Shop Class; Tuesday, Fourth Period [01/23].

[special_rabbit]

The morning had actually been fairly quiet for Amaya; sure, sure, when she was working at the forge earlier, she did find herself singing a bit more than normal, but that wasn't that uncommon for a blacksmith to have a ditty or two to belt out while they worked; the hammering of steel on an anvil required a certain rhythm that just lent itself well to musicality. But they were all old pirate songs that she knew from childhood; she didn't think anything of it, so she was not expecting what was about to happen as she got into the shop classroom and set things up for the lesson.

She nodded, as usual, standing behind a table laden with all sorts of tools for the workshop that she planned to go over, as a review of all of them and how to use them, but, when she picked up a hammer to get things started, what came out of her mouth was not exactly what she'd planned for it to be, past the first line....

( First things first.... )

And, finally, the music faded and Amaya breathed out a sigh of relief and shook her head.

"Well," she finally said, not sang, "sorry about that. I was going to go over some of the other tools we'll be using in this class this semester, but I'm really concerned about what songs might be out there about drill-bits and Phillips-head screwdrivers, so, erm...Well, let's just start with what you might like to know more about and hold our breaths and hope for the best, I guess..."

In the Cupcake of Good and Evil, Tuesday 2nd Period [1/23]

[stykera]

Unfortunately, students, your classroom was not a music-free zone. However, you would be able to stuff baked goods in your mouth or the mouth of someone else to stop any singing that might occur! Your teachers weren’t singing yet, though. Give them time.

“Today,” Stark said before Summer could begin with anything truly horrible (or musical, or horribly musical), “we thought we might work on the cake itself.”

Summer lifted a little bit of a brow at Stark's attempt to get ahead of the situation, because surely, he had to know that that was pretty much like trying to get ahead of a train barreling down the tracks, right? But then she grinned and nodded. "That's right," she agreed. "Presentation and gimmicks'll only really get you so far, if the actual cake part of the cake is garbage. Unless, of course, that's what you're going for…."

( But wait! Was that…..was that MUSIC?? )

Then….there was a pause. A long pause, almost as if Summer was afraid to open her mouth, despite the clear finality in that last word and that high-five at the end. And then, mustering up the bravery to chance it, she cleared her throat and stated, "Right. So that's a thing we're doing today, I guess. Cool. Very cool. I guess today's good and evil is all in how quietly you can manage to make them…."

So, good luck?

Diplomacy, Relationships & Tactics: the Art of War [Tuesday, Period 1]

[atreideslioness]

It was once again Monday, and Ghanima was seated on her desk, Trebor in her lap and a worn little red book in her hands, as she let him grab at the pages.

"'There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare,'" she announced once everyone was seated. "So speaks Sun Tzu in the second P'ien. In it, he speaks of provisioning an army, and managing your resources."

"But what he’s saying between the lines is that money and human lives are not be used recklessly, for they are both finite resources, and in the case of people, irreplaceable. If you wage a huge war, it will be taxing on an army; they become exhausted, their supplies dwindle."

"Its often said that the key takeaway from this chapter is to strike quickly. Your army should never need reinforcements or new provisions. Strike quickly, so that the impact on your treasury will be slight. Many losses at war are due to the attrition of people and supplies."

"This chapter also talks about using the resources of your enemy. Do not destroy supplies you can use, do not burn food that you can eat, and don’t kill soldiers that can either give you information or join your own ranks. This chapter is all about resources and using them wisely, not recklessly."

"Today, we look at it from a non-combat viewpoint," Ghanima said, smiling at them. "If you're conducting a business merger, you should approach it the same as any other battle. Prolonged negotiations are something to avoid at all costs, since you usually end up losing something the longer you are engaged."

"Romantic relationships are the same way; as much fun as the chase can be, a prolonged pursuit of your target increases the chance of them slipping away," she teased, eyes flashing with amusement. "Those of you that have been watching the meta for Bridgerton have seen a very Art of War approach to relationships, including the provisioning of troops. Or gossips."

Wait, was that... music starting?

"Though sometimes that's easier said than done, when something like blind nationalism is involved, or love, or passion," she continued, smiling at Trebor. "How do you count the cost, when the prize is personal?"

If we burn our wings
Flying too close to the sun
If the moment of glory
Is over before it's begun
If the dream is won
Though everything is lost
We will pay the price
But we will not count the cost

We will pay the price
But we will not count the cost!

She blinked quickly, shaking her head as the music cut-out. "Ah. We are having one of those days today," she said dryly.

"Back to the topic at hand... how can you apply the suggestions made in the second P'ien to either relationships or business? How does the 'sunk-cost fallacy' play into decisions regarding a prolonged conflict?"

Art in STEM, Tuesday, January 23, 2023

[heroic_jawline]

Steve would very much appreciate it if the universe would let him stop humming "The Star Spangled Man With a Plan" sometime today. It hadn't happened yet, but he was hopeful!

He and Tony came into the classroom with slightly strained smiles on their faces. "Hello, everyone," Steve began. "Today we're going to talk about poorly engineered musical instruments."

Up went the slider presentation. "For instance, who decided we needed a Badgermin?"

And had they been checked for additional archnemesis warning signs?

"Sometimes, I've been told at least, one should not consider if something is a possibility, but rather if something is necessary." Kiiiinda sounded fake if you asked Tony.

"That's probably because they saw a person's face light up like yours did when you saw the Fluba," Steve said dryly.

"It's interesting, okay?" No, Tony. No it wasn't. "But we'll let the class decide which is actually a good idea and which is truly a crime against nature, shall we?"

"And if there's time we should also talk about why the island doesn't need a giant art installation that's also a musical instrument." Because Steve has met you all and he knew bad ideas.