I really loved and still love the idea of science and learning and
understanding the world as it really is. My formal education after my
awesome teacher in middle school and before college did not help me
expand on that desire in the least. I was excited to have a real
science lab class that had Bunsen burners and chemicals and animals
to dissect. Unfortunately, the lab tables were used in much the same
way that regular tables were used throughout the school, to provide a
reasonable ergonomically comfortable flat surface to elevate our
books off of the ground. We got science books that were already
dated and contained precious little that a young anarchist could use
to build more effective bombs and weapons. I looked up explosives
which had strangely been omitted from the book's index. Curious. I
then looked up chemical reactions and explosives were mentioned in a
frankly cursory and unfulfillingly vague manner. All it said was that
explosives were a rapid reaction of oxygen producing heat and gas.
Yes, yes I know that I want recipes. Damn the stupid education system
and their everyone is included one size fits all science. The really
great part of the class was the ersatz incredible hulk teacher we
had. He was overly calm and collected talking in the softest of tones
until he completely lost control of the class then he would all of
the sudden raise his intensity level to just below your standard
Macho Man Randy Savage calling on all comers at Wrestle Mania. The
class would be shocked back into silent science and he would compose
himself into a passable Bruce banner and continue the lesson for
about ten minutes and then RAAAAGGGGEEEE. Everything he was teaching
the Santaquin kids had already learned from our awesome science
teacher in seventh grade so I was super bored and hanging out with
the burnouts on the back row because at least they could tell me
something I didn't already know. I learned that three dots on the web
of the thumb was a Mexican gang tattoo that stood for 'My Crazy
Life'. So the class was not a total waste.
