Octopus Overlords

Blackhawk wrote:Sausage and bacon are the fastest way to ruin a pizza.

And to think I used to like you...

I'm with Isg on this one.

I'm somewhere between racked with guild and pissed off. How does everyone just know these things? I've always hated office gift giving. Why can't it be like the office lottery pool. Where you can opt out guilt free. I hate getting gifts and hate having to figure out what gifts to give. Over time, organically our department started to exchange gifts. Then we got gutted and two people moved out of department but stayed with company. Everyone still got them gifts but me. And they all decided to add more people in the office to the pool and everyone just knew this. Well everyone but me.

Work gifting is not meaningful enough to organize and write a memo on the rules but too meaningful to screw up.

The best gift you could possibly give me is to let me sit the whole process out.


Again, I am both filled with guilt and rage right now. Now a happy damned holidays combo, but I have overpriced chocolate!

One of the drawbacks to being in IT, it seems, is that people just assume you know everything and thus never tell you anything. I'm often the last to know when something has been announced in the office.

It leaves me feeling socially awkward and always scrambling for events.

Before the higher-ups implemented a new work request process for middle-major projects, I was set to schedule meetings with the department heads and pretty much demand they tell me what they were working on, as I was sick and tired of getting sideswiped by marketing campaigns needing contact list by EOB for programs that they'd spent months on.

That's an IT thing? I assumed it was a me thing. I'm the last to know everything everywhere I go and often end up a day late and a dollar short because of it and have long since described as aloof.

It's an IT thing. It's not only about you, it's about everyone else's perception of you. The idea that IT doesn't want to or shouldn't be bothered contributes to these problems.

If you only wait to be assigned work, you will continually be given tasks by other parts of the organization that you can tell at a glance are ignorant of the realities of your fiefdom, and are doomed to failure. If you want to have a small chance of having things done right with appropriate time and resources and a proper design, you have to get to the decision makers earlier in the process.

Isgrimnur wrote:It's an IT thing. It's not only about you, it's about everyone else's perception of you. The idea that IT doesn't want to or shouldn't be bothered contributes to these problems.

I actively try not involve myself when not invited at work, trying desperately not to be the mother hen. I fail way too often (and with good reason IMO, and because it's my opinion, I try to double down and not being a nag, and rinse, and repeat). I also like parameters. Parameters are comfy home. Even better when they are documented. If you let me be the judge and don't inform me of the process I make faulty assumptions. A lot. For instance, how was I supposed to know that these two people no longer in our department are still part of the gift circle of that two three people in other people's departments were given honorary status.

At a certain point, I use things like that to absolve myself of guilt. If they can't be bothered to inform me of what's going on, then I'm not going to feel bad about not getting it right.

gbasden wrote:So, I flew back from Toronto last night on American. What a miserable experience! Besides the obligatory delays which led to me getting home three hours after I should, it felt like the most cramped space I've experienced flying. There couldn't have been more than 18 inches between the seat back and my chest. My knees just brushed the seat in front of me if I sat bolt upright, otherwise I had to twist to have any legroom. The jackhole in front of me waited until just after I got my laptop out to do some work before he reclined his seat as much as possible, making it impossible for me to even see my screen. I haven't been so miserable on a flight in forever.

Seriously, I'd pay extra for a flight in which they locked the seats upright so I wouldn't feel stabby for 5 hours.

People who recline in coach when there is someone behind them go to an extra special level of hell.

Blackhawk wrote:I'll try anything on a pizza once, although barbecue sauce is not a favorite. Sausage and bacon are the fastest way to ruin a pizza. I've yet to try white pizza, as there isn't anywhere around here that offers it.

Top choice? Pepperoni, green peppers, black olives, and mushrooms.

I've noticed that sausage quality on pizza is pretty crappy outside of Chicago, but is great in Chicago. I usually get sausage on pizza at home, but I avoid it if I'm on the road.

ImLawBoy wrote:People who recline in coach when there is someone behind them go to an extra special level of hell.

....

I've noticed that sausage quality on pizza is pretty crappy outside of Chicago, but is great in Chicago. I usually get sausage on pizza at home, but I avoid it if I'm on the road.

How can you be so consistently wrong on so many levels?

There's always someone behind you and not reclining that 1.5 degrees is added level of torture to the hell that is being confined to a space designed to tightly pack a 1950's built average adult male.

Though I do admit sausage does have a chance of ruining a pizza but it's critical failure's chance. For reasons I don't understand, sometimes pizza place decide to run their sausage through an overpowering amount of anise. And while its a life choice, it is my personal feeling that sausage and anise don't go together, and ending up with an anise flavored sausage is completely unacceptable, no matter who you are. First you ruin the cookie, then you ruin the sausage, with something that tastes like shit. Who made that decision? Theory has it that the problem is that doing fennal with sausage on pizza that makes is taste like anise. Again, fennal, ruined the cookie. Now it's ruining pizza. What the hell is wrong with people?

Zarathud wrote:I'm with Isg on this one.

+1. My favorite pie is the Sporkie at Bertucci's, a white pizza with ricotta and Italian sausage.

When I make pizza at home I don't use meat, since Wife won't eat it, and I avoid piling on too many veg toppings because they result in a soggy middle. Onions, mushrooms, and kalamata olives are my usual. I have some artichoke pesto on hand that's going onto this week's pie.

Kraken wrote:

Zarathud wrote:I'm with Isg on this one.

+1. My favorite pie is the Sporkie at Bertucci's, a white pizza with ricotta and Italian sausage.

I do not think this means what you think it means.

When I make pizza at home I don't use meat, since Wife won't eat it, and I avoid piling on too many veg toppings because they result in a soggy middle. Onions, mushrooms, and kalamata olives are my usual. I have some artichoke pesto on hand that's going onto this week's pie.

A thin pizza with onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and black olives is a fine pizza (again breaking the arbitrary three item rule) especially if you cut them finely into little 1/4" or better 3/8" pieces. But keep the Greek and green olives and artichokes away! I had to look up kalamata, and it may as well be a Greek olive. Away with you!

One of my favorites is a pepperoni, hamburg, and Greek olive pizza. Salty and delicious, but no one else will touch it. More for me!

Seeing as the 50% off coupon ends at 3 PM local, and I won't have an opportunity to judge the blue one until this evening, the brown one will remain unpurchased unless they give me another coupon.

Richard Marx subdues unruly airline passenger:

American pop singer Richard Marx took to Facebook to say he helped subdue an unruly passenger he claimed was attacking others on a Korean Air flight from Hanoi to Seoul on Tuesday morning.
...
Marx posted the photos to his Facebook page, along with commentary about what he says happened on Korean Air Flight 480. Marx wrote that a “mentally unhinged” passenger began attacking others on the flight. .

“My wife and I are safe but one crew member and two passengers were injured,” Marx says in the account he posted to Facebook. “The all-female crew was clueless and not trained as to how to restrain this psycho and he was only initially subdued when I and a couple other male passengers intervened. He then later easily broke his restraints and attacked more crew and another passenger. When we landed in Seoul police boarded the plane.”

Meh, it don't mean nuthin

Random article title of the day: General Mills Battered By Weak Yogurt Sales

Big companies never understand why they suck in sales when their product is priced too high. Lower your prices and Id buy some yogurt.

60 cents for breakfast isn't that bad. The biggest problem I have with yogurt is that everywhere around here stocks the same five or six varieties all the time. That leads to quick burnout.

That too. And companies have a bad habit of discontinuing the flavors of stuff I love and keeping the blah flavors.

Make your own yogurt!

Buy a good yogurt.

Buy milk.

Heat milk to 180 F.

Let milk cool to 110 F.

Stir in good yogurt.

Hold at 110 F to 115 F for 10 hours.

Repeat as needed.

Now you have more yogurt than you know what to do with. Flavor any way you want. Sell it at the Farmer's Market. Break free from the shackles of Big Yogurt!

I think the real news here is Richard Marx is married to Daisy Fuentes...who knew!?

Daisy Fuentes was popular in the 1990's.

Daehawk wrote:Daisy Fuentes was popular in the 1990's.

Right dude, I was there, I remember. I REMEMBER.

She and Marx have been married for less than a year. Far as I'm concerned she blew her chance with me now...hope she's happy...

LordMortis wrote:A thin pizza with onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and black olives is a fine pizza (again breaking the arbitrary three item rule) especially if you cut them finely into little 1/4" or better 3/8" pieces. But keep the Greek and green olives and artichokes away! I had to look up kalamata, and it may as well be a Greek olive. Away with you!

Sometimes I cant believe I used to date you...

It's not arbitrary. Ever heard about the Rule Of Threes? It's a rule.

You come to my house, figure out the combination to the fridge, and you will find at least 2 kilos of kalamatas chilling AT ALL TIMES. I get them from Greece.

How the fuck can you enjoy a slice of pizza that's a quarter-inch? That's just weird.

Z-Corn wrote:How the fuck can you enjoy a slice of pizza that's a quarter-inch? That's just weird.

Don't judge me! Also I meant 1/4 or 3/16.

On topic:

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/cthu ... _lovecraft

Paingod wrote:One of my favorites is a pepperoni, hamburg, and Greek olive pizza. Salty and delicious, but no one else will touch it. More for me!

Egads! I hope you enjoy the blood pressure measurement I kit I sent you for Christmas.

MindToyGames wrote:

Paingod wrote:One of my favorites is a pepperoni, hamburg, and Greek olive pizza. Salty and delicious, but no one else will touch it. More for me!

Egads! I hope you enjoy the blood pressure measurement I kit I sent you for Christmas.

Now you make him worry about some lost package. It's on you. That's all I'm sayin.

Isgrimnur wrote:Richard Marx subdues unruly airline passenger:

What I want to know is why the Hanoi-to-Seoul crazy stranger looks so fabulous. It's the guy with glasses, right? He looks more like a pop star than Richard Marx ever did.

When I encounter violent crazies, they look like Mickey Rourke playing Shane MacGowan.

Everything there, the glasses, the black-T-shirt anglo with a rope, looks as staged as it gets, no?

LordMortis wrote:

Z-Corn wrote:How the fuck can you enjoy a slice of pizza that's a quarter-inch? That's just weird.

Don't judge me! Also I meant 1/4 or 3/16.

On topic:

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/cthu ... _lovecraft

Reported for being off-topic.

Unagi wrote:Everything there, the glasses, the black-T-shirt anglo with a rope, looks as staged as it gets, no?

All's I know is, I talked this over with my wife...she's not Daisy Fuentes but we've come to terms with that...but she agreed...yeah, no way that dude would've been able to keep his glasses on if I was Richard Marx and I had rope and I was restraining him. First rule is to blind your opponent when on a domestic flight over Korea...

I like that bottom left pic...the girl with the camera phone taping it all. Thats society these days. "Excuse me sir I have you on video so you should stop" Ya that always works well.

Daehawk wrote:I like that bottom left pic...the girl with the camera phone taping it all. Thats society these days. "Excuse me sir I have you on video so you should stop" Ya that always works well.

Well, that's about covering their ass when the guy tells the police he was just minding his own business.

My kids only eat a non-sweetened strawberry yogurt in a tube for school lunch. Occasionally the local grocery stores and the SuperTarget will run out of stock and try pushing cherry or "pouches." Why? They're pushing for a higher margins.

Holman wrote:

Daehawk wrote:I like that bottom left pic...the girl with the camera phone taping it all. Thats society these days. "Excuse me sir I have you on video so you should stop" Ya that always works well.

Well, that's about covering their ass when the guy tells the police he was just minding his own business.

When you have your employees pointing a taser at your customers, you absolutely want another employee with a camera. 100%. This coming from someone who wrote policies for just such situations for a corporation worth billions.

Z-Corn wrote:

Unagi wrote:Everything there, the glasses, the black-T-shirt anglo with a rope, looks as staged as it gets, no?

All's I know is, I talked this over with my wife...she's not Daisy Fuentes but we've come to terms with that...but she agreed...yeah, no way that dude would've been able to keep his glasses on if I was Richard Marx and I had rope and I was restraining him. First rule is to blind your opponent when on a domestic flight over Korea...

OK OK.

it's all legit, don't mind me.... I don't mean nothing.

ImLawBoy wrote: People who recline in coach when there is someone behind them go to an extra special level of hell.

You, sir, are a fine example of an exemplary human being and I'm proud to virtually know you.

LordMortis wrote: How can you be so consistently wrong on so many levels?

There's always someone behind you and not reclining that 1.5 degrees is added level of torture to the hell that is being confined to a space designed to tightly pack a 1950's built average adult male.

You're one of my favorite people on the board, but if I'm ever stuck behind you on a flight I will direct focused beams of pure hatred into the back of your head. I went the entire flight there and back never reclining my seat because I'm a decent human being who has regard for his fellow man.

Unagi wrote:Everything there, the glasses, the black-T-shirt anglo with a rope, looks as staged as it gets, no?

Yeah. And the kicker is that the American pop star appears to be flying Coach.

I call viral marketing.