Exchanges with People that Make Your Brain Hurt

[kherbert05]

I've run into people that thought Alaska was an island near Hawaii. I get my 2nd graders thinking that - but adults.


I ran into a teacher who thought AD meant After Death. I bit my tongue and did not ask her what happened to the 30 odd years between BC and AD.  (She meant after death of Christ)


Thomas Jefferson wrote the Constitution. That gets you a long lecture on Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay and the Federalist Papers.


 

[Moray]

I've run into people that thought Alaska was an island near Hawaii. I get my 2nd graders thinking that - but adults.


I ran into a teacher who thought AD meant After Death. I bit my tongue and did not ask her what happened to the 30 odd years between BC and AD.  (She meant after death of Christ)


Thomas Jefferson wrote the Constitution. That gets you a long lecture on Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay and the Federalist Papers.

Nah, that was George Washington and Ben Franklin...if you believe the spectacularly dull and impossibly stubborn girl in the AP US History class I took Senior year. She argued with our teacher for a good 5 minutes before he finally got her to can it and let the rest of us get on with learning. Poor Mr. Rasmussen.

[Luci45]

I was by a class taught for adults working to get a GED. The history teacher said that FDR served 4 terms. Excuse me, he was elected 4 times but died in office. Is that 4 terms? I don't know for sure, but it bothered me. Authorities still argue about the 4th term being a term or part of a term.

I walked into a 5th grade math class once. The teacher was saying, "You never, ever, ever divide a large number into a small one!" OK. Maybe this is why we have so much trouble teaching math in middle and high school.

India is a country that looks like an upsidedown triangle - in a geography book. Um, a triangle is a triangle. Orientation is not part of the definition.

The earth was hit by a very large star and that is why the dinosaurs died out. Star = meteor? I think not. From a  science book for kids in the library. I pulled that one with no authority.

I am sensitive to diphenhydramine. It's on my medical records. So I ask the nurse what she is giving me. Tylenol 2. Um, that has diphenhydramine in it so it makes me edgy, not sleepy. OK. Then she brings Benedryl, which is only diphenhydramine. Thank you. I know you are tired and overworked, but I shouldn't have to monitor my medications so much.

[Fleur-de-Lis]

India is a country that looks like an upsidedown triangle - in a geography book. Um, a triangle is a triangle. Orientation is not part of the definition.

I would give this one a pass. Especially with an isosceles triangle, the shape is more often depicted as oriented with one of the sides as its base, rather than on its point.

[Luci45]

India is a country that looks like an upsidedown triangle - in a geography book. Um, a triangle is a triangle. Orientation is not part of the definition.

I would give this one a pass. Especially with an isosceles triangle, the shape is more often depicted as oriented with one of the sides as its base, rather than on its point.

As a mathematician, no. As a person in society, maybe. As and impressionable kid, no. An isosceles triangle is an isosceles triangle no matter what the orientation. A globe is traditionally north up, but it is still a depiction of our earth if 'upsidedown' to us.

[Slartibartfast]

The TSA confiscated a cupcake because it's apparently a liquid.

(Okay, so the frosting is a "gel," apparently, but the owner couldn't just scrape the frosting off and put it in a plastic bag because the total volume of the cupcake was more than 3 ounces.  Really???)

[Bijou]

I was by a class taught for adults working to get a GED. The history teacher said that FDR served 4 terms. Excuse me, he was elected 4 times but died in office. Is that 4 terms? I don't know for sure, but it bothered me. Authorities still argue about the 4th term being a term or part of a term.

I walked into a 5th grade math class once. The teacher was saying, "You never, ever, ever divide a large number into a small one!" OK. Maybe this is why we have so much trouble teaching math in middle and high school.

India is a country that looks like an upsidedown triangle - in a geography book. Um, a triangle is a triangle. Orientation is not part of the definition.

The earth was hit by a very large star and that is why the dinosaurs died out. Star = meteor? I think not. From a  science book for kids in the library. I pulled that one with no authority.

I am sensitive to diphenhydramine. It's on my medical records. So I ask the nurse what she is giving me. Tylenol 2. Um, that has diphenhydramine in it so it makes me edgy, not sleepy. OK. Then she brings Benedryl, which is only diphenhydramine. Thank you. I know you are tired and overworked, but I shouldn't have to monitor my medications so much.

Then how would you know what percentage 44 is of 1500? 
Actually, I was going to bring this up in this thread as something that not only makes my brain hurt, but makes the brain of the person trying to explain to me why this works, to hurt even more.  While I accept that it does work, I have always wondered why, and no one seems able to explain it, resulting in their becoming more and more frustrated and eventually angry. 

[Sirius]

I once had to explain what acetaminophen (Tylenol) was to a nurse.  She told me she had never heard of it. 

[Larrabee]

I once had to explain what acetaminophen (Tylenol) was to a nurse.  She told me she had never heard of it.

Was she from another country?  Its called paracetamol in most places, although I'd have thought the exam to practice in the US would have covered it...

[Luci45]

I walked into a 5th grade math class once. The teacher was saying, "You never, ever, ever divide a large number into a small one!" OK. Maybe this is why we have so much trouble teaching math in middle and high school.

Then how would you know what percentage 44 is of 1500? 
Actually, I was going to bring this up in this thread as something that not only makes my brain hurt, but makes the brain of the person trying to explain to me why this works, to hurt even more.  While I accept that it does work, I have always wondered why, and no one seems able to explain it, resulting in their becoming more and more frustrated and eventually angry.

Well, you got me. I don't know how anyone doesn't get decimals because they are so obvious to me.

On the other hand, I don't get politics and subtle implications in language and in human relations. (My husband, kids, and friends are all more like me, so it works.) I get bashed here sometimes because of that. I understand the Bones (Temperence Brennen) character.

It also baffles me that medical people don't know acetamenophin and ibuprofin instead of Tylenol and Advil, re

I once had to explain what acetaminophen (Tylenol) was to a nurse.  She told me she had never heard of it.

Was she from another country?  Its called paracetamol in most places, although I'd have thought the exam to practice in the US would have covered it...

[Larrabee]

Paracetamol isn't a brand name, it honestly is just not known at all as acetaminophen in most countries!

[kethria]

Somehow someone got my office number confused with a different lab that does paid nutrition studies. My building has never been a part of that Lab and as far as I know the number has been assigned to this building for 20 years or more.

By a cruel cruel twist of fate, the person in charge of giving out information on these studies shares my first name.

So I got the woman who would not understand that yes, there might actually be more than one Kethria out there... (well assuming my real name was Kethria)

Woman: Is this Kethria?
Keth: Yes it is, to whom am I speaking?
W: THis is Mrs Annoying. Why haven't you sent me any more information for nutrition studies. I need the money.
K: I think you might have the wrong number, we aren't the Human Nutrition Lab. We are Environmental Microbial Bla Bla Bla Lab. (Seriously we merged with 3 other labs and now have the longest name on site)
W: But you are Kethria?
K: Erm... yes.
W: And this is your phone number?
K: Yes...
W: Then WHY haven't you sent me more information about studies! I'm on Social Security! I need the money!
K: Again, I am sorry but you have the wrong number. If you tell me WHICH Kethria you need to speak to I can look up her number.
W: YOU'RE Kethria.
K: (facepalm) Yes but I am not THAT Kethria.
W: But this is your phone number?
K: Yesssssss.
W: Then WHY haven't you.......(cue rant about her being a senior on social security. She NEEDS the money!)
K: (losing hope in humanity) You know what? That duty was transferred to someone else, let me get you THIER number (desperately searches online for Human Nutrition Lab numbers and gives out the first Kethria's number she sees.) Now be sure to call THIS NEW NUMBER OK?
W: OK because I need the money! I'm on social security!
K: OK yes I will, bye bye!
K: (Hangs up phone.) AHHHHHHHHHHH! 

[Katharos]

My department has 2 rooms- a regular office room with cubes and filing cabinets and then a storage room with lots of metal racks. (Why, yes, I do work in a Records Room!)  I asked my supervisor if the walls in both rooms were the same material. She said yes and I asked if she was sure. "Yes, the walls in here are double dry wall and in the other room is concrete."   .... That's not the same.

And I was trying to help her write a procedure. I told her to write the entire process first as though everything went smoothly and save the problem resolutions for the very end. Oh, but she was doing that! I asked to see it and she was writing problem resolutions after each step.

I love her but she drives me crazy.

[Acadianna]

My not-so-favorite brain-pain exchange happened when we had to inform a parent that her child (our student) was unable to read even close to her grade level.

Her response:  "Oh well, that doesn't matter.  Some day she'll have a secretary to do that for her."

[violinp]

My not-so-favorite brain-pain exchange happened when we had to inform a parent that her child (our student) was unable to read even close to her grade level.

Her response:  "Oh well, that doesn't matter.  Some day she'll have a secretary to do that for her."

Aaaand...facepalm. How will she get a job that requires a secretary if she can't read??