mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
Every Friday, I post a series of unrelated questions meant to spark conversation in the comments. Answer one, answer all, respond to someone else’s reply, whatever you want. Very casual. On to this week’s topics of discussion…
1. Let’s pretend you were granted the power to go back and alter your childhood in one important respect—the ability to add or reduce your number of siblings. Would you give yourself more brothers or sisters? Fewer?
2. We haven’t posted a “Best _____ of the Decade” question in a while. What invention this decade has had the greatest impact on your life?
3. Back in middle school, I had a teacher who really wanted to be Mr. Keating from Dead Poets Society. But his attempts to liven up the curriculum usually made everyone uncomfortable. “What’s the hardest part about being a doctor?” he’d ask during a discussion on Mark Twain. After an interminable silence and a few very wrong sympathy guesses, he’d toss about an answer: “The hardest part about being a doctor is how long you have to stand up during surgery.” Then we’d return to Tom Sawyer. He asked these kinds of questions every class.
What’s a bizarre/lovable quirk of one of your old teachers?
4. (I need to channel my inner Andy Rooney for this one.)
Don’t you hate the pound sign? No, wait, that’s not what I want to talk about.
This is: Two times on Tuesday, I witnessed something I’m really hoping doesn’t catch on—people who pulled over to talk on their cell phones. Let me clarify, I’m not talking about people who pull off the road to take or make a call. That’s great. But in Tuesday’s cases, on roads without shoulders, the drivers simply stopped what they were doing (driving) to answer their phones. (At first I thought they must be stranded. But in both cases, ten minutes later they were gone.) Whatever the penalty is for using a cellphone behind the wheel should be doubled for this unspeakable act of self-obsession. Your turn to play Andy. What’s something that’s bugging you?
[See all the previous Friday Happy Hour transcripts.]
Comments (69)
Comment
- Follow mental_floss
1) I have a brother who is 12 years older than me, so we had vastly different childhoods. I wish there was a sister or brother between us. However, if there was, I don’t know how my parents could have made ends meet. Maybe I’ll stand pat with just the two of us.
2) I was possibly the last American to not own a cell phone. My husband bought me an iPhone for Christmas and it’s changed my life. For the better. I think.
3) I had a Spanish teacher who ended every class by teaching us a swear word or naughty phrase in Spanish.
4) I hate that the news tries to be Entertainment Tonight.
posted by Maureen on 10-16-2009 at 10:10 am
1….I have four sisters and always wanted a brother. Given the option, I’ll add one.
3….I had a high school teacher who was a huge San Diego Padres fan (I grew up outside Chicago). On Fridays during baseball season, he would wear a homemade San Diego Padres jersey (Tony Gwynn).
posted by Kent on 10-16-2009 at 10:13 am
1. I have a brother and a sister, 13 years ago and for about 3 years, I would have gotten rid of both of them…we are all great friends now of course.
2. Internet on my cell.
3. My sixth grade math teacher always had spit in the corners of her mouth…
4. Sticking with driving, I can’t stand people that drive slow in the left hand lane, especially on the highway. It’s fine in the city, but it is very dangerous on the highway…and annoying!!!
posted by graham on 10-16-2009 at 10:28 am
2. Pandora Internet Radio. Their music genome recommendation engine has introduced me to some of my favorite bands who have, in turn, introduced me to more bands as well as several interesting artistic communities I would never have encountered otherwise.
3. I had a science teacher who would cure hiccups by stopping the class and refusing to continue until the afflicted student could demonstrate a good solid hiccup to the suddenly silent and attentive class. Worked every time.
4. We have “Speed Limit” signs here in eastern PA that only tell us what the speed limit is NOT. They’ll say END 45 MPH, letting you know that you are no longer in a 45 zone, yet there is no indicator of whether you are now in a 55 or a 35. These appear in semi residential as well as completely desolate areas with no reasonable way of determining the correct speed. It bugs me because the sign actually consists of two signs: the 45 MPH sign and a separate “END” sign bolted onto it. It would be cheaper to have a sign that tells you the speed limit!
posted by EMStoveken on 10-16-2009 at 10:29 am
1. I am an only child so I think I would add either a brother or a sister.
2.The invention that has had the greatest impact on my life this decade would have to be texting. I was not never big into phone calls so texting is more conveninet.
3. I am drawing a blank on this one
4. I hate when you are standing in line somewhere and leaving some personal space between you and the person in front of you and then the person behind you asks: “Are you in line?”. What does it look like I am?
posted by Emma on 10-16-2009 at 10:31 am
1. I would (re)add my brother that died at birth. There was a pile of us anyway, but I know that loss must have been devastating for my parents.
2. ???
3. It has been too long since I was in school.
4. Negativity in people.
posted by Hyacinth on 10-16-2009 at 10:37 am
#1 – I have one older sister. And I don’t think I would change that. She and I got along great, and still do.
#2 – I know it’s probably the easist answer, but I’d have to say the computer. As an engineer, I can’t imagine not having one because I use it for just about everything. My dad is also an engineer, and we have talked at length on how his job has changed over the past 35 years because of the computer and the pwoer it has given him.
#3 – I had a chemistry professor who tried to make us laugh at least 5 times each lecture (he actually stated that in the sylabus). Halfway through explaining a reaction, he would turn to the entire hall and ask things like “is phantasmagorical a real word, or am I just losing it?” Then he would go right back into the lecture material. I always jotted down those gems in the top margin of my notes.
#4 – Tipping my cap to Maureen, I hate how every 24 hr news station will beat a “breaking story” to death when they don’t actually know anything. They need to report what happened, not what they think just happened. And if it takes them a few extra hours to get the whole story, I’m fine with that.
posted by John on 10-16-2009 at 10:47 am
1. i am one of seven children, as i adore everyone of them I can only add to the bunch! We are all crazy close!
2. best smart phone! I adore mine and have no idea how i got on without it!
3. My history teacher used to tell history in amazing stories that would last several days! They were always 100% true, but so fantastic they seemed more like movies!
4. I would like to sound off about common decency. people sometimes do not know how to treat other people! It is NOT hard to be respectful of everyone around you.
posted by megan on 10-16-2009 at 11:17 am
#1 I have a younger brother who is 1 year, 1 month and 1 day younger than me. We always got along. When I was younger I thought I wanted a sister but I’m glad now it’s just the two of us.
#2 Probably High Speed Internet. I remember the days of dial up and how you could literally walk away from the computer for 5 minutes and still not have a page loaded. I love being able to have access to information 24/7.
#3 I had a teacher in high school who would sing our lecture in an operatic voice once a month. At first it was kind of interesting but ended up being really annoying.
#4 I get excessively annoyed at people who refuse to move when they see people coming toward them. I was on a train the other day and these four teenagers refused to move as people were entering and leaving the train. Then one of them yelled at a woman because she stepped on her toe. People need to learn to SHARE space and be a little more courteous.
posted by Lily of the Valley on 10-16-2009 at 11:27 am
1. Nope – I’m 13 years older than my brother and 15 years older than my sister. It would have been fun as a kid to have a sibling, but I’m good with how things are.
2. iPhone….there actually was life before the iPhone existed? I submit that there was NOT.
3. A teacher I had in grade school had a few words that were unrecognizable. She didn’t have an accent, she just had a few words she used that no one on the planet used. Of course this was made fun of through the years.
4. Common Sense needs to be a subject in school. I see so many adults off in their own little worlds, oblivious to how there actions or inactions are pissing off the rest of the world. A very small example. Why would you leave your grocery cart in the MIDDLE of the aisle (no one can pass) with your purse open and stuff hanging out and then give ME a dirty look when I bump it out of my way with my cart? I use the cart because I don’t want to be accused of touching her purse, but come on! Get outta the effing way!
posted by Jamie on 10-16-2009 at 11:30 am
1) I am an only child. A sister or brother would have been nice.
2) Hmm… Not sure
3) My criminal justice professor in college never really taught us the material. He just told us awesome stories of being in Russia and drinking vodka at breakfast. Best professor ever!
4) Everything bugs me :)
posted by Courtney on 10-16-2009 at 11:31 am
1. I wish I had the opportunity to grow up with my older half brother. He was given up for adoption at birth. I met and found out about him 6 years ago. I have another brother (who, oddly enough, is adopted) that I liked growing up with. I do wish I had a sister somewhere in the bunch.
2. Does youtube count as an invention?
3. I can’t remember a quirky teacher or professor, it’s been awhile. However, my mother is rather quirky and makes up / mispronounces words so she can talk to me in code.
4. Unprofessionalism in the workplace. Hate it. Could talk about it for hours.
posted by sjms on 10-16-2009 at 11:32 am
1. I have a brother and a sister, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. The only downside is that I’m the middle child, but I wouldn’t be who I am today without that.
3. I wish more of my teachers were like that. I had a math teacher that, unless you were an honor student, she’d ignore you. No help, no explanations, nothing. I failed that class.
4. Some people cannot multitask. I’ve had people come within centimeters of my car trying to dial a phone number or something of the sort. These people need to not have a drivers license. Most are kids, old women or slimy businessmen. I also seem to be magnetic to other drivers going left of center – every time I drive somewhere. At least I can pay attention. WTF?
posted by Christina on 10-16-2009 at 11:34 am
1) Only Child here, but i grew up with a lot of cousins visiting constantly, so it was like having brothers and sisters. Personally, I liked being an only child.
2)Best device of the decade? The USB memory Stick. Faster than CD! Can hold more than a DVD! Jumps from computer to computer in seconds! Let us hear it for the little guy!
3) I had I biology teacher who did everthing in monotone, but had a great sense of humor that kept you interested the entire time. I also had an ex-marine history teacher who would tell stories of how he got kicked out of soviet russia. Apparently, shooting the bird at a Lennin Statue would do that.
4)People getting mad at insurance companies. Seriously, they are there to make money, not to give you free stuff.
posted by Trent on 10-16-2009 at 11:48 am
1) I was an only child for ten years. As far back as I can remember I begged my parents for a little brother with curly hair. That’s exactly what I got. And, even though I think it would have been great to have him closer to my age, we have this other kind of bond. See, in high school l was his second mother. Our parents were both very busy – at work and socially – so I took care of him all the time. I was his “soccer mom” who drove him to school, picked him up, took him to his after school activities, brought him home, made dinner for him, etc. No that I am in my 30’s and he’s in his 20’s, we are more on level. But, my husband thinks I’m too hard on him when he screws up, he can’t quite grasp the fact we did not have a typical sister/ brother relationship.
2) I’d like to say the digital camera, but it was invented in the 80’s and released in the 90’s.
3) Catholic All Girls High School: One of the nuns, named Sister Fuery no less, had a bad habit of fingering the open space between the buttons of her sensible button down shirts. She did this when she was nervous, and she was nervous a lot. We had no mercy on her. One of our favorite tricks was to set the classroom radio (a large, old, freestanding 60’s style radio with dial tuners) to white noise and slowly turn it up louder and louder. She had no clue. She’d get after that shirt… and as 15 year old sex-on-the-brain kids, we joked constantly about her “masturbating” herself. Never mind the fact that she was no where near anything fun to play with.
4) Blatant nepotism in the workplace. And management who address the situation with “you should all just be happy you have jobs.”
posted by Renis on 10-16-2009 at 11:50 am
I had a prof once who was really OUT there.
The kind who’d tell a joke but wouldn’t remember the punchline.
Then, the middle of the following week, would suddenly come up with it… and state ONLY the punchline, never realizing we’d totally forgotten what the heck to what he was referring.
posted by Anon Emous on 10-16-2009 at 11:51 am
#1. I’m the youngest (by 8 years) and get the most crap from my brother and sister about being so. I would probably add a younger sibling. But I would say I would be a COMPLETELY different person if I did have a younger sibling around.
#2 I would have to say the wireless revolution. Being able to sit in class, or at a coffee shop and surf. In class I’m the fact checker. A professor will get a question he can’t answer and look at me . . .in about a minute I’ll have the answer. . . . . boy I’m pathetic . . .
#3 I had a history professor as an undergrad about nine years ago who was just amazing. He was the best professor I have ever had. But the first day was really interesting. He passed out paper and had us fill it out with our name, phone number, e-mail, and if we lived on or off campus. He then requested that when we hand it back we needed to form a line and hand it to him individually. We did so. After we sat down he then proceeded to accurately call us all by our first and last names. (He did mess up once, but that was because there were twins sitting next to each other.) I’m talking about a class of 80 first semester freshman. It was quite impressive. He also never forgot our names. I say him last year and he remembered my name, what class I took, and how well I did. He even remembered the name of my girlfriend at the time. He has the closest to a photographic memory I’ve ever come across in real life.
#4 Hypocrisy. I am a culprit myself, I will be the first to admit. But I HATE when someone says something and does the opposite. It is extremely annoying to me.
posted by Nathan on 10-16-2009 at 12:03 pm
1- I’d like to have more brothers, maybe two more, and still be the middle child.
2- Split backseats in cars that come down. How else can you fit a 9 ft. Christmas tree in a Civic?
3- My grade six teacher had a peculiar pelvic tilt (I see that now since he’s still a friend of the family) but back when I was in grade 6, it really looked like he was setting his junk on your desk when he was in front of you. We all thought he was some kind of perv.
Also, my high school chemistry teacher cut a piece of sodium out from the chunk he kept in oil in a jar and let it sit in the back of the class while we were writing a test. He warned us that it would explode at some point in time. I couldn’t concentrate during the whole test. Finally he had to smack it with a meter ruler at the end of the class for it to go off. He also made a Nerf ball bazooka with a PVC pipe and alcohol and shot it across the classroom. After each “stunt” he would let off is creepy HEE HEE HEE nasaly laugh. I’ll never forget it… or him for that matter.
4- (I’ll try to do it Rooney-style)
The other day, I was coming out of the ladies’ room and I noticed a crumpled napkin on the ground next to the door. Now, the garbage can wasn’t even close, so it wasn’t as if the person who left it there was the type to be the first one cut from her school’s basketball team. “What is this napkin doing on the ground?”, I thought. Well, this isn’t the first time I had come across this site. It finally came to me – she used the napkin to wipe her hands and then used it to open the door so she wouldn’t have to touch the handle – and then, the garbage can was out of reach so she just dropped it on the floor so everyone to trip up on her bacteria laden refuse. Come on now lady, this isn’t the Middle Ages in Europe when people would just throw their garbage willy-nilly. This is Canada, in 2009. Please people, if you want to use your napkin to open the door, you can at least keep it with you until you come upon another garbage can – which happens to be just a few metres down the hall, by the way. How ironic that someone so concerned with her own hygiene cares so little about the safety and hygiene of others.
posted by Ranger J on 10-16-2009 at 12:04 pm
3. My AP English teacher from junior year of high school – The things he would say now and then were priceless! He would yell at us, insult us, make us cower, but we all enjoyed his class in the end anyway.
For example,
teacher: “so miss —–, —— told me I made you cry yesterday. Is this true?”
Student: nods yes
teacher: smiles, walks over to board, and puts a tally mark in the corner.
posted by KWildman on 10-16-2009 at 12:05 pm
#4 – Andy Rooney bugs the HELL out of me.
posted by Rachel on 10-16-2009 at 12:17 pm
1. I have two younger brothers — an older brother would have been cool. And/or a sister — I’m envious of the relationships my brothers’ wives have with their sisters.
2. We heart the DVR in our house.
3. I had a history teacher in high school who would reenact various historical events. I seem to remember that once he actually dressed in costume.
4. I hate – HATE – people who allow their children to play with the handicapped entrances in buildings. The button is not a toy!
posted by Suzanne on 10-16-2009 at 12:31 pm
1. I would make my older brothers closer to my age, and add a sister.
2. DVR. I recap TV shows for a website, and it’s so much easier to be able to pause or rewind during the show than it is to wait until the end and rewind the tape and try to find the spot I need to rewatch.
3. I’ve had lots of quirky teachers, but my two favorites were a college professor who would stare at you until she could successfully match your face to your name, and a high school chemistry teacher who would give a time limit on how long he would lecture about a topic and allow us to “throw soft things” when the time ran out. He would see us crumpling up paper to throw at him and rush to finish up.
posted by Jenn on 10-16-2009 at 12:44 pm
1. I have both a brother and a sister, but none of us have ever been close. I think I might actually wish to have been an only child because of this.
2. I love personal gps devices. I get lost going everywhere and this really saves me time!
3. I had this fantastic teacher for algebra. She always threatened to throw her stapler at us. I don’t know how she did it, but even 14 years later I can still remember most of what she taught us.
4. I know a lot of people are going to find me utterly insane, but I can’t stand test messaging. It’s ruining the written language. I spend most of my days correcting email communications with clients by people that think that acronyms are acceptable in formal conversations. if it’s too hard to write out then pick up the phone and call.
posted by TelullaBlue on 10-16-2009 at 12:50 pm
1. I am one of six kis. Some days I love them ome days I don’t but I would keep every one of them
2. My employer-provided crackberry is both the best and worst piece of technology
3. nothing
4. I reaaly hate it when a goup of people walk abreast on the sidewalk making it impossible for oncoming walkers to get through. If you want to have conversation stop somewhere
posted by JaneM on 10-16-2009 at 1:09 pm
4.
- Andy Rooney
-People driving slow in the left lane and passing in the right lane.
- People who are generally lethargic about driving and have no sense of excellence or urgency about anything they do.
- We have a new trend of people in our town lately who will file through a red light, scott-free, long after it’s turned red. I’m talking 3 or more cars. So much so that oncoming traffic has to wait.
- For some reason, in our town, cops give out the occasional speeding ticket, but seem to ignore all other sloppy and rude habits. They, themselves, many times, are bad drivers.
- I hate the multitasking myth. True multitasking is a myth. Anytime a person’s focus is divided the quality of their work on any one task decreases. I’m a multitasking fool, for example, in the kitchen, while cooking supper, but I’m really drifting from one task to the next and then checking on the first item – it’s not true multi-tasking, though. This idea that anyone, man or woman, can eat, drive, talk on the phone, and bounce a baby on their knee, SIMULTANEOUSLY, is both dangerous and foolish.
posted by Bruce on 10-16-2009 at 1:16 pm
1. Well, I always wanted a sister in adition to my little brother, so I guess I’d add just one sister to my family.
2. The iPod has revolutionized portable music for me- can’ believe it was just 8 short years ago that I walked around campus with my Discman and huge CD wallet my senior year of college…and now I have about 5 times as many songs on a teeny-tiny little iPod Shuffle that weighs about 3 ounces.
3. My old hih-school Spanish teacher, Mr. Vigil, whom I found quite swoon-worthy anyway, had a habit of sometimes asking questions (in English) with a slight, Zorro-like Spanish accent, even though he was, in fact, 100% American. AY CARUMBA!!
4.People who won’t end their cell phone conversation long enough to acknowledge the existence of a grocery store checker or fast-food worker who is trying to help them. It is very rude, in my estimation, to continue conversing with your phone friend and act like these human beings are anamatronic cyborgs there to serve you.
posted by FizzyGurrl on 10-16-2009 at 1:30 pm
1. I am an only child, and it was pretty boring growing up, I would have loved to have some siblings, any siblings. Instead I have 3 cousins that I am extremely close to, they are the next best thing.
2. The thermos, no really, I didn’t like to take sandwiches to school that much as they would get soggy, so my Dad would pack me soup in a thermos. I would have starved without it.
3. In High School in Harrisburg, PA, I had a teacher that would literally fall asleep in the middle of class. He had a head injury from being shot by a student a few years before, and he if he would sit down and stop talking he would just nod off. The circumstances behind it were sad, but it didn’t make it any less annoying.
4. What drives me nuts is when I pay a fortune for groceries and come home to find the bagger put milk on top of the tomatoes or grapes…ugh. I try to bag my own groceries, but sometimes that isn’t always possible…it might sound a little high strung to some people, but I hate having my groceries ruined by teenagers who are too busy flirting with eachother than paying attention to their jobs. I know, I need to get a life…hehe
posted by J-me on 10-16-2009 at 1:31 pm
1. I have a little brother and we aren’t that close. I wish we were but I’ve always wanted a sister, older or younger.
2. I’ve always thought that online bill paying is an awesome invention. We save trees, you can set up automatic payments and never have to remember when you’ve paid, and that the company can keep electronic records to see when you’ve paid. Best invention ever.
3. I had a history teacher in high school who was obessed with the Syracuse basketball team. He was so funny because we could always tell when they would lose because he would pretend to be in a bad mood. He died a couple of years ago and I’m sad that more kids didn’t get to experience his class.
4. I also agree with the pulling over to text. You know it’s not hard to drive home without any interruptions and text or call them back when you get home. The text will still be there, I promise.
posted by Colene on 10-16-2009 at 1:31 pm
1) While not having any more siblings, I wish I would have had more cousins. In my entire immediate family, my generation only has myself, my brother, and our two female cousins on one side. More family on the other side would have been nice to have growing up.
2) I’d have to say the greatest invention was the Ipod. The way that it has evolved from teh next step of hte walkman to now the newest form of computer shows the direction our society is taking.
3)My old history teacher would always tell stories about his wife, “Schnoockums”. Very much part of the reason I’m in education.
4) I’m tired of peoples fanaticism about professional football. Anywhere else in the world, it is looked on as a interesting American thing they call gridiron. And no, I played football. Even coached for almost a decade. There are just more important things in the world today than killing all day Sunday watching two groups of men ram into each other.
posted by Kyle on 10-16-2009 at 1:41 pm
1. I always wanted a sister, close in age to me. Ended up with a MUCH younger brother.
2. The crackberry.
3. Interesting, most people have brought up a history teacher. My HS history teacher would show up in period dress, bring in artifacts, etc. When I returned to work in my old school district – as a history teacher, of course, he was still there. And several of my former classmates were, too – teaching history.
4.The “poke” function on Facebook.
posted by CW on 10-16-2009 at 1:46 pm
1-When I was four my two year old brother was struck by a car and killed. If anything, I would go back in time and stop that from happening. It would mean that instead of being the oldest of 5 living children, I would be the oldest of 3 living children.
2-Big fan of the USB drive as the best invention of the computer age.
3- I had an English teacher in 11th grade who was horrid. Almost killed my love of the written word. She wore a paint suit she was very proud of that had a pattern which made all of us think of a swastika. No matter how many times someone pointed this out to her she refused to see it.
4- I hate that many people still blame me for the death of my sibling. I was 4 people, to young to be responsible for anything.
posted by Fibro Witch on 10-16-2009 at 1:53 pm
1. I would have liked to have a brother to play sports with/against.
2. YouTube, Hulu and TV over the internet in general. Don’t have to record shows, just watch them “on demand”
3. I had a teacher, Dr Brobin, in HS who threw out a slew of nonsense, I presume to shake us up out of our collective stupors. These usually had a football theme, but were not necessarily pro-football.
“Hit em high, hit em low, come on team, let’s go.”
“Put me in there coach, I wanna hurt somebody.”
There were others that I don’t recall, and they were corny and stale, but he used them so much, they grew on you and you knew when he was trying to kick start the discussion.
4. I hate the way one side controls the debate by making us talk about bat-shirt insane stuff like birthers/deathers/terrorist fist bumps/indoctrination/socialism/the Constitution (w/out explaining how the Constitution is being trampled, cuz it’s not)/the deficit (w/out any understanding of the deficit and like it’s something totally new that never existed under previous admins)/Balloon Boy/Michael Jackson and on and on. And all the “real” journalists, run around chasing the tail of the right wing nutjobs, talking about these things, as if they have any relevance.
posted by Jonny on 10-16-2009 at 1:56 pm
1- I am an only child, and I have never been sorry about that.
2- I am going to second the earlier nomination for the USB memory stick. Best. Thing. Ever.
3- My history teacher in HS (another history teacher, I know) would make you get up in front of the class and do push-ups for every cuss word he ever heard you say. I have always had a bit of a potty mouth, and my friends used to set me up all the time, get me to go ballistic about something when I didn’t know the teacher was right behind me. I think I still owe that man some push-ups.
I had a different history teacher in HS (what is up with history teachers?) that used to play pranks on students. My favorite was one time, when a student fell asleep, he had the whole class sneak out of the room. He then convinced the teacher of the math class next door to have his class quitely sneak in to our room and to continue his lecture there. Then (I kid you not) he had us all run to the other side of the building (there were only 5 or so minutes of class left anyway) and watch through the window so we could see how confused she was when she woke up (and boy was she ever confused) and laugh at here.
posted by kj on 10-16-2009 at 2:09 pm
1. I’m an only, biologically. I have two older stepbrothers who are such idiots that I am THRILLED to be an only.
2. I’m going to say the availability of information through the internet – I don’t necessarily think it’s always a good thing – but it’s definitely made an impact.
3. My high school English teacher (all 4 years) HATED Stephen King and pretty much forbade us to read his books. Almost 20 years later, I’ve started reading him again, and I’m finding that I love him even more now than I did then. I mean – Anna Karenina is great, but we all need fluff, too!
4. @Courtney – I’m with you. I’m only 33, but I already have old-lady syndrome – everything irritates the crap out of me. The other day, I actually said, “I think it would be fun to buy a house on a corner lot, so I could sit on my front porch and yell at the neighborhood kids when they cut across my grass.”
posted by Carol on 10-16-2009 at 2:19 pm
1) I have one sister. That’s all I really need to have, though I’ve always wondered what it would have been like to have a younger sibling.
2) I am a history major. The internet and word processors have made this far easier today than having to use paper resources and typewriters, or worse…having to write papers by hand.
3) I had a biology teacher who always pretended to be a gruff Scrooge all the time, in fact, he regularly scared the crap out of freshmen to weed them out. In real life, he was the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.
posted by Kieran on 10-16-2009 at 2:22 pm
2. I HATE the cellphone but cannot live without my iPod.
posted by Zane on 10-16-2009 at 2:29 pm
1. I have a brother and sister that only show up for hand-outs and one sister I am very close to. We’ve often talked about how it would be different if it was just the two of us!
2. DVR and text comes to mind. I hate talking on the phone, so I’m thrilled I can just text.
3. History college professor that told great stories that would tickle him and he’d die laughing. An algebra prof in college who gave me a higher grade on the final than I deserved as a wedding present!
4. people who let their kids record their answering message! The sound of nails being clipped in public. I hate the sound of whistling. I’m a cranky woman!
posted by Hermoine on 10-16-2009 at 2:33 pm
1)It would have been nice if my brother were closer in age. It doesn’t really matter now because we’re in similar places in life, but we didn’t really have fun adventures as kids because he was older than me and not interested in the same things I was.
2) I have to second the Pandora suggestion.
3)My high school biology teacher would collect people’s chewing gum and put it in a box.
My high school art teacher found a piece of rotten/petrified cake in her back room and she used it to start a collection of rotting food. She would also show up to school in her pajamas and firefighter boots, brought her chickens to class, and would subject everyone to her political agenda.
4) I don’t like it when people assume I want them to hug me or that I should hug them. Touch is very significant to me and I don’t like to have people I don’t know very well in my personal bubble. That’s reserved for family and very close friends.
posted by Andrea on 10-16-2009 at 2:43 pm
1. I’m one of 3 boys and I don’t think I’d change anything.
2. Easy – the iPhone.
3. My Latin teacher in high school was a bit unusual, but a GREAT teacher. He was a father of 12 and his wife did not work. He loved Monty Python and Mel Brooks – so much so that we watched “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”, “The Producers”, and “Monty Python; The Holy Grail”. Of course, we also watched “Ben Hur” and “Spartacus”.
4. People who use adjectives with the word “unique” – it either is or it isn’t. Something can’t be very unique.
People who don’t accelerate to highway speed when merging then get mad when you don’t slow down.
People who run to the “front of the line” when traffic is merging to fewer lanes (like in construction zones).
posted by Jeff on 10-16-2009 at 2:43 pm
3. I had a Spanish teacher who, were he to catch you biting your nails during class, would grab a hand full of nail clippings from his “collection” and make you chew on them instead. He was also the Cross Country coach. In the shower after our workouts he took great joy in peeing on anyone in there at the same time as him.
posted by PJ on 10-16-2009 at 3:18 pm
@J-Me “had a teacher that would literally fall asleep in the middle of class. He had a head injury from being shot by a student a few years before”
OMG! That’s outrageous and not what I was expecting to read…
1) I’m surprised to see so many people also had huge spaces between themselves and siblings – my closest half sibling is 13 years older than me – the oldest half sibling started her freshman year of college when I was born. Weird, right? The closest half sibling (joe) lived with us off and on through the years, so I had that experience, but all in all I was pretty much alone. I wouldn’t change it, though. I learned how to entertain myself, never had to (really) share a bathroom and we never fought. Joe’s a great big brother and really opened my eyes to a lot of cool things (music, movies, punk culture, etc).
I guess the only regret is now that these siblings have kids (high school and middle school age), I can’t really grasp the excitment my friends feel about their nieces and nephews. Can anyone explain that phenomenon to me?
2) So many amazing inventions, but I think a tie between the iPod and cell phone (with the knowledge that cells are from before this decade, but I didn’t have one then, let alone this fancy one with text/internet/etc). Texting is just convenient if you want to check on something quickly without committing to a full on conversation. And the iPod? Amazing to listen to full albums or individual songs whenever I want and to run while doing it. SO much easier than CD player in my hand.
3 – My HS senior year english teacher was awesome in that she taught us to write our massive research paper in the frame of “night before”, so throughout the quarter she’d start sections like “alright, this is hour three, you’re drinking coffee and getting your resources”. Awesome and totally something I used in college. Better than the unrealistic “you’ll spend four weeks researching papers, etc”. Sorry, I must’ve been a wunderkind for not needing a month to prepare and write a six page paper for Soc 101. Just saying.
4. I hate when people can’t drive in the rain (God FORBID if it ever snows in South Carolina, it’s a crisis), when people rubberneck accidents on the interstate and it slows me down by twenty minutes (rediculous! I’m not leaving for work thirty minutes earlier to contend with your dumb ass-ery), when people make such a crisis about giving me thier ID (we’re at the bank. I’m going to give you cash out of an account. TELL ME WHO THE STATE SAYS YOU ARE!). I also hate loud chewers and people (namely a coworker) who does nothing but talk about her kids and her daughter’s marching band. Really. I don’t care. I’m not in HS anymore, I never marched in the band, I don’t care what your fifteen year old girl is doing nor do I care about her competitions. QUIT TELLING ME ABOUT IT!
/rant over.
Oh, and people who come to work or the bank sick. Just stay at home in bed, it’s okay, the world will continue without you. Even Obama can stay at home in bed if he’s sick – I’m sure the free world wouldn’t end.
recaptcha: Court Cherub-faced. Aw.
posted by OkieMelissa on 10-16-2009 at 3:31 pm
@PJ “In the shower after our workouts he took great joy in peeing on anyone in there at the same time as him.”
Ew. Was he showering with you guys or just in the room? I can’t imagine that was very PC…
posted by OkieMelissa on 10-16-2009 at 3:33 pm
1 – I have a younger brother and a younger sister and wouldn’t change anything. Ask me after Christmas, though, and my answer may be different.
2 – mp3 players are cool.
3 – Funnily enough, I’m seeing my high school drama teacher tonight for wings and beer! He has numerous quirks, but was the best mentor and teacher ever.
I think the quirkiest teacher I had in high school would have to have been Mr. Woods. He had a giant Star Trek movie cut-out in his classroom, played the banjo every once in a while, and we eventually got into a contest where we would sing to each other down the hallway and try to guess the song the other was singing. He was fantastic.
4 – I have to agree with many people on the whole “lack of respect and common sense” thing. I hate it when people stand in subway doors and don’t move. I hate it when people stop in the middle of the sidewalk to have a conversation. I hate drivers that talk on their cell phones and don’t see cyclists. I hate cyclists that don’t obey the rules of the road. I hate people that don’t cover their mouths when they cough. I could go on. Instead of blowing up at strangers, I just blog about it. That doesn’t count towards Karma, right?
posted by Jenny on 10-16-2009 at 3:49 pm
1. 5 older brothers & sisters & fine with that but I wish I’d known the sister that died before I was born so she’d be my one addition.
2. ipod
3. I had a history teacher that wore high heel shoes made of plastic. We could not look away from her sweaty feet to hear her lessons.
4. 100% agreement with Renis–I wonder if we’re in the same office? :-) Also in agreement with Jeff with the folks who ‘run to the front of the line’ ERRR!
posted by TC on 10-16-2009 at 3:59 pm
1. I have one sister 3 years older and one 4 years younger. I don’t think I’d change anything.
2. Don’t know.
3. My high school geometery teacher wore 4-inch heels every single day and she never wore the same outfit twice. Some of her outfits were purchased around the time she started teaching in the early 1960s, but she still wore them. It was 1988-89.
4. Facebook obsession. I personally don’t go near it, but I have a co-worker who spends about 5-6 hours a day at work apparently telling people who probably don’t care what he had for lunch.
posted by me on 10-16-2009 at 4:02 pm
1. I have one younger brother 8 years younger than I am. I kind of would have liked a sister as well.
3. My 8th grade science teacher taught all of his classes to juggle to somehow get us to remember Newton’s laws. Couldn’t tell you what the laws are now but I can still juggle!
4. Way too many to count.
posted by Heather on 10-16-2009 at 4:07 pm
1. I have five siblings. i would say more because having lots of siblings keep your parents out of yo’ bisnass.
posted by ac on 10-16-2009 at 4:29 pm
its time i joined in on the fun!
1.when i was a kid i always wanted a sister (an identical twin to be exact) but i have one brother and i wouldn’t change a thing :)
2.i agree with everyone who’s said pandora internet radio. its great!
3. i had a history teacher twice in high school who began every single class with the following speech “Hello my name is Mr. Everett. i’ve been hired by the administration appointed by the school committee to be your educator for today. today is class number (insert number here). we will have X more meetings this school year. today we’ll be covering …… as referenced on your month guide.” and then he’d go on to teach the class. He was a really young guy who wore dickies and chuck taylors to class every day too. He was a great teacher he turned the classroom into a doll making factory when we were learning about the industrial revolution and taught us about manifest destiny by walking around the room and stealing peoples backpacks as he lectured. awesome guy.
4.oh so many things are bugging me right now but specifically i will mention that i hateee that when it rains (which it is here) people tend to walk slower than ever. it seems to me that rain would make you want to speed it up to get to some shelter, i know it does for me!
posted by Lauren on 10-16-2009 at 4:29 pm
1. To have all my siblings living in the same household. Also to have a twin.
2. I was hell bent on never getting a digital camera until I bought one on a whim. Now I love the instant gratification of taking a picture and seeing it immediately.
3. My US Government teacher during my senior year in high school was always singing snoop dog songs to us showing how hip he could be.
4. It’s hard to understand why people almost constantly run others over when they are clearly crossing the street. Most often they are on their cell phones and not paying attention. The world needs to slow down a little and take a step back to enjoy the finer things in life.
posted by LMF on 10-16-2009 at 5:24 pm
@Jeff & TC- I’ve read that the people “running to the front of the line” at construction zones are actually not as bad as we all think they are. Why shouldn’t we use all of the lane space available as long as it’s available? There is a good amount written about this exact subject in the 1st chapter of “Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do” by Tom Vanderbilt. It came out just recently and has some great insights based on actual scientific research and studies (not just rants or anecdotal evidence). I believe it was also featured on The Daily Show some time back.
posted by Sean O. on 10-16-2009 at 5:53 pm
1. One sister and that is all I need.
2. Google. Common, what is better than being able to find any useless piece of information in seconds???
3. My economics teacher in college spent 3 straight classes talking about the feud with his neighbor. He was a great teacher though and made class interesting.
4a. People that cannot unplug. If we are in the middle of a conversation it is not ok to check your facebook/myspace/text/voicemail ect…
4b. Facebook. Common people I have no problem with people who use it responsibly but if you have to check your facebook when you come to my house you have a problem.
4c. People who are so anxious to ask a stupid question they don’t even realize you already answered it. My first job was at Kmart and I worked the front desk every holiday. All day long people would ask what time we closed. So I would answer the phone “thank you for calling Kmart we are open till 10pm” they would respond “what time do you close?” just shoot me.
posted by Johnism on 10-16-2009 at 6:50 pm
1) Sometimes, I think that it would be nice to have a brother. I have one sister who’s 6 years older than I am and sometimes that age gap seems more like a bottomless pit.
4) It drives me up the wall when people can’t be bothered to be polite. If you are going to take up everyone’s time by giving your opinion, then take a little of your own time to make sure that what you say is as polite as possible.
posted by Laura. on 10-16-2009 at 6:58 pm
1. I am an only child. I liked growing up that way. Wish I had a sibling now that I am an adult. There is no one else who grew up the same way I did and I guess that is something I would not change.
3. Had a math teacher my junior year in high school that encouraged us to “ride the trig-mobile.” Thought that was kinda weird.
Had a professor in grad school who had her cell phone go off during class. Her ringtone? A cat meowing. We always thought she looked like a crazy cat lady. This confirmed it.
4.
a) Not a fan of the drivers going 45mph on a 55mph rural highway, in a no-passing stretch of road, at 7:30 in the morning on my way to work.
b) Know a guy at work that loves fantasy football. I’m a fan of real live football and my favorite team is the Steelers. This guy, who doesn’t even know my first name, stops by multiple times a week to update me on what players he is using in his fantasy league and will talk to me endlessly about the trades he is making to get better players. Could he tell me what happened in the real live Steelers game Sunday? No. He didn’t even watch it.
c) I’ve lived in upstate NY for the past 16 years. Every October/November it gets cold and, not infrequently, it snows (winter weather advisory tonight!). What aggravates me? When people, who have lived here all their lives, say, “I can’t believe it is this cold already!” or “I’m not ready for the snow!” In fact, I cannot stand talking about the weather at all. Unless something highly unusual happens – like it starts raining frogs – I don’t want to hear anything about it. Along these lines, I also become very annoyed when my relatives in the South like to gloat that it was 85-degrees and sunny when I’m under 2 blankets with the heat on.
posted by Lori on 10-16-2009 at 7:40 pm
1. I always wanted an older sister
2. not this decade invention, but I can’t live without my phone
3. Not lovable, had a teacher who would put his feet on his desk, spread his legs, stick his hands down his pants and start playing with himself. He kicked me out of his class after I told him he was disgusting and to get his hands out of his pants
4. I can’t stand shopping. People let their kids run wild, they have loud screaming tantrums, order their parents and throw things everywhere. And that is the toddlers! My kids aren’t perfect, but they know if they ever want to go anywhere they will behave. If you can’t control your kids, don’t take them out in public
posted by Lorelei on 10-16-2009 at 8:16 pm
Thought of another memorable teacher:
Senior year in high school, I took a speech class. The teacher was notoriously strict. At the start of the semester, you were given 100 points. Each time he heard you make a grammatical error (in or outside of class) he would deduct a point and say, “Thank you!” Story goes that he was on vacation in Disney World one year and overheard one of his students, on vacation with her family, answer her mother with a “yeah?” instead of “yes?” She heard the “Thank you!” before she even saw him.
He also made us stand up in class and he would individually come to each of us and make us recite tongue twisters while he talked/yelled at us. Never will I forget “Unique New York.”
When I was in college, I sent him a thank you letter stating that his class was the one I found most beneficial from my high school experience, because it prepared me for oral presentations in college. I have no fear of talking in front of large groups of people (which I do now often). Thanks again, Mr. Salvo!
posted by Lori on 10-16-2009 at 8:19 pm
3. If you were not listening in our Jr High Chemistry class then “Fingertips” Fleischmann would come up behind you and press on your radial nerves – these run on a line from your neck to your shoulder. It takes very little pressure there to send most people straight to the floor.
4. DO NOT stop and have conversation in a doorway. DO NOT stop on the stairs. Basically don’t stand where other people have to walk.
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 10-16-2009 at 9:31 pm
1. I’m happy with the outcome of my family. I have one sister who is 4 years younger. I have an older half brother who I’ve only met once, he lives in Germany (my father had fling while in the army). I also have a 17 year old half-brother from my fathers 2nd marriage to a younger woman. I’m 41… so he could be my son. I really only consider my sister as a sibling. Wouldn’t change a thing though.
2. Texting, Google, iPod… maybe I need to get an iPhone to tie these three in to one.
3. Ninth grade civic’s teacher who had been some sort of commander in the armed services, when we got riled up, he’d say “at ease, men.” My 6th grade teacher wrote the “f” word on the chalkboard because we all laughed when she said “sexual stereotype.”
4. judgmental people
posted by Nurse Monica on 10-16-2009 at 11:04 pm
addition to #4
Atrocious grammatical errors… know the difference between your/you’re, their/they’re, to/too… and know that lost is not LOSSED! I am far from perfect, but come on… it’s basic English!
posted by Nurse Monica on 10-16-2009 at 11:08 pm
1. I’m an only child, and when I was younger I always wished for an older brother. I can appreciate my “only” status now, as it provided me with a lot of luxuries in life (no college or grad school debt, car when I was 16, etc.). Now that my parents are getting older, though, I wish I had someone to lean on and help make decisions with them. Good thing my husband is awesome.
2. I think social networking sites in general are probably one of the most influential developments of the decade (at least the second half, anyway).
3. My seventh-grade math teacher used to stand at the chalkboard and try to smoke her chalk.
4. People who try to get on the elevator without first letting off the people who are already on. If we’re on the ground floor, people, it’s obvious that we need to get off, as we can’t go any lower! Step off!
posted by Lynley on 10-17-2009 at 1:11 am
4 – I’m in college, and I can’t stand it when people who get to lecture halls early sit in the aisle seats of empty rows. Then they give you dirty looks when you have to climb over them to get to the empty seats! It’s their fault for sitting on the end.
Also, sometimes it seems like there are people who think Facebook is the only resource on the internet. Like when someone mentions a moderately famous person in their status, and someone comments on it saying “Who’s ____?” I always think to myself, it’s called the internet! Ever heard of a google search?
A lot of things bother me, actually.
posted by Jessica on 10-17-2009 at 2:02 am
1. I’m the baby of the family, with two older sisters followed by a brother. My mom had a miscarriage between my second-oldest sister and my brother, and I’ve often wondered what it would be like if that baby had lived. Realistically, I probably would never have come into existence if it had — my dad wanted five kids, but my mom drew the line at four. But if there were five of us, I think it would’ve been great. It’s wonderful having a large-ish family.
3. I don’t know if it’s exactly quirky, but my 7th grade math teacher based his exams on Mets games. If they lost a game, which they did a lot that year, we got an exam that he made up that was always sooper hard…half the class always failed. If they won, we got an exam that came with the book we were using, which was always ridiculously easy — an interesting tactic that always left us praying for a Mets win.
I also had a history teacher in high school who had us write everything in pen. Mistakes were of course inevitable, so instead of messily scratching them out, he advised us to “draw a positive picture” over the mistake. Still makes me giggle thinking about him saying that with such earnestness — he was an adorable old man who had taught all of my siblings as well.
4. Walking is my main mode of transportation, and it drives me absolutely nuts when I see stupid pedestrians. Biggest peeve is when people walk across crosswalks without even looking to see if there are oncoming cars. Yes, a crosswalk gives pedestrians the right of way, but that won’t stop a speeding car from barreling into them. That said, I also hate it when drivers are oblivious to pedestrians. Look out for us walkers, especially when making right turns!
posted by blink on 10-17-2009 at 3:09 am
1. I have a younger brother, and I would keep it that way.
3. My high school Chemistry teacher was completely off his rocker. He graded people based on how much he liked them, and I do not know of one person that passed a test of his. Every night he would assign homework, and he didn’t care what you put for the answer as long as you put something. At the beginning of class he would come around and check your homework, and if you left an answer blank he would say to the class “that’s a bummer!” if you had more than three “bummers” he’d proclaim “that’s a bumerinski!”.
4. I can’t stand when people refuse to control their kids in public. They are your responsibility-do it!
posted by KP on 10-17-2009 at 6:55 am
1. Being a tomboy, I always wanted an older brother. I had a sister 1 1/2 years younger and we were so different. There were many years where we lived in the same house and never spoke to each other.
2. Google and Mental Floss!
3. I had a Social Studies teacher who used to get stoned before class. He would toke up right behind the football field. Sometimes he would share.
4. I live on one way thru street that is the only way to get from one Boulvard to another (a distance of about eight blocks). The northern blvd is the entrance to a Parkway so there are hundreds of cars that use my street. It bugs me that the garbage men have to pick up the trash at 8:00 on collection days. The street is narrow so no one can pass them; there can be up to 20 cars lined up behind them. They are SOB’s about it too. They won’t pull over when there is a spot and when they get to a corner they block the intersection. Why can’t they wait until 9:00, when the kids are in school & most people are in work?
posted by Sue on 10-17-2009 at 7:36 pm
A science teacher of mine always went off on tangents, but then got right back on subject when you’d least expect it.
posted by Sara in AL on 10-17-2009 at 10:52 pm
1. I have one much older sister (>20 years). I was bullied in elementary school, and always wanted a big brother. I guess I’m okay with the way things are now.
2. I know it wasn’t invented this decade, but I didn’t get a digital camera until 2003, and I can’t believe how much money I used to spend on film!
3. I had a government prof. in college who was a card-carrying Communist (pre-Soviet break-up). While I didn’t agree with his beliefs, a lot of what he taught was eye opening. I also had a foreign Computer Science prof. who told us a joke from his home country that he found hilarious, but none of us understood. He wore sandals every day, and we all wondered what he would do when the snow came. He added wool socks!
4. My biggest pet peeve is people who misuse or misspell words, especially mixing up “then” and “than”.
posted by Tammy on 10-17-2009 at 11:01 pm
1. I’m the younger brother, and sometimes I think it would be nice to have a younger brother or sister to show the ropes. I’m not complaining, though; my brother’s a good brother.
2. Shamwow!! I don’t own one, but I love it for the jokes that it enable me to make. Scamwow!! They put the “sham” back into Shamwow!!! I could go on.
3. Whenever my English teacher wanted to make sure we understood that he was trying to make a point, he would say “right?” At first I thought it was funny, but then I started to catch myself doing it. Oh well.
4. People who aren’t nice. I’m not talking about having a cheery mood at all times, but it doesn’t cost you anything to hold the door for someone, or to help them when they’re lost.
posted by PunKid on 10-18-2009 at 12:52 am
1) Im the oldest of two. And the way my brother and I fought growing up we wouldnt have had room for a third. But I wouldnt trade the kid for anything.
2)Ipod
3)Once had a history proffessor go off on a tangent about how is sister lost her virginity on her wedding night then told him how much it hurt the next day. He said he wanted to kill his new brother in law.
4)My ex girlfriend
posted by CJ on 10-18-2009 at 7:23 pm
4- Mr. K. 11th and 12th grade English teacher. I spent my free period, as seniors we were not required to attend study halls, with him. We talked about books while chain smoked, at his desk, and did the NY Times crossword puzzle.
2- The i-Pod, as now I have my entire music collection with me all the time.
posted by gus on 10-18-2009 at 10:42 pm
1. I have one sister who I’ve never been particularly close to. I have always wanted a brother, and still now sometimes wish it were so. I guess that’s why I have always adopted ‘brothers’ – or men who play that role in my life.
2. I will agree with the iPod. It made me fall in love with music again. But lately, the Snuggie has been gaining momentum as a pretty righteous invention.
3. I have seen otherwise mild-mannered teachers flip over a few desks in fits of rage.
4. People who don’t realize that their personal happiness or unhappiness is a direct result of the choices they make. They still blame everyone else for their problems.
posted by BMC on 10-19-2009 at 12:18 pm