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Oh dear. : A thread about things that tick you off quite a bit, and might even elicit a frown.

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Our Lady Has Left the Building

09:41 / 19.03.07

Today I am seriously ticked off by how stupid my hair looks. Seriously, it makes me look like I looked in the mirror and thought 'this is a good look for my hair'. I'm currently fashioning a sandwich board sign that says on the front "Seriously, I don't want my hair to look like this" and on the back "Rorshach was right!", you know, for the kids.

22:18 / 19.03.07

This is a matter slightly above a raised eyebrow, but well below urg fuck, so I'm rounding down.

My soon to be sister in law, whom I've just met in the fall and befriended of late, has often confided in me (over many, many drinks) that marriage is really not what she expected, she has been perilously close to divorce (with my SO's brother) for some time, and while she once wanted a big family, she now wanted no part of children at all. She's been depressed, she's been partying heavily, she's been really down on marriage in general and her marriage in particular - and this has been our main topic of conversation since we met.

So now on St. Patty's day she calls to deliver "good news" - they're pregnant. On the brink of divorce, she has a drinking problem, he has no job, they have no insurace - but they're having a baby, yay. My SO wouldn't even take the phone from me to say congratulations, he was so unpleasantly surprised. That evening we had our usual dinner with the inlaws that she always skips, except this time she came. She's only 1 month pregnant but already told the whole family. My future mother in law is totally ecstatic (she knows nothing of their marital troubles of course). Every time SIL wrinkles her nose with pregnant nausea, MIL is practically squealing with joy. And my SO and I just played along like this was the greatest thing to happen ever in history.

I know I'm a horrible horrible person but I am just having the hardest time being happy for them. And since she told us all at only 4 weeks, we have a nice long time to hear all about how adorable and wonderful it is every time she runs to the toilet to puke. I'm just feeling like the biggest, most bitter hag about the whole thing. Selfishly, I also feel this odd sense of betrayal. Very similar to when my once-close friend, after crying on my shoulder for a year about how much she disliked her boyfriend, up and married him and then cut me loose as an unnecessary shoulder. I know I should be feeling more compassionate toward my sister in law, but I just don't right now.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

11:09 / 21.03.07

Wow. That sounds truly unpleasant, Ibis.

I just came here to kvetch about my phone line being out (OMG NO INTARWEBS!!1!) but I don't think I'll bother now...

13:36 / 21.03.07

Booo! That's shit, Ibis.

21:17 / 22.03.07

Could someone sort of look me in the eye - virtually, of course - and tell me that the deadline will be met, the electronic system for doing so will work and that it's all going to be ok?

Many thanks.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

01:46 / 23.03.07

Everything at work is making me angry. Unfortunately me being angry is actually apparently quite funny, so nobody is joining me in wanting to set light to stuff.

03:18 / 23.03.07

I recently inherited another workgroup when two departments merged. One of the new additions has to be the most negative, anti-employer and cynical chap I have ever had the displeasure to deal with. At our pre-shift briefings he pooh-poohs every new safety initiative, heaps scorn upon ideas that anyone else has and generally causes dissention within the group.

The trouble is, he's a very intelligent fellow and given the right motivation could become a valuable member of the team.

I have tried every trick in the leadership manual to bring him into the fold but he just won't be stimulated, cosseted, praised, challenged or otherwise led towards a more harmonious work ethic. I find myself now using harsher methods to control him, which makes me feel I'm failing as a leader. Two methods which work best but should only be used sparingly are: A) Excluding him from eye contact when addressing the group - which only he knows subliminally and takes his own feelings of worth away, and; B) Looking directly into his dominant eye from within a metre - a trick which no-one can withstand.

As I said, both these methods are counterproductive but I cannot crack this nut any other way.

Tch tch tch.

Can anyone offer some alternative ways. I am afraid I will have to remove him from the group as a last resort.

Regrettable Juvenilia

10:03 / 23.03.07

Why not confess that you've been giving in urine that isn't yours during drug tests (which surely undermines safety initiatives more than a bit of scoffing), thus getting yourself fired?

Leigh Monster loses its cool

12:40 / 23.03.07

why don't you have an open and honest conversation with him in which you listen to his concerns and criticisms of the safety measures etc, take them into account, and talk to him openly and honestly about what you're hoping for in the group and why--without being condescending or treating him like a herd animal you're trying to break?

Tryphena Absent

12:47 / 23.03.07

It's fine to get arsey about safety initiatives but shitting on everyone else (I take it he's unbiased in his scorn) isn't very nice is it. Ask him why he isn't being very nice.

09:20 / 25.03.07

Who the fuck sent all the clocks and hour forward and didn't tell me?

And what's the point in that anyway?

Fuckers

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

14:01 / 25.03.07

Hah. You think you've got it bad. Not only did they change the clocks while I was on a night shift, robbing me of a valuable hour of sleep, they changed 'em on the day my World of Warcraft sub is due to run out (and which I can't afford to renew until Tuesday) thus robbing me of an hour in Azeroth.

jentacular dreams

14:03 / 25.03.07

>>Who the fuck sent all the clocks and hour forward and didn't tell me?

That's nothing. a few years ago one of my friends was staying at my house and managed to do just that to every clock/watch I own whilst I was sleeping. Even my phone.

Best. Prank. Ever.

17:38 / 25.03.07

That is rather brilliant

22:36 / 25.03.07

Why not confess that you've been giving in urine that isn't yours during drug tests (which surely undermines safety initiatives more than a bit of scoffing), thus getting yourself fired?

But it IS mine! I bought it...

Besides, urine samples don't show intoxication, only history of use. If the company was serious about a workable Drug and Alcohol policy, it would change back to mouth swab testing, which only shows recent drug usage and not what you did during your weekend/holidays.

Back on the subject of my recalcitrant worker, another shop floor worker gave him a big serve this morning the our PSB, showing that I'm not alone in tiring of his negative attitude. I had to defend him though, telling all that he was entitled to his negative attitude and could live in misery if that's what he really wanted. Starting to wear very thin though. Thank god all the other guys have great attitudes.

23:58 / 25.03.07

Aren't you being a totally irresponsible hypocrite though, Sole Eater?

This reluctant employee that criticises the various safety measures etc utilised by your company is doing the same as you, except, possibly without the same conviction as you apparently have, what with the fake urine and all.

While ze's being honest and vocal about hir contentions, you seem to be going about it in a very cloak and dagger manner by submitting illicit pee and then ostracising this worker, who like you disagrees with certain company policies, but doesn't (afaik)submit other people's urine for testing.

Maybe I'm just a very vanilla and naive person though. Is such disregard for company policy widespread where you live, SE?

02:21 / 26.03.07

So, "X", you're telling me about Dana, and how Dana is a total cum bucket. That's the euphemism you used, right? Or was it cum depository? How Dana is a total whore. Why, I asked. Well, obviously Curtis banged Dana, like, six times. Wow. Really. So Dana is a total whore.

I replied, "Dana and Curtis had sex six times. That makes Dana a cum bucket and Curtis a hero, right?"

Don't fucking get mad at me because I can't take your bullshit. Everybody at work knows that I'm not the guy to be saying that shit to. I get antagonistic when shit is said. I'm the one that rants and raves when people say things like cum bucket.

Remember that time, X, when your brother called me a faggot and I publicly humiliated in front of his boss, deriding your brother's management skills and portraying him as incompetent based on his total lack of respect for his employees.

Yeah, I'm that guy at work.

03:26 / 26.03.07

Aren't you being a totally irresponsible hypocrite though, Sole Eater?

I honestly don't think so Llamas. I don't believe I signed away the rights to my weekends and time-off to the company when I joined up. My partaking of THC in a non work situation is of no concern of anyone's but me and my mummy's.

I certainly don't want to work with a person who's under the influence of either alcohol or any other performance affecting drug, but I defend the right of people to spend the weekends how they see fit.

I defend the company's right to challenge-test for substances after an incident or at the supervisor's discretion (bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, erratic behaviour etc) but I fail to see what deletarious effect my smoking a couple of hot ones has on my performance come Monday morn.

My voice was raised VERY stridently when company policy underwent change from swabs to urinalysis. Failing to budge them on that level, I now intend to continue my "passive resistance" using synthetic urine.

This reluctant employee that criticises the various safety measures etc utilised by your company is doing the same as you, except, possibly without the same conviction as you apparently have, what with the fake urine and all.

I can't agree with that. B*** is bringing the entire workgroup down with his cynical comments and pretty much ruining the show for all concerned. No-one wants to work with him. Statistically, people in his crew are more prone to injury than anywhere else in the Port area. His crew take more sick days than any other crew on the entire mine site. B*** himself proudly admits he hates his employer and ridicules every policy change and initiative, safety related or not.

Is such disregard for company policy widespread where you live, SE?

It's a matter of some discretion, but I would estimate that greater than 60 percent have some measures in place to prevent the company knowing just what's in their wee. There's no shortage of people gathered around the mix bowl come Friday night. Other techniques used to foil BB include:

Urine substitution from children/loved ones etc.
Self medication using various herbs/astringents etc.
Urine additives which mask drug metabolites.

12:39 / 27.03.07

10:21 / 28.03.07

Twice Five Toes - I think that's deserving of a bit more than a frown.

Perhaps I'm thin-skinned, but I'm off to go sabotage it now.

13:35 / 28.03.07

Even more frown-worthy is the idiotic response to requests for article deletion on the talk page:

"Notice that every single group of people - transexuals, gays, straights, whites, blacks, Jews, Muslims and everyone else - get the rough end of the stick on Uncyc. That means NOBODY is left out, so it's not really bigotry at all. RabbiTechno 11:33, 28 March 2007 (UTC)"

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

23:05 / 31.03.07

I was gonna go out clubbing tonight, with a friend of mine who's just split up with his wife. But I didn't really feel up to it, and was having a kind of "actually, I'll just do bugger all and hope everyone leaves me alone" sort of day- not miserable, but just probably not the best company, y'know, happy enough but fancying some time on my own- had a couple of drinks with him earlier and left it at that. He was cool about it- he was meeting other friends down there, so wasn't being left in the lurch or anything.

So now it's nearly one o'clock in the morning, and my "chilled" evening has involved me taking a succession of phone calls from drunk friends having crises (the guy previously mentioned not being one of them, presumably strutting his stuff RIGHT NOW and having loads of fun). I haven't been able to sit down and read, or play computer games, or watch a movie or even go to the fridge for a beer in AGES.

And yes, they're my friends, I love them, and I don't hold it against them calling me, and I'm even kind of flattered they chose me to call, and I'm very very glad that I seemed to be able to help each time.

I'm just a little irked at the universe in deciding to hit them with all these various forms of shit at the same time, and on the night I'd decided to be fairly asocial.

Again, I stress that I'm glad to help people when they need it, and I'm glad they chose me and that I was able to do so... it's not my friends I'm miffed at. I love them dearly and would do anything in my power to make sure they were all okay. Just maybe not all at once would work better.

It occurs to me... maybe Saturdays are bad nights to decide to chill out?

12:39 / 06.04.07

"Hello is that Mrs T-? This is Dave from Sovereign returning your call."
"I'm sorry...it's Good Friday and it's not really a good day to be..."
"Why? Are you very religious?"

You SHIT!

(Present company of unsolicited cold callers excepted, of course)

13:45 / 07.04.07

Last week it was warm, all of the leaves were expanding, and the wildflowers were starting (all of this premature due to abnormally warm temperatures), and last night and all day today it's snowing, about 4 inches so far and going down to 14 tonight (-10C). We won't have leaves until June, now.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

17:11 / 09.04.07

I'm a bit miffed at myself, really. Verging on cross.

Starting my week off, I figured I'd hold out on the booze until evening. Be civilised about it, and all that. Then a call from a friend convinced me to go for a swift pint.

Several beers and a bunch of MDMA powder later, it's seven in the evening and I have a powerful THIRST.

This is about when I was going to start.

BALLS, I say. BALLS.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

17:13 / 09.04.07

And I've just realised I left my Killing Joke hoody at the pub.

Bum.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

17:27 / 09.04.07

Someone's got it and is looking after it for me. I'm not even vexed anymore. Just a little perturbed.

09:00 / 12.04.07

I'm getting the distinct impression that one of my colleagues is lusting over me. I think this for a number of reasons, and I've learnt to trust my gut reactions in these situations, so I'm fairly confident I'm not wrong.

This wouldn't necessarily be a problem despite the fact that I don't find her at all attractive. The fact that she keeps invading my body space (something she doesn't do with anyone else in the office) and touching me makes it a problem. This behaviour energizes what would would have been a small dose of squick and transforms it into big gulp of disgust.

It's not a huge thing in my life, but I'd rather I didn't have to deal with it.

09:25 / 12.04.07

If it's any consolation, I expect you're not the only one who's experienced sexual harrassment at work from someone unattractive. I have the opposite problem as I work with lots of beautiful people and have single-envy sometimes. Only mild annoyance, since my SO is dead cool and simultaneously hott, like a delicious paradox.

09:30 / 12.04.07

Yeah, I've experienced it before actually.

It's interesting, when it's low level there really is very little to be done. The woman knows I'm unavailable, and has been sent a number of subtle messages inviting her to stay at arms length, but none of that appears to make much difference.

I think there might be weird power stuff going on here too. She's considerably (decades) older than me.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

09:32 / 12.04.07

Eeeesh, yuck. I don't know what to say, unless she really starts pushing it it's always hard to actually do anyting about this kind of sitch. Much swinging of the conversation round to My. Girl. Friend.? Piccy of the esteemed Boson on the desk?

09:39 / 12.04.07

Extremely cute piccy of the esteemed Bosun on the desktop! And, well, I'm sure it will come as no surprise to hear that I talk about him and the SO all the time to the woman in question.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

09:50 / 12.04.07

And she still does it? Urrgh, that's just horrible. Sorry, dude.

13:31 / 12.04.07

my flatmate's boyfriend (now permanently installed) is singing along in a terrible flat voice, to crappy Reggaeton which is blasting out of the tinny laptop speakers. He also spends all day in his pyjama bottoms only. Time to move.

Harrison Ford, in a battle suit, wheels for feet, knives and guns

13:37 / 12.04.07

Hey Boboss try wearing a nappy to work & see if she still does it then...might work you know, it has to be worth a crack!

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