Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13253100 times)

arebelspy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11800 on: January 16, 2016, 03:11:09 PM »
To be fair, it's generally a good idea as a moderator to always check the context for any report you get.

I've... seen a lot of very one sided moderation reports in my years as a moderator (not here) ;-)  The "report to moderators" functionality can be a pretty effective tool if moderators do not check context.

We do look at context.  Have no fear on that count.

(Side note though: context does not equate to "someone else was rude, so I'm being rude back.")

And we also rarely (almost never?) straight out delete posts, or edit them to remove content.  We use the strikethrough, so the words are still there.  Not censored, just made clear they aren't appropriate.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11801 on: January 16, 2016, 04:49:10 PM »
To be fair, it's generally a good idea as a moderator to always check the context for any report you get.

I've... seen a lot of very one sided moderation reports in my years as a moderator (not here) ;-)  The "report to moderators" functionality can be a pretty effective tool if moderators do not check context.

We do look at context.  Have no fear on that count.

(Side note though: context does not equate to "someone else was rude, so I'm being rude back.")

And we also rarely (almost never?) straight out delete posts, or edit them to remove content.  We use the strikethrough, so the words are still there.  Not censored, just made clear they aren't appropriate.

I never learned to read strikethrough :-(

arebelspy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11802 on: January 16, 2016, 05:02:42 PM »
To be fair, it's generally a good idea as a moderator to always check the context for any report you get.

I've... seen a lot of very one sided moderation reports in my years as a moderator (not here) ;-)  The "report to moderators" functionality can be a pretty effective tool if moderators do not check context.

We do look at context.  Have no fear on that count.

(Side note though: context does not equate to "someone else was rude, so I'm being rude back.")

And we also rarely (almost never?) straight out delete posts, or edit them to remove content.  We use the strikethrough, so the words are still there.  Not censored, just made clear they aren't appropriate.

I never learned to read strikethrough :-(

Hit quote and read without, or copy/paste it to notepad.

;)
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11803 on: January 16, 2016, 05:44:17 PM »
To be fair, it's generally a good idea as a moderator to always check the context for any report you get.

I've... seen a lot of very one sided moderation reports in my years as a moderator (not here) ;-)  The "report to moderators" functionality can be a pretty effective tool if moderators do not check context.

We do look at context.  Have no fear on that count.

(Side note though: context does not equate to "someone else was rude, so I'm being rude back.")

And we also rarely (almost never?) straight out delete posts, or edit them to remove content.  We use the strikethrough, so the words are still there.  Not censored, just made clear they aren't appropriate.

I never learned to read strikethrough :-(

Hit quote and read without, or copy/paste it to notepad.

;)

I had to highlight and right-click.. Chrome will display "search for..." option.  But it's still a pain.

Don't get me started on red text... incomprehensible

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11804 on: January 16, 2016, 09:19:28 PM »
Wait a minute -- frugalnacho got moderated:
...
But Gin1984 did not???

That's right.

Frugalnacho's post was reported.  Gin's was not. 

Do you think that the volunteer moderators read every post on the forums?

We don't.  That would be more than a full time job for more than one person.

If we happen to notice something breaking forum rules as we casually browse the forums for our own entertainment, we'll correct it, or we'll take a look at something if it's pointed out to us.

You can be helpful, with regards to the moderation (click the "report to moderator" button on the bottom left of every single post if you see something breaking forum rules), or ignore it, but complaining about unpaid mods missing something probably won't get you very far. ;)

Yea wait, I got reported for that?  I thought it was obvious it was a joke.  I mean I don't lean very far in either direction, it was just an opportunistic joke. Apparently you can't be a conservative AND have a sense of humor.

ender

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11805 on: January 16, 2016, 09:39:04 PM »
Yea wait, I got reported for that?  I thought it was obvious it was a joke.  I mean I don't lean very far in either direction, it was just an opportunistic joke. Apparently you can't be a conservative AND have a sense of humor.

Why would it be obviously a joke? Even what you wrote here comes across as a backhanded insult and "self moderating" (if you can call it that) doesn't really help.

The way to self moderate is to not say things other people find offensive.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2016, 09:40:54 PM by ender »

AllieVaulter

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11806 on: January 16, 2016, 11:42:01 PM »
Yea wait, I got reported for that?  I thought it was obvious it was a joke.  I mean I don't lean very far in either direction, it was just an opportunistic joke. Apparently you can't be a conservative AND have a sense of humor.

Why would it be obviously a joke? Even what you wrote here comes across as a backhanded insult and "self moderating" (if you can call it that) doesn't really help.

The way to self moderate is to not say things other people find offensive.

I assumed it was a joke, and I even laughed.  :)  But as someone who doesn't identify as Democrat or Republican, maybe I just have less skin in the game. 

I would agree that people should try to be respectful of others.  But if people honestly try not to offend anyone...  Nothing would ever be said.  And then someone would be offended by the silence.  At the ripe old age of 31 I'm pretty confident in my assessment that much of the world's problems stem from our over-readiness, even over-eagerness to be offended. 

Back on topic:  The other day, a friend (who works in STEM) bought $90 worth of Powerball tickets because "Someone has to win".  (at this point in the story I'm already shaking my head)  Then he tells me he did win!  He won $11.  So he bought a bottle of Champagne. 

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11807 on: January 17, 2016, 12:35:14 AM »
Yea wait, I got reported for that?  I thought it was obvious it was a joke.  I mean I don't lean very far in either direction, it was just an opportunistic joke. Apparently you can't be a conservative AND have a sense of humor.

Why would it be obviously a joke? Even what you wrote here comes across as a backhanded insult and "self moderating" (if you can call it that) doesn't really help.

The way to self moderate is to not say things other people find offensive.

Because it is out of character for me.  I don't think I have strong political leanings one way or the other, and I haven't been participating in the discussion bashing either side at any point in the thread.  I thought it was obvious as a joke because oinkette was clearly (to me at least) having some dissonance with someone simultaneously being a racist and a good person, and  I agreed with her, and then put in a twist that you probably weren't expecting.  That was the joke. Even after I explained it and expressed my intent was not malice you seemed not to get the second joke, which is LITERALLY the same joke.  I even took the liberty of striking it out so that it wouldn't be misinterpreted again.

Some people get offended way too easily.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11808 on: January 17, 2016, 12:50:21 AM »
Yea wait, I got reported for that?  I thought it was obvious it was a joke.  I mean I don't lean very far in either direction, it was just an opportunistic joke. Apparently you can't be a conservative AND have a sense of humor.

Why would it be obviously a joke? Even what you wrote here comes across as a backhanded insult and "self moderating" (if you can call it that) doesn't really help.

The way to self moderate is to not say things other people find offensive.

This is why I like trump so much...dude never says anything offensive

arebelspy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11809 on: January 17, 2016, 02:56:46 AM »
Yea wait, I got reported for that?  I thought it was obvious it was a joke.  I mean I don't lean very far in either direction, it was just an opportunistic joke. Apparently you can't be a conservative AND have a sense of humor.

Why would it be obviously a joke? Even what you wrote here comes across as a backhanded insult and "self moderating" (if you can call it that) doesn't really help.

The way to self moderate is to not say things other people find offensive.

This is why I like trump so much...dude never says anything offensive

I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11810 on: January 17, 2016, 03:56:51 AM »
Yea wait, I got reported for that?  I thought it was obvious it was a joke.  I mean I don't lean very far in either direction, it was just an opportunistic joke. Apparently you can't be a conservative AND have a sense of humor.

Why would it be obviously a joke? Even what you wrote here comes across as a backhanded insult and "self moderating" (if you can call it that) doesn't really help.

The way to self moderate is to not say things other people find offensive.

This is why I like trump so much...dude never says anything offensive



Ok I had to stop and say this

YES DANGER FIVE!

*cough* Ahem. Anyway...

I had a coworker who thought that if you didn't have two TVs minimum in your house you were 'failing at life'.

I've also been hearing a lot of 'you need a minimum of a million to retire, two if you want to be comfortable!' statements lately. I sort of inwardly cringe at these comments, I don't know what to say beyond laughing and saying 'yeah as if I'll retire any time soon!'... which isn't a lie, but it seems quite close to it.

Kitsune

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11811 on: January 17, 2016, 08:13:31 AM »
Yea wait, I got reported for that?  I thought it was obvious it was a joke.  I mean I don't lean very far in either direction, it was just an opportunistic joke. Apparently you can't be a conservative AND have a sense of humor.

Why would it be obviously a joke? Even what you wrote here comes across as a backhanded insult and "self moderating" (if you can call it that) doesn't really help.

The way to self moderate is to not say things other people find offensive.

This is why I like trump so much...dude never says anything offensive



Ok I had to stop and say this

YES DANGER FIVE!

*cough* Ahem. Anyway...

I had a coworker who thought that if you didn't have two TVs minimum in your house you were 'failing at life'.

I've also been hearing a lot of 'you need a minimum of a million to retire, two if you want to be comfortable!' statements lately. I sort of inwardly cringe at these comments, I don't know what to say beyond laughing and saying 'yeah as if I'll retire any time soon!'... which isn't a lie, but it seems quite close to it.

... If I spend enough time watching TV to MERIT two tvs in my house, I'll feel I've failed at life.

LeRainDrop

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11812 on: January 17, 2016, 08:50:40 AM »
I've also been hearing a lot of 'you need a minimum of a million to retire, two if you want to be comfortable!' statements lately. I sort of inwardly cringe at these comments, I don't know what to say beyond laughing and saying 'yeah as if I'll retire any time soon!'... which isn't a lie, but it seems quite close to it.

Yes, for the last huge Powerball drawing, a dozen colleagues and I agreed to do a small pool.  A few of us said we had never played the lottery before, and for others, this was like their second or third time.  (Good so far.)  So we did not win the jackpot.  (Shocker.)  But we did win a measly $4, and decided to just buy a couple entries in the next drawing, rather than distribute 31 cents to each person.  Some of us were in a pretty joking conversation like, "I don't know, the next drawing is just $40 million.  Once we divide that up, it's like not even worth it!  Haha!"  Then it turned serious, and CW1 was like, "I could retire on $2 million."  And I said, "I would definitely retire if I got even $1 million."  CW1 did some calculations in her head and said, "That's just $55k per year.  You could live on $55k per year?"  And I'm like, "Definitely!  There's NO WAY that I could spend more than $55k per year!"  CW1 thought about it and resignedly said, "No, I would need at least a little more than that."  CW2 chimed in to agree with me that $55k per year is plenty to retire on.  But then CW3 (who does have a chronic health condition) chimed in that she would need to keep working for the health insurance.  And then once people realized you'd need to pay for healthcare after retirement, most everyone resigned that they couldn't retire on $1 or 2 million.  (Suckers.)

Later, each of us are in the process of setting our professional goals/plan that we need to submit to our boss.  CW4 comes to me, and we are struggling with what to write.  We agree that our honest goals would be to just do a good job, sock away money, and retire by age 40.  Of course, those are not acceptable things to write.  /It goes without saying that EVERYONE's goal is to make partner and work here forever, right?/
« Last Edit: January 17, 2016, 08:54:11 AM by LeRainDrop »

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11813 on: January 17, 2016, 10:18:27 AM »
retire by age 40.  Of course, those are not acceptable things to write.  /It goes without saying that EVERYONE's goal is to make partner and work here forever, right?/

I don't know your work environment, but I would be wary of telling people there that you plan to retire early. Bosses generally want people that are dependent on their job as they know that they are going to get more utility out of them.

LeRainDrop

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11814 on: January 17, 2016, 10:23:24 AM »
retire by age 40.  Of course, those are not acceptable things to write.  /It goes without saying that EVERYONE's goal is to make partner and work here forever, right?/

I don't know your work environment, but I would be wary of telling people there that you plan to retire early. Bosses generally want people that are dependent on their job as they know that they are going to get more utility out of them.

Oh, no doubt, I hear that.  There are three of us who are very close and have no problem sharing this type of goal with the other two.  Outwardly, we must project the partnership track -- hence, why we cannot write our true goals on our professional plan.  But honestly, two of us are at the point where we kind of don't care about concealing the goal all that much -- we would be completely fine moving on from here now, whether to take a break from work or to work elsewhere.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11815 on: January 17, 2016, 11:17:30 AM »

From my understanding, that was only because a nurse noticed the problem; and after all, what could she know about medical science!

Incorrect. It was a doctor who championed this advice. Ignaz Semmelweis. It was met with considerable resistance and ridicule because the medical cocommunity wasn't willing to consider that they could be directly responsible for the deaths of patients and the spread of infections.

RyanAtTanagra

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11816 on: January 18, 2016, 10:54:30 AM »
I thought it was obvious it was a joke.

It was, I laughed.  Though to be fair, it's hard to read sarcasm over text.  But to be even more fair, that was pretty obvious sarcasm (to me).

MishMash

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11817 on: January 18, 2016, 12:44:13 PM »
More of an oversaw at work.  So for the last couple of years I've seen this very pricey BMW in the parking lot, the specialty license plate is O mst Go and the rear end is covered in Obama is an illegal immigrant, NObama (and more recently pro donald trump stickers).  For years I've been mentally profiling the owner without realizing it as the plethora of non removable, hate spewing, racist crap stickers increased.  I always figured old white man bitter that he's still working. 

Well today the owner of this car pulled into the space besides me and I saw them for the first time....95 lb Asian woman with a couple of Costco sized crates of cat food in the back seat, along with her cat print laptop bag and the radio was blaring some political AM station that was denouncing on how white people can't afford to live in this country any more, and how the Demoncraps have ruined this once great nation etc....yup, threw me for a loop.  The biggest anti Obama person in our office park is a crazy Asian cat lady folks.

**PS I'm also owned by a couple of cats, this just struck me as a huh....didn't see THAT one coming.

You didn't see that coming, probably because you have likely never taken the time to actually consider the viewpoints of your opposition. I am not a republican, but I've known many Asian republicans.  In my own experience, the Asian republican is more common than the American-of-African-Decent republican; but that might just be a local thing.  I'd challenge you to ask her about her real perspectives.  If you were to honestly consider them, I'd wager that you'd find that her responses are much more thoughtful than what you expected, and certainly more thoughtful than a bumper sticker slogan.  You probably would still disagree, but you might gain a better appreciation for differing viewpoints.

MoonShadow, I have to ask: do you often talk to vile-spewing racists, and have them respond thoughtfully?


Beltim, do you honestly think that an Asian woman driving a nice car with anti-Obama stickers is racist?

I don't think an Asian woman is racist because she is driving a nice car with anti-Obama stickers.  MishMash said she had "hate spewing, racist stickers" on the car (that's why I bolded that section).  That could make her racist, yes.

I'd say that is more likely to reflect upon MishMash's interpretations of anti-Obama bumper sticker slogans generally than the inner thoughts of a random Asian woman.  Actual quotes of said bumper stickers might be helpful here.
Quote
Quote
Quote
And to your response, how can you possibly know anything about how much MishMash has considered the viewpoints of her opposition?  It sure looks like you jumped to a conclusion there.

Obviously, there has been a whole lot of jumping going on.  Based upon what you write in other political threads, I'm surprised you're not exhausted yourself.

So yes, you jumped to a conclusion.

Yes, of course I did.  So did you.  So did MishMash, for that matter; which is why he was surprised.  Prey tell, how would any of us avoid conclusion jumping, based only upon a single forum post without any photos?

See I started the foam on this thread, my apologies everyone.

 Moonshadow, you and I will probably never see eye to eye, we haven't on pretty much anything you've posted, but seriously, you need to learn to take things at face value and not think everything is a conspiracy theory or that "someone's out to get ya".  When I say racist bumper stickers...I mean RACIST bumper stickers, not my interpretation of them.  I wasn't going to elaborate on them since I don't think any of them are worth so much as someone googling them, and dare someone actually click on one and give the creator a pay per click bump for perpetuating racism.  But, since you want to put your overly obviously biased opinions out there, she's got more then a couple with non veiled monkey comparisons. a 2012 one stating don't re-Nig in 2012, a reference to only idiots (with the O being the campaign symbol) are from Kenya or something along those lines.

PS I'm originally registered as a Republican, I'm now pretty much an independent as political parties seem to take turns selecting the most bat shit crazy politicians for election.  Around here though the stereotype on those types of bumper stickers is solidly in the old white men category heck, we are in DC after all.

Malaysia41

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11818 on: January 18, 2016, 06:10:05 PM »
When I say racist bumper stickers...I mean RACIST bumper stickers, not my interpretation of them.  I wasn't going to elaborate on them since I don't think any of them are worth so much as someone googling them, and dare someone actually click on one and give the creator a pay per click bump for perpetuating racism.  But, since you want to put your overly obviously biased opinions out there, she's got more then a couple with non veiled monkey comparisons. a 2012 one stating don't re-Nig in 2012, a reference to only idiots (with the O being the campaign symbol) are from Kenya or something along those lines.

O_o !!!???!!!???  eye... twitching ...
« Last Edit: January 18, 2016, 06:12:07 PM by Malaysia41 »

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11819 on: January 18, 2016, 06:12:36 PM »
When I say racist bumper stickers...I mean RACIST bumper stickers, not my interpretation of them.  I wasn't going to elaborate on them since I don't think any of them are worth so much as someone googling them, and dare someone actually click on one and give the creator a pay per click bump for perpetuating racism.  But, since you want to put your overly obviously biased opinions out there, she's got more then a couple with non veiled monkey comparisons. a 2012 one stating don't re-Nig in 2012, a reference to only idiots (with the O being the campaign symbol) are from Kenya or something along those lines.

O_o !!!???!!!???


I see you don't live near me. I quit counting those sometime in the winter of 2011-2012. To depressing.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11820 on: January 18, 2016, 06:15:35 PM »
For whatever reason some Taiwanese don't like Chinese.  Some Chinese don't like Japanese. 
History and politics are enough to explain those feelings.
Yeah, I didn't really mean "for whatever reason."  I saw it mostly with the parents who had lived in those countries, and less in the kids who were mostly born here. 

I.. I was told I could listen to music at a reasonable volume from 11 to 12..

Most amplifiers only go to ten, but this one goes to eleven.

It's a time, not a volume.  Office Space 4tw.

I am guessing Beltim is well aware and looked at it as an opportunity to toss in a Spinal Tap joke (another cult classic you need to watch).  Nice work.

I wish I could claim credit for that excellent reference, but the Spinal Tap joke was TheGrimSqueaker's – perhaps unsurprising considering his user name (is that a Discworld reference?).

No, just a reference to a nickname I used to have.

Malaysia41

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11821 on: January 18, 2016, 06:17:03 PM »
When I say racist bumper stickers...I mean RACIST bumper stickers, not my interpretation of them.  I wasn't going to elaborate on them since I don't think any of them are worth so much as someone googling them, and dare someone actually click on one and give the creator a pay per click bump for perpetuating racism.  But, since you want to put your overly obviously biased opinions out there, she's got more then a couple with non veiled monkey comparisons. a 2012 one stating don't re-Nig in 2012, a reference to only idiots (with the O being the campaign symbol) are from Kenya or something along those lines.

O_o !!!???!!!???


I see you don't live near me. I quit counting those sometime in the winter of 2011-2012. To depressing.

That makes me sad. :(

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11822 on: January 19, 2016, 05:41:51 AM »
Quote from: MishMash link=topic=2540.msg942346#msg942346 date=1453146253

a 2012 one stating [b
don't re-Nig in 2012[/b],
I'll grant you this one, that's pretty blatant.

Quote
a reference to only idiots (with the O being the campaign symbol) are from Kenya or something along those lines.

That one, not so much.  That one is just a reversal of the 2004 one that said, "Somewhere in Texas, a village is missing it's idiot".  I saw that one for a while around here, because Democrats outnumber Republicans almost 2:1 around here.  Even still, it's hard for me to find anyone who will still admit to voting for Obama twice, and doesn't hold any regrets.

arebelspy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11823 on: January 19, 2016, 06:19:16 AM »
Even still, it's hard for me to find anyone who will still admit to voting for Obama twice, and doesn't hold any regrets.

I have a hard time finding someone who did vote for him twice that would go back and change it.

Wish he did some things differently?  Absolutely.

Would have switched to McCain or Romney?  No way.

If you meant the former, sure, there's some "regrets" by people who voted for him about how he's done things.  But if the latter, I think that's extremely rare.

(Disclaimer: I voted for none of the above mentioned people in 2008/2012; though I did vote, it was not for a candidate from one of the two main parties.)
« Last Edit: January 19, 2016, 06:24:49 AM by arebelspy »
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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11824 on: January 19, 2016, 06:52:04 AM »
I jumped parties and voted for Obama twice.  Hell, with this crop of people running, I'd vote for him a third time if I could.  While I don't agree with everything he has done obviously, I think he has generally done a good job, and I like having a smart articulate pragmatic person who generally believes in science as our president.   I also believe that at heart he is a good and decent human being.  FWIW, I believed many of the same things about Romney and I think he would have been a good president too. 

Back to the topic at hand: 

I have a co-worker who is a really nice guy but is constantly talking about stuff he buys, going out to eat etc....  I always wondered how he affords it all.  We normally get paid on Mondays at our work, and he asked me if today was our biweekly payday.  When I told him it was next week, he looked nervous and told me that he received a notice from his bank that he had less than $25 in his checking account.  Then five minutes after saying that he bought a $7 lunch on his credit card.....\\

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11825 on: January 19, 2016, 07:28:16 AM »
I jumped parties and voted for Obama twice.  Hell, with this crop of people running, I'd vote for him a third time if I could.  While I don't agree with everything he has done obviously, I think he has generally done a good job, and I like having a smart articulate pragmatic person who generally believes in science as our president.   I also believe that at heart he is a good and decent human being.  FWIW, I believed many of the same things about Romney and I think he would have been a good president too. 

Back to the topic at hand: 

I have a co-worker who is a really nice guy but is constantly talking about stuff he buys, going out to eat etc....  I always wondered how he affords it all.  We normally get paid on Mondays at our work, and he asked me if today was our biweekly payday.  When I told him it was next week, he looked nervous and told me that he received a notice from his bank that he had less than $25 in his checking account.  Then five minutes after saying that he bought a $7 lunch on his credit card.....\\

Count me in with Golden1. He/she said it very well. I was considering voting for McCain until they brought in Sarah Palin. I thought Romney and McCain were/are both viable candidates. Sarah sunk McCain's ship for me.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11826 on: January 19, 2016, 08:32:43 AM »
Back to the topic at hand: 

I have a co-worker who is a really nice guy but is constantly talking about stuff he buys, going out to eat etc....  I always wondered how he affords it all.  We normally get paid on Mondays at our work, and he asked me if today was our biweekly payday.  When I told him it was next week, he looked nervous and told me that he received a notice from his bank that he had less than $25 in his checking account.  Then five minutes after saying that he bought a $7 lunch on his credit card.....\\

Ahhh yess "that guy".... I bet if you called him out on it, he'd say "But I can't make a lunch this cheap! - Yesterday I bought a bottle of coke when I gassed up the car, and in the gas station convenience store it was $3.00!" I know that guy.

Haha- I work with several of "those guys".  Drive me bonkers sometimes.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11827 on: January 19, 2016, 08:37:19 AM »
I jumped parties and voted for Obama twice.  Hell, with this crop of people running, I'd vote for him a third time if I could.  While I don't agree with everything he has done obviously, I think he has generally done a good job, and I like having a smart articulate pragmatic person who generally believes in science as our president.   I also believe that at heart he is a good and decent human being.  FWIW, I believed many of the same things about Romney and I think he would have been a good president too. 

Back to the topic at hand: 

I have a co-worker who is a really nice guy but is constantly talking about stuff he buys, going out to eat etc....  I always wondered how he affords it all.  We normally get paid on Mondays at our work, and he asked me if today was our biweekly payday.  When I told him it was next week, he looked nervous and told me that he received a notice from his bank that he had less than $25 in his checking account.  Then five minutes after saying that he bought a $7 lunch on his credit card.....\\

Count me in with Golden1. He/she said it very well. I was considering voting for McCain until they brought in Sarah Palin. I thought Romney and McCain were/are both viable candidates. Sarah sunk McCain's ship for me.

I did as well, and think that he's done a fairly great job, considering the hand he was dealt and comparing him to the people that he was running against. If he could run for a third term, I wouldn't hesitate to vote for him seeing the current slate of republicans running.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11828 on: January 19, 2016, 08:42:30 AM »
Oh, I just thought of one. A lady at work broke up with her boyfriend who she'd been with for quite a length of time (a couple of years at least). She just basically wasn't that into him, he was undermotivated, a slacker, didn't help around the house, was jealous of her relationship with her grown child, etc. He wasn't happy about the breakup and wanted to get back with her. Eventually she took him back, and part of her reasoning was that the $350 he paid her in rent was really helpful.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11829 on: January 19, 2016, 08:46:33 AM »
Oh, I just thought of one. A lady at work broke up with her boyfriend who she'd been with for quite a length of time (a couple of years at least). She just basically wasn't that into him, he was undermotivated, a slacker, didn't help around the house, was jealous of her relationship with her grown child, etc. He wasn't happy about the breakup and wanted to get back with her. Eventually she took him back, and part of her reasoning was that the $350 he paid her in rent was really helpful.

... If part of my reasoning for sleeping with someone on a regular basis is 350$/month, I will have failed at life.

(Full disclaimer: I am a feminist who is generally pro-sex-worker's-rights and sex-positive. But seriously: if you're going to spend time/have sex with someone for money, it's probably in your best interest to negotiate a rate up front. 350$/month is a shit rate for putting up with someone like that.)

Merrie

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11830 on: January 19, 2016, 08:56:55 AM »
I'm not sure if she cooks.

I told her that if she needs the money have him as her roommate, not her boyfriend. Or get a different roommate.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11831 on: January 19, 2016, 09:30:58 AM »
Oh, I just thought of one. A lady at work broke up with her boyfriend who she'd been with for quite a length of time (a couple of years at least). She just basically wasn't that into him, he was undermotivated, a slacker, didn't help around the house, was jealous of her relationship with her grown child, etc. He wasn't happy about the breakup and wanted to get back with her. Eventually she took him back, and part of her reasoning was that the $350 he paid her in rent was really helpful.

... If part of my reasoning for sleeping with someone on a regular basis is 350$/month, I will have failed at life.

(Full disclaimer: I am a feminist who is generally pro-sex-worker's-rights and sex-positive. But seriously: if you're going to spend time/have sex with someone for money, it's probably in your best interest to negotiate a rate up front. 350$/month is a shit rate for putting up with someone like that.)

Well the dude is doing alright, $350 for a personal assistant with sex on the side. Does she cook for him too?

$350 mo = $4,200 /yr = $105,000 stash

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11832 on: January 19, 2016, 09:32:20 AM »
I jumped parties and voted for Obama twice.  Hell, with this crop of people running, I'd vote for him a third time if I could.  While I don't agree with everything he has done obviously, I think he has generally done a good job, and I like having a smart articulate pragmatic person who generally believes in science as our president.   I also believe that at heart he is a good and decent human being.  FWIW, I believed many of the same things about Romney and I think he would have been a good president too. 

Back to the topic at hand: 

I have a co-worker who is a really nice guy but is constantly talking about stuff he buys, going out to eat etc....  I always wondered how he affords it all.  We normally get paid on Mondays at our work, and he asked me if today was our biweekly payday.  When I told him it was next week, he looked nervous and told me that he received a notice from his bank that he had less than $25 in his checking account.  Then five minutes after saying that he bought a $7 lunch on his credit card.....\\

Count me in with Golden1. He/she said it very well. I was considering voting for McCain until they brought in Sarah Palin. I thought Romney and McCain were/are both viable candidates. Sarah sunk McCain's ship for me.

Yep.  I'm a registered Democrat, but I was planning on voting for McCain until then.

Quote
Even still, it's hard for me to find anyone who will still admit to voting for Obama twice, and doesn't hold any regrets.

I don't hold any regrets.  He's not perfect, but I support most of what he's done, or tried to do.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11833 on: January 19, 2016, 09:33:28 AM »
I  have a good friend who owns (has a mortgage) on a house, bought it and moved in with her boyfriend. She and the boyfriend broke up, so now are just roommates. However the weird thing was after they broke up she didn't tell anyone for a couple years (when I learned she told me not to tell anyone). Also she let him know if he starts going out with someone else he needs to move out. So far it is working out, but it seems controlling and could get messy in the future.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11834 on: January 19, 2016, 10:04:40 AM »
I  have a good friend who owns (has a mortgage) on a house, bought it and moved in with her boyfriend. She and the boyfriend broke up, so now are just roommates. However the weird thing was after they broke up she didn't tell anyone for a couple years (when I learned she told me not to tell anyone). Also she let him know if he starts going out with someone else he needs to move out. So far it is working out, but it seems controlling and could get messy in the future.
I'd get the hell out of there asap if I was the guy.  It is controlling (if somewhat understandable in a certain light), and even if I didn't have plans to see anyone else I'd leave based on principle.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11835 on: January 19, 2016, 10:56:35 AM »
I jumped parties and voted for Obama twice.  Hell, with this crop of people running, I'd vote for him a third time if I could.  While I don't agree with everything he has done obviously, I think he has generally done a good job, and I like having a smart articulate pragmatic person who generally believes in science as our president.   I also believe that at heart he is a good and decent human being.  FWIW, I believed many of the same things about Romney and I think he would have been a good president too. 
Count me in with Golden1. He/she said it very well. I was considering voting for McCain until they brought in Sarah Palin. I thought Romney and McCain were/are both viable candidates. Sarah sunk McCain's ship for me.
Yep.  I'm a registered Democrat, but I was planning on voting for McCain until then.
Conservative, who voted for Romney and McCain, who does not like much of what Obama has done.
If it was Obama vs Clinton vs Trump, I'd go with Obama. 

JordanOfGilead

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11836 on: January 19, 2016, 12:41:06 PM »
I  have a good friend who owns (has a mortgage) on a house, bought it and moved in with her boyfriend. She and the boyfriend broke up, so now are just roommates. However the weird thing was after they broke up she didn't tell anyone for a couple years (when I learned she told me not to tell anyone). Also she let him know if he starts going out with someone else he needs to move out. So far it is working out, but it seems controlling and could get messy in the future.
I'd get the hell out of there asap if I was the guy.  It is controlling (if somewhat understandable in a certain light), and even if I didn't have plans to see anyone else I'd leave based on principle.

Or a boundary, he IS free to leave (from what we can glean from a few words on the Internet). Likely more complicated, but we don't know enough to draw any real conclusions about either of them or their relationship, such as it is.
It really sounds like "we are both in this housing arrangement already and it's mutually beneficial, but can barely tolerate each other enough to live together and I couldn't handle seeing you around somebody else in my home right now."
I've been in a similar situation. It's reasonable.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11837 on: January 20, 2016, 08:25:53 AM »
I've got a fresh one from this morning.

When discussing travel arrangements with a coworker for an upcoming business trip, the topic of which hotel to stay at came up. He suggested the local Hampton because he was able to call and get a deal on a group of rooms with fancy water jet bathtub things. I won't be traveling at the same time as him and a few others, so I suggested that I would stay at the Marriott since it's the same distance from our destination, I am part of their rewards points program, and the price is about the same with all discounts considered.

He scoffed at my lack of desire to have a hot tub in my room and suggested I "stop chasing points." After I mentioned that I've already saved up enough for a free night and intend to use the points to help (significantly) reduce the cost of a road trip with my wife later this year, he looked insulted and told me "just spend your money!" I was flabbergasted. Had no idea how to respond to that. Why would I go out of my way to get a room with something in it that I won't have time to enjoy on a business trip, when I could go to a hotel with accommodations that are just as comfortable and get points towards a free stay in the future in the process? All so that I can spend even more money on crap I don't need when I decide to treat my wife to a vacation? Ridiculous ...

runningthroughFIRE

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11838 on: January 20, 2016, 08:27:49 AM »
I  have a good friend who owns (has a mortgage) on a house, bought it and moved in with her boyfriend. She and the boyfriend broke up, so now are just roommates. However the weird thing was after they broke up she didn't tell anyone for a couple years (when I learned she told me not to tell anyone). Also she let him know if he starts going out with someone else he needs to move out. So far it is working out, but it seems controlling and could get messy in the future.
I'd get the hell out of there asap if I was the guy.  It is controlling (if somewhat understandable in a certain light), and even if I didn't have plans to see anyone else I'd leave based on principle.

Or a boundary, he IS free to leave (from what we can glean from a few words on the Internet). Likely more complicated, but we don't know enough to draw any real conclusions about either of them or their relationship, such as it is.
It really sounds like "we are both in this housing arrangement already and it's mutually beneficial, but can barely tolerate each other enough to live together and I couldn't handle seeing you around somebody else in my home right now."
I've been in a similar situation. It's reasonable.
That's kind of how I saw it, but from the few words that were posted the restriction sounded very one sided.  Then again the house is her's, so she does have the right to set some ground rules.

Magilla

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11839 on: January 20, 2016, 08:49:13 AM »
I've got a fresh one from this morning.

When discussing travel arrangements with a coworker for an upcoming business trip, the topic of which hotel to stay at came up. He suggested the local Hampton because he was able to call and get a deal on a group of rooms with fancy water jet bathtub things. I won't be traveling at the same time as him and a few others, so I suggested that I would stay at the Marriott since it's the same distance from our destination, I am part of their rewards points program, and the price is about the same with all discounts considered.

He scoffed at my lack of desire to have a hot tub in my room and suggested I "stop chasing points." After I mentioned that I've already saved up enough for a free night and intend to use the points to help (significantly) reduce the cost of a road trip with my wife later this year, he looked insulted and told me "just spend your money!" I was flabbergasted. Had no idea how to respond to that. Why would I go out of my way to get a room with something in it that I won't have time to enjoy on a business trip, when I could go to a hotel with accommodations that are just as comfortable and get points towards a free stay in the future in the process? All so that I can spend even more money on crap I don't need when I decide to treat my wife to a vacation? Ridiculous ...

Weird, most business travelers I know are all into getting the most points and using them for their own vacations.

JordanOfGilead

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11840 on: January 20, 2016, 09:35:31 AM »
I've got a fresh one from this morning.

When discussing travel arrangements with a coworker for an upcoming business trip, the topic of which hotel to stay at came up. He suggested the local Hampton because he was able to call and get a deal on a group of rooms with fancy water jet bathtub things. I won't be traveling at the same time as him and a few others, so I suggested that I would stay at the Marriott since it's the same distance from our destination, I am part of their rewards points program, and the price is about the same with all discounts considered.

He scoffed at my lack of desire to have a hot tub in my room and suggested I "stop chasing points." After I mentioned that I've already saved up enough for a free night and intend to use the points to help (significantly) reduce the cost of a road trip with my wife later this year, he looked insulted and told me "just spend your money!" I was flabbergasted. Had no idea how to respond to that. Why would I go out of my way to get a room with something in it that I won't have time to enjoy on a business trip, when I could go to a hotel with accommodations that are just as comfortable and get points towards a free stay in the future in the process? All so that I can spend even more money on crap I don't need when I decide to treat my wife to a vacation? Ridiculous ...

My view: Just ignore this ass, you are suppose to recognize what a mover and shaker he is, getting you all this "great deal". You are suppose to bow down to him and his greatness, and he isn't happy that you aren't thanking him profusely. Just tell him you don't np need a room there. FYI - this story reminds me of a particularly distasteful person I used to have to deal with (same person is brought to mind in Cheddar Block's LC series), so I am assuming the same basic personality, that I find particularly troublesome. Others may appreciate his efforts.... YMMV
you pretty much hit the nail on the head

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11841 on: January 20, 2016, 09:42:58 AM »
I've got a fresh one from this morning.

When discussing travel arrangements with a coworker for an upcoming business trip, the topic of which hotel to stay at came up. He suggested the local Hampton because he was able to call and get a deal on a group of rooms with fancy water jet bathtub things. I won't be traveling at the same time as him and a few others, so I suggested that I would stay at the Marriott since it's the same distance from our destination, I am part of their rewards points program, and the price is about the same with all discounts considered.

He scoffed at my lack of desire to have a hot tub in my room and suggested I "stop chasing points." After I mentioned that I've already saved up enough for a free night and intend to use the points to help (significantly) reduce the cost of a road trip with my wife later this year, he looked insulted and told me "just spend your money!" I was flabbergasted. Had no idea how to respond to that. Why would I go out of my way to get a room with something in it that I won't have time to enjoy on a business trip, when I could go to a hotel with accommodations that are just as comfortable and get points towards a free stay in the future in the process? All so that I can spend even more money on crap I don't need when I decide to treat my wife to a vacation? Ridiculous ...

Weird, most business travelers I know are all into getting the most points and using them for their own vacations.
No kidding.  As much as I dislike my husband's travel (which comes and goes)...our trip home last summer to visit family cost $200 for 4 plane tickets.  CA->PA and NY->CA. (We took a train between the two places).  It took 4 years to get those free tickets, but still.

Also last year, we had a long weekend in San Diego and LA, and our hotel room in LA (2 nights) was free because of his points.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11842 on: January 20, 2016, 09:43:08 AM »
Who uses a hotel bath tub?  Nasty.

JordanOfGilead

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11843 on: January 20, 2016, 09:52:26 AM »
I've got a fresh one from this morning.

When discussing travel arrangements with a coworker for an upcoming business trip, the topic of which hotel to stay at came up. He suggested the local Hampton because he was able to call and get a deal on a group of rooms with fancy water jet bathtub things. I won't be traveling at the same time as him and a few others, so I suggested that I would stay at the Marriott since it's the same distance from our destination, I am part of their rewards points program, and the price is about the same with all discounts considered.

He scoffed at my lack of desire to have a hot tub in my room and suggested I "stop chasing points." After I mentioned that I've already saved up enough for a free night and intend to use the points to help (significantly) reduce the cost of a road trip with my wife later this year, he looked insulted and told me "just spend your money!" I was flabbergasted. Had no idea how to respond to that. Why would I go out of my way to get a room with something in it that I won't have time to enjoy on a business trip, when I could go to a hotel with accommodations that are just as comfortable and get points towards a free stay in the future in the process? All so that I can spend even more money on crap I don't need when I decide to treat my wife to a vacation? Ridiculous ...

My view: Just ignore this ass, you are suppose to recognize what a mover and shaker he is, getting you all this "great deal". You are suppose to bow down to him and his greatness, and he isn't happy that you aren't thanking him profusely. Just tell him you don't np need a room there. FYI - this story reminds me of a particularly distasteful person I used to have to deal with (same person is brought to mind in Cheddar Block's LC series), so I am assuming the same basic personality, that I find particularly troublesome. Others may appreciate his efforts.... YMMV
you pretty much hit the nail on the head

Well, I am sorry because this guy is going to be like a dog with a bone and never let up. He'll try to shame you on this trip in front of your colleagues - both to your face and behind your back. He will continue to try to be the leader and make decisions for everyone without discussing it with anyone. If you balk, he will label you as not being a team player. He is not used to people going along with him, even if everyone thinks he is an ass, they just avoid the conflict and blowback. I hope you find a strategy for dealing with him, I was not as successful as I would have liked...
So far he hasn't really stepped on my toes aside from the occasional moronic comment about how I should spend more because I'm young and can afford it (my ~$55k in debt begs to differ). Our positions in the company should make it relatively easy to avoid his ego unless one of us gets promoted over the other, which I don't see happening any time in the next 5 years or so.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11844 on: January 20, 2016, 09:54:43 AM »
I did as well, and think that he's done a fairly great job, considering the hand he was dealt and comparing him to the people that he was running against. If he could run for a third term, I wouldn't hesitate to vote for him seeing the current slate of republicans running.

Me too. Palin's arrival on the scene told me (a registered Republican) that the party was broken. I won't vote for them again until the party is repaired and reasonable again. Constantly functioning as a political roadblock didn't endear them to me either b/c stuff needed repair/adaptation/tweaking but they just wanted to keep Barack Obama from having any successes for the history books.

I consider myself a moderate in many things and my politics is mostly middle of the road. Right now that seems to be in short supply for the GOP. Lots of "outside" influences in the GOP right now with priorities/methods that seem odd to me.

http://www.npr.org/2016/01/19/463565987/hidden-history-of-koch-brothers-traces-their-childhood-and-political-rise

That was a trippy show to listen to last night. 

I figure at some point our country will lack enough "conservative white people" to keep the GOP in power. Maybe the GOP sees that already and they are feeling desperate. I keep hearing my peers discuss their religions and their politics as being "under attack" and I don't see it. They aren't under attack, times are just changing and the conservatives don't have the same "guaranteed" control that they've come to rely on.

Other peoples, other countries and other ideas are developing. Not much can be done by the GOP supporters to change that.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11845 on: January 20, 2016, 10:08:45 AM »
I see it more as the internet generation seeing through the facade of American exceptionalism. The classic, although now outdated, example to me was gays in the military. You had American talking heads discussing what may happen and how it'll all go wrong if gays are allowed in the military decades after other nations allowed gays in their military without any of the consequences that were being threatened. Troops who served in Afghanistan and Iraq alongside coalition forces had already served alongside openly gay soldiers for years without a complete collapse of discipline. It continues with socialized medicine and a dozen other arguments.

It's easy to be afraid of the unknown if you believe that you (and your nation) are a bold explorer on the cutting edge of societal progress, constantly pushing back the boundaries and unlocking new freedom beyond. That narrative still gets a lot of airtime in some circles a younger generation are more aware of the world outside their borders which in turn makes them more aware of the deficiencies of the US political system.

This is reflected in the generational divide over Sanders. I'm going to generalize hugely here but older white people have an instinctive opposition to the label socialist while younger people are more likely to recognize that every one of America's friends and allies in North America and Europe are "socialist" (by the American definition at least) and have been for half a century without the world ending.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2016, 10:11:28 AM by dsmexpat »

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11846 on: January 20, 2016, 10:11:10 AM »
Had a convo with my co-worker. Her husband has had his modest, 4-door sedan since 2010. It's time to upgrade. So he is going to buy TWO trucks. A jacked-up Chevy AND an old one. Why? Because he thinks the old one is "cool."

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11847 on: January 20, 2016, 10:17:06 AM »
I've got a fresh one from this morning.

When discussing travel arrangements with a coworker for an upcoming business trip, the topic of which hotel to stay at came up. He suggested the local Hampton because he was able to call and get a deal on a group of rooms with fancy water jet bathtub things. I won't be traveling at the same time as him and a few others, so I suggested that I would stay at the Marriott since it's the same distance from our destination, I am part of their rewards points program, and the price is about the same with all discounts considered.

He scoffed at my lack of desire to have a hot tub in my room and suggested I "stop chasing points." After I mentioned that I've already saved up enough for a free night and intend to use the points to help (significantly) reduce the cost of a road trip with my wife later this year, he looked insulted and told me "just spend your money!" I was flabbergasted. Had no idea how to respond to that. Why would I go out of my way to get a room with something in it that I won't have time to enjoy on a business trip, when I could go to a hotel with accommodations that are just as comfortable and get points towards a free stay in the future in the process? All so that I can spend even more money on crap I don't need when I decide to treat my wife to a vacation? Ridiculous ...

My view: Just ignore this ass, you are suppose to recognize what a mover and shaker he is, getting you all this "great deal". You are suppose to bow down to him and his greatness, and he isn't happy that you aren't thanking him profusely. Just tell him you don't np need a room there. FYI - this story reminds me of a particularly distasteful person I used to have to deal with (same person is brought to mind in Cheddar Block's LC series), so I am assuming the same basic personality, that I find particularly troublesome. Others may appreciate his efforts.... YMMV

I'll admit I am somewhat picky about which hotels I stay at when I travel for work.  When I'm traveling for meetings most meals with co-workers are kind of a dietary disaster, so I really prefer to get a hotel that has a mini-fridge so I can pack some things like carrot sticks, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, etc. and have a hope in hell of staying somewhat healthy (I realize this sounds somewhat prima-donnaish, but sometimes I have a lot of multi-day work trips strung together and not having to eat out 3x/day does make a big difference).  For a multiday trip I also prefer a hotel with a fitness center (because most of these locations don't have good outdoor running/walking options), and I would pick a place with a hot breakfast option over a place that only offered continental breakfast.

A while back I had a couple of work trips scheduled with co-workers to a location with two hotel options.  One hotel hit all my preferred criteria, the other one had NONE of them, but it had hottubs and offered a glass of sangria at check-in.  Guess which one my co-workers REALLY wanted to stay at?  I gave in (we were carpooling so it was a pain to do different hotels), and after 3 days I was going crazy from the lack of exercise and vegetables.  Next trip out I suggested we try the other hotel and they were aghast that I would pass on the hottub option. Lesson learned, from now on I am booking a hotel room ASAP and then will just be all "oh, sorry, I already booked a room at hotel Y!".

partgypsy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11848 on: January 20, 2016, 11:12:15 AM »
I  have a good friend who owns (has a mortgage) on a house, bought it and moved in with her boyfriend. She and the boyfriend broke up, so now are just roommates. However the weird thing was after they broke up she didn't tell anyone for a couple years (when I learned she told me not to tell anyone). Also she let him know if he starts going out with someone else he needs to move out. So far it is working out, but it seems controlling and could get messy in the future.
I'd get the hell out of there asap if I was the guy.  It is controlling (if somewhat understandable in a certain light), and even if I didn't have plans to see anyone else I'd leave based on principle.

Or a boundary, he IS free to leave (from what we can glean from a few words on the Internet). Likely more complicated, but we don't know enough to draw any real conclusions about either of them or their relationship, such as it is.
It really sounds like "we are both in this housing arrangement already and it's mutually beneficial, but can barely tolerate each other enough to live together and I couldn't handle seeing you around somebody else in my home right now."
I've been in a similar situation. It's reasonable.
That's kind of how I saw it, but from the few words that were posted the restriction sounded very one sided.  Then again the house is her's, so she does have the right to set some ground rules.
I guess I shouldn't be so judgemental. They both benefit from the situation, she is helped with her mortgage payment, he likely couldn't get anything comparable for the price (she is kind of doing him a favor). But he has a vehicle and she doesn't, so gets rides sometimes. He is free to leave anytime. I guess I was thinking for myself, that I wouldn't be comfortable with that situation, but everyone is different. 

shelivesthedream

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #11849 on: January 20, 2016, 05:12:59 PM »
What is this "gop" of which you speak? I kind of get that it's the Republicans, but is it supposed to be derogatory? (Like "Tory" can be in the UK)

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!