# Does anyone, ever, in real life....... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948 "2016-09-14T17:34:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/101 "2016-09-20T20:20:58Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Grin! My local (small town) library once got a copy – a library copy, registered in the system and everything – of The Anarchists’ Cookbook. > > The librarian was absolutely certain that someone was going to steal it. So…he stole it. That’s adorable! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/102 "2016-09-20T20:37:48Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > That’s why I gave up trying to read “Watership Down” after a couple of chapters. > > The movie was much better, and also understandable. I LOVED “Watership Down”. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/103 "2016-09-20T21:16:01Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > Has anyone here ever received a piece of bad news out of the blue and immediately reacted by vomiting? > > I’ve been so scared I felt nauseated, but no vomit was deployed, so it doesn’t count. I’ve heard that this is a very common reaction in children, especially those who have just learned of the death of a parent or sibling. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/104 "2016-09-20T21:44:19Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Grin! My local (small town) library once got a copy – a library copy, registered in the system and everything – of The Anarchists’ Cookbook. > > The librarian was absolutely certain that someone was going to steal it. So…he stole it. Our copies of the Anarchist Cookbook are library use only precisely to avoid theft though any one capable of passing university level science course should be able to create effective explosives, poisons, etc., if they really want to. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/105 "2016-09-20T21:50:00Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > The one that always gets me is the thrown cell phone upon the receipt of bad news or a rejection. They would have to be one of the more expensive easily destroyed personal possessions but I have never seen one thrown in real life. I have seen plenty of other tantrums though including sweeping things off tables and shelves. I’ve actually done that. It was one of those indestructible Nokia candy bar phones. Threw it the wall as hard as I could. Back popped off and battery fell out, put it back together and it was fine. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/106 "2016-09-21T00:26:53Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > (Scientology sends boxes of their junk periodically). We will keep some of it for reference in case someone wants to look up quotes or doctrines from original sources, but if it has little academic value it’s going to be recycled, trashed, or used in creative ways that render it unreadable. The Scientologists sent us two BIG boxes full of books about L. Ron Hubbard a few years back. As these were of no interest to our collection and probably even less interest to anyone we might have donated them to, most were tossed into the recycling bin. However, I turned several of them into a large “[magazine Christmas tree](https://www.google.com/search?q=christmas+tree+magazine&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwia4fvemJ_PAhXFWxQKHV7ZAu0Q_AUICCgB&biw=1234&bih=740#tbm=isch&q=magazine+christmas+tree+)” style centerpiece for an office party. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/107 "2016-09-22T03:42:41Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > There’s something about the physical act of picking up all the scattered cards that seems to leave a more lasting impression on late adolescent/early twenties males. Maybe it’s an alpha dog thing? Maybe it reminds them of their mothers making them clean their rooms? You’ve only had occasion to do this to guys? Hmm… ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/108 "2016-09-22T05:10:45Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > The Scientologists sent us two BIG boxes full of books about L. Ron Hubbard a few years back. As these were of no interest to our collection and probably even less interest to anyone we might have donated them to, most were tossed into the recycling bin. However, I turned several of them into a large “[magazine Christmas tree](https://www.google.com/search?q=christmas+tree+magazine&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwia4fvemJ_PAhXFWxQKHV7ZAu0Q_AUICCgB&biw=1234&bih=740#tbm=isch&q=magazine+christmas+tree+)” style centerpiece for an office party. A local gynecologist recently gave us more copies of “Fit Pregnancy” magazine than we will probably ever be able to distribute. We put them out a few at a time, on the 10-cent rack. If we still have them in, say, 6 months, we’ll decide what to do with them. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/109 "2016-09-22T13:19:44Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > You’ve only had occasion to do this to guys? Hmm… Occasionally, there have been groups with female student workers among them. I’ve observed that female student workers are usually better at concealing their goofing off than males. I think a lot of that is probably because female student workers have simply learned how to hide their goofing off better. Guys like to slack off in groups and play group games which are harder to conceal and frequently produce a lot of noise. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/110 "2016-09-22T22:09:53Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > Occasionally, there have been groups with female student workers among them. I’ve observed that female student workers are usually better at concealing their goofing off than males. I think a lot of that is probably because female student workers have simply learned how to hide their goofing off better. Guys like to slack off in groups and play group games which are harder to conceal and frequently produce a lot of noise. Guys do it to be noticed. (Without particularly thinking that through). They goof off loudly for the same reason they get flashy cars and try to get good jobs. It’s the purpose of life. I’ve repeatedly read the assertion that girls don’t dress up to impress guys – they dress up to impress girls. I think that this assertion is repeated because women have noticed that guys assume that everything a girl does, at the most fundamental level, is to impress guys. We think like that because, at the most fundamental level, everything we do is to impress women. (Unless it’s about sex. Sex is more important than impressing women.) I don’t know why girls goof off quietly or loudly. I’m not a girl. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Sparky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Saint\_Sparky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Sparky)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/111 "2016-09-22T22:55:42Z")
My Year 8 Music teacher did this a few times (to stuff on his desk) when he was shouting at the class. He left half way through the year after getting a job travelling Europe in a band and his replacement was a very non-sweepy person 😃 ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948/112 "2016-09-23T16:02:46Z")
Although I didn’t see it there was a (sort of) food fight in the class right before mine. Looked like it was all chocolate powder so it was probably just one person throwing it around. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-ever-in-real-life/765948.md?page=5)