During the business day, there are situations best left for a later hour, say after lunch, but unfortunately the most demanding of critters whelp for attention at 8AM. Why yes, I fed the cats at 5,6 and 7AM. These distractions have human origins.

For example, a vendor whom I assured on six prior calls that I have no — and no one at the premises does, maybe even the planet — interest in his wares. Or the staff who eats jelly sandwiches over their laptop, then cries about a non responsive machine, and a keyboard short half its letters. Actually, they were OK about the blank keys and jelly in the vents; it was Apple spinning wheel of doom they found irksome.

Why do I mention this? Because I’m of the opinion that for every workplace, a horde — and they may be quite beautiful or charming, others bald and fat, but no matter the packaging they are still attention suckers — lurks, watches, and waits for their victims. Like a snake in the desert they strike without warning. They live to distract someone. Possibly you. And definitely me.

I wonder though, do I play the role of sinkhole to a fellow coworker? Could I be the dullard in someone else’s office? Perhaps I too am cursed behind closed doors, in a low tones. Nah. My weekend tales around the water cooler are all aces…

Top end pay for an A-list movie star is one fat check. Jim Carrey banks nearly 25 million for a major studio flick. Yes the man is funny, but a recent articles asks are he and his cohorts worth it?

Here’s my thinking on actors, movie stars or otherwise: they are monkeys. Some look better in makeup or tights, some have bigger portfolios, but scratch away the nose job and the Versace and it’s usually an average person with a personality deficit in an extraordinary situation. Anyone can be an actor; there’s very little intrinsic skill necessary. Doubt this assertion? Make a beeline around 7AM for a train station and watch people wait for a NYC inbound. Misery — and other words — comes to mind, and oh there’s plenty more on their faces. Yet each one of those people piles on the train five days a week, goes to work, and convinces their boss they love the gig. Because if they miss that mark, it’s a long walk back to Jersey. And it smells bad.

Considering most people run this ruse for thirty or forty years without a hitch, I ask again, do stars have better game than the average commuter? When it’s a matter of surrvival, most everyone has the “gift”. The only difference with a professional “actor” is they might play more than one role in their lifetime. Or not. Read: Geena Davis.

A trip to Starbucks for an overpriced latte and free web surfing could get you stabbed.

Once again San Francisco tests the cusp of social change. For thirty seconds of work a laptop bandit can clear 300 bucks.

Think I’ll write with the door locked going forward and stick to a desktop.

This line is every bit as ugly as it appears:

Sorry about the blurriness, but this is seconds after a customer grew tired of honking in the drive thru, ditched their car, and dashed inside to scream at the employees behind the register. After the shell shocked staff filled their order, the almost customer walked out without paying — or their food.

Turnaround in minutes, from order to trays of hot sauce: 30.
Customers served during wait time: 5.