On Loud, High Pitched Noises

[mynameisnotreal.livejournal.com]

It started out with a screech, then a thump, then a high C note at about 110 decibels filled the office.

I was at the keyboard when it happened, but I still heard it coming from the other room and waited for it to stop. After a few seconds, I got up and decided to find the source of the noise and destroy it. I walked into another office next door and there was one of the office workers, with her hands over her ears staring down at her lap top on the floor.

"What is it!?" I shouted.

"I don't know; I'm trying to turn it off!" she shouts back as she is stepping on the laptop with one bare foot, the shoe halfway across the room.

Oh. This ought to be interesting.

"No. What is that noise? A fire alarm? Burgler? Nuclear strike warning?"

"No, it happened when I unplugged the microphone and I'm trying to turn it off!"

Still with hands firmly clasped over her ears...

"And how are you trying to shut it down? Using mind powers?" I had just watched bits of Firestarter the day before.

I reach down and rescue the poor abused laptop and check the volume controls. Muting makes the horrible noise go away. Somehow a feedback loop had started up and was screaming bloody murder. When I unmuted, it came back. So, I did what anyone would do in my position: I turned the frakker off. Problem solved until...

"Whatever you did screwed up my Powerpoint Presentation! It's not working right now!"

Seriously. I need to go play some TF2 now where I can set those who annoy me on fire.