The Venting Thread

[namazu]

Vent/fretting: Beloved, cash-strapped cousin just joined a multi-level marketing scheme.  I hope it doesn't put her into too much debt. and that she has the sense to cut and run before that happens.

Vent: I hate MLM things.  I don't like sales pitches on general, and I really don't like sales pitches from friends/family who are probably being fleeced.

[apl68]

Today I was walking home for lunch and cut across a storm drain on a corner.  When I stepped on the manhole cover on the drain, it flipped up and I dropped through.  I found myself sitting there with both legs in the hole and the cover standing on edge resting against my shin.  It took a little trouble to extricate myself.  Now I've got both shins badly bruised and sore.  I'm just glad I didn't break anything.  I called the head of the street department and let him know that one of their manhole covers is ajar.  I don't know how it got loose.  Normally they're on there solid.

I'll never be able to view old cartoons about manhole plunges the same way again.

Oh my! I'm glad the outcome wasn't worse.

+1.  That must have been quite startling and sounds very painful.  Yikes just thinking about what did happen, let alone what could have happened.  I hope your shins feel better soon.

Thanks!  It was startling, all right!  I ended up taking part of the evening off.  When I was able to have a good look in the privacy of home, I found that the cover had managed to gash both shins.  Odd, since my jeans were undamaged.  There was a trickled of dried blood running down my right leg.  I thought I had felt something wet there earlier!

I've been doctoring the scrapes and trying to take care not to bump into anything.  Walking helps to limber the legs up.  A little while ago I had to kneel at work to perform a bit of maintenance.  I plan to try to avoid doing that any more today.

[mythbuster]

Venting after one of those tense meetings with students who want to discuss their failing grade after final grades are turned in.
   I'm tired of hearing that you had "personal issues" that contributed to your poor performance.
   I'm tired of this catch all get out of jail free card that I'm supposed to be considerate of.
   I'm tired of this excuse supposedly absolving you from ever attending office hours or turning anything in on time.
   I'm tired of students who can't be bothered to put any energy into a class that they paid for and made a commitment to.

Thankfully, I'm done, and on sabbatical for the Fall. Hopefully by Spring I'll stop being tired.

[downer]

Venting after one of those tense meetings with students who want to discuss their failing grade after final grades are turned in.
   I'm tired of hearing that you had "personal issues" that contributed to your poor performance.
   I'm tired of this catch all get out of jail free card that I'm supposed to be considerate of.
   I'm tired of this excuse supposedly absolving you from ever attending office hours or turning anything in on time.
   I'm tired of students who can't be bothered to put any energy into a class that they paid for and made a commitment to.

Thankfully, I'm done, and on sabbatical for the Fall. Hopefully by Spring I'll stop being tired.

Congrats on being done. I think it is unfair for both faculty and students to be in this position. It's inappropriate for faculty to be judging the validity of students' personal excuses, putting both sides in a difficult position. Maybe it is more reasonable in small colleges where everyone knows everyone else and faculty are meant to be there for the students 5 days a week. But in most places that's not the relationship at all.

Unless there is a certified medical excuse, I generally push students to confer with their faculty advisor about personal problems, and I ask them to get their advisor to write to be saying the student deserves a break. That almost never happens though.

[EdnaMode]

Venting after one of those tense meetings with students who want to discuss their failing grade after final grades are turned in.
   I'm tired of hearing that you had "personal issues" that contributed to your poor performance.
   I'm tired of this catch all get out of jail free card that I'm supposed to be considerate of.
   I'm tired of this excuse supposedly absolving you from ever attending office hours or turning anything in on time.
   I'm tired of students who can't be bothered to put any energy into a class that they paid for and made a commitment to.

Thankfully, I'm done, and on sabbatical for the Fall. Hopefully by Spring I'll stop being tired.

Congrats on being done and enjoy your sabbatical.

As to "personal issues," I've reached the point that whenever I do receive these emails I reply, express my sympathy, recommend they refer to the syllabus for the relevant policies on attendance, or late work, or whatever, and CC their advisor, and/or the dean of students, and/or psych services, and/or the health center (whatever seems appropriate to their situation) and tell the students that people will be reaching out to help them in their time of need. This way, I am the caring prof if they really are having problems and need help that I can't give, or if they're bluffing, they'll have to explain themselves to someone other than me.

[sinenomine]

As a department chair, I'm now getting peppered with emails about students who, thanks to poor advising, have not ticked all of the boxes for graduation. I really wish advisors would just follow the rules!

[apl68]

Vent/fretting: Beloved, cash-strapped cousin just joined a multi-level marketing scheme.  I hope it doesn't put her into too much debt. and that she has the sense to cut and run before that happens.

Vent: I hate MLM things.  I don't like sales pitches on general, and I really don't like sales pitches from friends/family who are probably being fleeced.

It's remarkable that people continue to be taken in by pyramid schemes like this.  What is this one supposed to be selling?

I do hope that she doesn't lose too much money on this.

[marshwiggle]

Unless there is a certified medical excuse, I generally push students to confer with their faculty advisor about personal problems, and I ask them to get their advisor to write to be saying the student deserves a break. That almost never happens though.

I don't know if this counts as a "Jedi mind trick" or not, but I direct them to the academic advisor because "these personal issues probably affected several of your courses, and they can help with all of them". (In the rare situation that it's legitimate, having the options to late drop courses, etc. can be done from the academic advisor/dean's office.)

[namazu]

Vent/fretting: Beloved, cash-strapped cousin just joined a multi-level marketing scheme.  I hope it doesn't put her into too much debt. and that she has the sense to cut and run before that happens.

Vent: I hate MLM things.  I don't like sales pitches on general, and I really don't like sales pitches from friends/family who are probably being fleeced.

It's remarkable that people continue to be taken in by pyramid schemes like this.  What is this one supposed to be selling?

I do hope that she doesn't lose too much money on this.

I guess if there's a product, it's not technically a pyramid scheme.  But it's still unsavory.
This one sells expensive women's clothing.

[pepsi_alum]

I guess if there's a product, it's not technically a pyramid scheme.  But it's still unsavory.
This one sells expensive women's clothing.

Yeah, definitely unsavory.

In my (thankfully limited) observations, MLMs prey on people from certain socioeconomic demographics by appealing directly to their economic and cultural anxieties. The people at the top of the pyramid definitely know what they're doing.

[Langue_doc]

Today I was walking home for lunch and cut across a storm drain on a corner.  When I stepped on the manhole cover on the drain, it flipped up and I dropped through.  I found myself sitting there with both legs in the hole and the cover standing on edge resting against my shin.  It took a little trouble to extricate myself.  Now I've got both shins badly bruised and sore.  I'm just glad I didn't break anything.  I called the head of the street department and let him know that one of their manhole covers is ajar.  I don't know how it got loose.  Normally they're on there solid.

I'll never be able to view old cartoons about manhole plunges the same way again.

Oh my! I'm glad the outcome wasn't worse.

+1.  That must have been quite startling and sounds very painful.  Yikes just thinking about what did happen, let alone what could have happened.  I hope your shins feel better soon.

Thanks!  It was startling, all right!  I ended up taking part of the evening off.  When I was able to have a good look in the privacy of home, I found that the cover had managed to gash both shins.  Odd, since my jeans were undamaged.  There was a trickled of dried blood running down my right leg.  I thought I had felt something wet there earlier!

I've been doctoring the scrapes and trying to take care not to bump into anything.  Walking helps to limber the legs up.  A little while ago I had to kneel at work to perform a bit of maintenance.  I plan to try to avoid doing that any more today.

Sorry to hear about your injuries, apl68. Falling into a manhole must have been a frightening experience.

Now if you were one of the trigger happy lawsuit people in NYC, you would be suing the city for your injuries and getting a fat settlement, depending on who you know. A few years ago, the offspring of one of the local pols sued the city for $5 million, claiming that hu had tripped on the sidewalk and injured hu's ankle. The only evidence was a picture of the ankle wrapped in an ace bandage that you can get in any drugstore. Despite pictures on this person's Facebook page showing said person dancing in high heels, hiking along a mountain path in a foreign country, and standing on a stepladder trimming a Christmas tree soon after the alleged injury, the city settled for $95000. It's always advantageous to be good friends with the person in charge of the city and its finances. Had the NY Post not published these pictures, said person might have been awarded the $5 million that was requested.

[apl68]

I just told the head of the street department that I felt about the incident kind of like a mom whose kids missed Mother's Day--not angry, just a little hurt.

Yesterday when I went home for lunch I didn't go back to work.  I felt like a dish rag!  All I could do was lie down and sleep for an hour and a half.  I guess walking around on injured shins is more tiring than you would think.

Last night I slept well despite the soreness, but had a whole night of crazy dreams.  In one night I dreamed about being late for class, having my car stolen, and being caught walking through a crowd with no britches.  You would have thought I was running a fever.

[Cheerful]

Now if you were one of the trigger happy lawsuit people in NYC, you would be suing the city for your injuries and getting a fat settlement, depending on who you know.

Sorry apl68, hope you're feeling much better.  Sounds traumatic, probably why you were fatigued and feeling unsettled afterwards.  After you get some distance from it, should feel much better all around.

Shouldn't have happened.  I don't know about lawsuits but seems like there should be some compensation for you.  Did they pledge to fix the sewer cover right away?

[Langue_doc]

apl68, I would suggest getting your legs and feet checked by a physician. You could also go to the ER.

[apl68]

Now if you were one of the trigger happy lawsuit people in NYC, you would be suing the city for your injuries and getting a fat settlement, depending on who you know.

Sorry apl68, hope you're feeling much better.  Sounds traumatic, probably why you were fatigued and feeling unsettled afterwards.  After you get some distance from it, should feel much better all around.

Shouldn't have happened.  I don't know about lawsuits but seems like there should be some compensation for you.  Did they pledge to fix the sewer cover right away?

Not only pledged it, did it!  It helps to know who to call.

My predecessor as library director would've just called her husband.  For some years he was the one in charge of the city work crew.  Came in really handy whenever the library's yard needed mowing.  Under my administration, we have to hire somebody to do it.


I appreciate your concern, Langue_doc.  However I clearly haven't broken anything, and am not showing any signs of my scrapes getting infected.  It's just the sort of thing that takes a few days to heal.  And anyway, last time I DID go to the doctor with an injury he caught the broken shoulder but missed the broken ribs and collapsed lung.  All I got to help me get better was a sling and some pain pills, and I'm managing okay without them this time. 

I guess it's a blue-collar family culture thing.  Dad only ever went to the doctor with an injury when it involved stitches.  And when that car fell on him while he was working on it.  That latter incident was the only time anybody in the family spent a night in the hospital the whole time I was growing up.