What happened today that neither pissed you off nor made you happy but is nevertheless noteworthy?

[Fwiffo]

Working in a German company, I noticed there are different types of Germans, but the one that makes me think there is some genetic carbon copying going are the tall ones with blonde hair, blue eyes, and the facial hair stubble. I just met another one and I swear he is a carbon copy of my ex boss. Eyes not entirely open but not exactly squinting like an Asian. Somewhere in between.

 

[Lord Buckley]

Dude, this stuff happens so much more often than one would expect. I've met people on the other side of the world. One time I randomly ran into the same person six times in four different countries in the span of a few months. By the sixth time it was just too weird.

It's the same as when you randomly ask people what birthday they are and the chances of you finding someone with the same birthday as you in a short span of time is quite high. Not 1 in 365. More like 1 in 16 or something like that.

Funnily enough, our accountant was over in the UK the other week and was in a restaurant in Oxford and bumped into someone who left the office here in The Hague to go and live in Munich early last year. The odds of that seem pretty remote.

 

[Journeyman]

I used to work with someone who had precisely the same birthday as me - same day, month and year. That was pretty surprising.

I was also rather surprised, some years back, to be walking into Tokyo station - one of the busiest train stations in the world - and to see someone that I went to university with years ago, walking out of Tokyo station at exactly the same time. If we'd been 30 seconds earlier or later, we would have missed each other entirely. He'd just come back from skiing in Hokkaido and I was in Tokyo to visit my parents-in-law.

 

[Fwiffo]

My mother has eight siblings in her family. All of them married and had kids so it's a pretty massive family. She is the second youngest, though, so time is catching up and one of her sister's husbands passed away this week. There are so many deaths that my uncle was simply cremated without a funeral or a wake. You could say the entire family is a bit tired of funerals.

 

[C0keZer0]

A car slammed into one end of a guard rail right in front of me as I waited for the light. The car did not even break so he hit it at full speed at about 50 mph (80 kmh). I pulled up behind him while calling 911. The driver was holding his head and was incoherent. He held out his hand and asked me to stay with him. That was not something that expected from a grown man. He exited the vehicle and collapsed on the sidewalk. The EMS arrived and took him away. There was no blood or anything but he started having pain in abdominal area. Hope the man's okay.

This got me thinking a lot about life and how I am taking a lot of things for granted. Life is so fragile.

 

[Fwiffo]

A woman was rushing to top up her transit card but before entering the queue decided to tell me she loves my orange trousers.

 

[Lord Buckley]

A woman was rushing to top up her transit card but before entering the queue decided to tell me she loves my orange trousers.

You sport orange trousers?

 

[Fwiffo]

You sport orange trousers?

I bought it last year with a gift card from my sister in law. I didn't know what to buy so I bought this PRL one from a department store. I have a light blue shirt, blue hued fabric belt and a blue blazer on. It works.

It's like that European golfer from the 2000s and every man and his dog has the nantucket red ones these days.

 

[Lord Buckley]

I bought it last year with a gift card from my sister in law. I didn't know what to buy so I bought this PRL one from a department store. I have a light blue shirt, blue hued fabric belt and a blue blazer on. It works.

It's like that European golfer from the 2000s and every man and his dog has the nantucket red ones these days.

I've had a couple of chinos that go towards the more rusty end of the colour spectrum, but never pure orange. Or indeed red, although I want to try that one time, with suede brogues obviously.

Mustard chinos, very English I like to the dismay of the missus and kids. I will be taking these to Blighty next week.

 

[Fwiffo]

This past weekend I was at the stadium and my mate turned around after buying a beer and kicked what he thought was a dropped coin. It turned out to be a rivet presumably to the stands and seats that were metal.

We return to watch the game and see three kids play an impromptu game of footy with another rivet. Then my mate noticed in one of the seams a bolt was missing. He reassured me if we step backwards on to the concrete we'd be safe. When I turned around to check how far this concrete is there were three cracks along the width of the platform.

Oh well, there are worse ways to die.

 

[Fwiffo]

I went up to the 27th floor today to find two of my coworkers standing outside with the receptionist trying to test their access cards on the door. This floor is inhabited by another subsidiary which controls their own access and has their own reception. I said, "Did you get fired already?" And then as we walked in I remarked about the C-suite reorganization our division was about to go through and who knows, decisions might have already been made.

When I finally got in the meeting room, I apologized and said, "Sorry we're late. Apparently we're fired so let's get on with it and let me give my last briefing before I'm walked out."

I guess I have a dry sense of humour?

 

[Thruth]

I went up to the 27th floor today to find two of my coworkers standing outside with the receptionist trying to test their access cards on the door. This floor is inhabited by another subsidiary which controls their own access and has their own reception. I said, "Did you get fired already?" And then as we walked in I remarked about the C-suite reorganization our division was about to go through and who knows, decisions might have already been made.

When I finally got in the meeting room, I apologized and said, "Sorry we're late. Apparently we're fired so let's get on with it and let me give my last briefing before I'm walked out."

I guess I have a dry sense of humour?

 

[Fwiffo]

View attachment 24682

You took a screenshot of my post? I feel privileged.

 

[Monkeyface]

I went up to the 27th floor today to find two of my coworkers standing outside with the receptionist trying to test their access cards on the door. This floor is inhabited by another subsidiary which controls their own access and has their own reception. I said, "Did you get fired already?" And then as we walked in I remarked about the C-suite reorganization our division was about to go through and who knows, decisions might have already been made.

When I finally got in the meeting room, I apologized and said, "Sorry we're late. Apparently we're fired so let's get on with it and let me give my last briefing before I'm walked out."

I guess I have a dry sense of humour?

That's how it went for banks during the crisis. One day you show up and your pass doesn't work anymore. You get told to go to a room, where some guy from HR is standing on a desk, firing people in groups as they show up in the morning.

To this day people still get nervous if their pass doesn't work on the first swipe.

 

[Fwiffo]

That's how it went for banks during the crisis. One day you show up and your pass doesn't work anymore. You get told to go to a room, where some guy from HR is standing on a desk, firing people in groups as they show up in the morning.

Ha - I remember this from a general manager whom I had some dealings with - but anyway, he was telling this story where he had 400 people below him and he had to be in the room to terminate groups of people he had no clue about with human resources and security present.

Then one time he himself was called to a conference room with little to no notice and he thought, "&#$& it's my turn..." He went into the conference room and saw a bunch of his staff, peers, peers' staff, etc. I forget whom he said addressed the crowd but it turned out it wasn't mass layoffs. It was actually to inform everyone that a homosexual porn movie was made on bank premises. In fact it was made in that exact conference room and that the company was digging into the film and its production company to find who in the company permitted them to film porn on site. Said general manager then cringed hoping the leather chair he was in wasn't part of the porn.

 

[Thruth]

You took a screenshot of my post? I feel privileged.

.....still searching.....

 

[LelandJ]

Ha - I remember this from a general manager whom I had some dealings with - but anyway, he was telling this story where he had 400 people below him and he had to be in the room to terminate groups of people he had no clue about with human resources and security present.

Then one time he himself was called to a conference room with little to no notice and he thought, "&#$& it's my turn..." He went into the conference room and saw a bunch of his staff, peers, peers' staff, etc. I forget whom he said addressed the crowd but it turned out it wasn't mass layoffs. It was actually to inform everyone that a homosexual porn movie was made on bank premises. In fact it was made in that exact conference room and that the company was digging into the film and its production company to find who in the company permitted them to film porn on site. Said general manager then cringed hoping the leather chair he was in wasn't part of the porn.

How was the porn discovered?

 

[Lord Buckley]

How was the porn discovered?

Some perv was watching it and then snitched.

 

[fxh]

How was the porn discovered?

Getting a bit anxious ?

 

[Fwiffo]

How was the porn discovered?

I never thought to ask. Someone in the firm boasted about it or was jerking off and noticed his boardroom?

One of the reasons for the cringe was the fact liquids were leaked on to office furniture, but I assume they cleaned it up before people came back to work.

 

[LelandJ]

I never thought to ask. Someone in the firm boasted about it or was jerking off and noticed his boardroom?

Sounds like an inside job.

 

[prince nez]

Sounds like an inside job.

Wouldn't be much of a porno if it wasn't.

 

[Fwiffo]

Ever since our company's reorganization was announced earlier this year, every person who talks to me from head office in e-mail subsequently adds me on LinkedIn. That's people I knew before or new people I've yet to make contact. I find the whole situation crass. I've been on LinkedIn before I even joined this firm and people ignored me for half a decade.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

Apparently our lives are so intertwined and we're so comfortable with each other that it's impossible to explain me to any potential boyfriend, suitor, husband.

Sounds like she's setting you up for the live-in cuckold position with added financial rewards for her and any lovers she takes. Time to move on and terminate all contact immediately.

 

[Fwiffo]

Sounds like she's setting you up for the live-in cuckold position with added financial rewards for her and any lovers she takes. Time to move on and terminate all contact immediately.

I don't even remember which woman I was referring to.

 

[Kingstonian]

My mother has eight siblings in her family. All of them married and had kids so it's a pretty massive family. She is the second youngest, though, so time is catching up and one of her sister's husbands passed away this week. There are so many deaths that my uncle was simply cremated without a funeral or a wake. You could say the entire family is a bit tired of funerals.

Big families are good.

No Muslim problem if we all still had big families.

My fathers family were never in the same house together. The oldest kids had already emigrated.

Not a fan of cremations. Too Protestant.

 

[Fwiffo]

Big families are good.
No Muslim problem if we all still had big families.
My fathers family were never in the same house together. The oldest kids had already emigrated.
Not a fan of cremations. Too Protestant.

My mother's family was what you would call land owning gentry so they had the big house and farm and certain children were paired up and sent to live with a nanny somewhere. They would congregate at the family home a couple times a year.

My brother decided we were Anglican when he held his wedding at an Anglican church. My mother's relatives seem to seek out Catholic priests for their funerals although I'm 99% sure none of them are devout Christians much less Catholic. My father went to Catholic school but I reckon that was only because of the education not because of any religious belief. He's an atheist.

 

[Fwiffo]

After the footy game, I dragged my mate and his girlfriend to go celebrate at a supporters' pub. We killed two more hours before taking the train home. I decided to stop by the local pub for another hour for some food and drink. Good thing I did because my parents' neighbour had an adult son who returned home and started tossing bricks at surrounding houses. He was trespassing into other people's yards, threatening and belligerent to such a degree that someone called the police. If I didn't kill time at the pub, I'd probably walk right into the brick tantrum.

This morning we learnt the son is committed to an institution now.

 

[Grand Potentate]

After the footy game, I dragged my mate and his girlfriend to go celebrate at a supporters' pub. We killed two more hours before taking the train home. I decided to stop by the local pub for another hour for some food and drink. Good thing I did because my parents' neighbour had an adult son who returned home and started tossing bricks at surrounding houses. He was trespassing into other people's yards, threatening and belligerent to such a degree that someone called the police. If I didn't kill time at the pub, I'd probably walk right into the brick tantrum.

This morning we learnt the son is committed to an institution now.

jesus. what was wrong with him?

 

[Fwiffo]

jesus. what was wrong with him?

Schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Apparently he graduated uni, started his working life out west. Moved to California. Seems to have ran into lots of mental issues and unable to hold down a job. Father wanted to fly him back and drive his car back to Canada but he acted up on the plane and they had to prematurely land.

Not sure really what precipitated it - sucks to have a son and he becomes mental after you think you've finished your paternal obligations.

He carefully left bricks along the top of our shared fence at specific intervals. Some bricks were covered in some mixture that I think he was trying to light up. Luckily only pegged one of our windows. Busted up our garage door that we just replaced two months ago.

 

[Fwiffo]

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/health/social-anxiety-holidays-party-season-1.4465811

Do I have social anxiety too?

 

[Fwiffo]

At last night's party, I met some new people which started a chain of questions from them about what I do for work, so on and so forth to find out who I was. I realised I never asked them any questions in return because quite frankly I didn't give a toss who they were so the rest of the conversation was me using their questions to talk about myself and sharing some of my stories. At some point I asked in the back of my mind whether I was being rude showing complete lack of interest in the other party. I was in love with my own voice talking about me. Am I really a self-absorbed narcissist?

 

[Fwiffo]

Another round of promotions at work and I came to the realisation that I will never get promoted if my boss doesn't stay for more than 2 or 3 performance periods. You know it's time to move on when people who started at the same level as you or below you are at your level or move past you; when your boss or bosses fast become your age or younger than you.

The good thing is my likely one and only mate at work finally got to my level and I decided to give him my $478 Glenfiddich 21 Gran Reserva that one of my first bosses got me. I reckon the only time I'd open it is for something momentous like getting promoted or getting married but every year those things seem to slip further and further away. It ought to go to someone who has something to celebrate before time is up.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

Another round of promotions at work and I came to the realisation that I will never get promoted if my boss doesn't stay for more than 2 or 3 performance periods. You know it's time to move on when people who started at the same level as you or below you are at your level or move past you; when your boss or bosses fast become your age or younger than you.

The good thing is my likely one and only mate at work finally got to my level and I decided to give him my $478 Glenfiddich 21 Gran Reserva that one of my first bosses got me. I reckon the only time I'd open it is for something momentous like getting promoted or getting married but every year those things seem to slip further and further away. It ought to go to someone who has something to celebrate before time is up.

Never had to deal with a boss that was younger than me. Not sure I would like that. Even with the clients, very rare do I deal with anyone at the management level younger than me.

At least you have mates at work, it's lonely at the top when you're the corporate face and when you do take your colleagues out for a meal and a drink, it's all stale and staged managed. I long for the days when the sense of mission and esprit de corps could be delivered by going out and getting right royally rat arsed on the company pay cheque.

 

[Fwiffo]

Never had to deal with a boss that was younger than me. Not sure I would like that. Even with the clients, very rare do I deal with anyone at the management level younger than me.

At least you have mates at work, it's lonely at the top when you're the corporate face and when you do take your colleagues out for a meal and a drink, it's all stale and staged managed. I long for the days when the sense of mission and esprit de corps could be delivered by going out and getting right royally rat arsed on the company pay cheque.

Mate. Singular. I can only see myself keeping in touch with one. Anyway, I dropped off my congratulatory gift. I know he was always bitter whenever he moved up then I moved up. But we are finally even now.

The staff - I will always keep in touch with my staff but that's more of a paternal relationship: giving recommendations, putting them in touch with people, dispensing career advice, etc.

I reckon my boss is born the same year as me. I think his birthday is earlier than mine because one time he brought pastries and cakes for the staff. Who celebrates his own birthday?

 

[Fwiffo]

My firm's social media policy says if your social media account is linked to the firm (as in I work there in the profile), you can't post photographs of yourself and your coworkers even if it's outside of the office. You definitely can't post any photographs of things happening in the office or company sanctioned events outside of the office.

Then someone asked what if his spouse posted a photograph of him and a coworker on her social media account? He was recommended to get a divorce so the firm's reputation can be safeguarded.

 

[Fwiffo]

Telephone call happening one cubicle away.

Brown guy: Yes I'm Indian.
Telephone brown guy: ......
Brown guy: Yes I'm actually in the office here in Canada.
Telephone brown guy: ......
Brown guy: Yes, there are Indians in Canada.
Telephone brown guy: ......
Brown guy: Me? Oh my family is originally from Gujarat but I was born in Tanzania.
Telephone brown guy: ......
Brown guy: Yes I've been to India too.

 

[Fwiffo]

What did I do in the past hour?

Text message with my lady friend till she went to bed.
Write back to my birthday wish e-mail to my retired female bartender.
Reply to my Caribbean female coworker.
Send iMessages to my ex staff in Jersey. Also female.

I just realised I spent an hour writing or replying to women. Zero men.

 

[viaattovannucci]

What did I do in the past hour?

Text message with my lady friend till she went to bed.
Write back to my birthday wish e-mail to my retired female bartender.
Reply to my Caribbean female coworker.
Send iMessages to my ex staff in Jersey. Also female.

I just realised I spent an hour writing or replying to women. Zero men.

What has this world come to?!!

 

[Fwiffo]

I'm sorry I haven't been posting much in the forums lately. I've grown tired of the news headlines these days which seem to be divisive politics, North Korea and/or Syria, #metoo, or some social issue that you would have thought was resolved ages ago (gender discrimination, racism, gun control, etc.).

The more I read, the more things seem the same.