Posts by brisktiger56

Andrew Cruz4 said:Anyone else dealing with this? If you've actually managed to fix it—or if you're just out there living your life, going to work and all that—how do you handle it?

Personally, I know how I’d deal with it: earplugs. 🙂

darkowl72 said:I’m backing everything Jeffrey Chavez6 said here. Plus, let’s be real—your laptop is already five years old. That’s a decent run for a machine, and I don't want to sound like a jerk, but maybe wait until you've actually put some serious mileage on it before complaining, especially with budget Dell models...

That’s definitely worth keeping in mind...

Most laptops die because people forget they actually need to clean out the dust from the vents—so they overheat, the fans start working overtime, and the owners have no clue they're basically slow-cooking their GPU. Usually, it's the solder joints on the graphics chip that finally give up the ghost.

Just a little more attention to the cooling, and maybe stop leaving the battery plugged in 24/7—only charge it when you need to, or use it off the cord occasionally—and you'll extend its lifespan by a loooooooo 🙂
much longer.
But hey, it's not like anyone at the Best Buy tells us that 🙂?

steelcrane68 said:But what even defines reality versus imagination? Once you observe something, it’s no longer objective. The observer's perspective? That's just imagination at work...🙄

reality?
Let’s say these agreed-upon units of measurement actually match up with reality...
In that case, a length of one yard is pretty much settled—there's no real debate there, and it certainly doesn't feel like it belongs to the realm of imagination.

But imagination?
That's what drives the whole concept of needing a standardized unit of measure in the first place, just to maintain some kind of balance...

It feels like reality and imagination are working in tandem all the time—sort of like how our two brain hemispheres function simultaneously: one side just rambles about everything under the sun, while the other side picks through the mess to find whatever makes sense.

One can't really exist without the other.

Can imagination actually exist WITHOUT reality?

brightpuma said:Ugh, don't even get me started... 🙄

What about math and physics? You need math skills for physics way before you've actually covered them. You end up with physics teachers explaining stuff you aren't supposed to learn in math class for months, just so you can actually solve the problem.

I get it,

but that whole mess isn't really because math and physics aren't "compatible"—it's just a symptom of a broken American education system.

I mean, you're supposed to lay the foundation first before you start building upward, right?
You wouldn't slap a roof on a house before you've even poured the concrete for the basement...

Daniel Gomez10 said:I'm with you on this.
It’s not great if a kid only ever does stuff they love. They need to tackle the boring, uninspiring tasks too. That’s how they learn to respect obligations and build a sense of responsibility.
It slowly prepares them for the real world once they grow up.😳
As for the rebellion part, I think some people in this thread are still stuck in that phase themselves... 😁

Like I mentioned before, demanding a total overhaul of the reading list basically undermines the whole point of studying literature.
The same logic applies to math or any other subject. If we go down that road, we could argue for a complete revision of all mandatory schooling, eventually concluding that everyone should just stay home and study whatever they feel like.
I'm not saying we shouldn't question things or make changes, but massive overhauls tend to trivialize the entire educational system.

To me, the real issue is how disconnected all these subjects are from one another... I mean, you could easily bridge music with math, history with literature, or PE with physics, chemistry, biology... everything could be part of one cohesive whole if approached correctly.

If that were the case, a student wouldn't have to wonder why Kafka imagined a man turning into an insect or being swallowed by some bureaucratic machine... Everything would make sense if you viewed it through a wider lens. Back when I was in school, nothing ever connected—history and art history were treated as two completely separate worlds. It was almost impossible to see the link between them, even though they both dealt with the same eras, rulers, and artists... It’s a pretty clear sign that the curriculum wasn't really "stitched together" properly. 😉

The American education system could definitely use a serious shake-up 😛 which might actually make the required reading list feel more logical and tolerable (even if it isn't exactly fun on its own)...

rowdypanther12 said:It’s based on participating in discussions, making arguments, and answering questions... nowadays, what you write is graded just like what you say.
My high school teacher used to grade us easily even when we didn't write anything down.😍

so, did you actually feel like he was being fair with the grading?

rowdypanther12 said:Signed on my rhino.
The issue isn't really the books themselves; they’re only a small part of why these classes struggle. It’s more about how the sessions are actually run.
I think reading assignments should function more like a book club. I haven't personally been part of one, but that's the idea—you read a specific selection and then everyone gets together to talk about it. 😁
It’s actually great when people have different opinions; that’s when the best discussions happen.
As for the teacher, their role should be to prep the kids for the story, maybe explain a few tricky concepts just to get them settled in, and then act as a moderator for the discussion once they've finished reading. 😁
Anyway, that’s just how I picture the perfect reading program. 😁

That sounds like a solid, structured approach, but how on earth would you handle the grading side of things?

Linda Price5 said:But the purpose of the school system should be to ensure that even a kid like little Matthew—whose uncle works as a floor installer and whose mother only finished eighth grade—actually stands a chance.

A truly functional educational system is one that levels the playing field, regardless of whether your parents are intellectuals hosting salons for the literary elite or working-class folks just trying to scrape by through a grueling twenty-four-hour grind.

What kind of "shot" are we talking about here?
A chance to read?

Anyone can learn to read, and books are everywhere—the real issue is the environment they’re raised in at home, isn't it?

brightpuma said:"Quote:"

Man, I’ve always been a fan of quotations, so finishing a required reading book was usually a breeze for me. But lately? For the last two years of high school, I’ve basically dodged my assignments whenever I could get away with it. On the flip side, I actually sat down and read *The Great Gatsby* when everyone else in class skipped it... only to get a C for my trouble. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? 🤦

"brightpuma" said:

Look, I’m not saying everything should be based on some trendy, easy-to-read bestseller. But honestly? The sheer volume of books assigned for high school reading lists is just overkill. They're often dense, confusing, and frankly, boring. Most kids are just checking boxes and getting through them to get it over with. It feels totally pointless. It would definitely help if professors actually gave us some guidance before we dive into a book. Like someone already mentioned, why not just provide some directions? Instead of forcing us through every single page of an entire novel, why not just focus on the most interesting, essential parts? The general culture? It hasn't gone anywhere. Still right here. 😉 Kids aren't even frustrated. Honestly? If someone actually enjoys a single excerpt, maybe they'll end up finishing the whole book. But most people just give up before they even start, opting for quick internet summaries or cheat sheets instead.

Maybe we should break it down. Like the Iliad or Dante's Inferno, you just can't tackle some of these books all at once. It’s impossible to read them in their entirety. Wouldn't it be better to trim down those massive doorstoppers and make room for some actually interesting stuff?

"Quotation:"

Seriously, why on earth does HP get so much hate from churches? 😲 So it's just Fantasy then? Wait, does that mean guys like George R.R. Martin or Tolkien are on the blacklist too?

Fantasy, especially when you throw in the crowns and stuff like that... it just doesn't really sit right with the folks in those priest robes.

"Quotation:"

That sounds fine. Personally? I only walked away with a C for reading something like that. 🙄

Quotation:

Honestly, Goethe’s coded way of writing used to drive me crazy. Just hated it. I wanted to bash Werther on almost every other page. pa I just powered through it, spat it out during my hourly breaks 😁 and ended up with an A.

Werther is easy. Faust makes you want to lose your mind. Not sure if you've tackled that one yet, but if you have, hats off to you. 🙏

Quotation:

It was the exact same deal with Anna Karenina. If you have a decent professor and books that get under your skin, you'll read them—then spend your lunch break arguing about why the characters were annoying or why the book is overrated.

Well, Anna Karenina was actually tolerable. Especially considering what came after. The only thing worth reading back then was the Naturalism era (Madame Bovary), but after that, everything just went downhill.

It’s pretty obvious that assigned reading is just a way to tank everyone's GPA.😉

It feels like the grading system is totally rigged—I mean, what if you have a different perspective? What if you find a book fundamentally flawed, or you notice some subtle detail that everyone else missed... instead of the teacher saying, "Wow, that’s actually a really interesting take," they just hit you with a C because you didn't follow the script.

The whole point of these books seems to be enforcing a single viewpoint—basically smoothing out any friction and crushing dissent to make sure everyone in the classroom arrives at the exact same conclusions.😉 Is that supposed to encourage critical thinking?

Jessica Kelly4 said:Heh, I was wondering who would be the first one to bring that up. 🤣

I have no idea who wouldn't write that 😛
For you—and honestly, a lot of other believers—there’s just a massive amount of illogical stuff 😉 contradictions...

Peter Doyle2 said:This is actually brilliant!!
Maybe I'll just write a fantasy novel, bait some religious leader into attacking me in the news, and boom—huge sales and millions in my pocket. Who knows, maybe I'll end up on the bestseller lists like Meyer 🙂

The most logical way this "scandal" works is if the church and the author sit down and hammer out the whole deal before a single word is even typed 😬. Once the book hits shelves, then comes the religious condemnation (basically a clever marketing spotlight) which triggers massive consumer interest—book lovers who go out and BUY everything from the books themselves to the toys, games, posters, DVD adaptations, and eventually the movie soundtrack that shares the book's title...
In the end, the profits flow to the author, the publisher, the government through taxes, and finally back to the church via state channels. Just like how the USA needs global terrorism to function, the church needs heretical literature. If it doesn't exist, they'll just manufacture it themselves 😛

Linda Price5 said:I don't know. There were plenty of times I almost threw in the towel. 😁 I eventually decided to save myself the headache by just refusing to read the required school books—because let's face it, if it's mandatory reading, it's usually garbage.

And I suspect I missed out on quite a few great stories that I would have loved if they hadn't been forced upon me by some school district curriculum. Especially back in fourth grade.

Then you're just a victim of prejudice, pretty much like everyone else. Someone refuses to try octopus salad or salted herring, and someone else won't even pick up a book JUST because it was put on a school syllabus. Look, those books weren't ordered by the schools and they weren't written exclusively for kids... They get added to the curriculum much later on...

So, how am I supposed to explain that to kids?

Maybe we don't even need to overexplain things—maybe we just need to give them some actual choices so they can grab the books that actually resonate with them. Is there really anything wrong with our obsession with individualism? Required reading shouldn't be a chore; it could just be an extra lens to look through... you know, to help them get a better view of their own world.

brightpuma said:I don't know, most of my school reading lists never really bothered me, even back in high school. There were only two books I never actually finished: Goethe's Faust and Proust's Combray. Everything else was manageable. With those two, though? I couldn't get past page twenty. I just couldn't do it.

The truth is, we need to rethink how reading lists are put together and how they flow. It feels like way too much time gets spent on ancient classics, and we never even make it to modern stuff. Seems pretty silly to me, especially since there's so much great modern literature out there.

In a truly dynamic society, the reading list would be updated every single year, but
we aren't exactly a dynamic society—which is why we have all these problems (that we already have)...

steelskipper5 said:It’s almost like you’ve never had to deal with American bureaucracy before. 🤷
The whole process is basically a masterclass in how life works.

Personally, I’m bummed that Animal Farm wasn't on the required reading list, along with a few other dystopian stories. They actually help you make sense of the world, even if they are pretty dark and depressing. And honestly? That’s exactly why people end up loving them.

not at all. The Bible, the Iliad, the Odyssey?! Give me a break!! For a 15-year-old—which was freshman year, if I remember right—it’s just pure nonsense. It's a total turn-off and a complete trauma when it comes to reading.

If they’re taught correctly, they aren't traumatic at all. But then we run into the issue of teaching competence, which seems to be hitting new lows every day. And things might get even worse once teacher salaries take another hit.

Doesn't the main character end up getting killed at the very end, with nobody actually being held responsible?

The moral of the story is pretty simple: if you actually want to survive > don't join the system, don't have a name, and for heaven's sake, don't leave a paper trail.

😉

Daniel Gomez10 said:We could probably wrap this up by tomorrow. I think this looks great, though I'm not totally sold on it myself...

And that's exactly why having required reading in school is such a thing. 😳 😁

... so kids can actually figure out what makes literature interesting to them?
... or maybe just get a glimpse of the massive variety of books, themes, and authors out there?

Peter Doyle2 said:But to whom? Maybe some shrink, I guess, because that aversion was just too deep—books literally made me feel sick. If I couldn't even bring myself to read stuff like *The Outsiders*, which is, you know, a timeless classic, then it's pretty obvious. I tried, but it just wasn't happening. Brrr, thinking about it now gives me the chills.

Let's be real, the "popularity" of books and reading culture is tanking.
A huge percentage of kids and teens aren't reading. And honestly, the exhausting, confusing, and totally unnecessary grind of high school required reading isn't helping at all—especially in high school. Wouldn't it be better to actually encourage young people to read by giving them literature that actually speaks to them? Instead of pushing them away from books with "too heavy" works? I mean, what does it even matter if these works are "great classics" if, in 90% of cases, they stay unread anyway because kids just use SparkNotes or the internet to get by? 🤷
As I said, you can cover all that fine through a history textbook or a lecture. For required reading, maybe stick to light teen fiction—stuff that's actually accessible. I'm not saying the entire current curriculum is bad, but most of it is.

I’ve been daydreaming about this ideal parent-child dynamic—one where a kid comes home, cracks open a book, and actually feels comfortable enough to complain. Like, "Ugh, I really don't get this one. Why did you pick this for me?" And instead of getting hit with a lecture about how important the classics are, or some tired monologue about why the Secretary of Education insists this specific title belongs on every middle school syllabus, the parent actually listens. Imagine if the conversation stayed focused on the actual book—building a genuine, critical opinion about the story itself—rather than spiraling into a debate about the educational system or why we shouldn't question the "approved" reading list. It would be about the literature, not the bureaucracy. Honestly, I think that kind of approach might have done you some good too.
Quincy:

Let’s be real here—the whole idea of a book being "popular" or the general culture of reading is basically in a death spiral. It seems like a massive chunk of kids and teenagers just don't read—and honestly, can you blame them? We aren't exactly helping matters by forcing this exhausting, incomprehensible, and frankly unnecessary pile of high school reading assignments down their throats. It feels like we’re actively pushing them away from books by shoving these "heavyweight" works at them before they're even ready. I mean, shouldn't we be focusing on actually sparking an interest in reading? Shouldn't we be handing them literature that actually speaks to them—stuff that feels relevant to their lives? Instead, we lean on the prestige of these "great classics." But let's be real—what does it actually matter if a book is considered a masterpiece when 90% of the time it just sits there unread? Most kids just end up skimming SparkNotes or searching for some quick summary online to get through the assignment anyway. It feels like a lot of wasted effort. 🤷

Yeah, tell me about it. It’s definitely easier to just copy-paste than to actually sit there and strain your brain—classic teenager behavior, really. They always seem to have much more important things to worry about than, say, actual comprehension.
Quincy:

Look, like I was saying—it’s all perfectly doable if you just handle the heavy lifting during class time using the textbooks. As for required reading? Just give them something light, like some teen fiction. You know, books that don't feel like pulling teeth to get through. I’m not saying the entire current reading list is garbage, but let's be real—the vast majority of it is.

I honestly wish we could just let people skip the classics if they wanted to—like, if someone wants to dive into some light, fun beach read instead, let them. It would be great if they could just talk about that in class, maybe write a quick review or something. Instead, you always have those specific types of kids who act like they’re absolutely obsessed with Tolstoy, getting all worked up over discussions about War and Peace... It would actually be way more engaging for them, and honestly, they’d probably learn more from those debates than anything else. But hey, what do I know? I’m not exactly a teacher. 😛

steelskipper5 said:Man, that is the million-dollar question right there. And honestly? I’m not sure you’re gonna like my answer. 😁

See, the whole point behind most of our school systems isn't just pure education or even "character building"—it's about enculturation. Or, if you want to call it what it really is, indoctrination. The goal of teaching history isn't so kids learn facts, but so they soak up those national myths that keep the country feeling like one big, homogeneous unit. Even the required reading list? It’s not about making kids love books; it’s about cementing a specific canon that supposedly serves as the foundation for our entire culture.

That’s why, for instance, a classic like Marley's Judith stays on the curriculum. In certain parts of Western culture, apparently it's vital to know exactly how to poison someone or kill them in their sleep. ☕

Look, putting my cynical side aside for a second—these reading lists fail even by the standards of "enculturation," and the way teachers force students through them is just terrible.
But hey, that just brings me back to my usual whining about semi-literate Americanists...

Imagine if every parent just picked their own reading list for their kid. Every student would show up to school having read something different, trying to explain what they read, why it was interesting, or what the author was actually trying to say...

That would be... well, impossible, wouldn't it? 😁

Peter Doyle2 said:Well, I'll weigh in too...

I HATE ASSIGNED READING!!! 😠

There, I finally said it. 🤣

The story goes like this:
Ever since my mom signed me up for a card at the local public library back before first grade, I basically spent my entire childhood with my nose stuck in a book. Elementary school reading lists were actually fine—they weren't enough for me, though, so I just read whatever else I could find.
I used to love books and reading; I was never late returning anything. In fact, I’d probably be sprinting to the library a month before my books were even due because I’d already finished everything and needed something new. 🤣

And then came high school. 🙂

It killed me. Literally. They aren't sane!!!! It completely soured books for me. I mean, how are they supposed to encourage eloquence or literacy by essentially torturing us with works written in some archaic, regional dialect we can't even grasp?! I hated those assignments (they were at their worst in junior year—just total gibberish). I never understood them, and they absolutely crushed my desire to read. I mean, how are you supposed to get into a story, or a character, or even follow the plot when you have to flip to a glossary for every second word?! Honestly.
Okay, look, these are important works. Historical masterpieces. I get that.
But are we really going to stay this broken if we just cover them through a quick lecture in class instead of making them mandatory reading?

Anyway, it took me nearly ten years to recover from the trauma of high school reading lists before I could pick up a book again.
Isn't that sad?!

Now, I'm devouring books again. I love reading; I spend almost every spare moment doing it. I probably could have read a mountain of books if it hadn't been for that cursed high school curriculum. 😠 So, yeah, I truly feel scarred by those assignments. They basically robbed me of ten years because of the intense aversion they caused me. 🙄

it really is pretty tragic

now I'm back at it—actually swallowing books, enjoying the process, basically carving out every spare second just to read. honestly, I probably could've finished a mountain of literature by now if those damn mandatory high school assignments hadn't ruined everything for me.😠 yeah, I feel genuinely robbed because of those books. they cost me almost ten years thanks to the massive aversion they burned into my brain.🙄

It’s a shame you didn't have some empathetic soul to talk to back then—someone who could've helped you push through so those school assignments wouldn't have nuked your love for reading in the first place...

Luckily, you finally made it back to the fold.😉

Michelle Bailey4 said:On my mom's side, every single mother taught their kids to actually value books—buying them, taking care of them, and reading to us constantly. Honestly, I’m pretty grateful for that. We all had to plow through the required school reading lists, and sure, not every classic was a winner, but they definitely left an impression.

Based on that, it sounds like family upbringing and core values are being passed down like heirloom silver—generation after generation. Personally, I think that's something worth celebrating.

Michelle Bailey4 said:Honestly, parents really ought to prep their kids before school starts—set some expectations, explain what’s coming their way, and all that stuff.

The same goes for reading assignments. We should be telling them that they'll actually get the chance to dive into some great stories, which can lead to cool discussions about how fun it is, or how a good book serves as a perfect escape from homework or a way to wind down before bed.
One of the biggest things parents can do for their kids is just foster a genuine love for reading. Whether it's reading to them at bedtime (or whenever they feel like it), buying them books, or taking them to the local library to pick out their own titles... to me, that’s what actual parenting looks like.

Yeah, sure. That’s how it looks in some perfect, textbook scenario...
But honestly, looking at the actual test scores and results, how many people are actually following that approach?

Michelle Bailey4 said:Look, people don't read just to pass some high school exit exam. You read to actually become literate—to travel through different eras and places without leaving your couch, and to basically get inside someone else's head to see how they think. It’s a way to experience things you haven't lived through yourself (thank God for that!!), to have a laugh, unwind, or learn how to actually empathize with people.

Sure, there are plenty of people who hate reading and won't pick up a book if they can help it, but at least through required reading, they’ll pick up better grammar, expand their vocabulary, and gain some general knowledge.
Maybe we just need to update the reading list, but we definitely shouldn't stop treating literature as something important.

Honestly, for whoever asked that question... OH MY GOD.

I only asked because I'm genuinely curious about what the point of assigned reading even is if parents just end up reading it themselves and writing the reports for their kids (I actually posted this under a different thread).

The whole reason for having required reading should be crystal clear to both parents and students—just like they should know why they're even going to school in the first place. But honestly, who knows... My take is that kids have no clue what the purpose is, which extends to why they should bother reading books... they aren't motivated to explore or hunt for answers... In the end, it all just boils down to a formal announcement.