Drinkable Languages Offered At LA Time-Travel Mart 62
An anonymous reader writes "Via the sci-fi blog io9 comes a fantastic project that not only has a great premise but backs a great cause. The San Francisco writing center called 826 Valencia works to teach kids passion for the written word. The program really works, and has expanded to other cities across the country in an effort to get more young people writing. To fund these outreach programs, the organization has opened some ... unique businesses in their new locales. The LA chapter, for example, features a Time Travel mart. The imaginative place features dozens of products like Robot Milk, Viking Oderant, and Olde Fashioned English Gunpowder. Other centers around the country offer similar themed experiences, like the NYC Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. or Seattle's Greenwood Space Travel Supply Corporation."
yeah, really (Score:5, Insightful)
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Am I the only one... (Score:5, Informative)
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You know how you get kids to read? You start reading to them when they're very young. Then they'll want to start reading on their own. And if your home is full of books and the adults in it are always reading, the kids will naturally tend to have a passion for it as well.
Otherwise... I don't know... send them to a vocational school so they can clean pools or something.
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Nope.
IAALinguist, and that was the main reason I even opened this TFThread. And I'm still WTFing.
Re:Am I the only one... (Score:4, Funny)
The summary didn't clear things up either. It was like... I could see words, words I knew and understood, but they didn't form coherent sentences.
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ObNoCountry (Score:2)
Are you sure? (Score:2)
Obviously it's Belgium's Semi-Official Language (Score:2, Funny)
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Neglect (Score:5, Informative)
All those links and the summary doesn't mention Dave Eggers [wikipedia.org], the author, and founder of 826 Valencia, as well as McSweeneys [mcsweeneys.net].
Also, that group once did a Pirate supply store [oregonlive.com].
They were subsequently sued by the RIAA.
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All those links and the summary doesn't mention Dave Eggers [wikipedia.org], the author, and founder of 826 Valencia, as well as McSweeneys [mcsweeneys.net].
Also, that group once did a Pirate supply store [oregonlive.com].
They were subsequently sued by the RIAA.
I can understand why harassing a major record label is a serious crime and where the perpetrators deserve to be fined hundreds of thousands of dollars and spend decades in prison, but what is the reason that the RIAA decided to file a lawsuit here? Did the RIAA take out a trademark on the word 'pirate'? Or does the promotion of reading somehow offend music retailers?
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Time-travel whoosh!...
(this type of whoosh goes back in time and whooshes over GP and parent)
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As well, while they do actually sell some items the majority of the "store" is simply to open drawers filled with appropriate bits (such as the artificial beards with a big mess of hair-like substance inside), read the amusing signs, and promote writing.
The fish tank is excellent.
It's also located next to the abso
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My understanding is that the location is zoned for business, and that their education program at that site wouldn't be legal if they didn't also operate the "store".
These places are great (Score:3, Interesting)
Drinkable languages? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Drinkable languages? (Score:5, Insightful)
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Wow, that's neat. (Score:4, Insightful)
Whoever made all those -- those people are creative geniuses and deserve applause.
I live next door to 826 (Score:1)
I also love the informational signs about "Have you got scurvy?" Thought about putting that beside the breast cancer awareness one in my shower, but didn't think my housemates would approve.
And the encourage mopping people...ahhh hahaha.
http://www.826valencia.org/store/iam [826valencia.org]
Ahh (Score:2, Funny)
Dupe! (Score:1)
Java programming for kids (Score:5, Insightful)
anyway, this is actually a pretty good idea- the current educational system tends to destroy any interest in writing/math/the sciences so perhaps this will spark some interest where there was none before.
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wow (Score:2, Funny)
drinkable languages at the time travel mart, eh? whatever you've been smoking, it must have been pretty damn good
Cool (Score:2)
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For some, incorrect use of "its" versus "it's", poor comma placement, and broken sentences are a mark of lacking education. While I disagree strongly, these things can cripple your message. Errors are distracting an
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I always encourage kids to read and never stop, the more you read the better you'll grasp the core concepts of spelling and grammar as well as prose and technique.
826 Seattle (Score:3, Interesting)
There will be a Plutonian protest and rally on the 15th where students will make arguments for the reinstatement of its planethood. If you're in our gravitational field, visit! The kids' creativity will impress.
Though 826 is a writing center primarily, we see everything at drop-in tutoring. Everything. Another tutor and I deal primarily with mathematics... we do our best with everything else.
Send your children over, Seattle. We'll make sure they do their homework (beyond the magnitude limit).
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Somebody alert Greenpeace! (Score:2)
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Why not? In the future when the populations are back and they are farm raised much like black angus, they are not an endangered species. If they were harvested in times of low population, I could see the issue, but not when they are plentiful again.
McDees has no problem finding farm raised beef. Time travelers have no problems finding whale oil in season. It's too sooty to use in vehicles, so about all it is sold for is time travel for vikings so demand is low. Carrying fla
Meh..... (Score:1)
Why is this tagged Humor (Score:1)
It's a zoning thing, if memory serves (Score:2)
Vendetta (Score:2)
Well, Fawke that!
This is stupid (Score:1)
It's a FRONT, silly! (Score:2)
In SF, they have the Pirate Store (Score:2)
In SF, they have the Pirate Store. [826valencia.org]
As "enrichment experiences" for kids go, these don't seem so weird after seeing "Summer Camp Day" at Hillsdale Mall. About fifty local camps each had a booth. Only a few "camps" actually offered camping, hiking, or wilderness stuff. There were the expected horse camps, gymnastic camps, and such. A few sports camps (golf, tennis). And then there were the others. Computer camp. Sewing camp. Archeology camp. Kung Fu camp. Paintball camp. Lego camp. Two Lego camps,
Robot Milk?!? (Score:1)
Why all the pooh-poohing? (Score:1)
I live in the UK and my wife teaches secondary level art; anything that can encourage pupils to enjoy exploration and help them cope with the government-mandated, institutionalised, school-ratings-based testing procedures and think outside the curriculum would be a godsend. It's inspiration that's the key - my wife doe
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text to get around stupid lameness filter
You left out the best part... (Score:2, Informative)