Category: Work

Tales from the workplace

Microsoft Word to Your Mother 6

Reinventing the Word Processor

As a writer, I spend a lot of time using a word processor, specifically Microsoft Word. For the most part, word processing software hasn’t changed much since the early days of Windows. In some...

Back to the Office 3

Going Back to Work

I’m going back to work after a couple of months of unemployment, and while I’m still looking forward to the weekend, it’s good to feel productive again. It’s going to be an interesting experience,...

Powerpoint Girls logo 1

PowerPoint Sucks

PowerPoint sucks. I can’t be the only one who thinks so. PowerPoint presentations are unpleasant to make and unpleasant to sit through. But what saddens me most is that it doesn’t have to be...

QBert Pyramid 2

Deep in the Pit of the Stockroom

I worked at a home decor store back in college. It wasn’t my dream job, but it paid the bills. It was a small store with a dozen employees, so we did everything from...

eBay Logo in Papyrus Font 1

Adventures on eBay

Back in college I made some extra cash selling stuff on eBay. My dad collected antiques, and long before my family decided to sell things off wholesale, he decided to sell some stuff online. As...

Astrosnik 2

The Flea Market

We worked flea markets for a while. The whole family was involved. My mom made costume jewelry on a workbench in the basement. She took apart old watches and used the clockwork for broaches...

Student Government logo 6

Student Government Fiascoes

Back when I was in student government, our biggest problem was apathy. It was hard enough getting people to know that we existed. It was even harder to get them to care. That’s why...

Black Friday Logo 3

Friday, Black Friday

I can’t believe the news today. Walmart has announced that its Black Friday sales will start at 8pm on Thursday. In other words, on Thanksgiving evening, right after dinner. Holding big Christmas sales on...

Smokey the Bear in "Office Space" 7

There Will Be Bureaucracy

To those who decry government inefficiency, I’ll see your DMV and raise you a cable guy. Or a tech support voicemail system. Or how about a stack of TPS reports with outdated cover sheets?...

My Documents Folder 2

Analog Thinking in a Digital Age

I noticed it first in an office setting: people who insist in emailing files even when there’s a networked drive available. It’s a much better use of time and brainpower to leave the file...