QOTD: downtheMALL

question of the day: what's the best part about the MALL during holiday season?

decorations :-) but i wish there were fewer people. that's a horrible answer, but its true! ooooh --- and the gift packages at the make-up counter

The decorations and watching the kids visit Santa.

With the crowds, it's much easier to shoplift.

Even though I'm Jewish, I love singing along to all of the Christmas songs that they play in Macy's.

no contest. Hickory Farms is back!!!! Summer Sausage for everyone!

Leaving the mall. Like getting the hell out of there as fast as I can!!

teenagers. do i need to explain?

decorations and santa lol

getting the opportunity to feel you are the smartest person in the world. people really are idiots. validating that people really are idiots. you can sit back and watch people fight for free, very entertaining

Hot chicks

the post office at the mall is such a great idea, why don't they have that year round?

It's a tie between the ample parking and the oh-so-friendly hordes of people

that it's legal to shoot shoppers

people shoving, pushing, and yelling at eachother - ahh the holiday spirit is alive :-)

the mass sweaty bodies

I did not go to a mall this thanksgiving :-)

Nothing, Cheap prices on stuff I don't need

The people that want to kill me when I beat them to a parking space

QOTD: extended holiday

Since there are quite a few people missing from work this week, the questions won't be asked everyday. Maybe 2 or 3 this week? Anyway, questions return full time next Monday. Woo.

QOTD: thank you for being a friend...

question of the day: what are you thankful for this year?

for good friends, beer, beer, beer, and oh yeah....beer

That I am still alive

cones

boobies!

the potential for new job offers.

my family, my friends, my pets, and finally finding true love :-) awwwwww

Football

I'm thankful to have my family with me and all in good health. I am also very thankful for the consumer driven marketplace and how I am able to personally benefit from people's love of shopping and desire to have "stuff". I'm thankful that I can sit around and think up answers to the question of the day without guilt or remorse while I'm "working". I'm thankful that happy hour exists.

I'm thankful for my God given knowledge that it is wrong to sleep with my sister

i am thankful for the creation of the game cones.

my family and friends

fun times at the peach pit with nat and the rest of the gang, scamming on kelly at the maxx, and hanging out with my cousin larry

I'm thankful I'm missing seven work days in a row for vacation. See ya in December!

i am thankful for the reintroduction of unicorns into state parks and the No Hooker Left Behind Act

I'm thankful for good friends, a good job, oh and FLAG FOOTBALL!!

I would say sense of humor, but we know that's not true... ROFL, Im thankful that I made it though wedding planning...and that I actually got a vacation this year

Family, friends, home.

getting out of [company]

QOTD: sexy turkey

question of the day: what are your plans for the long weekend?

Curse the puritans for inventing this fake weekend....just met this awesome girl last week and now I can't see her for a week. Also wanted to go Native-American hunting....where can I do that? woops...that was wrong on so many levels

going to kiawah island, SC

Anything but working. Hang with my girls, watch movies, fight with the crowds at the mall, eat turkey with the fam, watch football (Go Buffs!)

I plan to eat as much Turkey as I can. I'm also moving.

seeing the family and putting up my christmas tree!!!!!

relaxation and turkey... and putting up my xmas tree

coaching the kids in a tourney down in DC

dating my girlfriend (me: aren't you married?) yes, please get over your prejudice

Vive Las Vegas, Eat sleep and be merry

Eating lots of good food, drinking lots of wine, and watching lots of movies at home. Oh, and no shopping!

Not to be bothered with question of the day!!!!

no plans at all, really. avoid turkey on thursday, i was supposed to take my niece and nephew to the franklin institute on friday, but i don't think thats going to happen. maybe watch all of veronica mars season 1 in one sitting? i would like to go to the mall on friday just to laugh at all the crazy shoppers.

the same as every long weekend, TO TRY AND TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!!

Thursday: Mock vegetarians and the homeless by having a huge turkey-centric meal. Friday: Buy nothing. Saturday: Same as every week, 'naked saturday'. Those houseguests will just have to deal. Sunday: Shuttle the guests to the airport, get back to slobbing up the house.

Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws. No plans after that (thankfully).

I plan to sleep as much as possible in between eating and drinking. Thanksgiving in my family (and the whole weekend) centers much more around extended drinking hours with intermittent napping than it does food. I will be peddling my jewelry at a party this weekend as well. Wish me luck.

My husband and I will be driving up to see my parents in the Catskills for Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving Day revolves around drinking beer, watching football eating deep fried turkey until we lapse into a food-induced coma. Friday is for recovery, and Saturday I’ll be helping a friend sell her wares at a jewelry party.

i plan on eating dinner with my gf's extended family, then having sex (or hiring a hooker if that doesn't pan out). following that, i will finish eating dinner.

I think I'll call this weekend, "Whiskey Weekend." The weekend kicks off on Wednesday, the biggest bar night of the year. I'll steady-sip on some whiskey in an overpacked bar while being amazed at how much weight my high school classmates have gained. I'm eating an early dinner with my boyfriends family on Thursday. I'm sure members of his family will pull me aside and "assure" me I'll be getting married soon. I'll then rush to my family's house for dessert and drink all the whiskey I can to erase any memories from earlier in the day. Friday, I'll probably walk the malls with my trusty flask full of whiskey and watch as people rush for those door-busting deals. I think I'm going to see some bands play on Saturday. Naturally, whiskey goes hand-and-hand with music. Then Sunday I leave for a nice vacation. I'll kick off my vacation just right with a nice glass of whiskey.

xxxx: have sex with my sister
me: you are a sick sick man
xxxx: thank God I don't have a sister
me: so what are you doing really?
xxxx: sit down with a nice bottle of wine and wish I had a sister
xxxx: =-O
me: you are a disgusting old man!
xxxx: so what are your plans?
me: have sex with your sister
xxxx: >:o
xxxx: and you said I'm sick
xxxx: :-)
me: hey at least shes not related!
xxxx: to who?
me: never mind
me: this convo is going nowhere
xxxx: LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE
---
there's kind of a theme to today's answers, don't you think?

QOTD: ethically challenged

question of the day: what did you think of the ethics course?

it sucked soooooooooooooooooooooo bad - specially, cause i did it on friday at 3:00 or 3:30, and thought it would be over by 4:30, but no, i left friday close to 5 because the course took longer, then i rechecked my email...and i have a rule - i must not stay past 4:40 on friday's and i broke it. so basically it sucked

It's crap like that which neccesitates the need to create phrases like "tig ol' bitties".

It made me feel shameful about the way I've been acting at work. I'm sorry that you all had to put up with that, but I've been set straight now...

I thought it would have been better if there was more TnA in the videos

It doesn't apply to us based on what goes on here! Farting, burping, namecalling, cones. You get the idea!

nice. i don't even remember it cause I took it last year.

Not to open the door for a guy in Suit

I can have all correct answer without taking the course. Intuitive

I feel like stealing office supplies

didn't do it.

thank god for it - i didn't know reaching over and grabbing someone's crotch was unethical!

I didn't read a single page. Answered the questions and listened to the situations. Finished it in 23 minutes.

apparently people don't know what COMMON SENSE is? i also liked the parts of the video where they talk about nothing related to work, and the husband/wife team talking business speak to each other.

fu%k that stupid piece of sh*#, i am going to embezzle company dollars and send off to terrorists...Of course, this is after i sexually harass some co-workers...Oh wait, i learned i can not do that!!!!!

I thought it was a good idea in theory, except only the people who don’t really need it will pay attention and learn from it. It also seems to be fairly irrelevant to many of the positions here. It was too long and boring as well. I managed to figure out early on that you could answer the questions any way you wanted and it would not let you move on until you got them all right, so you didn’t really have to do anything anyway. What could have been a meaningful exercise was a total waste of my time.

Brutally long. Not knowing when it was going to end sucked the life out of me.

I violated many of them and quit right before I got lectured on them
---
If you were not asked today's question but would like to be involved, please ask someone who gets asked the question (shouldn't be hard) on how to get ahold of me. Also, due to popular demand, the question will continue to be IM only for the time being. So if i lose your answer one day, don't get mad!

QOTD: as predicted...

QOTD will be taking a brief holiday for a couple of days. Thank you to everyone who answers questions, and even more to people who suggest questions! If you would like to suggest a question, you can easily do so by email or instant message. Also, I would like to get your input on the way the questions are sent out. I have been asking the questions by instant message, and while there are many advantages to doing it that way, I am also finding that there are numerous disadvantages I didn't expect. How would you rather be asked the question, through IM or by email? Please let me know either by adding a comment to this, email, or IM. Thanks! Questions will return next week, where such gems as "what is your shoe size?" and "what is your favorite type of fish?" will be asked. Thanks, as always, for playing.

QOTD: implementation status awareness

question of the day: so what do you really think of the cms?

I love it! We can finally update our site whenever we choose instead of only twice a week.

hahaha, does everyone even know about it? -- cause doesn't only one or two people use it? all i know - it is unbelievably user unfriendly and drives my neighbor mad everyday and i'm so happy i was never trained how to use it

its great, because I do not want to deal with everyday changes to articles

I dont have an opinion cuz I havent really tested it or seen it in depth. seems ok from what I have seen

I think it was implemented to rid the content managers of having to deal with the drama of [work] dept. I think it's a good strategy that will save time, effort and product (content) will be better tested

huh? what's cms?

cm? i don't have an opinion on the CMS. i don't do any work with it, so i don't care about it. :-)

like everything else around here, it will be the "flavor of the month" and it won't be upkept. I hope that does not happen because a lot of people put a lot of time into it. That and there goes [coworker]'s job!

it's ok, just ok

crap

Since I skipped the meeting to practice cones, I have no comment.

QOTD: that time of year again...

question of the day: Are you going to attend the company holiday party? If so, what are your expectations? If not, why not?

Possibly. My expectations are for [Fred] to flirt with my "girlfriend" and have me punch him square in the nose. A good time will be had by all.

I might go. If I do, I expect to put on my dancing shoes and be ready to eat, drink and be merry!

Yeah, I'm going to attend the party. I expect everyone to get hammered and eat a ton of food, especially the pasta station.

No. Those situations are uncomfortable for me. But picnics are ok. You are not restrained in a room

no

Maybe. I have no expectations. It varies from year to year on food quality, food quantity, and band quality. Of course it's always interesting to see who the fool for the night turns out to be.

no i'm going away that weekend! have fun, suckers!

yes. mild orchestra. jokes that are supposed to be funny. [Coworker] showing up in a Suit

I have skipped the ones in the past but I may go this year. My expectations are pretty low. I'd rather just have the in-house one like we had last year. That way we're partying on company time.

Expectations: The best number to be played by DJ will be the Electric Slide and the party will thoroughly suck. AND they will run out of alcohol. those are the predictions

yeah i'll be there - since there is no holiday bonus, i'm going to try to eat and drink as much as i possibly can to get as much out of these people as possible :-) expectations? all depends on who goes.

NO. it s&&ks

i think so. I expect some VP to get wasted and throw up all over another VP's car like the last holiday party we have. At least it is on a Friday this year.

No. I'd have to fill the 2.5 hour gap between the end of work and the beginning of the party...by doing what?, hanging out at a happy hour with people from work? Wouldn't that be better than going to the party? At least at the happy hour you can bitch about the dolts at work, instead of standing right next to them in a poorly decorated hotel 'ballroom'.

I think it's always a good career move to attend company holiday parties. It's a chance to mingle with the management types in your company, maybe toot your own horn a bit. It's really a nice way to help move your career up the ladder. However, since I could give a crap about this company or my "career" in it, I will not be attending.

Not sure if I’m planning on attending the holiday party. It could be a game-time decision. I don’t enjoy having another person’s idea of fun stuffed down my throat. If I go, I will have very low expectations. If I don’t expect too much from the party then I won’t be let down. It is always fun to watch people get drunk and make jackasses of themselves in front of the entire company. The potential for unintentional comedy is quite high. Hmm, perhaps I just talked myself into going….

I am undecided about the Holiday party... of course, I'm generally inclined to go to any event where the booze is free, but this is still a "work" function. It's also always fun to see who on EARTH would marry or date the people that you work with... hmmm it's possible I've talked myself into going as well.

Yes - I expect there to be open bar and decent food - and I hope people dress to impress

QOTD: working for the weekend

question of the day: how was your weekend? do anything exciting?

I had to go to a big family dinner at my boyfriend's on Friday night. The term "marriage" was thrown my way more times than I wanted to hear it. Saturday I went to a Devil's game. The best part was the first intermission where they brought out little kids to play hockey. Other than that, I didn't do anything exciting.

I started digging a hole to China in the backyard. Nah, just kidding! The hole is for disposing of all those dead bodies that are starting to stink up the basement. Visitors coming for Thanksgiving, you know... and I don't want them to discover my 'hobby' as that create more to dispose of.

weekend was okay -- went wayyyyyyyyy to fast -- i cleaned and ran errands the entire time and i still have more to do. and i remember the days when i loved to rake the leaves...ummm, i'm totally over it now.

raked leaves

I tried to place stuff on my cat and take a picture of it. i have a few of him in a paper shopping bag ... and on some magazines.

did laundry all weekend and sunday went to see coheed & cambria where i was kicked in the head more times than i can remember. it was great!

We went to an auction in PA on Saturday and bought a sideboard made around 1810-1830. Saturday night we went to The Blind Boys of Alabama concert at BPAC in Englewood.

I coached 3 hockey games and won all 3.

I ate Cheetos and watched porn. My penis is orange today.

bought dishes for my kitchen and snow boots, not overly exciting

took Friday off and played golf. rest of the weekend i didn't get off my couch; it was glorious. :-) my weekends are generally pretty lame. run errands, make jewelry, watch movies. basically that's it every weekend.

I raked leaves and pruned trees in my yard. Bought a washing machine and then went to a 1-year old’s birthday party.

Played a game of 'super-cones' along the turnpike until those angry construction workers chased us away.

I saw Steam Roller Picnic on Friday night and then partied in Philly on Saturday.

Finished a few important house chores and made my parents happy, felt very nice

QOTD: football

question of the day: what do you think about the terrell owens/eagles situation?

I think that if an organization is dumb enough to pay someone millions of dollars to play ball, they should not be at all shocked by juvenille behavior.

terrell owens can kiss my big black ass

I think that he is the most selfish athlete in professional sports history. No one has ever criticized their own teammates and organization to the extent that he has. He's getting older and demanding more money which isn't going to bode well for his future. There are younger, faster guys coming up through the ranks that just want to win and aren't only in it for the money. Remember, this is a team sport.

Be careful what you ask for; you just might get it!

who is Terrell owens? is he a baseball player?

Just because he finally apologized does not mean that he will change his behavior. He is still trouble; the team is better off without him.

Much ado about nothing

i think the whole TO situation is just really sad. I feel bad for the Eagles fans who loved him last year and now have to deal with their team loosing a great player with a huge ego. and i can even get over the fact that he wanted his team to give him props for his 100th touchdown or whatever...but insulting the QB for his own team...who does that??? -- and not that this is a super important aspect, but it makes me laugh when i think about all the people who picked him for fantasy football.

I think the Eagles are better off without him. Don Henley is a much better singer and songwriter.

he deserved to get fired

He is a moron. My mom always gave me this advice: never bite the hand that feeds you. Thus, he is an idiot

i hope he never plays again...he is a bigger idiot than [NH]

controversial opinion, but who of us haven't complained that we don't get enough recognition (or pay!) for our job, or don't like someone they work with? it's unfortunate for TO because he is airing his grievences about his job and employer on a national level, when really its something that everyone goes through at some point. he shouldn't be given more money because he signed a contract, but the eagles also didn't recognize him for a stellar season last year (or the good he's done so far this year), which is unfair. i hope he can find a place on a team that appreciates him, and that he can understand his place on that team.

QOTD: musical mystery masterpiece

question of the day: what was the first concert you went to, and what year was it in?

Aerosmith, 1987

1997: Tibetan Freedom Concert, Randall's Island NY. It was a controversy in my household because I skipped the SAT's to go!

Well, I don't actually count Tina Turner as my first concert, since I slept through most of it because I was 10. My first real concert was Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill. The year was 1993 and it was held in a gym on the Rutgers campus. A far cry from the sold out stadiums in both of these bands' futures.

cool and the gang, 1983, at the great adventure theme park.

jbht

First concert was The Beach Boys; the late '70s.

some indian concert when i was a kid in 1989, some film actress named reka - i was obbessed with her

first one doesn't count, it was THE JETS at the philadelphia race track, some giant fair or something. i was 10 i think? my sister was obsessed with them. the first real concert i went to was +live+, in 1994, at hershey park (the first and only time i've been there).

dave matthews....can't remember the year....actually, I can't remember much about that day....

beach boys. probably 1981 (I was 6).

I can't remember exact years because it was so long ago. It was either Air Supply with my mom or Kool and the Gang with my dad. Probably early 80's. The first concert I went to on my own was Faith No More, 1990.

oh boy...get ready for this one...oak ridge boys, 1983 :-)

Bruce Springsteen 1985...IT SUCKED

Def Leppard- 1988-ish. I’m showing my age if I can’t remember the year!

my first concert was tommy page, linear and sweet sensation in the late 80's. it was at Great Adventure and the friend i went with passed out from the heat and i missed most of it in the first aid tent with her. whatever happened to those groups?

QOTD: goodbye sky harbor

question of the day: what airports have you been to, and which one was your favorite?

Newark, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Montego Bay Jamaica, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, LAX, Israel, Italy. My favorite was Montego Bay, mon. Drinking Red Stripe beers and hanging out with the locals was a ton of fun.

Airports I've been to: Seattle, Tacoma, Little Rock, San Fran, Atlanta, Cincinatti (which is in KENTUCKY, WTF!!!), Orlando, San Juan, Newark, St. Paul, New Orleans, Portland, Dulles (why fly for 45 min, really?), Nashville… Best food is in Nashville's airport. Best smoking section BY FAR is San Francisco; it's like a giant aquarium for people. All the hippies walk by looking at you in disgust while you stare back through the smoky plexiglass. WORST ever airport - Little Rock, AR. The bar closes at EIGHT!!! And then they put you on a puddle jumper with a wacky pilot that boards the plane asking if anyone else "knows how to fly this thing"? What the hell is that about?

newark,ft.lauderdale,miami,san diego,bahamas,cancun. Newark was by far the best because we were able to set up a mini soccer game right in the louge area, nets and all. We were actually taking real shots on goal. Nobody complained. However, on the way back from cancun, we tried the same thing and the airport security guy cut our ball up with a knife.

ft lauderdale, west palm, san jose, bakersfield, cancun, atlanta. my favorite: west palm. one more...philadelphia (least favorite) and newark

Atlanta, Newark, La Guardia NY, JFK NY, Long Island NY, Philly, Houston Hobby, George Bush Intl Houston, Chicago Ohare, Chicago Midway, Lexington, KY, Oakland CA, Eugene OR, Austin TX, DFW Dallas, Denver CO, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Heathrow GB, Gatwick GB, Dubai UAE, Delhi; Bombay; Hyderabad IND. Like Denver, Dubai, Atlanta

I've been to a few. philly....indy...boston...cincinnati....st. louis....newark

been to a bunch. My favorite was in St. Thomas, (virgin islands). There was actually a forest fire there in the forest that surrounded the airport. They didn't delay flights or anything. When we were landing, it looked like we were going to into a lake of fire. People were screaming bloody murder. They gave us extra peanuts as a consolation.

hmm St louis, phila, newark, O'hare, san francisco, sacramento, cancun, orlando, kona, maui, kuai, oahu and I dont have a favorite, I dislike all airports equally

Cedar Rapids, Ottumwa, Chicago, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Honolulu, San Francisco, San Diego, El Paso, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Boston, Trenton, Philadelphia, Newark, Baltimore, London, Oslo, Copenhagen, Shannon, Dublin, Peoria, Rock Springs, Atlanta, Charlotte, Providence, Memphis, Lexington, Panama City, Paris, Kennedy, La Guardia. my favorite is Heathrow in London. I've been trying to remember this tiny one in Missouri, I think it was Fort Leonard Wood. Oh yeah, there's another one in Illinois, Moline. I had to use Google to find a couple of them. And, I'm probably missing a few more. Those would be the ones from a long time ago and probably pretty small.

been to newark, laGuardia, jfk, philly, atlanta,charlotte, myrtle beach, charleston, O'hare, des moines, phoenix, calgary, missouri(can't remember the name), minneapolis, detroit. favorite is Charleston because you are in and out in 5 minutes

went to LAX recently, liked it better than Newark. oh I have been to JFK, German airport, Kuwait City, Frankfurt airport, I meant,but LAX was better, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Goa, Hawaii. oh wait, Hawaii was nice, very open and sunny. ok...Hawaii is the final answer. Maui/Hawaii airport

PHL, JFK, Newark, Orlando, Las Vegas, Phoenix, SeaTac, Vancouver, LAX, Honolulu, Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, Sydney, Brisbane. favorites would be Wellington and Phoenix, although I did end up sleeping at Auckland, Tom Hanks "The Terminal" style.

I've been to alot of airports, My favorite would be Maui airport. They make you walk out to the plane like the old days.

Haven't been to that many airports. Jamaica was the most interesting. Miami was probably the nicest.

EWR, PHL, ORD, BSM, AUS, LAX, HNL, DFW, MDW, SFO, IAH, DEN, TTN, DOV, TSA (Taipei), NRT (Tokyo), PHX, IAD, DCA, JFK, OGG (Kahalui, HI), SEA, BFI, GYB, 39N and about a dozen more I can't remember. HNL (Honolulu) is my favorite because the plane lost power on the way out to the runway, and had to be towed back to the terminal.

i love airports --- as a child my favorite airport was jfk and it probably still is. the most interesting airport i've been to is the international airport in kuwait, i did not like it - i was 12 and everything seemed scary, and as i got older everyone told me that the singapore airport was the best airport ever - so clean and organized, it was just okay --- over-rated. oooh and the international airport in taiwan sucks. Newark, JFK, BWI, Dulles, Indianapolis, LA, Seattle International, Orlando, Austin, Houston,new hampshire airport, DC National airport, Hithero, Frankfurt, Geneva, Rome, Delhi, Bombay, Kuwait, Amsterdam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jaipur airport

Recent instant messages (sent and rec’d)

“Dude, I’m jonesing for coning.”

“It’s back”

“If I had an elephant for every hot chick in this place… well, I’d only have about 2 elephants.”

“That guy smells like deli meats. Like salami or something. It’s funny how when you’re hungry and you go into a deli and you’re like ‘yum, smells like deli meat.’ But when you’re in the men’s room and that guy comes in you’re like ‘damn, smells like deli meat.’”

QOTD: parking

question of the day: reader submitted question! a two-parter:
1. Are "reserved" parking spots enforceable by law?
2. How much would you give to see someone park in [prez]'s spot?

1) No 2) I'll do it tomorrow

1. No, that is silly. 2. I have parked there on the weekends when finishing up [project], just to feel special.

They're only enforceable by [company] law and Sheriff [Sally] will throw down on you if you don't obey. Are we taking a collection, or is this just in theory? I got $5 on it!

I assume they are, since I've seen emails from [facilities person] on the topic. I don't really care about [prez]'s spot. If someone wants to park close to the building an take the elevator up a mere two floors, more power to them. Of course, that just gives me the joy of snickering at their fat asses... 'clueless' as to why they can't lose weight.

I do not know if they are enforceable by law or not, I would think not- it would be awfully silly. I would contribute $50 bucks to a pool to see someone park on 2 consecutive full days when she is at the office

1) no 2) Nothing.

1. yes, i accidentally parked in someone's crappy reserved spot once when i started working here, and the next day [sally] sent an e-mail reminding people not to park in reserved spots 2. 50 cents. i work here after all.

not enforced by law but how else would the upper management rub that stuff in our faces? $1

I don't think it can be enforceable by law. I would give $20 to see someone park there until an announcement came over the PA

Yes they are because the lot is private. $50 but must stay there all day, even after being asked to move

no, the police have more important things to do than to make sure everyone is parked in the correct spot. $100, but only if the offending person is forcibly dragged from his/her cube and made to move their car. at gunpoint.

3 hours until the end of the day.

3 hours until the end of the day. You look at the clock in the corner of your Windows menu and you realize that there are 3 hours until the end of the day. And you wonder how it is that time can be moving so slowly. You wonder if time is actually sliding backwards.

There’s a girl that sits across the long cube wall from you. She has sat there for almost 3 months and yet you’ve never introduced yourself to her. At this point, it would almost seem a little creepy to introduce yourself. You are separated by the cube wall so you cannot see each other. Your faces are probably no more than 4 feet apart for a good 8 hours a day and yet you don’t know each other. You don’t even know what her face looks like.

There isn’t a better statement on office culture than that.

But she sits there 4 feet from your face all day. Only today she is coughing a lot. Every cough of hers breaks your concentration. You look at the clock in the corner of your Windows menu. You know what happens from there.

This girl’s coughs are being answered in the distance by another co-workers cough. It’s like a mating song:

Call. Response.
Call. Response.

With all this coughing, it’s like being outside in the summertime at night when the crickets are rubbing their legs together, squeaking and creaking. They’re trying to get each other’s attention and you’re surrounded by it.

Only it’s not summertime. And you’re not outside. And it’s not nighttime. But still, you’re surrounded by it.

This faceless, coughing girl who is 4 feet from you, well, today, you hate her guts. And you wish she'd die from that cough. You hope she hacks herself six feet under. And you wonder how long it will be until you get sick. Until you get that whooping cough of hers.

You wonder how many hours it takes for germs to travel over a cube wall. Hopefully less than 3.

QOTD: TRL office style

question of the day: favorite songs of the moment?

There's always an excuse--311

I don't currently listen to any music

Scotty doesn't know (from eurotrip)

"we be burning" by sean paul

Sean Paul - We Be Burnin' and Weezer - Beverly Hills

Anything by ZZ Top or the Rolling Stones

50 Cent - Hustler's Anthem

"Overkill" - Colin Hay; "We used to be Friends" - The Dandy Warhols; "Video" - Aimee Mann; "Big Shoes" - Jill Sobule; "Living for the City" - Stevie Wonder

the quack by smoosh

top 5 of the moment: cruiserweight - dearest drew; the raveonettes - love in a trashcan; coheed & cambria - apollo I: the writing writer; kid dynamite - rise above (black flag cover); M.I.A. - 10 dollar

songs: not quite new, but I like Fall Out Boy - Sugar We're Going Down and My Chemical Romance - I'm Not Okay. I ususally like my music a little heavier, but the state of hard rock is pretty shabby these days.

oh man....anything from Black Eyed Peas, the "My Humps" song, it's hilarious

songs from the wood - jethro tull

I like one by Ludicrous(??) I think. Something about "Fancy Car ... Women and Caviar ...Who we are .....all over the world"

Recent email filters and rules - File under Office Policies

• If day = "Saturday" or day = "Sunday" then auto-reply "Just for emailing your BS problem to me on the weekend, I'm calling out on Monday." Then... set "out-of-office" responder for Monday.
• If time = "During Giants football game on Sunday" and importance = "high" then change importance to low (for there is nothing more important than a giants football game).
  

Hellth Benefits

So we had to choose our health benefit options last week. What a nightmare this is. With our plan, you basically have to gamble on what physical ailments you’re going to get over the next year. For me, if I get the flu or if my eyes fall out, I’m covered. But if I develop cancer or the flesh-eating virus, I’m on my own for medical expenses. Same if my teeth start exploding in my mouth. It’s a crap shoot. C’mon sevens!

On a whim, I tried setting all the values to the maximum coverage allowed. The end result is that each paycheck, instead of being paid, I would actually owe the company $400. Is it just me or are healthcare expenses completely insane? Is it just me or should this company try to keep me healthy so I can keep working? Is it just me or does that rash on my arm seem to be growing?

QOTD: interofffice sports

question of the day: best cones, hockey, cricket, or kickball memory?

I don't play any of these. And I don't watch much. But I can't help but hear comments. What exactly is a "Ziggy"? Or should I not ask?

Cones: When I shut out DA 6-0 in a round.
Hockey: JR backflips within the first min of Hockey
Kickball: [fred] Kicks one way way up and [joe] catches it

The first turducken (2 ringers in a round). We had to give it a name that first time. Good times. Good times. Because it's one cone inside of another, inside of another. A turducken is a turkey that's stuffed with a chicken that's stuffed with a duck.

me falling? classic. [larry] tripping over the curb? also the giant bruise on my foot won't let me forget hockey night

Ziggy shutting down left field in the bbq kickball game was a feat I didn't expect and will never forget.

almost nailing 3 ringers to win a tournament cones match. that, and my shoe going flying into the field playing kickball and almost killing a family of four.

when master turducken kicked my butt....Or, when [fred] tripped [norman]

Grabbing a car bumper and going for a ride through the parking lot on my blades (they will definitely never let us play after they read that one)

Cricket: [sally] batting in high heels

all those times that i got picked last.

learning how to play two new sports: cricket and cones, cricket more specifically, cause its a real sport
---
names changed to protect the innocent!

QOTD: Show your LOVE

question of the day: show your love! philly or nyc, and why?

philly. because nyc traffic sucks

Philly. Why?
1) 5am drunken trips to Pats Cheesesteaks
2) Shows at the Church / beaks in between bands @ the Medusa Bar
3) A countless number of funny interactions with hipsters

philly no doubt. old city, love park, the giant chess pieces, city hall, south st and market st. and did i say the food? OMG

NYC without a doubt. I consider myself a decent world traveler and I think NYC may be favorite city in the world. The amount of things to do - restaurants - night life - career possibilities - museums - chaos...its all great!

Philly, because where else can you buy pencils off of a homeless man at 2 am?? I rest my case.

I don't like big cities

Philly, lots of historic stuff, Liberty Bell, Franklin Court, Elfreth's Alley, Independence Hall.

Philly....cheaper

neither. I like my family room and my tv. The last time I was in Philly, I got lost in a run-down section and had to ask some guys drinking on a stoop how to get to 95. They didn't seem to notice that their building was on fire. The last time I was in nyc, I had to go see "moving out," the billy joel musical. Both of these events were equally horrid.

Philly boy, born and raised

NYC, hands down. It's architecture and infrastructure follows Le Corbusier's model to the T, or should I say, to the square? Plus, bars don't close till 4 am. Philly just blows, oh, NYC is completely connected via a far-reaching subway system...in Philly you need a car to get around. Yuck!! and the bars there close at 2. plus the grids and squares are properly designed....Philly is all over the map, so all philly lovers can kiss my left butt cheek

"I have no answer for this lame-ass question."

NYC
1. Easier to get to (more trains/buses/cars)
2. Largest City in the World
3. Hot People
4. No Septa Strike
5. More City than Seedy
6. Yankees
7. Times Square
8. Tall Buildings
9. Did I mention Hot People
10. Sheesh Kabab

charleston..... but to asnwer your q, philly...nyc is a dump

Philly of course, I grew up just on the jersey side of philly and am much more at home when I go there. My mother was born and raised in South Philly so I have roots there. Old City rocks these days.

wow, well im a NYC fan
---
obviously the right answer was part of the question. love park, anyone? go philly!

QOTD: best of... pt 3

what's the best part of your job?
leaving
Working with EEEDDDYYYY!!!!
There are many parts. Favorite part is being able to work with a variety of people and get to know their quirks
the women
either cones or lunch
cones
Friday at 430 and payday
going home
i can do redirects in 3 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES WOO~!
The overwhelming sense of satisfaction that I feel when I know that I am helping the students of the world. I also like the coffee here.
free internet, free long-distance, free office supplies, and if you stop by the executive kitchen... free soft drinks!
HIGH STANDARDS
learning something new almost every day
i get to go to marketing services often i like the after work games as well
----
Ha, try to ask a posi question...I can't wait for the answers when I ask about the WORST part of your job!

QOTD: best of... pt 2

What is the most embarrassing song that you still love?

captain planet - he's my hero - gonna take pollution down to zero
smoosh - "the quack"
I think it might be a "Tiffany" song. "Could'a Been" I think it's called. It always reminds me of this chick that I was in love with in 5th grade.
Benny and the Jets
Michael Boltons - I forgot the song, something about I love...
We built this city
journey - seperate ways
Air Supply - All Out of Love
I'm gonna have to go with Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Mind
hmm.....I would have to say Baby Got Back
linger
britney spears - toxic
t.a.t.u. - all the things she said
weird al, eat it
I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) - Hall & Oates
down by 311
---
Best question so far! thx everyone.

QOTD: Learning Event edition

What did you learn at the super special learning event?

Answers include:
certain people like to wander around random community college campuses…
That I can take a nap anywhere!
that we garner about 36% of all armed forces’ enlisted peoples test preparation needs
certain vp’s like rice
how to play golf on my phone while somebody’s talking
that the pens that MCC hands out SUCK
XwritinglabX
I learned certain people can’t pronounce easily pronounceable last names
certain people are funny
Continental breakfasts suck. I don’t want to live on a continent that doesn’t have donuts.

Names have been changed to protect anonymity (but I can tell you that the first answer is about me!)

QOTD: best of... pt 1

What was the worst movie you’ve ever seen?

Answers include:
“Doubletake” (Eddy griffin and Orlando Jones), “Accidental Tourist” and “15 Minutes”
“about a boy.”
schultze
meet joe black
son-in-law
down with love
mad love
Pootie Tang
raise your voice
star wars 3

QOTD: MIA

question of the day: really, where is osama bin laden? its been 4 years!

hmm...same place where Bush's common sense is hiding. Neither of the two can be found

He's currently in Cuba at his 'weather control center', where he has a huge machine that makes and aims hurricanes at the United States.

south florida...specifically the keys

he must be dead, because the US government can't be that incompetent, right? guys? where you guys going?

First Hunch: He is in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Second Hunch: He is hiding in the bunker under WhiteHouse

Everything thinks he's hiding in caves or mountains. I think he's on some tropical island where they serve him drinks with umbrellas in it.

He is living in Manville, Under a assumed name: Micheal Bin Monte

How about this? He's masquerading as a transvestite in Naples, CA.

he's in my attic eating crackers and drinking water

osama is shooting season 1 of his reality tv show which will apear on fox in the spring.

if he's as cool as he says he is, he's scoring with the Olsen twins somewhere in Lebanon.

sits across from [coworker]

Osama bin Laden?? What about the infamous Azheet Mahdrawers?

pakistan

YTMND of the day:
http://rly.ytmnd.com/

QOTD: Halloween pt III (JLC falls flat on her face)

question of the day: whats the best halloween costume you've seen, this year or ever?

none that I can remember, so they must all suck.

i saw four girls be the "fanta girls" - they were all super tall and super hot just like the girls from the commercial - it was amazing!

A kid wearing an apperatus on his houlders with no head. The hands on the apperatus were wrapped around his own head. hard to explain. The thing on his back were arms and shoulder with the head cut off. The kids face was sticking out with the arms around his real face. So it looked like he was carrying his own chopped off head.

That's tough, there have been so many good ones. I dressed up as Frankenstein's bride once. It was one year that our department dressed up. At the time a friend of mine was working here. She borrowed one of her husband's suits and got a Frankenstien mask. We walked around a lot that day and all she did was grunt so that no one would guess who was behind the mask. It was great!

one of my favs this year was a guy who was darth vador but had a blond curly long wig and makeup... I asked him who he was and he said he was Darth Vadors sister, Ella (aka Ella Vador)

it had to be my own costume this year: a Kissing Booth, apologize for the pompousness

the fatman suit that [coworker] is wearing, but seriously......one of a bulldog in a chariot with a roman outfit on

My second favorite is a when I dressed up as a naked fat man

Mine, Harry Caray baby