Surviving the Workday

I’m going out of town for Thanksgiving, so no post next week. I guess I’d better make this a good one.

Things I am thankful for: A husband who loves me and tells me so every day. Firefox 3 tags.  My cats. Coffee. Effective heaters. Friday.

Things I am not thankful for: Having to bite my tongue. Windows. Cats who steal my chair when my back is turned. My stupid coffee pot. Windchill factor. Monday.

I sort of divide the links I stash for this blog into three four main sections.

1. Things that happen in a workplace or to someone on the job, regardless of if it is a specifically work-related issue. Behold:

• Police (that’s a job) were called in by a loss prevention agent (another job) at K-mart to apprehend a shoplifter. She had 19 items, including 10 DVDs, stuck in her pants.  Also, “two dental kits, a bottle of cologne, one toy car, 12 packs of Ponds Facial Strips, a bottle of anti-fungal cream, two fingernail kits and two bottles of foundation primer were stolen from the store.” I’m feeling a bit of admiration for the chutzpah.
• Utah Transit Authority Officials (job) escorted a woman off the train because her fellow passengers thought she wasn’t wearing anything below the waist. A refreshing change from airlines, who take the law into their own hands on that. (She was wearing a very short skirt.)
• Some spoiled asshole (job?) grabbed the pilot’s crotch (definitely a job) in an air rage incident last month. The heir to house Hermes is described as “a colourful figure.” I guess that’s one way of putting it.

2.  Workplace-specific issues, such as stupid policies, bad bosses, insane co-workers, and all around crazy stuff.

• An example of a Stupid Policy would be a school principal banning pets in the classroom because it’s not educational. Aside from, you know, teaching them to care for living creatures, giving them something to bond over, being a good way to reward the students, and teaching them about the world around them.
• A bad boss may be the one who told his employees they could earn extra money parking cars at his holiday party. One they weren’t invited to. And a job that their journalism degrees make them way over-qualified for. On the one hand, if I needed the money I might jump at the chance. On the other hand, fuck you Mr. Boss Man.
• An example of an insane coworker would be the paramedic who put a prawn on the face of someone about to be defibbed, joking about seeing if it would cook.
• All around crazy stuff: The Singapore zookeeper who was killed by tigers.

3. Issues near-and-dear to this blog:

• The trials and tribulations of the Madonna of Orgasm Church. (Religion)
• An AT&T customer caught in a bureaucratic nightmare. (Consumer Advocacy)
• A cop with a rare form of blood cancer being fired after using up his medical leave. (Employee Rights)

4. Things that just make me giggle. Like the headline “Obama to Tap Clinton After Thanksgiving.” Because yes, I am that juvenile.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!