http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354327,00.html

There's no end to the stupidity of people...

Wow! A simple magic trick = wizardry? What are clowns then? Magicians? That's really ridiculous.

Please, instead of just posting a link, summarize the story. You can leave the link as a source reference, but it should not be necessary to browse offsite in order to participate in the discussion.

But I agree, ignorance and stupidity are taking over.

So that guy was fired for making a toothpick disappear, but the sub I had last year is still subbing, even though he got into a religious debate with a student? WHAT??

Now I could see a problem if he made the class disappear.
The school would probably send the rest of the teachers for classes.
But a toothpick.
they either need to get a life or a brain.

I give you... Humanity.



And people said mass genocide of the human race was a step too far. I rest my case.

So young and yet so cynical, Banzai.

Those morons do not reflect the pinnacle of Man's intellect.

But they drag down the mean.

No. Because the mean is also raised by the great thinkers and humanitarians, artists, and writers.

Hmmm. I guess. And yeah, I'm feeling pretty cynical at the moment :p

Are you kidding? Making a toothpick disappear? I was going to rant about all the stunts I've pulled to kep my students interested, instead I'll simply say society should be doing everything it can to keep teachers in the classrooms.

Yeah. I noticed, Banzai :)

There are a couple of ways to elevate the mean. One is genocide against those you judge are dragging down the mean. The people who try that do the real damage to the species. Reluctantly, I mention Adolph Hitler, recognizing that invoking him weakens nearly any argument. But I could also mention the Klu Klux Klan, Al Qaeda, or a number of others who have declared war on an entire segment of the population.

The other way is to do everything in your power to learn, to be a compassionate human, and to set an example worthy of imitation.

guess what, folks?... it's the supposed 'victim' here who's the stupid one... and that's being kind, 'cause the turd turned his being sacked for GOOD cause into a cause celebre by painting himself as a victim when he called the media and used the magic word, 'wizardry'...

before posting stuff like this, i wish people would peek behind the sensational headlines and look for the truth... it took me all of a few seconds of googling to find it!... here's the part that was left out by both the perp and those who got taken in by his sob story:

per: http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/article511648.ece

The report noted that district officials said "it wasn't just the wizardry," and that Piculas "had other performance issues" such as failing to follow the class lesson plan.

In fact, assistant superintendent Renalia DuBose told the St. Petersburg Times, it wasn't the magic trick at all. Rather, the district had written reports from the principal and a teacher at Rushe Middle School detailing Piculas' use of profane language, his inability to control the class and his decision to put a student in charge — something the student's parent complained about.

But those details got drowned out as the tale bounced from blog to blog. It was the wizardry angle, with all its Harry Potter imagery, that grabbed the spotlight.

"The teacher was very smart," said Sree Sreenivasan, a professor of new media at the Columbia University School of Journalism. "It was in his interest to spin it the way he did. … That's a headline I would click and read."

So, too, would thousands of people across the globe.



it's the school board head i feel sorry for, not this clod...

Wow, this just pisses me off beyond belief. I mean how could they do that? Goddamn crazies in the school system today....

Must have been a very special toothpick.

It's almost as though, even after mammamaia posts the truth, that people just don't get it? Or bother to read the rest of the thread ...

reminds me....women in rural India, esp. Rajasthan side, are still being burned at stake or stoned to death, because they're "witches".


Witches defining, they're poor....work at night, so anytime something happens...it HAS to be them.


Unfortunately, that's not the only stuff going around

It's almost as though, even after mammamaia posts the truth, that people just don't get it? Or bother to read the rest of the thread ...

I was thinking that...

i wish people would peek behind the sensational headlines and look for the truth...


One of the fundamentals of good writing is good research. You would think, on a site promoting such a subject, that participants would do a little research before posting replies. Good catch, mammamaia...although, shouldn't that be expected of all aspiring writers?

.....NaCl

yup!...

but did you notice that another poster bit the fake worm even AFTER bluemouth's observation?... sheesh!

shows ya what kind of power rumors and outright lies have over the truth, folks... scary, huh?

Or just not reading the whole of the thread...

Sorry, I didn't bother to read Mamaia's post. (it looked to long and I'm to lazy! :p)

One of the fundamentals of good writing is good research. You would think, on a site promoting such a subject, that participants would do a little research before posting replies. Good catch, mammamaia...although, shouldn't that be expected of all aspiring writers?

.....NaCl

However, there is a difference between posting in a discussion thread and writing an article for publication. It's not inappropriate to comment on the scenario as presented. I do thank Maia for providing additional information; we can all do to remember that the picture first painted may not accurately reflect the painter's subject.

I commend mammamaia for great research...and I do agree with Cog...but,
I must say, that after having read the whole of this thread, I am much more interested in the sensationalism...I find it intresting, a boob of a teacher was able to not only make a toothpick disappear but also had the ability (indirectly of coarse) to get this thread talking....pretty good huh?...;)

Chimmy is right. He made a toothpick disappear, he got a lot of people talking about it, he made the truth disappear at the same time, and he made himself appear to the world at large for his fifteen minutes of fame.
He must be a WIZARD!!!!
I've got the gas, and the hotdogs ready, who has the logs and matches.

Should we at least try him first? As I recall, they threw them in lakes...

Chimmy is right. He made a toothpick disappear, he got a lot of people talking about it, he made the truth disappear at the same time, and he made himself appear to the world at large for his fifteen minutes of fame.
He must be a WIZARD!!!!
I've got the gas, and the hotdogs ready, who has the logs and matches.

LOL! OMG!!! Dom that is too funny!....Seems he was a busy guy....too bad his career as a teacher wasn't as important as his wizardry...LOL!!!!

But if he's all wet we'll have trouble lighting the fire. Also once the fire is lit it will be all smoky because of the wetness. A smoky fire is terrible for cooking hot dogs on.

Edit: Thanks Chimmy

A lake of kerosene?

Oh I like that idea. Or how about a lake of coals? Than we could cook up some steaks at the same time.

Hey... make sure those coals are long burning....a couple baked potatoes would go nicely with the steaks....;)

Ah, recreating the lost art of witch burning culinary treats. Is there anything better?

Nope, burning at the steak is a time-honored tradition.

I want to get kicked out of school because I am a vampire.

That is just so lame.
You don't fire people just because they did magic.

You don't fire people just because they did magic.

Which, as Maia clarified, is true. You fire them for incompetance.

Which, as Maia clarified, is true. You fire them for incompetance.

....and hope they don't become a fantasy writer!

As I recall, they threw them in lakes...

that was reserved for only female witches, banz... wizards were left alone in their caves to teach little boys how to become kings by pulling swords out of stones and such...

that was reserved for only female witches, banz... wizards were left alone in their caves to teach little boys how to become kings by pulling swords out of stones and such...

Yes because:

witches= evil
and
wizards=good

that was reserved for only female witches, banz... wizards were left alone in their caves to teach little boys how to become kings by pulling swords out of stones and such...

Hey, not true! During the Salem witch trials, five men were hung for 'witchcraft', and another was crushed slowly to death under large stones. Who said painful death was sexist?

...(geez, black humor makes it so hard to end with a smiley.)

You just need the right perspective Ivan. Is the black humour affecting you? If yes, its not funny. If no, its hilarious.

Hey, not true! During the Salem witch trials, five men were hung for 'witchcraft', and another was crushed slowly to death under large stones.

since the method of death in question was 'drowning' not hanging or 'pressing' [as it was called], what i said was true, bubba... ;-)