Oh FUCKING SHIT.

[Kai]

Department of biology professor at Alabama university murders chairman of the biological sciences department and two associated professors.


FUCK.





FUCK!





I heard about this just now, and I really have no words.

More here: http://membracid.wordpress.com/2010/02/13/tragedy-at-uah/ if you want it.

For gods sakes though, at least look here: http://membracid.wordpress.com/2007/07/28/academia-is-a-cult/

Bug Girl says it much better than I could. Right now I'm just reeling.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Wow, that is seriously fucked-up.

[Jasper]

God damn.

My disillusionment with academia is progressing nicely, at least.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

wow. he must have completely bugged out.

She, in this case, which is worth noting only because it is much rarer for women to go on psychotic murderous shooting sprees.

AND she shot her brother to death in 1986 but was never charged for it?  Weirder and weirder.

[Doktor Howl]

I'LL TEACH THOSE FUCKERS TO HORN IN ON MY LAB TIME.  THE CUNTS.

[Cain]

That 1986 incident is very odd.  Expect the conspiratards to be all over that, if they're not already.

As for the current shooting, it'll be interesting to see what relationships she had with her victims.  The Head of Department suggests there may have been work related problems, but associate and assistant professors are pretty low down on the food chain, so unless something else was going on, them being targeted doesn't make sense.  Unless I'm reading this all wrong and it wasn't a work related shooting but a psychotic break, in which case all of the above should be disregarded.

[Kai]

That 1986 incident is very odd.  Expect the conspiratards to be all over that, if they're not already.

As for the current shooting, it'll be interesting to see what relationships she had with her victims.  The Head of Department suggests there may have been work related problems, but associate and assistant professors are pretty low down on the food chain, so unless something else was going on, them being targeted doesn't make sense.  Unless I'm reading this all wrong and it wasn't a work related shooting but a psychotic break, in which case all of the above should be disregarded.

She also injured three other professors. It seems like she was trying to all out destroy the department in one blow. Maybe a psychotic work-related breakdown...

A university biology department has essentially been destroyed.


I don't care what my adviser says. Academia is a toxic status cult.

[Cain]

Damn, my bad, I conflated the names of the wounded with those killed.  I need another coffee.

According to the BBC, she was denied tenure by the department.  So wiping the whole department out makes sense, as a thesis.  I've read about the tenure process in the US and it sounds absolutely hellish (we don't do it over here).  Given how many years it takes just to be considered for it, I can understand being pissed off at being denied it and wanting to whack someone.  Of course, wanting to and actually doing it are two distinct things, and should not be confused.

Again, I am going to recommend Going Postal by Mark Ames.  I'm surprised he hasn't already got an article out on this.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

Heh, tenure is about the worst idea ever.

[Kurt Christ]

UAH is one of the three campuses in the University of Alabama system- I'm a Biology major at UAB, one of the other two. This is pretty close to home for me.

[Telarus]

 

[Jenne]

Yeah the Going Postal book came to my mind instantly on reading that.  Americans have little left to live for than their jobs, apparently.  So when that feels fucked, you just blow away everything and everyone you see as part of the problem?  Ugh.  Although, seems she's a bit mentally "off" no matter what, but still...the Ivory Tower is not so tower-ish when it comes to company politicking.

[Doktor Howl]

Americans have little left to live for than their jobs, apparently. 

Obviously.  They're conditioned since birth to think that way.

[Jenne]

Americans have little left to live for than their jobs, apparently. 

Obviously.  They're conditioned since birth to think that way.

Despite growing up with the Nike ads, I totally agree.

[Doktor Howl]

Americans have little left to live for than their jobs, apparently.  

Obviously.  They're conditioned since birth to think that way.

Despite growing up with the Nike ads, I totally agree.

"Wear our shoes and pretend you aren't a fat ass."

That's just to make people feel like they're okay, so they can continue being productive.