Life at the plant

[papayahed]

Blokes - what can you do?

I just don't understand.

The guy apologized for his behavior. He wanted me to know that it wasn't directed at me, that he was frustrated with his coworkers and I'm the one that brought it up. He told me he loved me and I said I loved him and we went on with the day.

It seems every place I work there's a guy who tells everybody he loves them. At my last place I'd be in a conversation with this guy and he'd say "I love you" and I'd say 'k and keep on with the conversation and he'd stop me, grab my arm and say No, I love you. And I'd have to say "Thank You" or "I love you too" depending on my mood then the conversation was continued. He did that to most people.

[Paulclem]

I just don't understand.

The guy apologized for his behavior. He wanted me to know that it wasn't directed at me, that he was frustrated with his coworkers and I'm the one that brought it up. He told me he loved me and I said I loved him and we went on with the day.

It seems every place I work there's a guy who tells everybody he loves them. At my last place I'd be in a conversation with this guy and he'd say "I love you" and I'd say 'k and keep on with the conversation and he'd stop me, grab my arm and say No, I love you. And I'd have to say "Thank You" or "I love you too" depending on my mood then the conversation was continued. He did that to most people.

No. I don't understand either.

Apologised for behaviour - check.
Frustrated with co-workers - check.
Told you he loved you.....er
Guy X - grabs arm and says he loves you...er...edging to exit.

[MystyrMystyry]

Explanation: Without love to any degree, the human race wouldn't have gotten anywhere. No Bronze Age, No Iron Age, No Space Age.


This morning I've finally decided to throw the record label in. It's cost too much in time and money, and I don't love it or the sleepless nights anymore (actually not in a long time). Maybe I'll find someone to take it over, otherwise I'll just scale it down to a free occasional service.

And get back to making music, yeah...

[ClaesGefvenberg]

I understand. It is the inevitable consequence of having a loudmouth around blokes.

I'm afraid you're right. It does not always have to end up with physical violence, but in that sort of situation it is very likely and there will definitely be some kind of showdown sooner or later...

...if the loudmouth is on his own, that is. The situation becomes much more complicated if he has even a few followers.

/Claes

[papayahed]

I arranged for an hourly guy to come in on his off day and help me. I made a list of tasks, presented it to the plant manager and got his ok. I went to the union chairmen and got his input on how to proceed (there are rules about how/to whom you can offer overtime). I followed his recommendations. After all that I went back to the plant manager and made sure it was ok. In short I crossed all my "i"s and dotted all my "t"s. The guy came in today and did really well.

The second best part is that the office ladies were all giving the guy the side eye and murmuring about why I have help and they don't. The best part was that he brought me Starbucks this morning.

[papayahed]

It's been a while. I've scrambled the last few weeks to submit two environmental reports to the regulatory agencies. They were both sent certified mail yesterday morning and I have a few minutes to breathe.

[Paulclem]

Now my work computer has a virus and so I had to use the anybody's computers in the Tutor room. It was a jolly time, me putting them off their prep with daft comments.

The techies have taken my computer, and four other manager's computers, away for decontaminatiion, de-weevling and a healing discombobulation. Two days they said. Still, hot desking can be fun.

[papayahed]

blech.

[papayahed]

First snake of the season was caught yesterday. Why is it that people looooooovvvveeeee killing snakes and secondly why do they loooovvveeeee even more to play with the carcass?

[Paulclem]

Blokes was it?

[papayahed]

Blokes was it?

Who else?

[Paulclem]

Yes. Of course this is perfectly reasonable behaviour for blokes. Killing the snake = fearlessness = more manly.

Therer's very little opportunity to be fearless these days.

Handling the carcass = lack of squeamishness = more manly.

The next stage is to find out who is sqeamsh/ fearful by leaving it in other males' bags/ coats/ on desks/ lockers/ food/ hats/ shoes/ jackets etc. The person or persons can then be ridiculed and laughed at at the time, and the subject can be regularly brought up for future humiliation. They could even earn themselves a new nickname.

Then the chasing around with it begins. (See Jackass 2 and 3).

The final act is then to inflict it on the sqeamish ladies and laugh about that.

Knowledge is of course power, and so all those schooled in the buffoonery of males would have immediately gathered together their belongings and guarded them = wisdom. They may then have warned the general populace of the pranks going on and thus become a protector.

[papayahed]

Yes. Of course this is perfectly reasonable behaviour for blokes. Killing the snake = fearlessness = more manly.

Therer's very little opportunity to be fearless these days.

Handling the carcass = lack of squeamishness = more manly.

The next stage is to find out who is sqeamsh/ fearful by leaving it in other males' bags/ coats/ on desks/ lockers/ food/ hats/ shoes/ jackets etc. The person or persons can then be ridiculed and laughed at at the time, and the subject can be regularly brought up for future humiliation. They could even earn themselves a new nickname.

Then the chasing around with it begins. (See Jackass 2 and 3).

The final act is then to inflict it on the sqeamish ladies and laugh about that.

Knowledge is of course power, and so all those schooled in the buffoonery of males would have immediately gathered together their belongings and guarded them = wisdom. They may then have warned the general populace of the pranks going on and thus become a protector.

You are absolutely correct. I found out about the snake by walking to the maintenance shop and on the way seeing one of the guys trying to scare his coworkers with it.

[Paulclem]

You are absolutely correct. I found out about the snake by walking to the maintenance shop and on the way seeing one of the guys trying to scare his coworkers with it.

I used to play rugby and I witnessed this kind of jackassery a lot - though not with snakes - that happened in the army.

Once, we were on a rugby trip to play a team in Lancashire, and so we were on a coach travelling across the Penines. Some of the other lads had played with the Professional team the previous week, and, in a yawningly predictable example of establishing male dominance, the older guys had shaved their privates on the bus.

So, in a predictable continuation of this rock ape behaviour, the now shorn lads wanted to establish their domnance over us by shaving two of the quieter members of the team - me and my mate.

They were young and daft though, and assumed that it would be easy, and so they talked about it in gleeful anticipation. The simple strategy of sitting by the card table on the coach and wrapping ourselves around the legs foiled their cunning plans. They even tried to burn me off, but I was tough and could stand it.

It's just the rich tapestry of male development. Just be glad you're female. Being male often involves pain, humiliation and ridicule. We still laugh though and end up with scars and stories for posterity.

[tonywalt]

Sometimes on rugby tour, if females are present, I jump onto the nearest tree and shake the branches violently while screaming rugby songs. If any other males try to dislodge me, I scurry over to them and flail away.

I have not met any willing females yet

Our big rugby initiation was making the newbies shave their heads while we sprayed them with shaving foam-after 20 or so times it gets really unfunny. Then doing a mock trial if they committed an offence like not knowing the words to a rugby sing-song.