Workplace Weirdos
It was a day like all other days. As I was strolling back to my cubicle ('workstation area' in officialese) from a coffee break, I was stopped by a distraught Esc (Extremely Stupid Colleague). He exclaimed, "What is going to happen man? " (with an anguished look on his face). I waited disinterestedly for him to continue. "In the year 10,000 A.D , the world will come to an end. There'll be no power, all bank transcations will be lost , defence systems will fail and nuclear reactors will be out of control." I was now all ears as I enjoy a first-rate doomsday conspiracy as much as the next guy and asked,"Where did you get that idea from?". Desolately he mumbled, " Because all computers store the year as a four digit number!!".
The sheer absurdity of his concerns rendered me speechless. I contemplated enlightening him about the rather more pressing year 2038 problem, but decided that that'd just be cruel. Finally, I managed to utter appropriate noises wondering whether his worries were a trifle premature. But, my feeble attempts at consolation were lost on the Esc as he staggered past me with a glazed, far-away look in his eyes and visions of the coming apocalypse running through his mind.
I was left pondering whether interacting with complete imbeciles like him on a regular basis constitutes the sort of 'stressful life events' which induce schizophrenia. In any event, I've decided to goad any unsuspecting, confused youngster I know (and I know a lot more of them than I can handle) into seriously considering taking up psychiatry as a profession. It's obvious to me we're going to need truckloads of shrinks in the days to come.
It was a day like all other days. As I was strolling back to my cubicle ('workstation area' in officialese) from a coffee break, I was stopped by a distraught Esc (Extremely Stupid Colleague). He exclaimed, "What is going to happen man? " (with an anguished look on his face). I waited disinterestedly for him to continue. "In the year 10,000 A.D , the world will come to an end. There'll be no power, all bank transcations will be lost , defence systems will fail and nuclear reactors will be out of control." I was now all ears as I enjoy a first-rate doomsday conspiracy as much as the next guy and asked,"Where did you get that idea from?". Desolately he mumbled, " Because all computers store the year as a four digit number!!".
The sheer absurdity of his concerns rendered me speechless. I contemplated enlightening him about the rather more pressing year 2038 problem, but decided that that'd just be cruel. Finally, I managed to utter appropriate noises wondering whether his worries were a trifle premature. But, my feeble attempts at consolation were lost on the Esc as he staggered past me with a glazed, far-away look in his eyes and visions of the coming apocalypse running through his mind.
I was left pondering whether interacting with complete imbeciles like him on a regular basis constitutes the sort of 'stressful life events' which induce schizophrenia. In any event, I've decided to goad any unsuspecting, confused youngster I know (and I know a lot more of them than I can handle) into seriously considering taking up psychiatry as a profession. It's obvious to me we're going to need truckloads of shrinks in the days to come.
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