The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Cesar R M]

Cesar, If you have something to say... say it. Those Memes are not only getting old, but, they are insulting and mostly unclear in their intent. If you have a different viewpoint, then make it and not based on some article that you have read but from your actual experience. I do not claim to know everything, but, there are many things that have passed over my plate in my 68 years. Water, water treatment and purification happens to be one of them.

I understand that this topic is slightly disgusting to talk about, but, factually, it is true and it is part of the world we live in. It's best sometimes to grasp reality instead of pretending that things don't happen.

I sometimes wonder if its even worth it. I posted sources, information. proved you wrong, Yet you jumped on what I said, went on something completely different dodging what I wrote and posted (sources included), then you act offended. Now tell me, honest.. Do you think Its fun trying to have a technical conversation with you when the majority of the times you just go overboard, skip information, dodge facts, etc.. ?

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Not in our middle schools but in our High Schools students are allowed to use cells at lunch and during passing periods. Me, I think our administrators would go down kicking and screaming before they would ever allow this to happen in our middle schools. They use to make them be off in their lockers but that caused another set of problems with theft early on.

They were a lot more strict in middle school than high school here. It was supposed to be that cell phones were to be off and in your backpack, and if your phone went off or you were caught with it, you were supposed to have it confiscted, and it was supposed to be picked up by a parent at the front office.

Middle school, that policy was enforced. In high school, I had my phone go off accidentally more than once and teachers never confiscated it. Even my strictest teacher never did the whole "send it down to the office" thing. If it went off, she would just tell you to turn it off, and if you were caught with it, she would take it away and give it back at the end of class. For one student who got caught a good bit, she took it for the day and let him have it back after her detention session. Just the difference between how they have to handle middle and high schoolers. Middle schoolers...just...nope.

 

[Cesar R M]

Hahaaa...!
The first jet airliner I ever flew on was a 707, so I have a soft spot in my heart for that particular plane.

Afraid the 707 was before my time. They were removed when I finally managed to fly. I think the first plane I did fly with was definitively a 727.
Those were the standard and most common planes from the biggest then airline of mexico (Mexican de Aviacion).

My father in the other hand, might have had the experience. I think he even flew with the old Douglas DC6's (he was a poltician and had to meet with high officials as our local town grew into a vacation spot worldwide)

 

[Gabe1]

I understand that, but, did he happen to mention how many people would have to pee in a pool to make that degree of hazard? Did he happen to mention how many people have been rushed to that hospital over the years because of that exposure. We are talking about minimum risk at the very worse and I am just trying to tell folks that there are a lot of things to get grossed out about, but, that is hardly one of them. But, I didn't expect that anyone would change their mind, I just wanted to say that it is not worthy of worry. Very few people in 3rd world countries have swimming pools. Also urine is sterile when it leaves the body. It isn't until it is exposed to bacteria that it becomes contaminated. Chlorine has allegedly taken care of that situation.

Listen, I'm not advocating peeing in the pool, I am merely trying to explain why it isn't something to worry about, unless its in a babies pool, which is understandable, small amounts of water, large amounts of pee. The point is that there really is no health hazard in a large pool. We as humans do not urinate constantly.

Color me curious. Do tell. What are your ratios for pools? What are your levels for safety? Do you have to be rushed to a hospital for a skin rash? A respiratory problem? Pink eye? Is being rushed to a hospital the standard for the board of health? My DD had to close both the therapy pool and main pool this past weekend. She was wrong to do that? Maintenance was wrong to use the shock solution to bring it back up to board of health standards before patrons were allowed in? Is the board of health wrong too? They have very specific guidelines. So Curious.

Son will be in attendance at the World Waterpark Association Conference which starts this Sunday and runs through next weekend in NOLA. Can you please source your data and I will forward it to him. He will be with the experts for both fresh and chlorinated water recreation.

Me my kids were competitive swimmers for two decades. We have had many a meet cancelled when pools are out of balance. So I am really curious as to where all the data and sources is coming from.

 

[Gabe1]

Our district has a complete policy about device use. The official party line is that devices are only used for academic pursuits under the supervision of a teacher. The reality is that during lunch and other 'less academic' times, phones are constantly in use. Between classes is a free for all (no rules!). At the MS level, the kids really don't use the phones between classes as they have very little time to move and would rather chat with their friends in person than on the phone. At the HS level, kids are constantly on their phones. The way I manage it is..."If I'm teaching you, working with you, or talking to you NO PHONE. If I'm working with someone else and you have done everything you need to do, then you have some freedom - just don't abuse the freedom or it will go away."

Kudos to being reasonable. Frankly our staff was an issue long before the students were not only with cells but with our computers. All of our student and staff computers are monitored. We just lightened up over the years with both staff and students as times changed. It was fought hard initially. Frankly our administrators have not had to intervene much, one student that I recall and two staff members. One was given the opportunity to resign and he did. Facebook is blocked district wide from our computers. Funny our tech people report an uptick in online shopping lol. Battles not worth fighting.

 

[Cesar R M]

Kudos to being reasonable. Frankly our staff was an issue long before the students were not only with cells but with our computers. All of our student and staff computers are monitored. We just lightened up over the years with both staff and students as times changed. It was fought hard initially. Frankly our administrators have not had to intervene much, one student that I recall and two staff members. One was given the opportunity to resign and he did. Facebook is blocked district wide from our computers. Funny our tech people report an uptick in online shopping lol. Battles not worth fighting.

Im surprised they do not "lock down" the computers (as in freezing to prevent additional programs) and block social sites and sites using DNS systems like "opendns".
The combination of both makes it VERY HARD for students to install or try to find a way to "dodge" the protections and waste time.

I still found interesting that you mention online shopping after blocking facebook XD.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Kudos to being reasonable. Frankly our staff was an issue long before the students were not only with cells but with our computers. All of our student and staff computers are monitored. We just lightened up over the years with both staff and students as times changed. It was fought hard initially. Frankly our administrators have not had to intervene much, one student that I recall and two staff members. One was given the opportunity to resign and he did. Facebook is blocked district wide from our computers. Funny our tech people report an uptick in online shopping lol. Battles not worth fighting.

Facebook got unblocked for staff members because the new superintendent wanted to use it at work. But then no personal email accounts for staff members.

When I was in elementary school, I figured out how to get around the filters so I could get on DisneyChannel.com during recess. My teachers did not care. And yes, I was dangerous with technology even back then.

 

[donaldtoo]

Awesome news about your son! Hope it keeps going well for him.

Thanks! Much appreciated!
I try not to talk about his situation too much here, but, this is such a big step for him...!!!

 

[Gabe1]

When someone we know has a new baby, my husband buys the yarn, and I crochet a blanket. This is my latest completed project. Now that this is done, I can get some crocheting done for Christmas.


View attachment 167182

That is beyond awesome!!! That is my Mom's tradition for new babies and newlyweds. When she has a person she is close to getting married she starts early on working on their blankets. She also as my kids aged made them each large throws.

Kudos to you. One lucky baby. Impressive.

 

[donaldtoo]

Afraid the 707 was before my time. They were removed when I finally managed to fly. I think the first plane I did fly with was definitively a 727.
Those were the standard and most common planes from the biggest then airline of mexico (Mexican de Aviacion).

My father in the other hand, might have had the experience. I think he even flew with the old Douglas DC6's (he was a poltician and had to meet with high officials as our local town grew into a vacation spot worldwide)

That must have been an amazing time for y'all!
Yep, I'm old enough to have flown on a DC-3, DC-6, Lockheed Constelation, and 707.
I must admit, I remember the 4-engined prop "Connie" being very impressive as well...!

 

[Gabe1]

Theres something that a lot of people never realized too.
Every email server on the planet, usually "bounces" your email server until it reaches the destination. Like a huge game of jumping marbles.
Every server usually retains a copy of said email.
This was a problem years ago because the emails were not encrypted and mostly were sent in plain text format.
So anyone could read the emails
But nowadays with services like gmail. The email systems are getting more and more centralized.

You know me, I have areas of expertise and areas that I am a big fail in the knowledge department. As I have always professed to you I do not have a strong tech base of knowledge. I am willfully so not an expert and have often asked you to dumb it down for me. Still I am amazed at how many do not realize what their 'history' will spit out and their actual invoice/bill down to the minute what you have sent, to whom etc.

 

[Cesar R M]

You know me, I have areas of expertise and areas that I am a big fail in the knowledge department. As I have always professed to you I do not have a strong tech base of knowledge. I am willfully so not an expert and have often asked you to dumb it down for me. Still I am amazed at how many do not realize what their 'history' will spit out and their actual invoice/bill down to the minute what you have sent, to whom etc.

Its a cycle I can tell you. You bet im not expert in many thing and I can only scratch the surface on knowledge. And pretty sure that our sons and their sons will surpass us big time (probably when they finally get flying cars, space travel and 3d holographic real size TV).

Besides, what I'm good at tech. I am terrible at household stuff and even simply government stuff like taxes (lol).
So I think everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
The good side? thanks to the internet, we have explanations and information in our fingertips.

 

[Gabe1]

That must have been an amazing time for y'all!
Yep, I'm old enough to have flown on a DC-3, DC-6, Lockheed Constelation, and 707.
I must admit, I remember the 4-engined prop "Connie" being very impressive as well...!

Me too. This conversation is making me feel old.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

I wonder if its true or not. but someone online on twitter posted an image of the expected path in the full week. and the storm does a full "merry go around" turn to hit florida twice (because it gets pushed by the other hurricane-tropical storm named Nicole) which is heading for the bermudas.

That's what the Weather Channel is saying may happen.

 

[donaldtoo]

OK gang, I'm outtie...
Sweet darn Disney dreams to all...!
See y'alllllllllll...!!!

 

[Gabe1]

Facebook got unblocked for staff members because the new superintendent wanted to use it at work. But then no personal email accounts for staff members.

When I was in elementary school, I figured out how to get around the filters so I could get on DisneyChannel.com during recess. My teachers did not care. And yes, I was dangerous with technology even back then.

And that is why our tech department monitors the computers. Each student is logged into a computer now. When they run into something they should not be (you youngins are smart) they know specifically who to go nab and the appropriate detentions are levied. We have as I understand it 3 different servers per building to help trying to curb the youngins from getting easily to things they should not. We have far more tech staff than we did when my kids were young. Wanta know why one line item in a budget is going up and another is cut?

 

[Gabe1]

Its a cycle I can tell you. You bet im not expert in many thing and I can only scratch the surface on knowledge. And pretty sure that our sons and their sons will surpass us big time (probably when they finally get flying cars, space travel and 3d holographic real size TV).

Besides, what I'm good at tech. I am terrible at household stuff and even simply government stuff like taxes (lol).
So I think everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
The good side? thanks to the internet, we have explanations and information in our fingertips.

That is true. My son is great with tech. Son nowhere near as good at tech as my DD. They are 5 years apart and that 5 years was critical to what young children had access to. My DD was a toddler when we got our first home Macintosh, where my son was first exposed for the most part in primary school. While my DD has vague memories of the Mac coming to our home she cannot remember life without playing on a computer. She was the first of us to get a laptop at age 8. It was a focus of hers and not a learned skill, it was as normal to her as a telephone back then, where the rest of us had to learn this new thing mentality. When she finds another job at another University, likely in another state she will have to be able to hijack my computer remotely to fix whatever I've done.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

I swear sometimes this thread needs a giant vvvvvv

 

[MOXOMUMD]

25 days until Halloween!

 

[Gabe1]

I wonder if its true or not. but someone online on twitter posted an image of the expected path in the full week. and the storm does a full "merry go around" turn to hit florida twice (because it gets pushed by the other hurricane-tropical storm named Nicole) which is heading for the bermudas.

Our 10pm news is still spitting the u turn out in some models. I'm holding out hope for everyone down there that the worst models do not happen. Time will tell. My son needs to fly out to NOLA Saturday. Lets hope that happens. He won't be a happy camper if he has to drive.