Refenestration Daily.
I’ve just learned that one of my college buddies, Brian Wagner, took his life yesterday. He cites depression, though I was not aware of that. I feel sadness, but I feel confusion even more.
Brian was “thoughtful” enough to write his suicide note as a Word file. I’m not about to post it here. But, if you’re also a close friend of Brian’s, just e-mail me (link is on the right) and I can get it to you.
Apparently, due to the mildly successful film Office Space, there’s now a cult following behind red Swingline staplers:
“Office Space” didn’t burn up at the box office, barely recouping the $10 million it cost News Corp.’s 20th Century Fox to make it. But in 2000, when it came out on video, it was clear the movie was reaching a particular audience — cubicle-dwelling computer programmers. For months, Swingline fielded demands for “that red stapler” pouring in by phone and e-mail.
There was just a slight problem: Swingline didn’t make bright-red staplers.
The Swingline in the movie was custom-painted by a prop designer. When real-life Miltons found out they couldn't buy one from the manufacturer, they simply made their own, creating a thriving market on eBay for Swinglines spray-painted red. Then, finally, in April, three years after the red-stapler buzz began, Swingline began selling a “Rio Red” stapler, its basic “747” model in a coat of lipstick. [...]
The best part is Swingline’s website section on the stapler:
Up the Revolution: The Red Stapler! Staple and be heard! WHAM-cubicles! WHAM-dress code! WHAMWHAMWHAM!
Man, if I score myself a cubicle job (whee!), I’ll be sure to get one of these to complete the image :).
(Link from ObscureStore)
A man who tried to rob a Greenfield gun shop at knifepoint Thursday afternoon was shot in the chest by the shop owner, police said.[…]
It looks like there's a cat-and-mouse game afoot between the cops and the “cataphiles” in Paris:
[....] The cataphiles are in relentless war, “une guerre souterraine,” as Gadget calls it. Head-lamped cave-cops cruise the underground, chasing out trespassers, handing out thousand-franc fines, about $140. Manholes are soldered from above; whole teams descend hauling cement and cinder blocks — an awful sweaty job — to block off passages and seal up the rabbit holes. To no avail. Within days, the cataphiles go on the attack, using crowbars, sledgehammers, shovels, hydraulic jacks, high-powered rock drills: smashing the walls, busting the careful solders. One legendary manhole was closed and reopened and closed again 20 times in a week. The police, of course, find this infuriating; the cataphiles think it’s hilarious fun. […]
See also: Infiltration.org.
Via MetaFilter, PwC will be renaming itself as Monday. That’s right, “Monday”. And, this e-mail apparently made the rounds at Monday, on Monday:
Admin: Good Morning, this is Monday.
Client: No, actually its Tuesday.
Admin: Yes sir, but you've reached Monday.
Client: What are you talking about?
Admin: You've called Monday sir.
Client: I realize I called yesterday, but today is Tuesday.
Admin: Today is Tuesday, but you've reached Monday.
Client: What?
Admin: Who can I connect you with?
Client: I need to talk to a partner in PwC.
Admin: There are only partners in Monday at this location.
Client: They don't work the rest of the week?
Admin: They work all week, sir. But they're all in Monday.
Client: But I want to talk to a PwC partner today, not Monday.
Admin: You can't talk to a PwC partner here. You'll have to talk to a partner in Monday.
Client: I can't wait til Monday!!