IF WE'VE LEARNED ONE THING IN LIFE, IT IS THIS:

You could put someone's eye out.

(Thanks to sj haller)

Comments

[crossgirl]

geesh, the hat's aren't made of actual mortar are they?

[klezmerphan]

What the heck is a "graduand" and do you need some sort of prescription-only cream to remove it?

[baligurl]

I forsee that anarchy will rule the day. And I don't believe I've ever heard the term 'graduand.'
Learn something new from the Aussies every day. (Call me, Keith Urban.)

[Siouxie]

When I graduated, "they" told us NOT to throw our hats up in the air. We did. Nothing happened. Sheesh.

Speaking of graduates, my lovely graduate just got her yearbook and was voted "Class Clown". I am a PROUD Mom!

[Siouxie]

bali, I'll take Hugh Jackman too!!

[9]

If you read it, they are more worried about damage to the hats than they are about human injury. I guess you don't have to put down a deposit on somebody's eye, but Lord help you if you return a broken mortarboard.

[baligurl]

YAY for Siouxie's clown! That would make me proud, too.

[Meanie the Blue]

Didn't you guys see what happened at Dave's graduation?

[Siouxie]

Meanie, that would explain why they implemented the "no machete-tossing" rule at graduation ceremonies.

[Danny]

I ain't no Mr. Language Person, but I think graduand is a matriculatory connector, akin to graduif and gradubut.

And a mortarboard is a chatroom for masons, but I think everyone knows that already.

[Becky]

People seriously need to get over themselves. Let a kid toss their hat. It's a huge milestone. sheesh.

[crossgirl]

omg siouxie, my middle boy got the same honor from his jr. high. *cheers!*

[CJrun]

"geesh, the hat's aren't made of actual mortarS are they?"

[Fixed that for you.]

Incoming!

[Siouxie]

^5 & cheers, cg!!!!

We must be doing something right.

[Siouxie]

*puts on kicking ass boot and KICKS CJ in the buttage*

Outgoing!

[clark Kent]

I threw mine in the air and never saw it again.....

I think it's still circling the earth. REALLY got to learn to watch my strength....

[Cat R]

But I'll be careful. I promise.

[Hammond Rye]

My school had the same ban on throwing hats. It's too bad they didn't think of enforcing the rule about wearing pants under the robes, though...

[Ford79]

If my college roommates and I had gone to this place, they would have called us "deviands."

[The Dread Pirate Chris]

There are worse things at graduations than throwing the mortar boards.

[pogo]

I t'ought a mortarboard was a small vessel wit' a outboard...

[pogo]

ribbit

[pogo]

un-ribbit

[clark Kent]

Snork at Chris!

I bet that's the closest G.W. has ever come to military combat....

[Mr Death]

Latin lesson of the day:

"-at-" is the infix indicating that something has happened. So a "graduate" is someone who has received their degree.

"-and-" is the infix indicating that something will or must happen (usually soon). (For instance, a memorandum is, allegedly, something you must remember.) So a graduand is someone who is about to receive their degree.

It's not rocket science. Except the bit about explaining why the Latin verb meaning "to step" is used...

[Merri Lee]

We didn't throw hats in the air at my HS graduation. That's because no one obeyed the "don't decorate you cap and gown" rule, and no one wanted to lost their hats covered with Viking horns, Godzilla destroying Tokyo, "Will work for diploma" sign, etc.

[CJrun]

Graduation from HS sucked; it reminded me of an unending Drew Carey episode (my last name is Johnson). Graduation from college was even worse, because my class of @ 5,000 marched based on our degrees: most of my friends were in Accounting, so they zipped right through. I, on the other hand, earned my degree in Zoology....

[Meanie the Blue]

I've got just one word for you, kids: Helmets

⎯Coo coo ca choo... ⎮

[Punkin "Protecting the Innocent" Poo]

THIS is why I refused to let my children graduate from ANYTHING!

(Plus, I get free fries when I visit them at MacDonalds.)

[Steve Haller]

Graduation Day, ah, what memories ... And not just for the graduates either...!

[Wyo Cowboy]

The world is not a safe place. It can't be made safe. In fact, the safer we try to make it, the more dangerous it becomes, as stupid people survive to do more stupid things!

I agree with Brad Stine. We should replace vehicle air bags with anvils. If you knew that if you bumped into something, an anvil would fly from your dashboard and bash your brains in, you might be more inclined to use your turn signals.

Just sayin'.

[Erb's point]

At my graduation, I sat next to a guy that started out as a Microbiology major but finished as a self-educated Zymologist. We celebrated with a couple of pints of his senior project (which was the only thing I threw up that day).

[Wyo Cowboy]

why thanks, Erb. I love learning new words, and considerin' the definition, I can't believe I didn't learn that one back in the third grade.

Last week I couldn't even spell Zymologist, an' now I are one!

[Telecomdropout]

Our high school graduation ceremony was a throwback to a very long ago era. All the girls wore white gowns, and all the guys wore white dinner jackets. Our horticulture department made all the long stemmed carnation bouquets, and the boutonierres.
We had our ceremony at the outdoor ampitheatre at the college next door, and the center oval was decorated with tissue paper flowers shaped into our graduating class emblem. It was very pretty. But then about the mid-80's, they stopped doing graduation that way, and went with the very ordinary cap and gown. *sigh* Sometimes progress isn't the best thing.

[pogo]

I had to look up "Zymologist" - good work.

[pogo]

*changes 'word' for 'work'*

[Wyo Cowboy]

We played Pink Floyd's We Don't Need No Education for a recessional (simply because they told us we couldn't), and then we drank some "punch."

[CJrun]

Heh. I'll have to check out Brad Stine further. He has wisdom.

[Wyo Cowboy]

Google him, CJ, well worth the time.

[Siouxie, a Wynologist]

While studying Chemistry in HS & in college, we did several fermentation experiments, none of which was fit for human consumption. This may be the reason I are not a Zymologist.

[Wyo Cowboy]

no, sioux, it's spelled whineologist.

maybe. ;)

[Siouxie]

*snork* Wyo!

I'm off to the awards show at the HS. Maybe, as class clown, she may be getting a rubber chicken!

Laters!

[insomniac]

no one suggested round mortarboards?

course then they coudn't do the 'moving the tassels from one side to the other' thing... i propose making them twirl one's head (like strippers are said to do about other parts).

[Merri Lee]

no one suggested round mortarboards?

course then they coudn't do the 'moving the tassels from one side to the other' thing... i propose making them twirl one's head (like strippers are said to do about other parts).

Posted by: insomniac | 05:51 PM on May 29, 2008

ISIANMTU - A guy who graduated high school a couple years before me removed the tassels from his mortarboard and replaced them with cat-o-nine tails in our school colors. He also had a checkerboard pattern - also in school colors, across his mortarboard made out condoms. The best prepared person for the post-grad party by far.

[CJrun]

Heh. I first had to go look up European graduation wear, 'cause any professor I ever had with a degree from a school over there had a poofy hat, reminiscent of black Jiffy Pop. Turns out those are for doctorates. But, boy, they'd be safer for the kids!

[eilbeback]

Good on ya, Siouxie and crossgirl! I'm rootin' for that title for my own offspring. He's a regular riot... And the only thing I remember about my HS graduation was getting drunk and throwing up because of it for the very first time... Ahhh, youth...

[Meanie the Blue]

Speaking of Class Clowns (congrats, you guys!), RIP to this class act.

[baligurl]

Oh man, Meanie, I loved that guy! What a great comic actor. I'll miss him.

[CJrun]

Oh no, Meanie. I didn't even click. I guess I'm getting old. I may have to grow up now. Or not :]

[Meanie the Blue]

Yes, poor Hedy.

That's Hedley!

He could make me laugh in a heartbeat, with just a look to the camera, or with a raised eyebrow, or with that look to his fellow actors that told you he was just a hair away from bursting out laughing himself.

[baligurl]

I loved watching him try not to crack up when he was doing a skit with Tim Conway. They were excellent together.

[Meanie the Blue]

bali, it couldn't be done - you could not watch those two smirk at each other, avoid each other's gaze, pause to keep it under control, knowing they each were fighting heroically against just losing it, without cracking up yourself. Couldn't. Be. Done.

[Cat R]

Mother Marcus, Kenoga Falls' resident yenta. (2:10)

(He'll be missed.)

[Meanie the Blue]

More, please, Cat .... (even if Cher is in them!)

I'll pour the drinks for toasting.....

[Cat R]

Prince Charming

[frodolives]

Cat,

GREAT eye/ear wig! Those guys were great together! Harv, we 'ardly knew ye'

[Cat R]

The Dentist

[CJrun]

Naw Meanie, I disagree. Nobody could hold it if Tim Conway was holding the feather. He was a ruthless tickler. Harvey was a great straight-man, but Conway turned anybody around him into jello. My Dad tried to be stoic, but couldn't handle Conway for more than a minute or two!

[Cat R]

A Friendly Business Lunch

[frodolives]

Of course, if you want to remember making the straight man laugh

[CJrun]

Tim Conway, killing his cast members with a completey made up routine. I loved Harvey Korman, but Dick Van Dyke is in this one, instead. Harvey laughed at this.

[Siouxie]

Oh man...Harvey R.I.P.

The ultimate class clown. I agree wholeheartedly. He had me rolling just by looking at him. Whether on the Carol Burnett Show or at the movies...Blazing Saddles was one of my favs. I recently saw their reunion show - all the Carol Burnett gang and he and Tim Conway were hysterical. They still couldn't look at each other without laughing.

We've lost a great funny man.

[Cat R]

CJ, that cracked me up! Especially the end!

[CJrun]

Honestly, for so many years I had to watch every word I said, and every word I wrote, because my sense of humor wasn't universally appreciated. I was almost fired, so many times.

For the first time in my adult life, I now get to work for the people that kinda find me funny. I'm very serious when need be, but it's wonderful to go back and discover comedy classics.

[Siouxie]

Btw...back from the awards thing...she didn't get the "rubber chicken" and I'm totally bummed... but she did get a special Visual Arts award for Graphic Design and she's graduating "cum laude" with a 4.8 GPA!

I am a very proud Mom. My class clown is smart too. (she gets that from me)(not the art stuff..that's all Dad's)

[baligurl]

Congrats, Siouxie! Look at what you did!You deserve to be a proud Mama.

[Siouxie]

heh..I said "cum" ;P

[Siouxie]

Thanks, bali!! I did good!

[Siouxie]

BOT

Cat, those skits are priceless! The Dentist one had me spurting wine and you know how much I hate wasting that!

[Siouxie]

In her Senior yearbook photo page, my daughter quoted the great Chaplin - "A day without laughter, is a day wasted" - how true that is. It's part of the reason I come here to share with all you nuts!

[baligurl]

This is great, stick with it til the end!

[eilbeback]

*clink* Here's to keeping the laughter of Korman and all of our very own "clowns" alive and annoying! We all have a tough act to follow...