Monday, March 17, 2014

Monday nincompoopery

The second word is courtesy of my brother. It basically sums up some stuff over the past few days, and of course today, because I was 1. tired and 2. have cut back even on the tiny bit of decaf I have and 3. it was Monday and 4. I had to work this weekend.

So I ask you, is it me, or...?

Scenario A: I have to email someone who reports to me multiple times, telling this person to hit "reply all" when scheduling meetings with two of us in the other office. No dice. Thus a meeting I am supposed to lead got scheduled and I was not in it.
Then I inquired about why we hadn't set up a conference call and was told "Oh! Person X forgot to hit reply all that time, too."

Finally I wrote, "Please hit 'reply all' when scheduling a meeting or phone call with both of us. Otherwise, one of us will not be included.'" Really. I did type and send that email. Hooray! We have a meeting scheduled.

Scenario B: The person that went out of their way to send work stuff to my work email, "So I wouldn't be thinking about work outside of work hours," and then, when we met to hang out, proceeded to spend nearly 90 minutes going on about my work. What, exactly, doesn't compute?

Scenario C: The person who is really nice but really chatty. I have told this person politely on several occasions that this is definitely my busiest time of year with two events coming up within five weeks of each other. And additionally, this year, I am managing another program that we added.

This doesn't stop said person from 1. making inane, nonsensical comments that distract you from your work because although I am a brand of crazy, I don't do stupid talk, and have to sit and say, "WAT?" and 2. asking, "Do you have a minute?" every little bit when I clearly do not, and 3. doing a bad Irish accent because today is St. Patrick's Day, and telling me I'd be in deep shit if I was in old day Ireland, because I was not wearing green, and getting pinched "really meant going to the hoosecow."

I looked up and informed him that as my family was Jewish and Protestant, we'd have been wearing orange (this is true - Catholics wore green by tradition), and how did he know I wasn't wearing something orange that he couldn't see? That shut him up.

Scenario D: One of our outlying chapters, which has a whopping 13 members (most chapters have membership numbers in the hundreds), was left quite a generous gift and has subsequently decided that they're going to try to incorporate because people in our great sprawling metropolis "could take our money." Newsflash: you don't have a bank account, so we already have your money! It's in a protected trust for you! And why, pray tell, would we "steal" your money?
"People from the metropolis could stack the committee."

Right. People from this area don't give a fuck about what goes on in Bumble Fuck Egypt, let alone coming up with the bright idea of robbing the rural chapter.

Well, you could say these people are old and set in their ways. Unfortunately, they have just selected a man with dementia to keep tabs on their memberships. No, I am not making this up.

How about you? Any nincompoopery going on in your neck of the woods?

20 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Far too much of it. Sometimes I think that not only I, but almost everyone I deal with has lost their marbles. And that Psycho Cat Jazz has batted them out of reach under heavy pieces of furniture.

Granny Annie said...

I can only ask that you stop using "old" and "set in their ways" in the same sentence. Thank you.

Charles Gramlich said...

That visiting thing at work often drives me batty. Hard enough to get something done without constant interruptions.

Lynn said...

I hate it when people use fake accents. I used to work with a bunch of guys who spoke in bad British accents all the time. And one guy was from New York and used to affect a southern accent when speaking to me - I started speaking to him in an intentionally bad New York accent and he stopped. :)

Vanessa Morgan said...

Oh but my home country Belgium is specialized in those things :)

Lee said...

I've just commented in another blog wherein the blogger wrote about idiots doing idiotic things.

It is my opinion idiots breed more than rabbits do because there seems to be more idiots around nowadays than ever before; and the pace of increase in numbers doesn't seem to be slowing down.

No country is exempt.

Is there a contraceptive available to put a stop to this rampant idiot-breeding?

If not, the person who invents one will be a multi-millionaire overnight.

Bye! I have to go now...I've got some inventing to do!

Birdie said...

Nincompoopery is a fine word and I shall use it the first chance I can.

At the moment there is no nincompoopery but I am sure it will be soon!

Cperz said...

As a Realtor, I typically don't have to deal with people in an office environment. We are considered self-employed...but I am here to tell you if I had to put up with some of this nincompoopery, I would be forced to do bodily harm to some people. Can people really be this stupid?

BTW..all those scenarios are bad but the chatty co-worker...that is pure hell.

Riot Kitty said...

EC: This made me laugh out loud! And Vasil will bring them back, when he has finished digging to Australia.
GA: HAHA! I'm so glad that didn't piss you off.
CG: It really does make me want to put a sign up on my desk that says, "Before you open your mouth to speak to me, please don't."
Lynn: You are hilarious! What an asshat.
Vanessa: Do tell! We can compare international idiocy stories.
Lee: This also made me laugh out loud - and during a break I read it to my coworkers.
Birdie: Just give it time. Like five minutes perhaps.
Cheryl: The answer is...yes. And today, I had to send the person YET ANOTHER EMAIL. Subject line: "please, please, please hit reply all on your emails." The chatter is a volunteer so I have to be polite but sometimes I want to tell him to get the fuck out of the office until he gets laryngitis.

Anonymous said...

Nimcompoopery has reached epidemic proportions. It is sadly very evident in Malaysia (as seen on the news of late). It is also very common in non-profits from my own experience with a conservation NGO. I too faced chapters with so few members that we spent so much resources servicing them instead of them helping us with the cause. Some chapters hold fundraisers for the organisation but instead of sending the money for our national campaigns or using it for a local project, they seem content to report that the funds in their accounts keep rising each year. Apparently some of the chairpersons of the chapters think that good stewardship means reporting a surplus of funds each year instead of using it for some good.

So I see your kitty face palm and raise you a squirrel face palm.

G. B. Miller said...

A couple of points:

1} I have a co-worker who I do payroll for and 8 solid years, she will put the entire body of the message in the subject line. No matter how many times I bitch about it, she keeps on doing it.

2) Up until very recently, there was a blog called "The Wheel Is Turner But The Hamster Has Died". I think you would've loved it as it was the UK equivalent of yours.

Electric Addict said...

I have a friend who's done and is doing so many drugs his brain is fried. He pretty much has done everything under the sun and it shows.

Abby said...

There's so much of it. So much. But calling in nincompoopery softens the blow, so tell your brother "thanks!"

Furry Bottoms said...

I had to laugh at scenario C, in which you asked him how does he know you aren't wearing something orange that he couldn't see? hehehehehe

CraveCute said...

I love your pics illustrating the stupidness factor! Also you dropped off my blog list... What happened to your follow me button? I had to go searching to find you.

Introverted Art said...

the last photo says it all!!!!!!!

Riot Kitty said...

GB: 1. Oh my FUCKING God. Wtf!!
2. That title alone makes me miss it :(
EA: That's really sad.
Abby: I will!
Furry: I laughed. He blushed. :)
Crave: Weird! I don't have a follow me button actually.
IA: Agreed.

CraveCute said...

Oh that is right RK you funny girl!

Blue Grumpster said...

I actually used the word nincompoop a couple of times myself, you know, once upon a time a long time ago and I don't quite remember when - but I did. I think I heard it in some movie. The one with the chocolate factory. Anyhooters, lots of nincompoopery in my neck of the woods which I won't bore you with especially since it's my well deserved day off so I'm planning to spend my day completely devoid of nincompoopery, much as I like the poopery bit. Well, the word. Don't you be getting any funny ideas now. I'm as sane as can be. Still scared of getting raped by a six-foot monkey though. But that's healthy fear. Enjoy the weekend and don't be a stranger.

Riot Kitty said...

CC: Thanks :)
Blue: That's right! I think Gene Wilder must have said it. Still wondering about your monkey situation.