This is a collection of short stories that often take place in the southeastern United States.

I find a similarity between my work and the absurd character of many of the unrealized inventions of earlier times. An example of the latter is the Saluting Device, whch allowed a gentleman to tip his hat without having to use his hand. These machines were never produced for popular use precisely because of their absurdity. Unlike these inventions, however, my sculptures are not created to perform any useful function. I intend them to be viewed as satirical, comical, and fictitious oddities through which I work to convey ideas and feelings about the dilemmas of modem society. Like a machine, our society needs careful maintenance and fuel to function smoothly, but it is, I believe, running out of energy and beginning to break down. I build my obsessive-compulsive objects to resemble household appliances and toys. Ths is an attempt to establish a comfort level for the viewer. Contemplation of ,these machnes will, I hope, spark the viewer's curiosity and stimulate their imagnation to propel and enable the objects to perform their intended satirical purpose. My creative process starts with intuitive pencil sketches that resemble crude technical drawings. The drawings suggest machnes that might perform some imagnary function. I determine the function and then fkther refine the drawing. The final drawing becomes a reference point and sometimes a template for the building process. For further interpretation and intricacy, I allow for deviation from the drawing as I build. The buildmg process begms with an interior frame which is similar to house construction, except that I use clay slabs instead of framing boards. After the skeleton is complete, I enclose the structure and make any parts that must be added or assembled after firing. I use whatever type of builQng procedure necessary to complete the object; this may include coil building, wheel throwing, extruding shapes, and surface carving. Through these odd, imagnative gizmos and gadgets, I offer social commentary. I have chosen satire and humor to engage the viewer in various ways of looking at the modem world. This is an attempt to provoke joyful imagination and intrigue through the intricacy of the pieces. I also suggest my view of the current human condition through the precariousness of the various elements in these sculptures. Finally, my work is an attempt to provide another context from whch to view and respond to our place and time in history.

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This diploma thesis, Didactic exploitation of the francophonie on the islands of the Indian Ocean, resulted from insufficient outcomes of a questionnaire focusing on the francophonie and francophone facts of the overseas territories located in the Indian Ocean. The diploma thesis consists of three main parts which are subsequently divided into subchapters. The first part explains the choice, focus and targets of the questionnaire and provides its evaluation as well. The theoretical part aims at clarifying and defining receptive and productive competence from a didactic viewpoint with regard to language level A2 and B1, given by CEFRL. The practical part follows with a description of created worksheets always containing exercises that aim firstly at receptive competence- reading, and then at productive competence- writing. Texts together with exercises focus on geographical facts, culture and tradition, language situation and language oddities of the following French overseas territories in the Indian Ocean: Réunion, Madagascar, Mayotte, Seychelles, Comoros, and Mauritius. KEYWORDS the Indian Ocean, language oddities, creole, overseas territories, francophone, worksheets, receptive and productive competence, language level, language resources

This diploma thesis, Didactic exploitation of the francophonie in the Oceania, resulted from insufficient outcomes of a questionnaire focusing on the francophonie and francophone facts of the overseas territories located in the Pacific Ocean. The diploma thesis consists of three main parts which are subsequently divided into subchapters. The first part explains the choice, focus and targets of the questionnaire and provides its evaluation as well. The theoretical part aims at clarifying and defining receptive and productive competence from a didactic viewpoint with regard to language level A2 and B1, given by CEFRL. The practical part follows with a description of created worksheets always containing exercises that aim firstly at receptive competence - listening, and then at productive competence - speaking. Texts together with exercises focus mainly on culture and tradition, then on language situation and language oddities of the following French overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean: French Polynésia, Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. KEYWORDS the Pacific Ocean, language oddities, local languages, overseas territories, francophone, worksheets, receptive and productive competence - listening and speaking, language level, language resources, language games, didactic processing