fandomhigh | Dealing With Stupid People [Monday, May 14, 2nd period]

Josh was obviously uncomfortable with the whole "being outside" thing as he perched on a picnic bench and smiled at the students as they assembled.

"Okay, one of the most annoying things you will encounter in your life will be other people," he began, rolling his eyes. "Most of us -- in my universe, anyway, some of you might have other experiences -- can't kill them by using our brains, so we have to come up with different coping methods. We'll get to the more advanced techniques -- sarcasm, the strategic use of an eye roll -- later, but today we'll start out with something that gives you a lot of chance to practice before you send out the final product."

He pulled out a sheaf of papers and dropped it onto the table. "Writing back to stupid people!" he said triumphantly. "In this exercise you need to reply to these obviously deranged letters in a polite way without asking if they've thought to seek professional help for their delusions. There are five different letters so pair up with a partner -- it's better to double check your language against someone else, at least at the beginning -- and write back to these completely insane people."

Josh grinned. "Questions? Problems? I don't really care, but ask anyway."

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"They're words," Hermione says slowly, frowning as she reads. "Well... most of them. But they're not all supposed to go together like that."

"Maybe it's a poor translation?" Aravis suggested. "Or a code!"

"No, I think this is the result of a poor upbringing and education," she says.

"I just don't understand the pattern. These don't look like cohesive sentences at all. They're just...words," Aravis says, tilting her head. "How do we respond? Tell them to make sense, obviously, and I feel that insults are in order."

"I'm not sure they would understand the insults," Hermione says. "Maybe if we write the letter back and then mix up all the words..."

"Dear idiots," she starts, smiling, "cannot we understand what you are you to comunicate and that increased feel schooling might assist attempting. Regards, Aravis and...." She pauses. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name. But it's a start."

"Hermione," she says. "I can still get the gist of what you're saying, though. Maybe if we spell words wrong, and add in a few numbers in the middle of them."

"Delighted to meet you," Aravis says, and thoughtfully writes Stup3id schooling! neeid speeling peepel 2dmore 2 mpro0v there.

"I feel stupid, too."

Hermione frowns, looking concerned. "So do I. Especially when I can read that and almost think it makes sense in context with the original letter."

"If one could be so generous as to call that a letter," Aravis snorts.

"Well, there are letters in it. And sometimes they form words."

"And that's pretty much the kindest thing we can say for it."

Dealing With Stupid People [Monday, May 14, 2nd period]

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1

Re: Write to Stupid People: Letter #1