22 thoughts on “Annoying”

1. We have white noise generators. Being an engineer, I’m sure you know (and care) that it’s actually “pink” noise.

   Anyhow, the most peaceful time here is on the rare occasion that the poser goes off. It’s just amazing. It feels like the tension just falls out of your body.

   The most worrisome time is when you’re here at 4:00 in the morning. The noise level gets adjusted overnight, and when it cranks back up it sounds like a big wave coming over the place.

   You can always get a ladder and unscrew the lights, that’s what I used to do.

   • I like the idea of white noise generators.

     Over in my office, we’ve turned off the overhead lighting in the engineering area by unscrewing the flourescent bulbs. The light from flourescent bulbs is horrible and creates all sorts of glare. We all have desk lights and are near windows, which provide natural light and instant information on the time of day (good for keeping your internal clock accurate).

     • Yeah, I used to have that, but now I’m in a cube farm in the middle of a 400 seat building.

       I miss the 6 desk office, where I had the viewbicle.

       • What kind of white noise generator do you have? You have piqued my curiousity. Is it something that you control? Does it work well?

         • I have no idea what kind they are, they’re in the ceilings all over the building. Unfortunately we don’t have control over them. Sometimes they’re placed over conference rooms, where we’d like to have calls, but of course we can’t because nobody can hear us.

           I’m sure there’s a good way to manage white noise, but it’s not being done that way here.

         • Are you sure you don’t just have rats in the walls?

         • Yeah, there aren’t even any walls.

           Actually I’ve been up in the ceiling moving them around, ’cause my boss wanted one pointed away from his cube. They’re just these 1 foot cubes with speakers.

2. And when I say poser, I mean power.

   Can’t type, too early.

   • I was wondering what you were talking about…

   • Personally, I hate it when the poser goes off!

     “What do you mean I can’t wear my earring at the office?! I’ll step on you with my platform boots, motherfucker!”

     • I’m in a conference call, and not paying much attention.

       Fortunately I had mute on when I L’dOL at this.

       • My work here is done.

3. Not being an engineer, I favor the low tech solution of standing on my desk and unscrewing the lights. It works.

   • I sat for several minutes trying to figure out how to do exactly that.

     My “desk” may or may not support my weight, being modular cubicle furniture.

     Plus, it is not underneath the light.

     The light is in the middle of a big, open area outside my cubicle.

     All the chairs are wobbly, rollaround chairs, unfit for standing on and possibly not giving me enough aditional height anyway. There used to be standard chairs in the conference room, but they recently replaced those with rollaround wobbly chairs.

     There are no tables to drag over, because they’re all attached to something.

     There are filing cabinets, but they are too big and heavy to move, and filled with equipment and… well, files.

     The ladders are all locked in our maintenance guy’s storage closet.

     The maintenance guy is not answering the page.

     No, I think I’m going to have to settle for a rampage. Tell my wife and son I love them.

     • If you throw a stapler at the bulb, it’ll break. This is similar to unscrewing the light.

       It’s drastic, but better than a rampage.

       • It will bounce harmlessly off the protective plastic plate!

         The Rampage is the Only Way!

         • Yeah, at this pooint, I agree.

           Rampaginate!

     • Just step on the desk. I step on my cube desk all the time and I bet I weigh half again as much as you do.

       • Just do it carefully, and if the omminus cracking sounds get louder than a snapped saltine, give up, if it reaches broken trisket level you are in trouble.

         • You are insured? Right?

     • You have to take risks to unscrew the bulb. Get a fellow co-worker to hold the chair still. Take a risk on the cube furniture. You have to think like a survivor when you’re in prison… er, cubicle farm.

4. Why not set a romantic mood and try office-ing by candlelight? It could be the new trend – Casual Romance Fridays…

   Oh, and never rampage on a Friday -ruins the weekend for everyone

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