Bonsoir, et bienvenue à l'édition de ce soir de meilleurs commentairese! Or in other words, good evening, and welcome to tonight's edition of top comments! My apologies to all who DO speak French, and for my likely mangling of that phrase! Google Translate is only as good as the person using it, and I speak enough French to order food and to know when someone loves me :-). Why is this important? Grab some baguette, fromage and a nice Bordeaux, and follow me below the orange croissant after a word from our sponsor...
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K1 has been studying French for 5 years and currently is taking AP French. Her high school has had foreign language exchange programs with a number of countries for years, where by years I mean up to 4 decades in the case of our German Exchange program. Last year was the inaugural year for the French Exchange program, where a small group of kids from our high school spent two weeks living with host families and attending a regional school just outside Paris. In a mere 6 days, nearly 20 French students from that school will arrive to spend two weeks in town living with host families (including Casa Brillig!), attending school, and going on cultural trips, a Friday night football game, and whatever else their families choose to do. Then in February, our kids will travel to France for two weeks and stay with their exchange student's family.
When I was in high school, we didn't have an exchange program like this, where a group of kids who know each other travel together to the same place. We had individuals who came to stay for a semester or more commonly the entire school year. It was a very different experience, and required kids who didn't mind being away from home for 9+ months and who were OK with being The Exchange Kid in school. See: why Brillig never did an exchange program. This, however... a short-term immersive experience with all the benefits of forging connections with another family while at the same time having familiar faces and friends around.
We were thrilled when K1 decided to join the program because never again will she get this opportunity. We can't wait to meet her exchange student and get to know him. We're hoping to go apple picking, visit Salem (October in Salem, MA is a LOT of fun!) and go to the Museum of Science, as our student likes science and a trip to MoS is NOT on the planned group agenda.
Have any of you ever been an exchange student, or hosted one? What are "best practices" so to speak for being a good host family? Have tips for making this memorable for everyone involved? Please share your thoughts and helpful tips in the comments!
And now, on to Top Comments! And to the best that the interwebs enable my French: Merci pour votre merveilleuse BeninSC aide et la collaboration de ce soir! (Again, apologies to all those who are currently thinking "for the love of all things good and kind, do NOT attempt French ever again").
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
From Gwennedd:
I'm submitting this hilarious comment nod to Airplane and Leslie Nielsen from coloradocomet.
And this comment by JeffW for clarifying the meme.
Both in Retroactive Genius' doomsday diary.
From Avilyn:
Two comments today, both from ChrisRodda's diary about a Hindu woman being fired from an Air Force dental clinic over accusations of witchcraft. The whole diary is worth a read, for the brilliance of Mikey Weinstein's letter on the woman's behalf to her former employers, but there were two comments that stood out for sheer comedic brilliance:
The first comment is from The Eyewitness Muse, and is a hilarious update of an awful 90's policy.
The second comment is by flitedocnm, which "fixes" the language of the letter to 'appear' more polite.
Next is a bonus comment from scottsvine! Do not miss!!!
From Older and Wiser Now:
In Jen Hayden's diary on the Florida charter school nightmare, tapu dali asked a simple question ridiculing Carly Fiorino.
In my comment I wrote, "I love this comment, it surprised me and made me smile." I think it's brilliant, and rather kills two birds with one stone. Carly has a history of focusing on the bottom line, not focusing on quality at all. I shudder to think how she would run the schools if she became President.
From TrixieB:
dhonig hits the nail on the head with this comment on means-testing and the problem with the differential opportunity of funding of education, in this diary about Hillary's post-secondary education funding policy.
Terrific!
Tonight's comment flag:
Flagged by Mopshell, in last night's Top Comments 'Tara Thread,' yet another terrific comment from Tara the Antisocial Social Worker! (brillig's Tara submission tonight starts her most recent 'on-fire!' thread! Read it all!)
From Yours Truly, brillig:
In last night's TC diary, Tara TASW may have won... or at least married... the internets with this comment.
Hatrax expands on Trevor Noah's piece on 'pro-life' Republicans and gun violence as diaried by Egberto Willies.
Top Mojo for Monday, Oct. 5, 2015, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary
FAQing Top Mojo.
1) It wasn't a mistake; that's why. The plantation by a2nite +222
2) Did they also mention the free room and board? by pierre9045 +210
3) Ugh... by Trix +198
4) Way Better Than Clinton! by unapologeticliberal777 +149
5) I can't wait to find out! by candid psychiatrist +148
6) He isn't standing one, he has millions like mys... by hellraiser67 +129
7) Lets Be Honest Doc2 by unapologeticliberal777 +121
8) The Bern stands alone... again. by Dood Abides +115
9) Biden will also be on the wrong side of this one. by hooper +114
10) It takes a Republican to list a tax shelter by blue aardvark +112
11) Meanwhile, a factual statement from the NYT: by Quilldriver +111
11) I wish it would by Urizen +111
11) He's in the pocket of BigTeacher. by Tool +111
14) Do you have links to substantiate your statement by Quilldriver +104
15) Trappings. by penelope pnortney +102
16) And Bernie's supporters don't just donate money... by Shockwave +93
17) look to texas board of education. by shesaid +90
18) No he isn't - take this kind of remark by Denise Oliver Velez +87
19) And the free english lessons. by Urizen +86
20) Cue the torches and pitchforks by kenwards +85
20) LOL! by leu2500 +85
22) And once the focus group results come in, and by RerumCognoscereCausas +83
23) You have said the same BS repeatedly by Krotor +82
23) HRC's base is working class? Her money comes from by oblomov +82
25) Gah!! I fucking give up. by Smoh +81
26) OMFG by gchaucer2 +80
26) "National sovereignty" not a valid concern to you? by candid psychiatrist +80
28) x2 on this. It was not a mistake. by IndieGuy +79
29) Saw this on the front page of the NYtimes by flatford39 +78
29) I love Bernie by IrishHC +78
2015-10-06 Top Comments with Pictures, courtesy of
jotter!