Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Welcome MSNBC.com Readers


May we all be smarter than this particular fifth grader, who that season scored a goal of her very own, although not necessarily for her own team.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never knew you had a brother . . .





:D

Anonymous said...

*&%# that's harsh.

It's in a PONYTAIL, you big meanie.

Anonymous said...

Actually, at the risk of inviting derisive comments and undeserved shame, 5th grade me woulda been all over 5th grade mb

Anonymous said...

Just so you know, 9 year olds are in 3rd or 4th grade, not 5th.

Anonymous said...

I'm aware of that, anon. But the show features questions aimed at grades 1-5. I was making a reference to 4th grade level competency. Thanks, though. I'm glad you read the piece and came over to say hi.

Anonymous said...

Hey, a goal is a goal. Those of us playing fullback/sweeper have to have some glory too.

Anonymous said...

Just to drive home the point of adults not being smarter than a 5th grader.....MB, there is no such word as STUPIDER, except when used as slang, the correct wording would be More Stupid. Just had to comment after reading your article on MSNBC.

SusannahS said...

Ooooo, I'm still upset about Pluto. I learned my planets in order by singing "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzapies" (Yes, we knew that the "pies" didn't really belong at the end of pizza, but it added a nice flourishing finish--with jazz hands no less)
So now what? It's just "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine". Nine what?

Good article. I still haven't watched the show, but I might just give it a shot....see how much I've retained.
"Cause, Algebra? Haven't used it since high school yet the teacher swore I needed it for life.

Josh The Pilot said...

When MB was in 5th grade, I was in Kindergarten. I'm glad we didn't meet then, because I probably would have thought she was a lame girl and she probably would have thought I was a gross boy. Now I admit I'm still a gross boy, but MB has managed to overlook that part of me, thank goodness. I'm marrying her because she's not a lame girl anymore, she's a beautiful, talented woman! :-)

Anonymous said...

Susannah --Maybe it's like white castle. You just order nine! :)

Anonymous said...

anon: Just so you know, 9 year olds are in 3rd or 4th grade, not 5th.

I was in the fifth grade when I was nine.


susannahs: Ooooo, I'm still upset about Pluto. I learned my planets in order by singing "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzapies" (Yes, we knew that the "pies" didn't really belong at the end of pizza, but it added a nice flourishing finish--with jazz hands no less)
So now what? It's just "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine". Nine what?


My school-age stepbrothers inform me that the new mnemonic is "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos."

Anonymous said...

Hi, CJ, thanks for reading and stopping by the blog. An MFA isn't useful for much, but one thing it did do was train me in irony usage. But if you're referring to the headline which refers to the article on MSNBC, take it up with the editors-- I didn't write that part. Just had to comment after reading your comment :)

Dantelope said...

Buck passer!! You're a buck passer!!

Anonymous said...

MB
I enjoyed your article about 5th graders and the show. My 13 year old got mad at us(his college educated parents who could not answer some of the questions) while watching the show. Much of the information is so esoteric that once seen in the 5th grade, it is never seen again. That is where they get ya!

Anonymous said...

Thanks, anon. You bust out SAT words like "esoteric" on the 13-year-old... see how mad he gets then :)

Anonymous said...

I fear you inadvertently make your own point by incorrectly using the Comparative form of the adjective "stupid." It is "more stupid"... too bad no one caught it, and your title is printed in big, bold, red letters for all the nation to read.

I will understand if you don't post this, but I did want to make you aware.

A reader in Georgia (who happens to teach fifth graders)

Anonymous said...

My dear anon, kindly look four comments prior.

Anonymous said...

Mary Beth... I don't know if you caught on to this or not, but the show is actually designed to make the viewer feel smarter and superior to the "contestants" by asking questions that are basic general knowledge and easy trivia to keep us hooked (with the exception of the occasional "tough" question to reel us in). The whole thing is staged, fake, a farce, or satire of some sort. I spent the first 2 weeks trying to figure this out for sure, even conducting research. That was the only time the show made me feel stupid. "Of course it's fake", I yelled at myself. I guess the joke's on us.

Anonymous said...

Fear not, MB, I saw the irony... even though you didn't choose it, I found it quite enjoyable.

Anonymous said...

Anon 1, I addressed this at the end of the piece :)

Anon 2, I'm so glad you had 1000 words of a good time. Thanks to you both for writing in.

Anonymous said...

With respect, "stupider" is the correct inflected form of the word "stupid."

See: http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/unabridged?va=stupid&x=0&y=0

It is not slang, but correct American English.

In English, (if the inflected form is not irregular) words of two syllables or less are inflected by adding -er/-est. Use "more/most" with words of three or more syllables.

Anonymous said...

Hi MB,

You looked so cute as a kid. Always love your writing. I was reading that msnbc piece and thinking how funny it was -- at the end I came to your byline and thought "oh, that's why I like this - MB wrote it!"

BTW, those soccer shorts are...really SHORT.

Anonymous said...

A great laugh as always!

Now allow me to comment...

I don't think this is an only "american" problem, the fact that pefectly normal and well adjusted adults do not remember all the info their teachers fill their head at the fifth grade. I'm sure this problem is worldwide, and for me it may be the result that a)the teaching techniques that were used on us depended too much on memorizing huge chunks of data without really GRASPING what we were repeating, and b)most adults lose that wonderful child-like insatiable curiosity that makes you ask as a toddler why the sky is blue.

On the other hand, the saddest part is that Mb is right, most of that info about the way the universe works that fascinates you as a kid, has no effect or import whatsoever in determining your career success as an adult (at least not if you do not pursue a career in science, which less and less kids do). When I was in 5th grade, my school mates gave me the nickname "Larousse", as a reference for the most common spanish dictionary (in the US, they would have called me "Webster" or "know-it-all") because I was really the kid who knew all the answers, and as an adult I still remember (and care)that we are geologically speaking living in the Cenozoic period, but I'm pretty sure I must possess the lowest income of my whole 5th class... :-(

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