Originally written by Sponge on 2003-06-20 8:12 AM

I know what you mean RAZE...I took algae-bra 1 all 4 years in high school; I was fascinated by the formula you posted, and couldn't stand the thought of passing that class. Each year the class would be chock full of baby faced peeps eagerly awaiting the day they would be called on to explain the intricacies of mathmatical probabilities, and I was more than happy to share my experiences w/ them; I was like a teacher's aide so to speak. My fourth and final year of this subject, I couldn't take any more, and in a fit of desperation, slowly tore in half 2 sheets of notebook paper. As I filled me mouth and cheeks w/ paper, I thought how this was it; no more teachers, no more books...it was almost as if I was born for just this moment...I began to shape the moist, dripping paper much like a potter would shape a piece of clay into a circular object...knowing this would be me last heroic act, I pulled the pin on the paper grenade, closed me eyes and breathed a short prayer, then slowly raised me arm, aimed, and let fly...surprisingly, the humongo spit ball kept its shape as it wobbled across the room headed for the target...as "she" wrote senseless rantings on the blackboard, the paper explosive found it's mark, hitting first the board, then exploding, sending paper shrapnel in all directions, and coating "her" from the waist up; she resembled a paper mache voodoo doll. The impact took her out of her walker and layed 'er down sideways on her desk, her "cat eye" glasses dangling from the chain around her neck...to say the incident shocked the group would be an understatement, and the silence that followed was louder than any earthly noise could ever make. At that very moment, I knew it was over...all the hard work over the previous 3 years...all the studying...all me hopes and dreams of going to an Ivy League school...OVER! Most of the class were freshmen; maybe 2 sophomores in the whole batch; poor things were now sitting in a stupor, not believeing what they had just seen, and I had to be the one to shatter their world...as "she" raised herself up on one arm and stared at me, I halfway grinned and headed out the door to the office; some of the students actually felt sorry for me...some displayed utter contempt...

*This happened 34 years ago, and I can remember it as if it just happened. A totally uncalled for act, BUT-- the teacher had a taste for brandy, and had fallen in the tub while intoxicated, thus a broken hip and the reason for the walker...earlier that year, she stood in front of the class, pointed directly at me and then proceeded to inform them that if they didn't take school seriously, they would end up like me; she then went on to tell me personally that I would be thrown out of school, get drafted, and then die in Vietnam...well...I was informed a week later that I would be graduating by a member of the "office", and to please remain calm the next couple of months...and yes, I did pass the class, barely! As one can see, it's important not to get too involved w/ "formulas", and even more importantly, remain calm, even when those who are supposed to set an example attempt to make an example out of YOU!