Posts by Jason Hall35

urbannomad14 said:Thanks, I’ve basically been looking at things from that same angle..

It's kind of wild when you think about it, right? Like, all those specific body parts I used to spend so much time trying to show off or highlight... now I feel like I just have to hide them all away..

Since I’ve also been struggling (forever) with being busty, finding a dress that actually fits the top half is a total nightmare. If there are darts at the bust, they’re almost always way too small and sit way too high, regardless of what size I grab. Add in my narrow back and hips, and the whole silhouette just looks "off." So, I usually end up picking dresses with wider skirts—because anything straight-cut or pencil style just balloons out around my hips like crazy.
Check out some stuff from brands like Loft or Ann Taylor; they sometimes have nicer dresses with cuts that aren't quite as tight in the chest area. Especially Loft.

jadetrucker43, it feels like you’ve got some kind of inside track on how these reforms are actually going to play out, so I’m taking your word for it. Honestly? I’m not feeling this at all so far.

Don't even get me started, Linda Price5. My kid’s handwriting is flawless—super neat, hardworking, and totally on top of things. You completely missed the point and clearly don't get what I'm driving at here. A "reform" should actually mean making things better, not keeping everything stagnant or—as it looks right now—making everything a complete mess.
The textbook actually has a workbook section with designated spots for solving problems. Specifically, we're talking about tables; trying to change that is like trying to cross out a Scandinavian design just because you want to return a newspaper to a newsstand.
Thanks @David Foster80, I had a hunch that was the deal...

Look, if the grade-level council actually takes some responsibility, maybe they'll figure out something better for next year. Our local school district covered the cost for workbooks and atlases—I think they grabbed art portfolios too. But why they skipped the math workbooks? Who knows. I bet the teacher just wants everyone on the exact same page, so she won't allow half the class using a workbook while the others are stuck scribbling in notebooks. It’s such a waste of time.
The digitization went smooth, though. Honestly, nobody even talks about tablets anymore.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but my dream would be textbooks that actually have integrated work sections built right in. Everything should follow one solid, set curriculum, lesson by lesson, with a massive stash of ready-to-go supplemental materials for the teachers. Just give them a complete package so they can actually teach without jumping through endless hoops whenever they want to spice up a lesson. And obviously, each subject's book would need to be split into thinner volumes so kids aren't lugging ten-pound bricks around in their backpacks.
As it stands, everything depends on how much talent or drive a teacher has, and let's be real—the gap between them is massive. At my kid's school, it's become glaringly obvious how much my child's class stands out, and every teacher says it's because they have a veteran who's been crushing it for generations. We hit the jackpot, while other kids are clearly getting the short end of the stick.
People used to go on and on about the "digital divide" being this huge injustice that we had to fix by giving tech to kids who couldn't afford it. But do we have a "teacher divide" now? Or a "parent divide" fueled by parents who either don't care or don't even know how to help their kid with homework? Simba, Simba... life isn't fair...

Yeah, we’re talking fifth grade here. Only thing is, my kid doesn't even have a workbook from McGraw Hill or some supplemental practice book. What kind of system is this?

Basically, the textbook just has these tables you're supposed to fill out, but she has to manually cross them out and rewrite everything from them before she can even start the actual problems.
Proab—do your kids actually get workbooks?

Yeah, but they won't even give her an A. Honestly, I'm just pissed off and disappointed. It sucks because she’s a seriously hardworking student and she nails everything—I hate seeing her waste her time on this kind of nonsense. I'd rather she just stare at the ceiling and take a nap. But hey, I guess that's just how our education system works these days.

It’s just some old math textbook. She’s sitting there crossing out tables like she’s rewriting history, yet she breezes through the actual problems in like sixty seconds flat. Honestly, I’d rather just buy her a fresh one.
Edit: I suggested she just use it and tell the teacher we’ll replace it later, but she’s convinced she’ll get an F if she tries anything fancy. I think I might have to go down to the school and stir the pot a little.

My fifth grader already swallowed all this stuff—logic gates, binary, computer parts... she’s actually into it.
I’m honestly floored because now I see her copying every single math problem from the textbook straight into her notebook. Apparently, they have to return the textbooks at the end of the year. Up until now, they had free books and workbooks, but they used the math ones heavily. Only the standard textbooks that you weren't supposed to write in were returned. Now, thanks to this "reform," she’s spending half her class time just transcribing problems. WTF? They made things so much easier before, and now they've totally backtracked.
Is this a specific teacher thing, or is this happening in every school district? If I’d known, I would’ve just bought my kid her own book.
What a brilliant "reform"—back to chalkboards and tiles...
And don't even get me started on how most teachers are still tirelessly scribbling on the board, barely finishing their bullet points before the bell rings. Plus, they still love dictating everything. It's the most basic, old-school way of teaching—basically stuck in the era of Kamen. It’s pathetic.

She’s had an absolute rockstar of a teacher until now—the kind of woman who deserves every award and a massive paycheck for her dedication, expertise, and constant innovation. This whole mess just breaks my heart.

In my school, they’re already making us read Waitap, and we’re only in sixth grade.

Sam Kim12 said:And yet, you see, my own kids are obsessed with Pinocchio, while they claim Heidi is just plain boring. Honestly, I find Heidi tedious myself: every single morning it’s the exact same repetitive loop stretched over two pages—the hair brushing, the braiding, stepping outside to stare at the clouds, then staring at the mountains🤣)

For me, though, Gricki is one of those books that just didn't click😬 and American folk tales🙂 (well, provided you stumble upon an edition that includes translations of old, regional dialect; without that, it’s an absolute slog for today's generation—even for someone like me, despite having vivacious grandparents who spoke pure, old-school rural English filled with archaic terms)

Look, maybe the issue with Pinocchio is just timing. It hits their desks in second grade right after all the easy picture books, so the plot feels way too heavy for them...
Most school reading lists include definitions for archaic terms or obscure words, usually tucked away in the margins or a tiny glossary at the back.
The real kicker with school curriculum, just like pretty much everything else in education, is that they keep designing everything for some "ideal average student" who doesn't actually exist.
Our system has completely lost its way. It’s not just that struggling students are falling behind; the real disaster is that the curriculum is way too packed even for the gifted kids.
It’s honestly pathetic how someone like Nikola Jokic can diminish the sheer artistry of someone like Hans Christian Andersen, simply because he wouldn't know a stick from a dance move. Has this guy—who was supposed to be the architect of the modern curriculum—ever even stepped foot in a museum or bothered to look at anything outside his own tiny bubble? It's pointless. Where did all the intellectuals go? Where's the passion for actually nurturing the mind? Why is seeking knowledge just for the sake of knowing things considered such a waste of time these days?!

It’s about time they ditched Pinocchio; kids absolutely loathe reading him (just like they do with Alice in Wonderland). But look, stuff like hero Pavlov’s streets or Heidi? Those stay classics and people actually want to pick them up.
Honestly, I'm feeling pretty bummed out 😢
And this guy—God, he clearly doesn't even know what a stick or a pair of pants are. What a pathetic loser. Like, why would anyone ever bother building a vocabulary or learning about things outside their own tiny little bubble? Seriously... talk about a nasty attitude.
At this rate, our kids are just gonna turn into a bunch of uncultured, clueless idiots with zero depth.

For crying out loud, The Buttercup Dance Dress is hands down the most beautiful, soul-stirring children's story ever written... give me a break...
I really hope teachers and professors keep picking the heavy hitters from literature for their students. Let's not end up spiritually bankrupt.

Thanks again, I think we’re finally looking at that 🙂

Thanks a ton for the reply and for pointing out why an SSD is such a big deal. But man, these options are honestly hideous. I don't know if you've ever had to deal with a ten-year-old girl before, but let's be real—looks are half the battle in everything...
What do you think of this one?

Hey there, tech experts!

I’m looking to pick up a laptop for my ten-year-old daughter. It also needs to double as my machine for some basic work stuff—mostly just crunching numbers in Excel and handling some documents.

I’ve got my eye on this Madison Square Garden 15-cc516nm 2QF17EA. It’s a cute pink color 😁, comes with macOS, and has a 3-year warranty (plus I can grab an extra 5 years through a retailer).
The price is fine, but I’m always down to save a few bucks if possible, so if you guys have any better suggestions, please let me know! 🙂

Does this thing have any glaring flaws or deal-breakers? Also, what kind of extras should I be grabbing? A bag is a must, obviously, but anything else?

Thanks!