Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13252882 times)

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10650 on: October 01, 2015, 10:46:17 AM »
This is not about any individual co-worker, but just blows my mind a little.

Where I work they will start automatically put 12% of your salary into a retirement account for you after two years of employment. No match on your end, no hassle, just 12% into an account.  It is an amazing perk. After two years of work, HR will send you information to select between the various 403b company options and the paperwork to open your account. It's fast, it's easy, it's free money!

I popped in to HR recently to ask a question and in the course of our discussion, the HR rep mentioned that some (she estimated about 10%) of the employees who are eligible just never fill out the paperwork for the retirement plan and several take months to do so. WHAT?! 

That perk is the main reason I still work here. I was grandfathered in when it was still 15%. I can't imagine just not filling out paperwork that essentially gives you a 12% (or in my case 15%) pay raise.
crazy.  My husband's company does the same, but on day 1.  And occasionally the younger guys will grumble about it (they'd rather have higher salaries).  Trust me bud, when you are in your 40's with a half a mil in  your 401k, you'll be happy.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10651 on: October 01, 2015, 11:14:17 AM »
Co-worker: As far as TVs go, I really believe you should just spend whatever makes you happy.  I have never yet heard someone say, "I wish I hadn't spent so much on my TV."

This was in the middle of a discussion about a 65inch 4k curved tv vs. the 55inch version.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10652 on: October 01, 2015, 11:28:53 AM »
Co-worker: As far as TVs go, I really believe you should just spend whatever makes you happy.  I have never yet heard someone say, "I wish I hadn't spent so much on my TV."

This was in the middle of a discussion about a 65inch 4k curved tv vs. the 55inch version.
I don't think the curved TVs are even all that nice.  It cuts down on the number of people you can invite over to watch a movie with you, since you can't fan out as much and still see the TV.  I don't own a TV at all, so maybe I'm mistaken, but that's my $0.02.

ajonesin

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10653 on: October 01, 2015, 12:29:30 PM »
Today a coworker expressed his excitement at being moved to a different store location within the company. He explained that he currently drives 100 MILES EACH WAY from home to work. This feat takes an hour and twenty minutes each way, and requires three tanks of gas per week, which he pumps into his new truck.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10654 on: October 01, 2015, 01:07:09 PM »
Seriously this type of thing pisses of me off. I nearly fired our last receptionist because she would sit at her computer and not do things like this. Ok, fine, you are a receptionist largely because you don't have any initiative, I get that. But when I tell you to do something like this and you don't...because why? If you don't have a good reason, then you're fortunate you weren't axed for it. Once we got an invoice for boxes that included sales tax. As a wholesaler we don't need to pay taxes (as we are reselling them), but I was gone that week and I found out when I got back that she went ahead and paid it, because it was too much of a bother to call up the company and give them our tax ID because it was only "30 dollars" and that it was too late to try to get a refund. "Ok, in that case you won't mind if I take that $30 from your paycheck cause it's only 30 dollars." Of course, ten minutes later she came to me and said that she called the company and they were issuing a refund.

It pisses me off to no end too, and I have seen so damn much of it in the DoD environment that the challenge is not recalling an example but picking from so many.
For an organization full of people who rail against socialism, it is amazing how many of them piss away tax dollars like nobody's paying for it.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10655 on: October 01, 2015, 01:33:13 PM »
Gobsmacked - so he's out of work, living off his partner, and then he goes to buy his food at an expensive butcher and pays a premium on top of the premium price for custom cutting. Later he mentioned his partner is getting pissy about him not having work yet. "Its a bit of a strain, but you know, I wash the floors and dishes, so I think its fair enough. I mean, he knew I was out of work when we bought the house - its just taking longer than I thought to find something. We'll work out the extra debts when I find a job."

Washing the floors and dishes couldn't possibly take more than an hour a day, unless they throw dinner parties for eight every night or scrub their floors with a toothbrush.

I'd be cynically curious as to how much of a "we" was involved in buying the house, and whose name(s) is/are on the dotted line for the mortgage payments.

nobodyspecial

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10656 on: October 01, 2015, 03:37:19 PM »
I don't think the curved TVs are even all that nice.  It cuts down on the number of people you can invite over to watch a movie with you, since you can't fan out as much and still see the TV. 
I think you are supposed to buy a set for each person - sharing TV is obviously piracy.

BDWW

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10657 on: October 01, 2015, 05:08:57 PM »
A customer's credit card somehow got charged three times, for $10 each time.  She emails our customer service folks in a panic, because apparently she is in a very bad financial situation.  We happily refunded the two erroneous charges, but c'mon, woman, are you really only $20 away from bankruptcy?

I was amazed after talking to our accounting department once. People regularly call in to complain that they can't use there card because we haven't released a transaction yet. They get batched out nightly via the credit card company, so if we issue a refund, or cancel a transaction, you can't use the funds for a day. SOP as far as I'm aware, but I was amazed at the complaints of people who were apparently incensed about not being able to use the last $50 dollars of credit due to being that close to their limit.

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10658 on: October 02, 2015, 05:29:15 AM »
Gobsmacked - so he's out of work, living off his partner, and then he goes to buy his food at an expensive butcher and pays a premium on top of the premium price for custom cutting. Later he mentioned his partner is getting pissy about him not having work yet. "Its a bit of a strain, but you know, I wash the floors and dishes, so I think its fair enough. I mean, he knew I was out of work when we bought the house - its just taking longer than I thought to find something. We'll work out the extra debts when I find a job."

Washing the floors and dishes couldn't possibly take more than an hour a day, unless they throw dinner parties for eight every night or scrub their floors with a toothbrush.

I'd be cynically curious as to how much of a "we" was involved in buying the house, and whose name(s) is/are on the dotted line for the mortgage payments.

Agreed, I feel sorry for the partner. Actively looking for work and/or doing everything you can to keep a home ticking over and saving money is hard work and I'd have no problem supporting a partner in this situation. Lazing around watching Netflix and waiting for the universe to grant you the perfect job while spending SO's money like water is disrespecting their time and effort. I'd be kicking CW to the kerb, even if they were hot.

steviesterno

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10659 on: October 02, 2015, 05:48:20 AM »
I had a co worker bragging to me a little while back about how transferring her cc debt to a higher interest card enabled her to invest the payment difference in a time share. And by buying her mercedes new she was able to get them down to only 5% for 7 years, helping pay off the BMW she was upside-down on....
she visits foreign destinations at least 3 times a year for all inclusive resorts and Also rents a 1 bedroom apartment in a bad neighborhood.

That was almost the worst financial advice I ever heard. She tried to get me to buy a timeshare so she could get some pyramid scheme bonus whatever, and I just smiled and said thanks for the info. That mercedes is more sparkly than my old truck sitting for 12 hours in the parking lot though

I'm a red panda

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10660 on: October 02, 2015, 07:16:13 AM »
"My (can't recall the vehicle type) is in the shop so I have a loaner car today. God- I can barely get in and out of a car anymore since I'm so used to my SUV. I can't believe what a pain it is."

Edit: Apparently this will be the topic of conversation all day. She is on her THIRD person of how hard it is to get out of a car, and how can anyone own a car when you could buy an SUV?
« Last Edit: October 02, 2015, 07:53:27 AM by iowajes »

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10661 on: October 02, 2015, 07:18:12 AM »
I had a co worker bragging to me a little while back about how transferring her cc debt to a higher interest card enabled her to invest the payment difference in a time share. And by buying her mercedes new she was able to get them down to only 5% for 7 years, helping pay off the BMW she was upside-down on....

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

maco

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10662 on: October 02, 2015, 08:54:16 AM »
"My (can't recall the vehicle type) is in the shop so I have a loaner car today. God- I can barely get in and out of a car anymore since I'm so used to my SUV. I can't believe what a pain it is."

Edit: Apparently this will be the topic of conversation all day. She is on her THIRD person of how hard it is to get out of a car, and how can anyone own a car when you could buy an SUV?
Vehicle height is actually a legit problem for arthritis sufferers. That's why the toilets in accessible bathrooms are several inches taller than other ones. Climbing down into a car is harder on the knees/hips than getting into a seat that's at or slightly above standing-butt-height.

mrmiyagi

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10663 on: October 02, 2015, 09:15:24 AM »
Seen at work:
Someone brought a couple boxes of Duck Donuts into the office.  I guess they are the new trendy unhealthy snack. I thought, Gee, I didn't know there was a Duck Donuts near here. I googled them, and found out that, no, there is not a Duck Donuts near here. The closest one is 11.5 miles away.

Granted, I know for a fact that people commute much farther than 11.5 miles to get here. But, that's a long way for fattening fried dough to travel. Not to mention, there are two places across the street at which to buy said fattening fried dough. But, they are not trendy enough apparently.

I don't get why that is posted here. Someone brought in donuts to work as a gift to you and to his/her co-workers. Eat them or don't.

Agreed. Why mock a co-worker who did something nice for the office?

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10664 on: October 02, 2015, 09:21:03 AM »
"My (can't recall the vehicle type) is in the shop so I have a loaner car today. God- I can barely get in and out of a car anymore since I'm so used to my SUV. I can't believe what a pain it is."

Edit: Apparently this will be the topic of conversation all day. She is on her THIRD person of how hard it is to get out of a car, and how can anyone own a car when you could buy an SUV?
Vehicle height is actually a legit problem for arthritis sufferers. That's why the toilets in accessible bathrooms are several inches taller than other ones. Climbing down into a car is harder on the knees/hips than getting into a seat that's at or slightly above standing-butt-height.

I understand that completely.

It still drives me nuts every time my MIL talks about my car choices (Miata, small BMW's, maybe a Toybaru next) as if they're horrible. I personally think her Lexus Camry is horrible, but it is safe reliable and she likes it--so I'm not saying anything.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10665 on: October 02, 2015, 09:46:10 AM »
Yesterday at a going away lunch for a great young guy (smart, hard worker, going to a different company with a HUGE raise):

"Nice that you can join us, is this lunch actually in your budget?"
 
Ha. Ha.

You know, by bringing lunch every day, I can enjoy a delicious lunch to send off one of the best guys who ever worked for me (probably THE best, really).  I can afford the $14 without sweating it. But thanks.

vivophoenix

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10666 on: October 02, 2015, 10:00:43 AM »
Yesterday at a going away lunch for a great young guy (smart, hard worker, going to a different company with a HUGE raise):

"Nice that you can join us, is this lunch actually in your budget?"
 
Ha. Ha.

You know, by bringing lunch every day, I can enjoy a delicious lunch to send off one of the best guys who ever worked for me (probably THE best, really).  I can afford the $14 without sweating it. But thanks.

well if you use a budget in reference to previous lunches you turned down, dont be surprised if it returns to haunt you.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10667 on: October 02, 2015, 10:08:49 AM »
"My (can't recall the vehicle type) is in the shop so I have a loaner car today. God- I can barely get in and out of a car anymore since I'm so used to my SUV. I can't believe what a pain it is."

Edit: Apparently this will be the topic of conversation all day. She is on her THIRD person of how hard it is to get out of a car, and how can anyone own a car when you could buy an SUV?
Vehicle height is actually a legit problem for arthritis sufferers. That's why the toilets in accessible bathrooms are several inches taller than other ones. Climbing down into a car is harder on the knees/hips than getting into a seat that's at or slightly above standing-butt-height.

She doesn't have these issues.

Disposaleer

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10668 on: October 02, 2015, 10:29:39 AM »
Seen at work:
Someone brought a couple boxes of Duck Donuts into the office.  I guess they are the new trendy unhealthy snack. I thought, Gee, I didn't know there was a Duck Donuts near here. I googled them, and found out that, no, there is not a Duck Donuts near here. The closest one is 11.5 miles away.

Granted, I know for a fact that people commute much farther than 11.5 miles to get here. But, that's a long way for fattening fried dough to travel. Not to mention, there are two places across the street at which to buy said fattening fried dough. But, they are not trendy enough apparently.

I occasionally bring Duck Donuts to work, or get them as a treat on a Saturday morning. They are a local-ish brand, and I like the cake type donuts over the bread type. They are definitely pricey though.

HairyUpperLip

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10669 on: October 02, 2015, 10:33:16 AM »
lol - yeah, I'm struggling to understand what's so bad about a coworker bringing in donuts?

I've brought in donuts for my peers before and I'm just a contributor. Nobody special or important.

I spent some money on them, nothing crazy, but honestly it was worth it to see my normally miserable coworkers with a smile for a change.

I used to walk to work, so I actually had to drive a few miles to the donut shop and back. I even had to wake up a little earlier than usual to accomplish it and get the donuts while the selection was good. Small local donut shop type of business.


Avidconsumer

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10670 on: October 02, 2015, 11:00:34 AM »
Co-worker: As far as TVs go, I really believe you should just spend whatever makes you happy.  I have never yet heard someone say, "I wish I hadn't spent so much on my TV."

This was in the middle of a discussion about a 65inch 4k curved tv vs. the 55inch version.
I don't think the curved TVs are even all that nice.  It cuts down on the number of people you can invite over to watch a movie with you, since you can't fan out as much and still see the TV.  I don't own a TV at all, so maybe I'm mistaken, but that's my $0.02.

I think the curved TV actually makes it easier to see from the sides and that's the whole point of it being curved.

ash7962

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10671 on: October 02, 2015, 11:24:14 AM »
lol - yeah, I'm struggling to understand what's so bad about a coworker bringing in donuts?

I've brought in donuts for my peers before and I'm just a contributor. Nobody special or important.

I spent some money on them, nothing crazy, but honestly it was worth it to see my normally miserable coworkers with a smile for a change.

I used to walk to work, so I actually had to drive a few miles to the donut shop and back. I even had to wake up a little earlier than usual to accomplish it and get the donuts while the selection was good. Small local donut shop type of business.

I think the OP had less of a problem with buying the doughnuts, and more of an issue with how far their coworker drove to get the doughnuts especially considering there are closer options.

fattest_foot

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10672 on: October 02, 2015, 11:27:41 AM »
One of my coworkers is a big Dave Ramsey fan (and apparently knows about MMM; he occasionally asks me about how my "mustachio" is going), so much so that apparently he and his wife took over teaching a seminar about it locally.

I guess he must have posted something on Facebook about getting rid of all his debt. This morning he was talking to another coworker about it, and how the first step is to order all your debts and start paying them off from lowest to highest. His example was $1000 as the lowest, etc.

The conversation ended with the second coworker saying how great it was that he got rid of all his debt and how awesome that'd feel, and concluded with "Now, where will I find $1000?"

Apples

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10673 on: October 02, 2015, 11:44:05 AM »
One of my coworkers is a big Dave Ramsey fan (and apparently knows about MMM; he occasionally asks me about how my "mustachio" is going), so much so that apparently he and his wife took over teaching a seminar about it locally.

I guess he must have posted something on Facebook about getting rid of all his debt. This morning he was talking to another coworker about it, and how the first step is to order all your debts and start paying them off from lowest to highest. His example was $1000 as the lowest, etc.

The conversation ended with the second coworker saying how great it was that he got rid of all his debt and how awesome that'd feel, and concluded with "Now, where will I find $1000?"

That's the kind of person the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps are perfect for haha.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10674 on: October 02, 2015, 11:50:08 AM »
Yesterday at a going away lunch for a great young guy (smart, hard worker, going to a different company with a HUGE raise):

"Nice that you can join us, is this lunch actually in your budget?"
 
Ha. Ha.

You know, by bringing lunch every day, I can enjoy a delicious lunch to send off one of the best guys who ever worked for me (probably THE best, really).  I can afford the $14 without sweating it. But thanks.

well if you use a budget in reference to previous lunches you turned down, dont be surprised if it returns to haunt you.
I wouldn't say that I "turn down" lunches out due to budget.

But I bring my lunch every day.  One day, sitting at the table someone asked about it.  Now, my coworkers are engineers.  So, some are frugal, some are not.  Most bring lunch at least SOME of the time, but a lot of them go through phases where they eat out every day.  I pointed out that by packing lunch for myself and my husband every day, in 5 years it equals a new car of savings.  (A Civic maybe.)  And since I'd JUST bought a new Civic (when my prior car was totaled in an accident), it was a timely discussion.

So I've always been reasonably happy to eat out for special occasions - a going away lunch, or if a former coworker is in town for the day, or a networking lunch.  But I don't ever eat out "just because I don't feel like packing a lunch."

Of course the same guy who teased me for my "budget" doesn't have a $320 a week daycare bill like I do.  His time will come.

vivophoenix

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10675 on: October 02, 2015, 12:03:09 PM »
Yesterday at a going away lunch for a great young guy (smart, hard worker, going to a different company with a HUGE raise):

"Nice that you can join us, is this lunch actually in your budget?"
 
Ha. Ha.

You know, by bringing lunch every day, I can enjoy a delicious lunch to send off one of the best guys who ever worked for me (probably THE best, really).  I can afford the $14 without sweating it. But thanks.

well if you use a budget in reference to previous lunches you turned down, dont be surprised if it returns to haunt you.
I wouldn't say that I "turn down" lunches out due to budget.

But I bring my lunch every day.  One day, sitting at the table someone asked about it.  Now, my coworkers are engineers.  So, some are frugal, some are not.  Most bring lunch at least SOME of the time, but a lot of them go through phases where they eat out every day.  I pointed out that by packing lunch for myself and my husband every day, in 5 years it equals a new car of savings.  (A Civic maybe.)  And since I'd JUST bought a new Civic (when my prior car was totaled in an accident), it was a timely discussion.

So I've always been reasonably happy to eat out for special occasions - a going away lunch, or if a former coworker is in town for the day, or a networking lunch.  But I don't ever eat out "just because I don't feel like packing a lunch."

Of course the same guy who teased me for my "budget" doesn't have a $320 a week daycare bill like I do.  His time will come.

im not judging.

but either way you made a connection between your financial circumstances and your bringing in lunch. and not in a casual manner. you used figures based upon  5 years  extrapolation. let's be honest most people don't share that information often with coworkers.

so i think its no surprise that you were teased a little.




Beaker

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10676 on: October 02, 2015, 01:32:41 PM »
Co-worker: As far as TVs go, I really believe you should just spend whatever makes you happy.  I have never yet heard someone say, "I wish I hadn't spent so much on my TV."

This was in the middle of a discussion about a 65inch 4k curved tv vs. the 55inch version.
I don't think the curved TVs are even all that nice.  It cuts down on the number of people you can invite over to watch a movie with you, since you can't fan out as much and still see the TV.  I don't own a TV at all, so maybe I'm mistaken, but that's my $0.02.

I think the curved TV actually makes it easier to see from the sides and that's the whole point of it being curved.

I was curious about all the talk so I checked out ArsTechnica's take. The curve actually makes it harder to see if you're sitting off to the sides. It's arguably better if you're sitting in the middle.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10677 on: October 02, 2015, 01:38:01 PM »
Co-worker: As far as TVs go, I really believe you should just spend whatever makes you happy.  I have never yet heard someone say, "I wish I hadn't spent so much on my TV."

This was in the middle of a discussion about a 65inch 4k curved tv vs. the 55inch version.
I don't think the curved TVs are even all that nice.  It cuts down on the number of people you can invite over to watch a movie with you, since you can't fan out as much and still see the TV.  I don't own a TV at all, so maybe I'm mistaken, but that's my $0.02.

I think the curved TV actually makes it easier to see from the sides and that's the whole point of it being curved.

I was curious about all the talk so I checked out ArsTechnica's take. The curve actually makes it harder to see if you're sitting off to the sides. It's arguably better if you're sitting in the middle.

Yeah that's what I've heard. Curved TV's as they currently are, are great if you are sitting in that sweet spot, but otherwise largely not worth the additional costs. That said, as costs go down and technology and research go up, it's possible that they will make sense in the future.

geekette

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10678 on: October 02, 2015, 02:07:50 PM »
"My (can't recall the vehicle type) is in the shop so I have a loaner car today. God- I can barely get in and out of a car anymore since I'm so used to my SUV. I can't believe what a pain it is."

Edit: Apparently this will be the topic of conversation all day. She is on her THIRD person of how hard it is to get out of a car, and how can anyone own a car when you could buy an SUV?
I don't have an SUV, but I really do appreciate the height of my "crossover" (HHR). 

Zaga

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10679 on: October 02, 2015, 03:12:39 PM »
"My (can't recall the vehicle type) is in the shop so I have a loaner car today. God- I can barely get in and out of a car anymore since I'm so used to my SUV. I can't believe what a pain it is."

Edit: Apparently this will be the topic of conversation all day. She is on her THIRD person of how hard it is to get out of a car, and how can anyone own a car when you could buy an SUV?
I don't have an SUV, but I really do appreciate the height of my "crossover" (HHR).
There are several economy hatchbacks on the market, no reason to get a large SUV if you want a car with headroom. 

Tjat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10680 on: October 02, 2015, 07:05:58 PM »
I may have posted this before. My work provides free coffee, generally green mountain. They also sell fancy Starbucks coffee and have a handful of commercial coffee shops/doughnut stores nearby. It astounds me that a non-zero amount of people choose to pay for a coffee EVERY DAY when there is a perfectly good name-brand alternative that is motherf*ckin FREE that is more convenient!

Well I take that back, there's no pump to put a pint of frosting in your cup because you can't handle how real coffee tastes.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10681 on: October 02, 2015, 07:58:32 PM »
"My (can't recall the vehicle type) is in the shop so I have a loaner car today. God- I can barely get in and out of a car anymore since I'm so used to my SUV. I can't believe what a pain it is."

Edit: Apparently this will be the topic of conversation all day. She is on her THIRD person of how hard it is to get out of a car, and how can anyone own a car when you could buy an SUV?
I don't have an SUV, but I really do appreciate the height of my "crossover" (HHR).
There are several economy hatchbacks on the market, no reason to get a large SUV if you want a car with headroom.

Since this is about getting in and out of the car, isn't this r about distance from the ground, not headroom?

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10682 on: October 03, 2015, 01:55:35 AM »
"My (can't recall the vehicle type) is in the shop so I have a loaner car today. God- I can barely get in and out of a car anymore since I'm so used to my SUV. I can't believe what a pain it is."

Edit: Apparently this will be the topic of conversation all day. She is on her THIRD person of how hard it is to get out of a car, and how can anyone own a car when you could buy an SUV?
I don't have an SUV, but I really do appreciate the height of my "crossover" (HHR).
There are several economy hatchbacks on the market, no reason to get a large SUV if you want a car with headroom.

Since this is about getting in and out of the car, isn't this r about distance from the ground, not headroom?
Depends what the problem is.  If it's knees, then the problem is seat height.  If it's height, then it's height of car body.  If it's obesity, it's door size.

Seppia

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10683 on: October 03, 2015, 05:37:26 AM »

I may have posted this before. My work provides free coffee, generally green mountain. They also sell fancy Starbucks coffee and have a handful of commercial coffee shops/doughnut stores nearby. It astounds me that a non-zero amount of people choose to pay for a coffee EVERY DAY when there is a perfectly good name-brand alternative that is motherf*ckin FREE that is more convenient!

Well I take that back, there's no pump to put a pint of frosting in your cup because you can't handle how real coffee tastes.

In my case it's even worse: I work for an Italian company so good, free coffee is considered a primary human right.
We have free Lavazza cups, and still some people spend the $3 something on their Starbucks latte almost every day.

lemanfan

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10684 on: October 03, 2015, 06:47:32 AM »
In my case it's even worse: I work for an Italian company so good, free coffee is considered a primary human right.
We have free Lavazza cups, and still some people spend the $3 something on their Starbucks latte almost every day.

Now thats a special kind of stooopid. 

teadirt

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10685 on: October 05, 2015, 10:38:41 AM »
In my case it's even worse: I work for an Italian company so good, free coffee is considered a primary human right.
We have free Lavazza cups, and still some people spend the $3 something on their Starbucks latte almost every day.

Now thats a special kind of stooopid.

I live in a LCOL part of the country, and bought a Starbucks Latte last week with some coworkers (I feel obligated to mention, the free office coffee gets the job done just fine, and I drink that 95% of the time. I chose to go just for the walk and cameraderie, and I do like lattes)...

Anyway, the point I wanted to make was that my small (or whatever the f*** they call it) latte was OVER $4! That's the plain model, just milk and espresso. Everything else costs even more.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10686 on: October 05, 2015, 11:12:10 AM »
In my case it's even worse: I work for an Italian company so good, free coffee is considered a primary human right.
We have free Lavazza cups, and still some people spend the $3 something on their Starbucks latte almost every day.

Now thats a special kind of stooopid.

I live in a LCOL part of the country, and bought a Starbucks Latte last week with some coworkers (I feel obligated to mention, the free office coffee gets the job done just fine, and I drink that 95% of the time. I chose to go just for the walk and cameraderie, and I do like lattes)...


I doubt there are many, even here at MMM, that would begrudge you a treat. That's how I look at such things. If you are going with colleagues, then that's akin to pitching in for an office Fantasy Football or March Madness pool, even if you care little for it. It's a little money but can get you closer to your coworkers, which can help your career and make life a little better.

Skalm

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10687 on: October 05, 2015, 05:47:19 PM »
My job just attracts these guys or something...

Coworker buys an $800 car for his girlfriend's daughter. Daughter has trouble holding down jobs, has a kid, has an eviction on record and is currently couch surfing. The daughter's boyfriend has outstanding warrants and works under the table.

So daughter, within a week of having this car, goes and gets a title loan on the car. And then doesn't pay it back. Car gets repo'd within two months of her receiving it.

Now daughter wants to get an apartment and needs a cosigner, which she's asking coworker for. He said no.

gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10688 on: October 05, 2015, 06:51:40 PM »
Your coworker is a stand-up guy. He took an $800 gamble to help someone out, but he's not an idiot and cut his losses.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10689 on: October 05, 2015, 07:41:51 PM »
Your coworker is a stand-up guy. He took an $800 gamble to help someone out, but he's not an idiot and cut his losses.

That's a good point, I hope that's how he views it.

eljefe-speaks

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10690 on: October 06, 2015, 02:04:49 PM »
Co-worker: As far as TVs go, I really believe you should just spend whatever makes you happy.  I have never yet heard someone say, "I wish I hadn't spent so much on my TV."

This was in the middle of a discussion about a 65inch 4k curved tv vs. the 55inch version.
I don't think the curved TVs are even all that nice.  It cuts down on the number of people you can invite over to watch a movie with you, since you can't fan out as much and still see the TV.  I don't own a TV at all, so maybe I'm mistaken, but that's my $0.02.

I think the curved TV actually makes it easier to see from the sides and that's the whole point of it being curved.

I was curious about all the talk so I checked out ArsTechnica's take. The curve actually makes it harder to see if you're sitting off to the sides. It's arguably better if you're sitting in the middle.

Yeah that's what I've heard. Curved TV's as they currently are, are great if you are sitting in that sweet spot, but otherwise largely not worth the additional costs. That said, as costs go down and technology and research go up, it's possible that they will make sense in the future.

Curved TV is a gimmicky way to get people to buy ANOTHER TV. Wow, look everybody - it's curved! Nothing more. 

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10691 on: October 06, 2015, 02:23:44 PM »
I got 3 invitations for work Xmas parties, all >$100 a head, the most expensive one $160 a head.  Included are staff who make under 40K a year. Holy guacamole!
Guess who's being a party pooper? Man, I'm saving like nearly $500 by not going.

WTF it's the social norm for workers to pay to attend a Christmas party?

Not at my company, I'm proud to say. Each year we get dinner at a local Chinese buffet. It is paid for by me. Of course, I have a grand total of 6 employees, and I do invite back 2 retired employees in case they are interested. Also, it just so happens that all of my employees are unmarried save for one, so that also likely reduces my expenses a little bit.

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10692 on: October 06, 2015, 02:56:12 PM »
Your coworker is a stand-up guy. He took an $800 gamble to help someone out, but he's not an idiot and cut his losses.

Yup. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Small loss this incident is better than a bigger loss in the future. Now he has a great burn excuse to stay away from gf's kin.

tofuchampion

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10693 on: October 06, 2015, 07:00:19 PM »
Can I bitch about something not money related?

Coworker is upset because her dog is missing.  Fair enough.  Except:

1.  Dog has run away before.
2.  Dog was not on a leash or in a fence; they just let it go outside freely (which is illegal where I live, not to mention stupid anywhere).
3.  Dog is not neutered (it's 3 years old; this should have been done 2 1/2 years ago).
4.  Dog is trained/disciplined by "popping," which I assume means she just hits it when it doesn't do what she wants.

I'm biting my tongue so hard right now.  OF COURSE your damn dog ran away.  You didn't train it, it's not fixed so it's more prone to wandering off, it's done this before, and you just.... let it go, no leash, no supervision, etc?  This is your fault, not the dog's.  Dog is just being a dog.

Guess whose dog died last weekend? FB post said, "We'll never know exactly what happened, but we know he died doing what he loved most - hunting." Sounds to me like he ran off again. FFS.

I had to unfriend her. This was 100% preventable, and the only sympathy I have is for the dog.

LeRainDrop

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10694 on: October 06, 2015, 07:06:08 PM »
Can I bitch about something not money related?

Coworker is upset because her dog is missing.  Fair enough.  Except:

1.  Dog has run away before.
2.  Dog was not on a leash or in a fence; they just let it go outside freely (which is illegal where I live, not to mention stupid anywhere).
3.  Dog is not neutered (it's 3 years old; this should have been done 2 1/2 years ago).
4.  Dog is trained/disciplined by "popping," which I assume means she just hits it when it doesn't do what she wants.

I'm biting my tongue so hard right now.  OF COURSE your damn dog ran away.  You didn't train it, it's not fixed so it's more prone to wandering off, it's done this before, and you just.... let it go, no leash, no supervision, etc?  This is your fault, not the dog's.  Dog is just being a dog.

Guess whose dog died last weekend? FB post said, "We'll never know exactly what happened, but we know he died doing what he loved most - hunting." Sounds to me like he ran off again. FFS.

I had to unfriend her. This was 100% preventable, and the only sympathy I have is for the dog.

Ugh!  This is so sad!  As the owner, she was responsible for protecting that dog and ensuring his well-being.  I hope she never has the privilege of owning another pet, or if she does, that she learns a very good lesson from this one.  Doubtful she'll do any better the next time, but we can still hope.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10695 on: October 06, 2015, 07:08:52 PM »
Can I bitch about something not money related?

Coworker is upset because her dog is missing.  Fair enough.  Except:

1.  Dog has run away before.
2.  Dog was not on a leash or in a fence; they just let it go outside freely (which is illegal where I live, not to mention stupid anywhere).
3.  Dog is not neutered (it's 3 years old; this should have been done 2 1/2 years ago).
4.  Dog is trained/disciplined by "popping," which I assume means she just hits it when it doesn't do what she wants.

I'm biting my tongue so hard right now.  OF COURSE your damn dog ran away.  You didn't train it, it's not fixed so it's more prone to wandering off, it's done this before, and you just.... let it go, no leash, no supervision, etc?  This is your fault, not the dog's.  Dog is just being a dog.

Guess whose dog died last weekend? FB post said, "We'll never know exactly what happened, but we know he died doing what he loved most - hunting." Sounds to me like he ran off again. FFS.

I had to unfriend her. This was 100% preventable, and the only sympathy I have is for the dog.

I concur, I feel for the dog. There's no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad dog owner.

marty998

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10696 on: October 07, 2015, 12:42:05 AM »
Can I bitch about something not money related?

Coworker is upset because her dog is missing.  Fair enough.  Except:

1.  Dog has run away before.
2.  Dog was not on a leash or in a fence; they just let it go outside freely (which is illegal where I live, not to mention stupid anywhere).
3.  Dog is not neutered (it's 3 years old; this should have been done 2 1/2 years ago).
4.  Dog is trained/disciplined by "popping," which I assume means she just hits it when it doesn't do what she wants.

I'm biting my tongue so hard right now.  OF COURSE your damn dog ran away.  You didn't train it, it's not fixed so it's more prone to wandering off, it's done this before, and you just.... let it go, no leash, no supervision, etc?  This is your fault, not the dog's.  Dog is just being a dog.

Guess whose dog died last weekend? FB post said, "We'll never know exactly what happened, but we know he died doing what he loved most - hunting." Sounds to me like he ran off again. FFS.

I had to unfriend her. This was 100% preventable, and the only sympathy I have is for the dog.

I concur, I feel for the dog. There's no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad dog owner.

Child and parent?

Oops, I didn't say that out loud did I! That's a big can of worms...

Reynold

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10697 on: October 07, 2015, 09:24:08 AM »
Your coworker is a stand-up guy. He took an $800 gamble to help someone out, but he's not an idiot and cut his losses.

I did something like this, on a smaller scale.  We'd just moved to a new state and introduced ourselves to the neighbors, and 2 days later the 18ish year old son of one of them, who we had talked to briefly, knocked on the door to borrow $5 for gas for his car to get to his practice with his garage band.  I loaned him $10, figuring that would be a good test of whether he was reliable.  If so, we could hire him for house sitting, snow shoveling when we traveled, etc. 

About 5 months later, I brought it up in conversation, in case he had forgotten (it has happened to me), but he was short of money at the time.  About a year after the initial borrowing, he saw me getting out of the car, came over and gave me the $10 with a brief apology for being so late, he had finally gotten a job.  So he is not dishonest, just generally irresponsible.  It was worth risking $10 to me to find out what a neighbor was like. 

Contrast this with a similar situation with a well paid, professional co-worker some years earlier, where I loaned him $40 because he was short of cash, and when I brought it up a couple of months later, he scowled and said "What is the big deal about $40?".  I didn't make an issue of it, but learned something useful from that as well.  When someone says "What is the big deal about (some amount of money they owe you)", it is typically a big deal to them.  I don't recall if he was one of the co-workers who panicked when payroll was late by a couple of days one time due to some kind of software messup. . .

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10698 on: October 07, 2015, 09:52:10 AM »
Well, if it is no big deal for you, how about we double what you have to give me back? Or is this still too small a sum?

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10699 on: October 07, 2015, 09:54:34 AM »
he scowled and said "What is the big deal about $40?". 

I cannot even imagine having this kind of attitude. If I owe someone even $1, it is like a big weight over my head until I clear it up.