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  • The Physics of Failure

    Jeebus last night was AWFUL. This is all just from last night and I actually had to stop cataloging the stupidity because I was getting so many morons I didn't have the time to write. ><



    The Physics Of Failure
    ( 867 of course )

    Me: "What’s your phone number?"
    SC: "xxx-xxxx"
    Me: "and the area code?"
    SC: "<Gives me her postal code>"
    Me: "No, the area code."
    SC: "<Gives me the name of her town.>"
    Me: "No, what's your area code. On your phone number."
    SC: "Oh, uh…."

    FAIL.

    See, there are several levels of failure. There's standard "failure", which the average person experiences perhaps once a week. Then there's the capslock "FAILURE", which may occur perhaps once 1-3 months to the average person. Then there's failure so significant that the failee does not even deserve the entire word. The "ure" portion is removed as sort of a penalty for having achieved such a colossal level of failure. This is simply known as "fail". This may happen to the average person perhaps once a year.

    The final tier of failure, the one I'm awarding you, is of course the capslock "FAIL". This particular brand of failure is so colossal that it actually inflicts physical harm on the failee or those within range of the failee. "FAIL" often times results in critical injury and/or death in the average person. On the other hand, slack wits, such as yourself, have endured so many instances of "failure", "FAILURE" and "Fail" over your lifetime that you've developed a resistance to it. Sort of like how bacteria will, over time, develop a resistance to antibiotics.

    So when "FAIL" occurs to an individual such as yourself the affect is more like a nuclear fall out. Yes, the painful epicenter is yourself, but brain cells owned by other people (and perhaps even household pets or local wildlife) within the vicinity may be instantly destroyed or critically injured then left to linger on for a few months before succumbing to death.

    So thank you, slack wit, I am now stupider from having to converse with you.



    Pardon?

    SC: "Can I just go around and meet you in the back alley?"

    …um….I'm not sure what sort of, er, arrangements you made with our client but I don't believe I want any part of them.

    ( She didn't elaborate either.... )



    2:37am

    SC: "Is blah blah there?"
    Me: "No, sorry, the office has closed for this evening."
    SC: "What? I thought you guys closed at 4:30?"
    Me: "….yes, yes we did."

    You seem to be somewhat disoriented. Relax, sit down, take a deep breath. Here, have a banana. I know you like bananas. You can climb the hell out of trees too I'm sure.



    Unqualified aka The Only Computer in All of Nunavut

    SC: "Ya, I wan a cap I saw on de computar. I jus wanna check if you have it."
    Me: "….ok, what's the product id number?"
    SC: "Uh….I dunno, lemme check de computar…."
    <Literally 3 minutes of dead silence pass of him monkeying with the computer>
    Me: "Find it?"
    SC: "Lemme look."
    <More dead air…I can hear him "typing">
    Me: "Do you want to call back after you find it?"
    SC: "Yeah, ok. I'll call back in bout 45 minutes."
    Me: "Ok"

    I don't think you're qualified to own nor operate a computer. Or a phone. Please pack both of them up and return them from whence you purchased them. Be sure to explain to the clerk that you are, from an evolutionary stand point, to the left of the monkey and ask him to be sure that he does not sell you any form of complicated electronics until such a time as you can enter the store without scraping your knuckles on the welcome mat.

    No, he didn't call back either. I assume he's still sitting there, pecking away at the keyboard like a blind hen.



    Timehole
    ( Bonus points if you get that reference )

    Me: "Good morning, <company name>"
    SC: "Good Mornternoon"

    …I think that greeting is only valid if I was currently at the epicenter of an implosion in the space time continuum.



    Bitterness

    SC: "How you doin?!"

    I'm great, thank you! I would be even better if you could somehow find a way to incapacitate yourself suddenly within the next 10 seconds! In fact, now would be an ideal time to discover you're narcoleptic.



    Just...what?

    Me: "and your postal code?"
    SC: "Low mein."
    Me: "…pardon?"
    SC: "Low mein."
    Me: "No, your postal code?"
    SC: "262."
    Me: "No, postal code."
    SC: "G0G?"
    Me: "Yes, that's it. What's the rest of it?"

    I feel inclined to give you a treat ( Perhaps a biscuit or some beef jerky? ) so next time when this happens you remember what I've painstakingly taught you. Sit, Ubu, sit. Good dog.



    Mantra

    SC: "Is Victor there?"
    Me: "He's not in for another hour."
    SC: "Oh, can I speak to someone else?"
    Me: "No one's in for another hour."
    SC: "Can I speak with Samina."
    Me: "No. One's. In. For. Another. Hour."

    Shhhh……LISTEN. Hear that? That’s the sound of me desperately trying to break into your flawed reality. Let me in, I can help!



    Inquisition

    Me: "What's your store address?"
    SC: "…that’s a good question."

    Yes, I know it is. That's why I asked it. I am a highly trained professional…..er….questioner. Yes, that’s it. The Questioner. Kind of like The Decider™ but I'm not depressingly in charge of a major country.




    Gah....I has the twitchies, and they won't stop.

  • #2
    Quoth Gravekeeper View Post

    Just...what?

    Me: "and your postal code?"
    SC: "Low mein."
    Me: "…pardon?"
    SC: "Low mein."
    Me: "No, your postal code?"
    SC: "262."
    Me: "No, postal code."
    SC: "G0G?"
    Me: "Yes, that's it. What's the rest of it?"
    (holding on to desk while head spins)
    "Full price for gum?! That dog won't hunt, monsignor." - Philip J. Fry

    Comment


    • #3
      The next time you have to ask more than three times for someone's area code, I suspect you'd be safe just sticking "867" in there and be done with it.

      If you have to ask, it's probably better posted at www.fratching.com

      Comment


      • #4
        Quoth Boozy View Post
        The next time you have to ask more than three times for someone's area code, I suspect you'd be safe just sticking "867" in there and be done with it.
        Sadly, this is probably true...

        Last night's Final Jeopardy question was about Canadian provinces, and one of the contestants guessed (wrongly) Nunavut. My immediate thought was "867!!!"
        I don't go in for ancient wisdom
        I don't believe just 'cause ideas are tenacious
        It means that they're worthy - Tim Minchin, "White Wine in the Sun"

        Comment


        • #5
          Is Nunavut pronounced "none of it?"

          As in, "Book learnin'? Ain't having nunavut."
          I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it. -- Raymond Chandler

          Comment


          • #6
            Quoth Gravekeeper View Post
            <More dead air…I can hear him "typing">
            Are you sure he even had a computer? Maybe he just had the keyboard . . . .
            This area is left blank for a reason.

            Comment


            • #7
              Postal and zip codes are fun, aren't they? I occassionally get this when trying to look up a customer's Rewards Card number. As soon as I say "Well, I can try to look that up for you" they rattle off their zipcode, or when I say "phone number with area code" they give me the zip, or they fail to give me either, and when I ask for their area code a second time, they give me the zip.

              Yeah, like your zip code is YOUR'S personally, and no one else has it......right, sure. You and 50000 other people. Really narrows it down, espeically seeing as I can't even enter a zip code in the seach fields......
              "We guard the souls in heaven; we don't horse-trade them!" Samandrial in Supernatural

              RIP Plaidman.

              Comment


              • #8
                Quoth TNT View Post
                Is Nunavut pronounced "none of it?"
                As in, "Book learnin'? Ain't having nunavut."

                Yeah, that's how its pronounced. Canadians have come up a lot of these gems ever since they named the new territory.

                (In defense of my fellow Canadians in Nunavut: I've got a feeling that remote isolation, 24 hours of sunshine in the summer, 24 hours of darkness in the winter, and the knowledge that you'll see the same five people tomorrow as you did yesterday and no one else, might drive someone just a little insane. Life in Northern Canada is tough, and vastly different from what we're used to. The concept of "area codes" may well be alien to someone who was born and raised there.)

                If you have to ask, it's probably better posted at www.fratching.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  Quoth Gravekeeper View Post

                  SC: "Can I just go around and meet you in the back alley?"(
                  Might wanna double-check the job description there, GK. Just in case there's something about procreation with bottom-feeders.

                  Quoth Gravekeeper View Post
                  Me: "Good morning, <company name>"
                  SC: "Good Mornternoon"

                  …I think that greeting is only valid if I was currently at the epicenter of an implosion in the space time continuum.
                  Actually, I think the correct expression would be "Hey, what the hell? AAAARRGGHH-" Then all existence would cease, but so would the pain. So I guess there'd be a bright side.
                  "You are loved" - Plaidman.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Be sure to explain to the clerk that you are, from an evolutionary stand point, to the left of the monkey and ask him to be sure that he does not sell you any form of complicated electronics until such a time as you can enter the store without scraping your knuckles on the welcome mat.
                    Gravekeeper, aka my early morning rush of hilarity,

                    Your insults and groans of mental pain are Shakesperianly Large.

                    Kudos.

                    ~
                    Teach a SC to fish... and they will whine about you not catching, filleting, frying, and serving it up on a silver platter for them. - EvilEmpryss

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Quoth Gravekeeper View Post

                      Just...what?

                      Me: "and your postal code?"
                      SC: "Low mein."
                      Me: "…pardon?"
                      SC: "Low mein."
                      My postal code is Moo Goo Gai Pan.
                      He loves the world...except for all the people.
                      --Men at Work

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        This is hilarious! Low Mein? What the heck? Was he hungry or something???

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Quoth Boozy View Post

                          The concept of "area codes" may well be alien to someone who was born and raised there.
                          I doubt it. It's only been within the last decade that Canada has seen multiple area codes in one region. I can remember when BC's area code was 604. Then 250 was chucked into there. Now 778 has arrived. I knew my area code when it was useless knowledge (funny how a lot of things I know are useless). Chances are that if someone in Nunavut wants to call someone in Inuvik or Whitehorse or even someone on the other side of the territory, they would have to dial the area code anyways as it is long distance.

                          Last night's Final Jeopardy question was about Canadian provinces, and one of the contestants guessed (wrongly) Nunavut. My immediate thought was "867


                          It's funny with the Jeopardy questions that are related to Canadian...anything. For someone born and raised here, they are quite simple questions, which surprises me as they do have the occasional canadian contestant and the questions regarding US anything are way more difficult ("What's the capital of Saskatchewan?" vs "Name the person who brought forward the movement to have Nebraska joined the United States?"). It's amusing when the contestants don't get the right answer, because you can see Alex Trebek die a little inside.
                          -"One ring to rule them all!"-Elias
                          -Ask yourself, "WWRKHTSCCJ:TMD?"

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Once upon a time when i worked at a collections agency for MCI... i had a woman on the line trying to give me a check number.
                            Me: OK, can you give me the routing number on the check? that is the first nine digits on the bottom left hand corner.
                            Strange Bird: okay, it's box, box, Ostrich, Line, Box....
                            Me: ...? Ma'am, i need NUMBERS...
                            SB: Numbers? Those are... Oh, MY! I guess they ARE numbers! i always thought they were little ostriches and boxes.
                            Me: (puzzled, looking at my checkbook) huh. well, you certainly have an imagination.

                            then the geriatric patient at the same call center...
                            Me: Can you give me the routing number on the check? the first NINE digits at the bottom left-hand corner?
                            GP: 987.
                            Me: ... ... ok, is there any more digits there?
                            GP: 96403 7..345621.
                            Me: Uh, there should be NINE DIGITS... NINE NUMBERS inbetween two little dots on the bottom corner of your check. are you looking at your check, sir?
                            GP: yeah... i ... am... they're 675893038576949377445823
                            Me: Sir... that's more like twenty digits... but the first nine numbers you gave me are not working. CAN YOU READ ME THE FIRST NINE NUMBERS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CHECK?
                            GP: uhhh... 98540389871?
                            Me: OKAY. THAT'S MORE THAN NINE. AND NOTHING LIKE THE OTHER NUMBERS YOU GAVE ME TRY AGAIN.
                            GP: 45638?
                            Me: (HEADDESK, repeat)Nope, try again.
                            .... Et Cetera... Et Cetera...
                            "we're forced to bed, but we're free to dream." TTH

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Quoth BusBus View Post
                              It's amusing when the contestants don't get the right answer, because you can see Alex Trebek die a little inside.
                              Well said!
                              "Full price for gum?! That dog won't hunt, monsignor." - Philip J. Fry

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