The "What's on your mind?" thread

[RageATL]

Welp, we just got the notice (four calendar days/two business days in "advance" mind you) that we're back in the office full-time/five days a week starting Monday. Not whining about it because I realize how fortunate I am and am thankful each and every for having a good job with this company for as long as I have, but in my industry, it's just so unnecessary. During the pandemic, we delivered on HUGE projects and plenty of deliverables after which they told us that the company was shifting to a "work anywhere" model (which some folks ridiculously took at their word and relocated their homes to disastrous results) only to do a complete about face five years later and pull everyone back in. It just goes to show that you should never, ever take a company's word for it. OK, all done...

[BizCat]

Originally Posted by RageATL

Welp, we just got the notice (four calendar days/two business days in "advance" mind you) that we're back in the office full-time/five days a week starting Monday. Not whining about it because I realize how fortunate I am and am thankful each and every for having a good job with this company for as long as I have, but in my industry, it's just so unnecessary. During the pandemic, we delivered on HUGE projects and plenty of deliverables after which they told us that the company was shifting to a "work anywhere" model (which some folks ridiculously took at their word and relocated their homes to disastrous results) only to do a complete about face five years later and pull everyone back in. It just goes to show that you should never, ever take a company's word for it. OK, all done...

It is so unnecessary in 2025 to make people work jobs in a setting that can be done remote.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by RageATL

Welp, we just got the notice (four calendar days/two business days in "advance" mind you) that we're back in the office full-time/five days a week starting Monday. Not whining about it because I realize how fortunate I am and am thankful each and every for having a good job with this company for as long as I have, but in my industry, it's just so unnecessary. During the pandemic, we delivered on HUGE projects and plenty of deliverables after which they told us that the company was shifting to a "work anywhere" model (which some folks ridiculously took at their word and relocated their homes to disastrous results) only to do a complete about face five years later and pull everyone back in. It just goes to show that you should never, ever take a company's word for it. OK, all done...

Originally Posted by BizCat

It is so unnecessary in 2025 to make people work jobs in a setting that can be done remote.

That is not nearly enough time for people to get their affairs in order. MY employer would have an uproar.

My employer (a local bank) told us we are going back to 4 days a week in the office (adding Wednesdays staying home on Fridays) starting in September. I get why, but like yourself, no need for my job specifically to be in the office at all. But others do need to be in the office, so if a few have to do it, I guess we all do.

I should add that my department (I am a paralegal in the Legal Dept) is scattered all over the US, with attorneys scattered in places like NY, PA and MA. So, I have no supervision at my office (its just me in our Malvern, PA office)......so I go in and scan my badge, stay an hour or 2 so that others see my face....and then I just walk out and go home. That way, the scanning history will show I was "in the office"....only I didn't stay.

[LordoftheRings]

Click on ^ the pic above

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by russweiss1

I worked retail for many many years. There were certain customers that seemed to have nothing better to do than stop and chat. A couple employees I worked with would come and interrupt if they saw this happening to allow me to get away. I did the same for them.

Ah hell, all I have to do is stand in line a the grocery store or grab a coffee at my local joint and that happens. Which is weird to me because people tell me I have a gruff look about me (I get cop or Marine a lot, and I've never been either), but for some reason people seem to warm up to that lol.

Originally Posted by RageATL

Welp, we just got the notice (four calendar days/two business days in "advance" mind you) that we're back in the office full-time/five days a week starting Monday. Not whining about it because I realize how fortunate I am and am thankful each and every for having a good job with this company for as long as I have, but in my industry, it's just so unnecessary. During the pandemic, we delivered on HUGE projects and plenty of deliverables after which they told us that the company was shifting to a "work anywhere" model (which some folks ridiculously took at their word and relocated their homes to disastrous results) only to do a complete about face five years later and pull everyone back in. It just goes to show that you should never, ever take a company's word for it. OK, all done...

That's the right attitude to have. Hopefully it's an easy transition for you, considering. Still, in our line of work we can pretty much do it from anywhere. I would rather give that time spent commuting to working extra instead, being salaried and all.

But damn, this makes me think about how the culture has changed since the pandemic. I've been telecommuting for what will be 19 years next month, the last 14 of that full time. I'd have a rough time at it driving in and adjusting to the culture vs what it was when I last had to go in regularly, and the pandemic only compounding that. But where I work now, perhaps it's fortunate the company doesn't have the facilities to have everyone in-office as they were founded on the whole work from anywhere methodology. All the PMs and devs are scattered throughout the country.

Before I started telecommuting I used to work with a guy who was the most ornery dev I'd ever met. The "IT guy" had to upgrade something on his machine and asked for his password (back when it was ok to ask for that ), to which he replied, "f*ck you". The tech said, "excuse me?". They went back & forth like that a few times when Mr. Ornery finally said, "that's my password, 'f*ck you', lower case no spaces". Sure enough the tech typed it in and it worked. We were all in stitches. Funny thing is, I'm 100% certain that he used that password just to have the opportunity to have that conversation lol. You almost certainly couldn't get away with anything like that today.

[RageATL]

Originally Posted by Fors*

That is not nearly enough time for people to get their affairs in order. MY employer would have an uproar.

My employer (a local bank) told us we are going back to 4 days a week in the office (adding Wednesdays staying home on Fridays) starting in September. I get why, but like yourself, no need for my job specifically to be in the office at all. But others do need to be in the office, so if a few have to do it, I guess we all do.

I should add that my department (I am a paralegal in the Legal Dept) is scattered all over the US, with attorneys scattered in places like NY, PA and MA. So, I have no supervision at my office (its just me in our Malvern, PA office)......so I go in and scan my badge, stay an hour or 2 so that others see my face....and then I just walk out and go home. That way, the scanning history will show I was "in the office"....only I didn't stay.

Sure isn't, but when you work for a Fortune 50 company, they really don't care. I don't even have kids, but would be super pissed if I then had to scramble to find a way to manage being a parent given this relatively recent paradigm shift. Also, not only the short notice, but they giveth and taketh away all the time, so I've just gotten used to it over the years. It's probably a good way to be to never get too comfortable with anything, but it wears on you if you've done it for as long as I have.

Yeah, we had folks that were doing the "badge-in, coffee and leave" routine early on in this process and they quickly lost their jobs, so once word got around about that, that behavior came to a screeching halt.

[civiclx]

I'm listening to a lot of country and R&B so you can probably guess what's on my mind

And I didn't know that you don't have kids Rage. Would you guys like to have kids someday? If so, sorry that I don't have any myself to give away

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by RageATL

Sure isn't, but when you work for a Fortune 50 company, they really don't care. I don't even have kids, but would be super pissed if I then had to scramble to find a way to manage being a parent given this relatively recent paradigm shift. Also, not only the short notice, but they giveth and taketh away all the time, so I've just gotten used to it over the years. It's probably a good way to be to never get too comfortable with anything, but it wears on you if you've done it for as long as I have.

Yeah, we had folks that were doing the "badge-in, coffee and leave" routine early on in this process and they quickly lost their jobs, so once word got around about that, that behavior came to a screeching halt.

The reason it works for me is I have 2 physical offices I can go into if I choose. If they ever start to question why they didn't see me any longer that day....I can always say I had to go to the other office to finish my day.

[RageATL]

Originally Posted by civiclx

And I didn't know that you don't have kids Rage. Would you guys like to have kids someday? If so, sorry that I don't have any myself to give away

Oh man, this is quite the question and definitely not one that I'm prepared to answer here, but not because I'm not transparent, more so because it'd be far too much to type.

[Warm Gun]

Restroom was closed for cleaning. Hurried to the other end of the warehouse before I had to be at my station, but that restroom was also closed for cleaning. Looked around, then entered the women's. Wonder what deep crap I might have been in if it was occupied. Carry Grant casually did it in North By Northwest, and the lady understood.

[LordoftheRings]

BREAKING: S/Y Bayesian Raised from Seabed! | SY News - YouTube

[ctujackbauer]

Seems like World War 3 just started a few hours ago. "Welcome to the party, pal."

[ctujackbauer]

California Fantasy 5 had 27 winners (usually just a few people or none win) in its jackpot on June 20th.

Check out the winning numbers:

16, 17, 18, 19, 20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpwesfKJ1AI

[sfmarine]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

Restroom was closed for cleaning. Hurried to the other end of the warehouse before I had to be at my station, but that restroom was also closed for cleaning. Looked around, then entered the women's. Wonder what deep crap I might have been in if it was occupied. Carry Grant casually did it in North By Northwest, and the lady understood.

I've done that a few times. It's rather nice as they're super clean and smell good.

[sfmarine]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

Click on one of the documentaries above ^ but not both of them @ the same time.

They both have roughly the same score on IMDB. I heard the Netflix doc isn't as good as the one from Discovery but it does include the bangs heard from inside the hull. They sounded like metallic pings to me but obviously Stockton chose to ignore them.

Did you watch both?

[civiclx]

Got off work early today and got a bit more sleep and at about 9:15am or so, I wake up and think about walking down to IHOP and then I think walking to to IHOP at this time and trying to get a seat would be crazy

I might call them and ask if they're busy. They might even be too busy to answer the phone!

[civiclx]

My turn again? Okay! I'm trying to save up to about $9,500 for my new bike. I'd have a little left to finance which I would just plan on putting on a credit card that isn't being charged interest yet. I believe I'll start being charged interest in the spring of next year.
But, I'm having second thoughts on getting a second bike. I recently renewed my passport for the first time and I never wanted to stop at just two trips to Europe so it might be time to get back. I have no idea where I would go. I'd love to return to Ireland, Germany and Austria someday. Berlin would be the one big city that I would return to first. But also, I have yet to get to Italy, France properly (only across the border into Colmar) and many other countries. Czech Republic has been on the list for awhile now. I'd love to get to the Scandinavian countries as well.

So there's definitely a possibility that I may return this year. I love checking flight prices on Expedia, just for fun!, but it's been a minute since I've done so. Maybe I'll have to start planning an itinerary.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by sfmarine

They both have roughly the same score on IMDB. I heard the Netflix doc isn't as good as the one from Discovery but it does include the bangs heard from inside the hull. They sounded like metallic pings to me but obviously Stockton chose to ignore them.

Did you watch both?

Only the Netflix one. And the sounds/spikes of the carbon fiber cracking as the sub went deeper were truly horrific, no kidding. It's like being inside a coffin and hearing the hammer punching the nails on the top cover ... you know, like in the movie 'Kill Bill: Vol, 2'.

Kill Bill 2 Buried Alive Coffin Scene - YouTube

The first time I fell asleep. The second time it was scary, almost like in the movie, but except that it was real.
So if you get the chance you might give it a 'crack' and see if you'd like to go deep sea.
The bottom of the ocean is like a gigantic cemetery, where a tomb might be waiting for you.
I'd rather stay @ the surface, sail on it, or fly in the air like Tom Cruise, or Chuck Norris.

[Jay H.]

Congratulations to the Oklahoma City Thunder!!!

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by sfmarine

They both have roughly the same score on IMDB. I heard the Netflix doc isn't as good as the one from Discovery but it does include the bangs heard from inside the hull. They sounded like metallic pings to me but obviously Stockton chose to ignore them.

Did you watch both?

Crackling sounds ... jump @ 1:10

TITAN ON NETFLIX Snap, Crackle, Pop, Bang! "If that's not good enough for you, f*#k you." - YouTube