Strange but True Tales of Office and School...

[JohnT]

When I was in the seventh grade I started a rumor that there was a Nostradamas (sp) prophecy that said that if two Popes died within 6 weeks of each other, the world would end by noon, Friday.

The rumor spread like wildfire and, sure enough, that Friday during our 11:45-12:30 lunch break the lunchroom got totally silent at 11:59am. There were a few clueless individuals who were asking "what's going on?", but even the teachers seemed to be clock-watching.

A few seconds after twelve some people started talking, which pretty much broke up the mood. The overly loud buzz of a lunchroom full of kids feeling relieved started, and that was that.

FWIW, I was never pegged as the starter of the rumor, though my friends knew. It just spread so damned quickly that I was having people tell me about it.

Oddly enough, it was one of the more educational moments of my life.

[JohnT]

So what bizarro things have happened in your office/school? Bonus points if you were involved, triple if you instigated.

[chequita guevara]

I'm trying to d something like that, but I can't tell you what it is.

[Bereta_Eder]

Nothing I was a good boy

Hmm maybe two things.

Once I participated in the side of those who critisized a professor who critisized a pupil for having long hair (private school etc) One of the few who did participated in that side.


And another time I didn't participate in the walkout of a classroom. Again one of the few who didn't walk out. The one who instigated the walkout was a bitvh who was simply using her huge popularity to piss on a professor who was an arse himself but didn't deserve such treatment.

That's all.
If you exclude the drinking extravaganza in the traditional 5th day excursion which earned me the title "The kamikazee" and some wanderings inside a subterenean cave underneath the school before they closeed it.

[Bereta_Eder]

Oh wait. I forgot the greatest! I made my OWN football team and destroyed the competition. We beat the best team of the school! And everyone thought we didn't know crap about football!

yeah that's a story I'll tell to my grandchildren.

[rah]

Hopefully, by the time you have grandchildren, you'll have better stories.

[JohnT]

This isn't bizarre, just funny - if you're not my target, that is.

There was this manager who worked for my parents company with appx. the same position/title that I had - he was field operations manager and I was internal operations manager. Problem is he was lazy and didn't work long enough or hard enough for my tastes, to the point where he would duck out of the office for a couple of hours a day. I complained to my father, but being one not built for confrontation didn't press the issue. Which pissed me off.

I saw my chance to prove my point when my parents were going out of town for an entire week (leaving on Sunday, coming back on Saturday, see ya, don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.)

That Monday morning I started an office pool as to how many hours my co-worker (who was the #4/5 guy in the company, according to title) would actually be in the office that day. I conspired with the Secretary, having her log his in/out times (she could see whenever he left the office and would check periodically to make sure he didn't sneak out), and spread the message: $5 a shot, guess how much time to the quarter-hour he will spend in the office this week, winner takes all.

I had 22 takers (in an office of 50, 60) and the winner won her $110 with an accurate guess of 24 hours.

Of course the co-worker heard about it, I don't recall if it was Monday or Tuesday but it was definitely in the beginning of the week. He called my father to complain, whereupon my dad called me back asking me what the hell co-worker was complaining about. I explained the situation, he was irritated and humored at the same time, and when I offered to cancel the contest he said "No, I wanna see who wins."

[Bereta_Eder]

Hopefully, by the time you have grandchildren, you'll have better stories.

You're wrong rah. This is a great pedagogical story with a valuable moral teaching. = don't take no crap, do it your own way, believe in yourself and you can do the impossible. This story should have been filmed! I'm just not motivated enough to relate it to you in full splendor (besides you're not my grandchild )

[rah]

No, I'm probably closer to being your grandfather.

[Bereta_Eder]

Presicely

[rah]

Then you'll realize that by that time any good story has had a change to be embelished through retelling hundreds of times until it's a GREAT STORY. Unfortunately by then everyone has heard it and you have no one to tell it to.

[Guynemer]

When I was in middle school, I had gotten a copy of a parody of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas from my twisted old grandfather, bless his heart, and I decided I could design a Xmas card with it and print up 10 copies to give to my closest friends at school... people I could trust not to spread it around or point the finger at me if these cards were discovered by The Man.

Three days later, another kid (not one the 10) came up to me and said he had something that he knew I would get a kick out of. It was a copy of my card; thinking I would have to beat the crap out of someone, I asked him where he got it from. He said his dad showed it to him, that they were popping up all over at his workplace--Ford Headquarters in Dearborn.

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by rah
Then you'll realize that by that time any good story has had a change to be embelished through retelling hundreds of times until it's a GREAT STORY. Unfortunately by then everyone has heard it and you have no one to tell it to.

Aright I see your point now I'll take a raincheck this time about the story thoiugh but will come back a bit later

[rah]

Back in the stoneage (70's) in college in Central Illinois, we used to go out into the countryside to release stress. Wild pot used to grow along almost all the railroad tracks. It was really dog stuff that would just give you a headache. One of the guys younger sister used to always pester him for stuff when he was home for holidays, so as a joke we picked some to give to her. It was near the airforce base in Rantoul Illinois, so we gave it the code name, RANTOUL RED. So for Easter break he brought some home.

That summer we were visiting his home and some of her punk friends were hanging around trying to look cool to the older kids and asked us if we wanted to blow a joint. They said it was some real kickass weed called RANTOUL RED. We laughed for about a month.

[JohnT]