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OK - something that's been rattling around in my head for a bit. With the onset of spring & tornado season it hit fairly close to home.

What thing (or things) just give you the serious heebie-jeebies. I'm not talking a little bitty spider or a scary movie. I'm talking something fairly uncommon that creep you out.

Mine? Can be found here:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...io_Greensburg,_Kansas_tornado_May_4,_2007.ogg

To summarize - National Weather Radio tornado warning for a EF5 tornado that destroyed an ENTIRE TOWN in Kansas in 2007. Knowing the end-result makes it a little creepier for me. However, had I heard this live, as it was happening, & been in the immediate area, you would've found me in the deepest cellar hyperventilating.

I don't know exactly what it is. The combination of the gravity of the situation & the delivery of the medium. Usually these are preceded by the tell-tale warning tone, and the interruption ends up creating an eerie silence. The voice still sounds robotic in its delivery - although they've made it much more pleasant sounding than in the past. I have heard some from 5-10 years ago that are extremely robotic.

Luckily I live in central KY, so not exactly tornado alley. I couldn't imagine being in the midwest plains being able to see a tornado roll across the land from miles away, watching it bear down on your location. However, about 10 years ago, while managing a local italian restaurant, there was a tornado outbreak in the area. We had the TV's on & tuned to local stations. A radio in the kitchen tuned to local radio. We had about 10 customers & 6 employees in the restaurant which was in a strip mall shopping center. Amazingly enough I was fairly calm at that time while wandering front front to back door keeping an eye out. Of course it was dark & the blowing rain made it impossible to actually SEE anything. Then on the radio someone calls in to report a funnel cloud dropping above a location about 1/4 mile from the restaurant.

I followed my instructions & told everyone to come back into the kitchen & get into the walk-in freezer or cooler just in case. I guess the responsibility overcame my normal freak-out response. It was interesting to see the different reactions of the people. There were a couple of customers who shrugged it off a kept eating. Another came back to the kitchen but wandered around, helping himself to another draft beer. And then there was one of my cooks - she was hunkered down in the cooler, sitting on a keg, cigarette in hand, staring blankly ahead and breathing hard. Entire spectrum of human reaction there.

So anyways, like I said... what freaks you right the fuck out?

The state of the Education system in America. The fact that teaching to a standardized test is more valuable, than teaching critical thinking and problem solving skills. Just how I see it, and in my head it creeps me out.

Right there with you, Doc. I get to deal with the products of this system, and their poor choices, daily.

For me, it's the decreasing level of acceptable morals amongst kids... Don't get me wrong, I make no claims about being a saint, but when I see at exactly what level these kids consider things to be acceptable... when I see what's on TV... I get this sinking feeling. If stuff like this is acceptable to this generation, what will the next generation be okay with?

United States.

No offence, but sometimes the things going on over on your side of the puddle just freak me out. Particularly the combination of bat-shit, we-don't-give-a-fuck-about-the-rest-of-the-world attitude combined with right-wing fringe groups, living over the budget in digits that would make Hugh Hefner look like the frickin' epitome of frugal living and a nuclear stockpile high enough to blow up the damn planet three times over and then some.

Luckily these emotions come and go.

I do occasionally get concerned about pants-less Finns...

North_Ranger said:

United States.

No offence, but sometimes the things going on over on your side of the puddle just freak me out. Particularly the combination of bat-shit, we-don't-give-a-fuck-about-the-rest-of-the-world attitude combined with right-wing fringe groups, living over the budget in digits that would make Hugh Hefner look like the frickin' epitome of frugal living and a nuclear stockpile high enough to blow up the damn planet three times over and then some.

Luckily these emotions come and go.

Click to expand...

Oh please, if it wasn't for the U.S., Europe would have imploded on itself 100 years ago...

Europe is just as fucked up and corrupt (if not more so) than the United States.

The reason things in your country (Finland) seem all so hunky dory compared to the U.S. has a lot to do with the fact that your population is less than one of our major cities. It's a lot easier to govern a country that reaps off the benefits of being part of the EU and has a population of like 5 million people.

The difference in the United States and Finland is so astronomical as to be unfair to draw any analogy that would impart any light.

There sets Finland, a country roughly the size of Montana bearing a population of barely five and a half million, for which the population is nothing if not the inverse of America's in every respect.

Only 1.5% of their people, if that, are from the temperate regions of the world, which is to say, are melanin-bearing people. Rather, theirs is a people consisting of some 93% Caucasian, a veritable homogeneous country, having a sameness about it.

Its political economy is that of a glorified welfare state bearing flourishes of market socialism, as do the other Nordic nations like that of Sweden and Norway. That is, there exists a leavening aspect because there exists no spike in the social strata as exists in the United States, a country wherein there carries a free-for-all, a go-for-yourself, say, a do-or-die, a I-don't-care-about-you mindset.

Finland's literacy rate rivals virtually any of the top 10 countries in the world, being highly literate in which Finland's government places a premium on its people's well-being: none falls through the proverbial cracks that occur -- to ensure that end, they tax their working citizenry to avail this.

Point is, none is exempt from the trials of life. To that affect, Finland has an increasing aging population, which is noteworthy given its comparatively small population relative to the size of the land area; meanwhile it bears an increasing pattern of population increase overall, which it is having to factor. Because as sure as none is exempt, this hitherto low crime rate is subject to escalate, certainly true if its socialist model graduates to having a more capitalist expression.

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Being responsible for a newborn infant. Who the hell is letting me get away with that?!

What freaks me the hell out:

Not more than 30 minutes ago seeing a car doing 70 + mph slam into the highway barrier wall, flip, and spin out through the guard rail on the other side...

In other words, people behind the wheel of a car that I wouldn't trust with a tricycle.

People like my neighbor freak me out. The level of stupid is astounding.

Snakes.

National debt.

Kids who talk about nothing but TV and video games. It's just so unhealthy when that's their only pastime. The kids I teach don't even play little cute kid games. They play violent games that make me cringe. When we have sharing time to talk about what kids did over the weekend, there are about 1/3 who say cool things like "my friends and I played baseball" or "I cooked dinner with my mom" or "I build a treehouse." The rest of them just list off all the games they played and the TV shows they watched. I'm all for giving your brain a rest, but it's just not good for a developing mind to stare at a screen for hours without a single thought in their heads. I keep track of the ones who consistently have interesting things to add to the discussion, too, and it's not the boy who says he wishes he could be just like Mario.

Cajungal said:

Kids who talk about nothing but TV and video games. It's just so unhealthy when that's their only pastime. The kids I teach don't even play little cute kid games. They play violent games that make me cringe. When we have sharing time to talk about what kids did over the weekend, there are about 1/3 who say cool things like "my friends and I played baseball" or "I cooked dinner with my mom" or "I build a treehouse." The rest of them just list off all the games they played and the TV shows they watched. I'm all for giving your brain a rest, but it's just not good for a developing mind to stare at a screen for hours without a single thought in their heads. I keep track of the ones who consistently have interesting things to add to the discussion, too, and it's not the boy who says he wishes he could be just like Mario.

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My wife's 2nd cousins are like this. At every family gathering all they talk about is Lego Star Wars or they're on their damn GameBoys the entire time...

Bluh. You know, I don't have kids, but I remember being one. Dad fought against us having any kind of video games in the house for the longest time, and I understand why. When he finally caved, it was all we wanted to do. Even the best parents have to fight to get their kids' attention when they're hell-bent on spending all day in front of the tube. I don't know if some kids are just more prone to naturally keeping a sense of balance in their activities or what... I know that not all kids get sucked in like that. The ones who do just frighten me. What's going to be left of their brains in a few years?

Mathias said:

Oh please, if it wasn't for the U.S., Europe would have imploded on itself 100 years ago...

Europe is just as fucked up and corrupt (if not more so) than the United States.

The reason things in your country (Finland) seem all so hunky dory compared to the U.S. has a lot to do with the fact that your population is less than one of our major cities. It's a lot easier to govern a country that reaps off the benefits of being part of the EU and has a population of like 5 million people.

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Hey, he asked, I answered. And I wasn't talking about events a hundred years ago. Granted, the Treaty of Versailles was pretty much where the UK and France screwed th pooch, but that's another discussion entirely.

And I wasn't making governmental comparisons, I was just saying that some of the ideological, political and economic developments in your hemisphere give me pause from time to time. 'cause like it or not, what happens in the United States has consequences around the world. Heck, even what happens in Libya has consequences, for instance at the pumps. And what happened in Japan is definitely gonna be reflected in for instance the international insurance market.

Knowing that there is a possibility of an even more devastating natural disaster than the Japanese earthquake. Also the stupidity of putting nuclear power stations in an earthquake zone.

Well, if my understanding is correct the nuclear plant went into shutdown at the first sign of an earthquake. It was the tsunami that followed that caused the accident, shutting down the diesel reactors that kept the cooling system going during the shutdown.

But in that area a tsunami is the result of an earthquake, so my statement makes sense. (?)

Japan's troubles have me freaked out, because we can and will get earthquakes that are just as large. And according to some geologists, we're due for one any year now. I remember what it was like in '89, and I'm worried we'll get something even worse within the next decade or so.

North_Ranger said:

Hey, he asked, I answered. And I wasn't talking about events a hundred years ago. Granted, the Treaty of Versailles was pretty much where the UK and France screwed th pooch, but that's another discussion entirely.

And I wasn't making governmental comparisons, I was just saying that some of the ideological, political and economic developments in your hemisphere give me pause from time to time. 'cause like it or not, what happens in the United States has consequences around the world. Heck, even what happens in Libya has consequences, for instance at the pumps. And what happened in Japan is definitely gonna be reflected in for instance the international insurance market.

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Don't worry, you will LOVE us when we take over you country, implement our strict McDonald's and Starbucks diet regimen and force you to all start wearing Mexican made pants.

Which will be really awesome until the great snake uprising of 2035

Okay, now I'm afraid of the impending snake uprising of 2035.

Tress said:

Okay, now I'm afraid of the impending snake uprising of 2035.

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Millipedes.

I'm not even kidding. Sure, it's not as unsettling as an overwhelming fear of the stupidity of humanity, but something about the way they move freaks me right the fuck out.

Espy said:

you will LOVE us...pants...great snake uprising...

Click to expand...

I'm sensing some innuendo here...

Since I got my amateur radio license and a radio, I've been listening to the weather spotters chat during major storms, and this year I'm taking the training class and joining the ranks. Being able to listen to the movement of the storm in real time has made us a lot more comfortable with severe weather, although truth be told we're relatively safe here in Michigan. We have tornadoes touch down occasionally, but not at the frequency others experience them.

Was especially handy to have during our month long road trip last year through the middle states during tornado season. Saw some pretty cool clouds and minor storms, and it was surprising how fast a day could turn from sunny to tornado watch weather out there.

The only thing I'm afraid of is not being near my family when such an emergency does happen. My wife is capable, but I hate the thought of going through, for instance, something like Katrina or September 11th and not being near my family, and not knowing where they are or being able to contact them.

I suppose that's another reason I got my amateur radio license, and I'm going to try and have my wife get one as well. Food, water, etc may be difficult to get under such circumstances, but not knowing if your loved ones are safe is more painful, I suspect, than an empty stomach.

American Exceptionalism

The Lovely Boehner said:

American Exceptionalism

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The only reason you get to something like that is because of the 1st Amendment, one of the greatest inventions in the history of mankind. You're lucky you live in the U.S.A., because other countries wouldn't put up with complaints like that.

Terrik said:

*nightmare fuel*

Click to expand...

redthirtyone said:

OK - something that's been rattling around in my head for a bit. With the onset of spring & tornado season it hit fairly close to home.

What thing (or things) just give you the serious heebie-jeebies. I'm not talking a little bitty spider or a scary movie. I'm talking something fairly uncommon that creep you out.

Click to expand...

It's not small. It's huge. It's a monster. You're walking in the woods on a fine day in florida, and then BAM, your hair is full of web and you're screaming like a 4 years old girl.
Added at: 12:25
Also I didn't read the OP.

Terrikfail.

Terrik I will never love you again!


Also that fucker is not little bitty....

Terrik said:

It's not small. It's huge. It's a monster. You're walking in the woods on a fine day in florida, and then BAM, your hair is full of web and you're screaming like a 4 years old girl.
Added at: 12:25
Also I didn't read the OP.

Terrikfail.

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I was being facetious by pointing out the "nothing small" clause. 'Cuz you're right, that thing is HUGE. Ew.

Tress said:

The only reason you get to something like that is because of the 1st Amendment, one of the greatest inventions in the history of mankind. You're lucky you live in the U.S.A., because other countries wouldn't put up with complaints like that.

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I see what you did there, Tress.

Sleep.


Yes, seriously. I'm sure most of you love sleep and think it's great. Me, not so much. I have had so many years of hellish nights that I have to steel myself just to start getting ready for bed, let alone actually lying down and trying to sleep. Granted, things are better recently, but I'm still struggling with memories and fears of the past.

Tress said:

I was being facetious by pointing out the "nothing small" clause. 'Cuz you're right, that thing is HUGE. Ew.

Click to expand...

Actually - those are kind of the reason I included the phrase "itty bitty". Some people freak out on ANY spider. Little bitty wolf spiders & such.

Those, we are all in agreement, are huge & must be killed with fire.

The responses have been interesting. The first two being from guys who put their lives on the line on a daily basis, chose social issues. To that end, I submit a similar problem that doesn't freak me out so much as it makes me angry.

The total lack of humility in ALL age groups is quite disturbing. It is not all about YOU. You are not always right. When someone dares to prove you wrong, the solution is not violence. I go back to a story I think I mentioned here before. Crowded movie theater watching Traffic. Halfway through some guy's phone rings for the 3rd time and, for the 3rd time, he takes the call. Someone two rows in front turns around and says "Man shut that thing off!" Instead of turning it off & realizing what he's doing is unacceptable, he & his girlfriend start yelling & offering to "take it outside". You shouldn't have to fear doing the right thing because you're afraid you end up with a cap in your ass.

figmentPez said:

Sleep.


Yes, seriously. I'm sure most of you love sleep and think it's great. Me, not so much. I have had so many years of hellish nights that I have to steel myself just to start getting ready for bed, let alone actually lying down and trying to sleep. Granted, things are better recently, but I'm still struggling with memories and fears of the past.

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Soooo.... Did you have a late-night sneaky uncle or something?

Knowing that in less than 5 years I'll have 3 teenagers in the house. My son turns 13 this year, my step son and daughter both turn 13 in 3.....

I am not prepared.....

redthirtyone said:

Actually - those are kind of the reason I included the phrase "itty bitty". Some people freak out on ANY spider. Little bitty wolf spiders & such.

Those, we are all in agreement, are huge & must be killed with fire.

Click to expand...

You tell me this isn't the thing of nightmares
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axDpsLPhYSg


Sorry I tried to put it behind a spoiler but couldn't get it to work.

Botfly. Candiru. BSE.

I'm not the least bit religious, or supersticious, but all the "world calamities" with the Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Civil Wars, etc? I'm slightly bothered by 2012 conspiricies now....

Mathias said:

Soooo.... Did you have a late-night sneaky uncle or something?

Click to expand...

No, I had an undiagnosed fungal infection in my lungs and elsewhere. Doctors missed it and diagnosed me with depression.

I get a real low level freak out at work from time to time. It's when I walk into the public restroom and the lights are off. Through several of my previous jobs lights off in the restroom normally meant some one is getting attacked, or worse...

So I see it dark in a place that should be light and I get a momentary wave of fear, until I can reassure myself that I am in a safe place.

I sometimes get freaked out at the idea of a real disaster happening around me. We don't really get flooding, earthquakes, even tornadoes around here and for that I'm thankful. But what if, for some reason, we did?


I also get freaked out at the idea of an actual, honest to goodness, uprising. What if the tea party turns into something more? Or what if it were people I agreed with? What if I didn't know if my neighbor was for or against whatever sparked all of this and if he's possibly out to get me?

An honest moment brought you by Ken: What freaks me out? Life outside of the safety net of the Military. I honestly have no idea how you people do it.

Docseverin said:

An honest moment brought you by Ken: What freaks me out? Life outside of the safety net of the Military. I honestly have no idea how you people do it.

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Thats actually really normal for military folks, in fact it's pretty normal for anyone in any group that they spend a serious amount of time investing their lives in.

I guess I'm just saying don't feel bad for that or like theres anything wrong with you for feeling that way.

Docseverin said:

An honest moment brought you by Ken: What freaks me out? Life outside of the safety net of the Military. I honestly have no idea how you people do it.

Click to expand...

Isn't that what Rambo had (along with post-tramatic stress disorder). I'm not saying you, specifically have any disorder, but doesn't what you're talking about run along the same line as when convicts get acclimated to life in prison, and they fear their parole date, ala Shawshank Redemption?
Added at: 17:13

Espy said:

Thats actually really normal for military folks, in fact it's pretty normal for anyone in any group that they spend a serious amount of time investing their lives in.

I guess I'm just saying don't feel bad for that or like theres anything wrong with you for feeling that way.

Click to expand...

Ah I didn't read your post before I responded.

Yeah, I think everyone gets nervous about moving out of their comfort zone. I kinda miss my Big Fish in a Small Pond days...

Espy said:

Thats actually really normal for military folks, in fact it's pretty normal for anyone in any group that they spend a serious amount of time investing their lives in.

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Yeah we're facing retirement in just a few more years. Even though I have lived outside of the military community it is scary to think that we will basically be starting from scratch. We don't even know for sure where we're going to go.

Jiarn said:

I'm not the least bit religious, or supersticious, but all the "world calamities" with the Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Civil Wars, etc? I'm slightly bothered by 2012 conspiricies now....

Click to expand...

And I'm not the slightest bit racist or prejudiced, but [insert slur here].

... Just teasin'. I know what you mean. I usually roll my eyes at people who say that disasters are a wake-up call from some higher power, but sometimes in my quiet moments I feel a bit freaked about them too.

Cajungal said:

I usually roll my eyes at people who say that disasters are a wake-up call from some higher power, but sometimes in my quiet moments I feel a bit freaked about them too.

Click to expand...

Tweets from the same person:
"maybe god was tired of the way they treated there own people"
and
"u just never knw! They did pearl harbor so u can't expect anything less"

It's deplorable, but also rather ironic as this person earned some national attention for being on the receiving end of similarly ignorant statements.

Ew.

You know what else freaks me out? Plastic masks and any kind of weird, powdery-feeling plastic costume part you might get from a novelty shop. They feel and smell gross. I don't like plastic in general. It all feels weird to me.

Cajungal said:

And I'm not the slightest bit racist or prejudiced, but [insert slur here].

...

Click to expand...

Hey, he's not racist. He's friends with a natural disaster.

Wait...

Jesus, I thought this was a 'shop but it's real.



Despite its alien countenance it's quite harmless. Well, except for the whole spitting-acid-in-your-face thing.

WHAT IS THAT AND HOW DO I KILL IT

.
Added at: 13:56

Cajungal said:

Ew.

You know what else freaks me out? Plastic masks and any kind of weird, powdery-feeling plastic costume part you might get from a novelty shop. They feel and smell gross. I don't like plastic in general. It all feels weird to me.

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I used to be terrified of people wearing masks. Not cartoon characters or scary masks either. It was always the transparent ones or masks with minimal features that made me so scared - like The Carver from the Nip/Tuck series.

I get freaked out by my future I guess. The fact that someday I will be responsible for someone's property, livelihood or even his life. It is a lot of responsibility and I don't take it lightly. I'm freaked out that that moment will come for me the, as they say in ethics class, "you are a person first" moment where I might have to choose between a career I have worked so hard for and doing the "right thing". What if I completely failed myself and didn't do it?

I worry about those things.

My new roommate is a chick. I was laying on the couch today in my pajama pants and I looked down and realized I could see the goods pretty clearly. I went to go make adjustments to my prime time lineup ifyouknowwhatimean and realized that this would be just the worst time for her to come home from work.


This is now what I will worry about every time I'm in the living room.

Pretty clearly wasn't good enough, and you had to readjust reception to get the message across perfectly clear? I see, or rather, I don't want to see, but I think I get your point... I mean, I don't get your point but I know what your game is.

^^

This guy

Chad Sexington said:

WHAT IS THAT AND HOW DO I KILL IT

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Tress said:

Japan's troubles have me freaked out, because we can and will get earthquakes that are just as large. And according to some geologists, we're due for one any year now. I remember what it was like in '89, and I'm worried we'll get something even worse within the next decade or so.

Click to expand...

The odds of an 8.9 in southern California are actually much lower than they are in Japan. The entire plate boundary is mechanically completely different. Even if it does happen, Cali also has the advantage of being part of a solid plate structure, and the plate boundary itself (part of which is the San Andreas Fault System) is in consolidated rock. The shallower quakes will dissipate faster and cause much less surface shaking (ironically) than a deep subduction zone quake like the one in Japan. The fact that your part of the world is largely solid rock means less shaking damage than Japan experiences. Think of hitting Jello vs. solid rock with a hammer. In the event of a tsunami, California's coast is much steeper than Japan's, meaning less inward transgression of water.

It would still be a terrible thing, mind you, but in my professional opinion, not nearly as bad as Japan.
Added at: 15:48
In fact, while I'm on the topic, I had a serious "calm down" day with 200 geology students here the other day, who were surprisingly freaking out a little about Japan and Haiti and NZ. 8.9 is large. There is no arguing that. I showed a graph of volcano fatalities vs. year, dating back to the 1500s. On first inspection, it's tempting to say that the world will end in lava rich fire, because the graph rises exponentially. But the truth is that population is also rising exponentially. People live in places they did not before. More people die in a cataclysm. Combine that with the free flow of information in 2010-2011, and it looks like Hell is coming to Earth. A mere 15 years ago, a disaster of this magnitude might not be so well known. Fear certainly wouldn't virally spread through social media the way it has.

If you step back and look at the observational data, quake activity (I'm not counting tsunamis because as tragic as this one is, it's a side effect of an earthquake) is normal right now. The dice roll just came up on "big", and "near inhabited areas".

fade said:

The odds of an 8.9 in southern California are actually much lower than they are in Japan. The entire plate boundary is mechanically completely different. Even if it does happen, Cali also has the advantage of being part of a solid plate structure, and the plate boundary itself (part of which is the San Andreas Fault System) is in consolidated rock. The shallower quakes will dissipate faster and cause much less surface shaking (ironically) than a deep subduction zone quake like the one in Japan. The fact that your part of the world is largely solid rock means less shaking damage than Japan experiences. Think of hitting Jello vs. solid rock with a hammer. In the event of a tsunami, California's coast is much steeper than Japan's, meaning less inward transgression of water.

It would still be a terrible thing, mind you, but in my professional opinion, not nearly as bad as Japan.
Added at: 15:48
In fact, while I'm on the topic, I had a serious "calm down" day with 200 geology students here the other day, who were surprisingly freaking out a little about Japan and Haiti and NZ. 8.9 is large. There is no arguing that. I showed a graph of volcano fatalities vs. year, dating back to the 1500s. On first inspection, it's tempting to say that the world will end in lava rich fire, because the graph rises exponentially. But the truth is that population is also rising exponentially. People live in places they did not before. More people die in a cataclysm. Combine that with the free flow of information in 2010-2011, and it looks like Hell is coming to Earth. A mere 15 years ago, a disaster of this magnitude might not be so well known. Fear certainly wouldn't virally spread through social media the way it has.

If you step back and look at the observational data, quake activity (I'm not counting tsunamis because as tragic as this one is, it's a side effect of an earthquake) is normal right now. The dice roll just came up on "big", and "near inhabited areas".

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I'm sorry to tell you this fade, but you don't know anything. A random guy on the news said it was totally going to happen here, and that trumps your knowledge and education.

On a semi-serious note, I'm amazed at how people are freaking out about stupid things around here. A town 50 miles inland issued a tsunami warning the other day when the wave was heading across the Pacific. Now we've got people worried about the radiation in Japan because our scare-mongering local news brought some whackjob on to talk about how the radiation from the damaged power plants will get carried by the winds into San Francisco.

One of those wack-jobs is Sam Champion on GMA. He does this long spiel about how the radiation will reach SF by Friday or Saturday... then to only say "If things really get worse."
Added at: 17:46
http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/vi...on-rebecca-blacks-friday-the-worst-song-ever/

Freaks me the hell out.

I'll tell you what has me a little on edge...the school shooting stuff. Combine that with anecdotal observations, and it's scary. Just 17 years ago when I went to college, the professor was the BOSS. He or she was scary and godlike. They were the wild-haired dispensers of knowledge, and you approached them with awe and reverence. Now, when I finally get to sit on the other side of the desk, the students have changed. Profs have gone from lofty guru to "I pay your salary, you're essentially my servant--lick my bootheels". The lack of respect has gone to the point where vicious verbal backlashes from students in my class are not unheard of. People talk and text as if they're in a coffee shop. I do fear saying something, because there are a couple I believe would walk in with a gun and a deadman bomb.

fade said:

I'll tell you what has me a little on edge...the school shooting stuff. Combine that with anecdotal observations, and it's scary. Just 17 years ago when I went to college, the professor was the BOSS. He or she was scary and godlike. They were the wild-haired dispensers of knowledge, and you approached them with awe and reverence. Now, when I finally get to sit on the other side of the desk, the students have changed. Profs have gone from lofty guru to "I pay your salary, you're essentially my servant--lick my bootheels". The lack of respect has gone to the point where vicious verbal backlashes from students in my class are not unheard of. People talk and text as if they're in a coffee shop. I do fear saying something, because there are a couple I believe would walk in with a gun and a deadman bomb.

Click to expand...

I don't have any students in mind that would do that kind of thing but it has certainly crossed my mind that it could happen. While the disrespectful attitude isn't freak-worthy, it is disheartening. I've noticed it as well and I think it requires a different approach. Be demanding but don't expect independence either. It is a difficult balance to strike. :-\

Man, I have so much respect for my professors. It amazes me when I meet students who behave like they're entitled. Yes, I pay to be there, and yes I have certain expectations of my professors (there is one who does fall a bit short through some of his actions), but I respect the work they've done to be where they are, and the authority they have on the material. Plus I just respect the basic student-teacher dynamic on principle.

The way I see it, yes I pay, but I pay to be privy to information from my intellectual betters. And I think, in exchange, my professors respect the work I do. I hope so, at least.

fade said:

I'll tell you what has me a little on edge...the school shooting stuff. Combine that with anecdotal observations, and it's scary. Just 17 years ago when I went to college, the professor was the BOSS. He or she was scary and godlike. They were the wild-haired dispensers of knowledge, and you approached them with awe and reverence. Now, when I finally get to sit on the other side of the desk, the students have changed. Profs have gone from lofty guru to "I pay your salary, you're essentially my servant--lick my bootheels". The lack of respect has gone to the point where vicious verbal backlashes from students in my class are not unheard of. People talk and text as if they're in a coffee shop. I do fear saying something, because there are a couple I believe would walk in with a gun and a deadman bomb.

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I get one or two like that in my class, but for the most part, the ones that piss me off are the 0.5 point grade-grubbers. I have a strict class policy that if you want me to re-check my grade for a question, I go back and scan the entire thing - THOROUGHLY! You might get a 0.5 point back, but it might mean it's at the cost of 1 point somewhere else. I do this to curb the grubbers, not to be a dick. Well, maybe a bit to be a dick.

Tress said:

I'm sorry to tell you this fade, but you don't know anything. A random guy on the news said it was totally going to happen here, and that trumps your knowledge and education.

On a semi-serious note, I'm amazed at how people are freaking out about stupid things around here. A town 50 miles inland issued a tsunami warning the other day when the wave was heading across the Pacific. Now we've got people worried about the radiation in Japan because our scare-mongering local news brought some whackjob on to talk about how the radiation from the damaged power plants will get carried by the winds into San Francisco.

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I find that hilarious considering they are telling those of us in Hawaii that we have nothing to worry about.

Mathias said:

I get one or two like that in my class, but for the most part, the ones that piss me off are the 0.5 point grade-grubbers. I have a strict class policy that if you want me to re-check my grade for a question, I go back and scan the entire thing - THOROUGHLY! You might get a 0.5 point back, but it might mean it's at the cost of 1 point somewhere else. I do this to curb the grubbers, not to be a dick. Well, maybe a bit to be a dick.

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Yeah, I didn't mean it to sound like my class is a war zone. It's one or two. They do distract the people who actually want to be there, though.

Inform them that your class is a right-to-learn course, and you reserve the right to refuse service to anyone upon demonstration of a lack of willingness to learn. That'll shut 'em up. Or, y'know... not.

I can't imagine anyone in my classes acting like that to the professor. I was always respectful of the professor, even the drama class ones who couldn't get a schedule straight to save their lives (I prefer strict professors, they tend to be more organized). A couple of professors even maintained that whole "scary dispenser of knowledge" thing and got outright pissed at some of the minor shit that went on, like someone coming in late. And they were right--don't waste the professor's time or ours. My first year, we had some required class about western culture, and around mid-terms, the professor outright said "If you don't want to be here, don't come here."

I always thought of any emotional outburst as weakening the position of power that a professor (or any group leader has). When he or she gets angry, it usually looks silly. At least in retrospect.

Those students are almost like a cancer you have to live with. I enforce an attendance policy, which makes them come. I always hated profs with attendance policies when I was in school, but now I understand the purpose. It brings in that middle group made up of fair to middling students who would skip given the chance, but when forced to come actually pay attention and learn something.

I've tried calling them out, kicking them out, embarrassing them, docking grades... it doesn't matter. They're terrible students who probably won't complete their degree, and a lot of them know it. This is a core science class that attracts first semester freshmen who want the easy science. Geology 101 is easier than Physics 101, Chemistry, or Biology because its such a huge science. We can't possibly go into any level of detail.

fade said:

I always thought of any emotional outburst as weakening the position of power that a professor (or any group leader has). When he or she gets angry, it usually looks silly. At least in retrospect.

Those students are almost like a cancer you have to live with. I enforce an attendance policy, which makes them come. I always hated profs with attendance policies when I was in school, but now I understand the purpose. It brings in that middle group made up of fair to middling students who would skip given the chance, but when forced to come actually pay attention and learn something.

I've tried calling them out, kicking them out, embarrassing them, docking grades... it doesn't matter. They're terrible students who probably won't complete their degree, and a lot of them know it. This is a core science class that attracts first semester freshmen who want the easy science. Geology 101 is easier than Physics 101, Chemistry, or Biology because its such a huge science. We can't possibly go into any level of detail.

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Psych 101 is the same way. :-\

Oh, and I never see more perfect, natural normal distributions than in a large survey course like Psych 101

The San Andreas Fault... it's always scared me but now, seeing the whole Japan thing I feel it even more real and it really really scares me. Almost my whole family lives in the area that will be the most affected next time the Fault decides to jiggle a little more.

Azurephoenix said:

The possible breakdown of civilized society scares the hell out of me... like the lawlessness that reigned during the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. People looting and attacking eachother, idiots shooting at rescue helicopters trying to airlift people from hospitals. I seriously doubt my own ability to protect my family during such an event and it freaks me out.

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Nearly all the stories of violence after Katrina was BS. I'd worry more about the news reporting unsubstantiated rumor (and racist BS) more than I would the break down of society.

You worry about what freaks you out and I'll worry about what freaks me out...

*hides in bunker*