrow-minded or insensitive. I have also had a super long day, and I probably should've thought a bit more before venting about what I considered to be a common workplace woe among instructors, and thought of light-hearted and of little consequence. I really like being a part of this community and I would hate to do something silly like start a flame war or act like a jerk because I'm sleep deprived and my argumentative/academic side got the better of me. Sometimes arguments gain their own inertia and people end up yelling/sparring for the sake of sparring. So, just wanted to extend a brohoof of apology
astah: @pony my old English teacher Chris Arigo told me that it literally translates to "heartburn" but they use it (with the iconic hand-chin-fling motion) as "mild irritance". i.e. the children are running around making a ruckus so you say "Heeey! Quiet down there! You're giving me accita!"
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:09:14 UTC
@pony my old English teacher Chris Arigo told me that it literally translates to "heartburn" but they use it (with the iconic hand-chin-fling motion) as "mild irritance". i.e. the children are running around making a ruckus so you say "Heeey! Quiet down there! You're giving me accita!"
astah: @pony how did ya end up in Provo? I'm from SLC originally, but this is the first time I have lived in Utah for about 8 years. Did 4 years in LA, 3 years in LV, then a year in China and now here I am!
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:05:52 UTC
@pony how did ya end up in Provo? I'm from SLC originally, but this is the first time I have lived in Utah for about 8 years. Did 4 years in LA, 3 years in LV, then a year in China and now here I am!
astah: @astah there we go. Italian, ah? My favorite Italian... though I guess it's technically Sicillian phrase is "agitta" (i'm probably totally misspelling that... i'm a very creative speller.... :P )
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:03:59 UTC
@astah there we go. Italian, ah? My favorite Italian... though I guess it's technically Sicillian phrase is "agitta" (i'm probably totally misspelling that... i'm a very creative speller.... :P )
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:02:47 UTC
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 12:02:39 UTC
astah: @pony Taught three years at UNLV, finished off my MFA, then spent a year teaching ESL in China. At the moment I substitute grades 6-12, volunteer at a few after-school programs for adults and teens, and when I'm not doing that I'm researching and writing a manuscript.
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 11:59:16 UTC
@pony Taught three years at UNLV, finished off my MFA, then spent a year teaching ESL in China. At the moment I substitute grades 6-12, volunteer at a few after-school programs for adults and teens, and when I'm not doing that I'm researching and writing a manuscript.
astah: @pony I apologize. That wasn't very tolerant of me to engage and get all ruffled like that. While it's no excuse, I've had an incredibly long day of traveling between Cali and Utah, subbing, volunteering for a couple hours teaching ESL to adult hispanics, and feeling just generally jet lagged. It was totally out of line for me to get so riled, especially on RDN.
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 11:56:41 UTC
@pony I apologize. That wasn't very tolerant of me to engage and get all ruffled like that. While it's no excuse, I've had an incredibly long day of traveling between Cali and Utah, subbing, volunteering for a couple hours teaching ESL to adult hispanics, and feeling just generally jet lagged. It was totally out of line for me to get so riled, especially on RDN.
astah: @abigpony Some classes require an authoritative hand, some engage the material through humor and a sense of mutual respect or equality between the instructor and the class. Regardless, my comments on this forum were private thoughts. You seem to be under the false assumption that I openly demonstrated these opinions to the students themselves. This idea is abhorrent. When in the classroom, the students are the only priority, and despite being a substitute teacher that day I made certain to apply every available faculty to help them to understand the lesson material, rather than lazing around like an overcharged babysitter. After class, I am allowed to vent and lightly joke about the things that happened, the same way every single person does in ANY line of work. Do not proselytize to me on the ethics or practice of teaching. And in the end, lighten up... we're just funning afterall.
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 11:53:31 UTC
@abigpony Some classes require an authoritative hand, some engage the material through humor and a sense of mutual respect or equality between the instructor and the class. Regardless, my comments on this forum were private thoughts. You seem to be under the false assumption that I openly demonstrated these opinions to the students themselves. This idea is abhorrent. When in the classroom, the students are the only priority, and despite being a substitute teacher that day I made certain to apply every available faculty to help them to understand the lesson material, rather than lazing around like an overcharged babysitter. After class, I am allowed to vent and lightly joke about the things that happened, the same way every single person does in ANY line of work. Do not proselytize to me on the ethics or practice of teaching. And in the end, lighten up... we're just funning afterall.
astah: @abigpony I was referencing the general hipster philosophy rather than hipsters as a group. Also, when I have to give the definition of a simple word like maternity to a group of high school aged students this is not so much a comment on the intelligence of the students but rather a sad comment on the state of our educational system... something I try to remedy by refusing to dumb down my vocabulary. When they ask me what a word that I use means I encourage them try to work it out from context, not in a mocking but in a supportive way. If they arrive at the answer themselves, they've learned it better. Humor is also often an excellent vehicle for learning. I would be more concerned that you have apparently acted as judge, jury, and executioner in reagards to my ability as an instructor (and, by extension, my person seeing as I love teaching and wouldn't trade it for the world) just from a couple of light-hearted comments you happened to read on an online community forum.
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 11:46:34 UTC
@abigpony I was referencing the general hipster philosophy rather than hipsters as a group. Also, when I have to give the definition of a simple word like maternity to a group of high school aged students this is not so much a comment on the intelligence of the students but rather a sad comment on the state of our educational system... something I try to remedy by refusing to dumb down my vocabulary. When they ask me what a word that I use means I encourage them try to work it out from context, not in a mocking but in a supportive way. If they arrive at the answer themselves, they've learned it better. Humor is also often an excellent vehicle for learning. I would be more concerned that you have apparently acted as judge, jury, and executioner in reagards to my ability as an instructor (and, by extension, my person seeing as I love teaching and wouldn't trade it for the world) just from a couple of light-hearted comments you happened to read on an online community forum.
astah: There was a wonderful moment too when a student tried to trip me up by saying "Oh yeah, well what does 'defenestration' mean then, Mr. Vocabulary?" And I responded correctly, immediately, and gave him latinate roots. BWA HA HA! Silly high schoolers... but in all honesty, the two classes I taught today were engaged, behaved, and respectful 99% the time. I was super happy to teach them. Wish they were all like that.
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 11:32:52 UTC
There was a wonderful moment too when a student tried to trip me up by saying "Oh yeah, well what does 'defenestration' mean then, Mr. Vocabulary?" And I responded correctly, immediately, and gave him latinate roots. BWA HA HA! Silly high schoolers... but in all honesty, the two classes I taught today were engaged, behaved, and respectful 99% the time. I was super happy to teach them. Wish they were all like that.
astah: @abigpony not "ha ha" funny. more of the non-sequiteur, stupid, style joke. Absurdist humor, such as the idea of a man getting pregnant, is meant to be superficial humor. Not to be taken seriously, but more as a means to lighten the mood and provide an avenue through which the class will open up to the substitute teacher and, as a result, be more responsive and engaged. It was a pedagogical tactic. What made me sad was that a 15 year old student didn't know what "maternity" meant. That is truly disturbing. And of course it isn't a funny joke... it's a suuuuuuuper lame joke. The same way hipsters are fashionable by consciously attempting to be unfashionable
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 11:27:41 UTC
@abigpony not "ha ha" funny. more of the non-sequiteur, stupid, style joke. Absurdist humor, such as the idea of a man getting pregnant, is meant to be superficial humor. Not to be taken seriously, but more as a means to lighten the mood and provide an avenue through which the class will open up to the substitute teacher and, as a result, be more responsive and engaged. It was a pedagogical tactic. What made me sad was that a 15 year old student didn't know what "maternity" meant. That is truly disturbing. And of course it isn't a funny joke... it's a suuuuuuuper lame joke. The same way hipsters are fashionable by consciously attempting to be unfashionable
astah: .......2 students got the joke. One of them actually asked what "maternity" meant. This is our country's future. * HUGE sigh *
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 09:19:19 UTC
.......2 students got the joke. One of them actually asked what "maternity" meant. This is our country's future. * HUGE sigh *
astah: @neurario substitute teaching these last few days was simultaneously hilarious and a bit sad. Out of 90 students only 3 had ever heard of Jane Austen. Not that I like Jane Austen, but it's someone you should at least be aware of. I also had no less than 7 ninth grade girls ask if I was married... which was just gross... cuz they are in ninth grade. No thank you. One of the saddest points though was when I was taking role with a 12th grade class and joked "I'll be filling in for MR. Carpenter.... he's currently on maternity leave"
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 09:18:46 UTC
@neurario substitute teaching these last few days was simultaneously hilarious and a bit sad. Out of 90 students only 3 had ever heard of Jane Austen. Not that I like Jane Austen, but it's someone you should at least be aware of. I also had no less than 7 ninth grade girls ask if I was married... which was just gross... cuz they are in ninth grade. No thank you. One of the saddest points though was when I was taking role with a 12th grade class and joked "I'll be filling in for MR. Carpenter.... he's currently on maternity leave"
astah: i also stumbled onto a neat little glitch on the pony iOS game for android/iPhone etc. If you set your phone to "airplane mode" in the "settings" section, then power down your phone and power it on again, a bunch of the ponies that you can only get through spending expensive in-game currency on a random chance balloon popping game suddenly become available through easy to obtain, free, gold coins. I got time turner/doctor whooves easy peasy! totally made my day
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 09:13:48 UTC
i also stumbled onto a neat little glitch on the pony iOS game for android/iPhone etc. If you set your phone to "airplane mode" in the "settings" section, then power down your phone and power it on again, a bunch of the ponies that you can only get through spending expensive in-game currency on a random chance balloon popping game suddenly become available through easy to obtain, free, gold coins. I got time turner/doctor whooves easy peasy! totally made my day
astah: @neurario yesterday I flew to LA with my fam to see my little brother who's a frosh at his university and a music major do his final exam / concert-thingie... then i woke up at 4 00 AM to fly back to my hometown, then went directly from the airport to this high school where i was a substitute teacher. afterwards, i got 3 hours to myself to shower and recoup before i had to go do volunteer tutoring from 7 00 til 9 00 PM. Busy day. I'm definitely running on fumes, but I hadn't hit up my brony community in so long that checkin' in and chatting had greater priorty than an extra hour's sleep!
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 09:10:51 UTC
@neurario yesterday I flew to LA with my fam to see my little brother who's a frosh at his university and a music major do his final exam / concert-thingie... then i woke up at 4 00 AM to fly back to my hometown, then went directly from the airport to this high school where i was a substitute teacher. afterwards, i got 3 hours to myself to shower and recoup before i had to go do volunteer tutoring from 7 00 til 9 00 PM. Busy day. I'm definitely running on fumes, but I hadn't hit up my brony community in so long that checkin' in and chatting had greater priorty than an extra hour's sleep!
astah: @neurario hey you. so, i've had one of the most hectic rat-race exhausting days of my life
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 09:08:05 UTC
@neurario hey you. so, i've had one of the most hectic rat-race exhausting days of my life
astah: sorry i've been awol for awhile btw. had a lot of substitute teacher requests pop up all of the sudden so i've been busy busy busy
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 09:05:09 UTC
sorry i've been awol for awhile btw. had a lot of substitute teacher requests pop up all of the sudden so i've been busy busy busy
astah: and i like the new website layout. woot.
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 09:03:53 UTC
and i like the new website layout. woot.
astah: Hey everypony. what're y'all up to?
astah's status on Friday, 07-Dec-12 09:03:31 UTC
astah: is anyone up yet? watching "The Stare Master" because MLP feels good after a night of partying and being silly...
astah's status on Sunday, 02-Dec-12 14:48:09 UTC
is anyone up yet? watching "The Stare Master" because MLP feels good after a night of partying and being silly...
astah: @camero719 hugs are awesome too. hugsback
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:14:23 UTC
@camero719 hugs are awesome too. hugsback
astah: @maui sorry! yes i'm new. but also on a schedule!
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:14:09 UTC
@maui sorry! yes i'm new. but also on a schedule!
astah: * to all... jeeze... stupid typos. drives me nuts as a writer...
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:13:18 UTC
* to all... jeeze... stupid typos. drives me nuts as a writer...
astah: alrighty everypony. I've gotta go get ready to go tutor ESL at a local after school program. I'll definitely be on tomorrow (or later tonight) and thanks all for the warm welcome. * bro hoof toa ll *
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:12:58 UTC
alrighty everypony. I've gotta go get ready to go tutor ESL at a local after school program. I'll definitely be on tomorrow (or later tonight) and thanks all for the warm welcome. * bro hoof toa ll *
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:09:27 UTC
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:09:21 UTC
astah: @muttstuffle absolutely. I'll have to be sure to log back in to RDN then tomorrow while I'm doing another day of research and reading. is there a ways to friend on this? i've literally been signed up to this website for 40 minutes now... so i'm pleasantly surprised at how quickly people were willing to chat and make nice.
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:08:34 UTC
@muttstuffle absolutely. I'll have to be sure to log back in to RDN then tomorrow while I'm doing another day of research and reading. is there a ways to friend on this? i've literally been signed up to this website for 40 minutes now... so i'm pleasantly surprised at how quickly people were willing to chat and make nice.
astah: @derpy128 I have the skills. It's the opportunities I'm looking for... :C
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:06:19 UTC
@derpy128 I have the skills. It's the opportunities I'm looking for... :C
astah: @camero719 honestly, this is the first chance I've had to talk to ANYone who actually is a fan of the show... i.e. anyone who I am not introducing to it. None of my friends/family/etc. watch it or are aware of it except as an internet phenomenon. Even though some of them are aware of Lauren Faust and have liked her other shows
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:05:09 UTC
@camero719 honestly, this is the first chance I've had to talk to ANYone who actually is a fan of the show... i.e. anyone who I am not introducing to it. None of my friends/family/etc. watch it or are aware of it except as an internet phenomenon. Even though some of them are aware of Lauren Faust and have liked her other shows
astah: @camero719 ha! pegasisters... hadn't heard that one yet...
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:03:08 UTC
@camero719 ha! pegasisters... hadn't heard that one yet...
astah: is there a term for "coming out of the closet" as a brony? I propose "coming out of the stable"
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:02:07 UTC
is there a term for "coming out of the closet" as a brony? I propose "coming out of the stable"
astah: @camero719 are you a student now? no brony teachers? (or at least none that are out of the closet?)
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:01:51 UTC
@camero719 are you a student now? no brony teachers? (or at least none that are out of the closet?)
astah: @muttstuffle that's why we join communities like this though I suppose! Can't change what we did (or failed to do, I suppose) in high school, but we can reach out here and share good, unadulterated enjoyment with other people with similar likes
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 01:00:22 UTC
@muttstuffle that's why we join communities like this though I suppose! Can't change what we did (or failed to do, I suppose) in high school, but we can reach out here and share good, unadulterated enjoyment with other people with similar likes
astah: @muttstuffle I only ever got bullied seriously when I was in high school by my teammates on the tennis team. Not because I was bad at tennis... I took state titles 3 years in a row... but because I was a punk rocker at the time and dressed different. And being surrounded by a bunch of jocks resulted in getting singled out and mocked. There was another kid on the team who got it worse though, and I always felt badly that while I didn't contribute to it, I didn't help either. I'm sure everyone has a similar regret like that from high school though...
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 00:57:55 UTC
@muttstuffle I only ever got bullied seriously when I was in high school by my teammates on the tennis team. Not because I was bad at tennis... I took state titles 3 years in a row... but because I was a punk rocker at the time and dressed different. And being surrounded by a bunch of jocks resulted in getting singled out and mocked. There was another kid on the team who got it worse though, and I always felt badly that while I didn't contribute to it, I didn't help either. I'm sure everyone has a similar regret like that from high school though...
astah: @muttstuffle Yes, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. And I like assuming that everyone isn't out to take advantage of you, which leads to me getting taken advantage of sometimes. But I'd rather get taken advantage of occasionally than walking around being suspicious of everyone else all the time. It takes so much energy, and everyone I know who thinks like that just tends to be miserable...
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 00:54:59 UTC
@muttstuffle Yes, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. And I like assuming that everyone isn't out to take advantage of you, which leads to me getting taken advantage of sometimes. But I'd rather get taken advantage of occasionally than walking around being suspicious of everyone else all the time. It takes so much energy, and everyone I know who thinks like that just tends to be miserable...
astah: So, a shout out to anyone and to see anyone's reactions... has anyone watched the "Friendship is Witchcraft" videos on youtube? I'm sorry if I sound like a bit of a noob or if this is all old news, but so much of this is new to me.
astah's status on Friday, 30-Nov-12 00:52:42 UTC
So, a shout out to anyone and to see anyone's reactions... has anyone watched the "Friendship is Witchcraft" videos on youtube? I'm sorry if I sound like a bit of a noob or if this is all old news, but so much of this is new to me.