# Hollow Halloween (Mini-)Ranting **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 1, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395 "2016-10-01T19:03:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/221 "2016-10-29T13:12:27Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > Because of that, I don’t even know who Amy Schumer is nor do I think I’ve ever heard a Beyonce song. I’ve heard Beyoncé covers of Etta James songs. She does Etta proud. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/222 "2016-10-29T17:29:15Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > I don’t even know who Amy Schumer is nor do I think I’ve ever heard a Beyonce song. You’re not the only one. And I wouldn’t recognize Justin Bieber if I tripped over him. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/223 "2016-10-30T09:07:13Z")
My brain knows that the person my mother keeps babbling is that she’s terrified, as she’s expecting to be undergoing surgery within the next few weeks. It’s also the same reason why any mention of another person’s health troubles offends her personally. And the same reason why she can’t track information about anybody else. Other parts of me are wondering if feelings like these are how people with bad impulse control end up shaking their kids to death… ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/224 "2016-10-30T09:12:46Z")
… the reason… Don’t ask me how did “reason” become “person”. _glares at her fingers_ ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/225 "2016-10-30T11:26:09Z")
> [@Sefton](#): > > I need to join a good coworking place, but the closest place requires an application. They only want members who are smart, hip, and interesting. I consider myself smart and kinda interesting, but without accounts on Facebook or Twitter, I’m not really that hip. > > I applied for membership on Tuesday and I haven’t heard back, so I’ll assume I wasn’t found worthy. Once again, I’ve been rejected by the cool kids. Drat. From the Wikipedia link in your next post: Coworking is also the social gathering of a group of people who are still working independently, but who share values, and who are interested in the synergy that can happen from working with people who value working in the same place alongside each other. Coworking offers a solution to the problem of isolation that many freelancers experience while working at home, while at the same time letting them escape the distractions of home. Wow, what a load of crap, IMHO! I think you should be glad that you were “rejected” by some load of adolescent yuppies trying to form a social club. Or maybe some sort of urban commune. “Distractions of home?” There were many times in my days of having a normal fulltime job when I would work at home specifically _ **to get away from** _ distractions. “Isolation?” Isolation is why I close my fucking door. If I had to meet a tight deadline or was doing something that required a good deal of thought or creativity I’d hole up in my study at home for days at a time, often getting my best ideas in the perfect stillness of the small hours of the morning. YMMV, I suppose, but to me, “coworking” is just about the stupidest idea for knowledge-worker productivity I’ve ever heard. There are of course many good reasons to spend time on the premises of the actual organization that one works for, but those all have to do with the synergy of interacting with colleagues with whom one shares goals and ideas and being plugged in to organizational developments, not for socializing with random dipshits. If you work for an organization where the majority of people genuinely socialize outside of work, that’s a terrific bonus and a great plus for the organization, but it’s not something that can be artificially created, bought, or enforced. It usually speaks to a very cohesive underlying organizational culture. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/226 "2016-10-30T14:26:45Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > … the reason… > > Don’t ask me how did “reason” become “person”. _glares at her fingers_ Autocorrect. It’s always autocorrect. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/227 "2016-10-30T20:12:08Z")
Some guy came to our door asked me if I had voted? Yes I answered. Did you vote for blah blah blah? None of your business…shut door. ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/228 "2016-10-31T02:49:22Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > From the Wikipedia link in your next post: > Coworking is also the social gathering of a group of people who are still working independently, but who share values, and who are interested in the synergy that can happen from working with people who value working in the same place alongside each other. > > Coworking offers a solution to the problem of isolation that many freelancers experience while working at home, while at the same time letting them escape the distractions of home. > Wow, what a load of crap, IMHO! I think you should be glad that you were “rejected” by some load of adolescent yuppies trying to form a social club. Or maybe some sort of urban commune. > > “Distractions of home?” There were many times in my days of having a normal fulltime job when I would work at home specifically _ **to get away from** _ distractions. “Isolation?” Isolation is why I close my fucking door. If I had to meet a tight deadline or was doing something that required a good deal of thought or creativity I’d hole up in my study at home for days at a time, often getting my best ideas in the perfect stillness of the small hours of the morning. YMMV, I suppose, but to me, “coworking” is just about the stupidest idea for knowledge-worker productivity I’ve ever heard. > > There are of course many good reasons to spend time on the premises of the actual organization that one works for, but those all have to do with the synergy of interacting with colleagues with whom one shares goals and ideas and being plugged in to organizational developments, not for socializing with random dipshits. If you work for an organization where the majority of people genuinely socialize outside of work, that’s a terrific bonus and a great plus for the organization, but it’s not something that can be artificially created, bought, or enforced. It usually speaks to a very cohesive underlying organizational culture. I think it sounds like a great idea, minus the implied selection method and high school mentality. Some people prefer some social contact with random dipshits during the work day, or get distracted by what needs to be done at home when working there. I don’t mind working at home for a day here and there when I need to focus on a project and have specific goals, but if I were here all day every day I’d miss some of the social aspect, always feel like I had to pay attention to the dogs, want to do laundry, etc. I am better off not being reminded of the day to day outside of work stuff. **Nava** , it will get better. Don’t shake your mother. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/229 "2016-10-31T05:36:36Z")
> [@tenacious\_j](#): > > I don’t mind working at home for a day here and there when I need to focus on a project and have specific goals, but if I were here all day every day I’d miss some of the social aspect, always feel like I had to pay attention to the dogs, want to do laundry, etc. I am better off not being reminded of the day to day outside of work stuff. I have so many friends who freelance or leave the office to “work from home”, but in reality it’s the local coffee shop. If they were home, they’d be tempted to do housework or turn on the TV. They get a ton done when not at an office or at home, precisely because there are no people or chores to be distracted by. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/230 "2016-10-31T22:26:20Z")
Seriously, dudes? You’ve got facial hair and you’re trick-or-treating? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/231 "2016-11-01T02:19:09Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Seriously, dudes? You’ve got facial hair and you’re trick-or-treating? Hey, that was my daughter! She was dressed up as _ **?** _ (I’m sure someone here will have a better line than I could come up with…) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/232 "2016-11-01T02:32:46Z")
Ugh. My mom’s workplace is religiously hostile. Yeah, yeah, she’s a Christian, so you might thing turnabout’s fair play, but she’s never been that type of Christian. The thing is, they keep playing explicitly Buddhist chants in the background, claiming it helps her special needs students. And there is one employee who continually keeps making fun of her for her religious beliefs, after specifically telling everyone at the beginning of the year that he would not tolerate religious discrimination. Mom is, of course, to scared to rock the boat. They’ve already tried to use a trumped up reason to fire her, writing her up for something they previously told her was okay. And, yes, she’s going to look for another school to work with, but it’s kinda hard at this point. Like most teachers and parapros, she’s basically tied to the school year. Even though the work at her previous school was more strenuous, she’s missing it. Just because religion literally never came up there. And the school is even going through a lawsuit right now, and being really strict on everything else. Yet they still are willing to risk a hostile religious environment. And, as I’ve made clear many times before, I am not one to accommodate a Christian persecution fetish. But that doesn’t make turn about fair play. There is just no reason they can’t use religiously neutral music, and making fun of someone’s religion is not allowable. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/233 "2016-11-01T03:04:08Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Seriously, dudes? You’ve got facial hair and you’re trick-or-treating? I just say “you’re a bit too old for candy” and offer them something from the other bowl, containing a selections of condoms. Funny how many of those teenage guys start blushing. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/234 "2016-11-01T04:58:23Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > I just say “you’re a bit too old for candy” and offer them something from the other bowl, containing a selections of condoms. Just don’t get your bowls confused. You may be reliving an episode of _Everybody Loves Raymond._ ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/235 "2016-11-01T08:25:44Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > I just say “you’re a bit too old for candy” and offer them something from the other bowl, containing a selections of condoms. no you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/236 "2016-11-02T03:32:51Z")
Dear, yes, I’m happy to drop you off at the mall. No, the dirt you dish more than compensates for the time and gas. But I hope I never reveal, and you never figure out (Are women really that clueless? You’d think they were guys!) that when I say that I enjoy your company, I mean I REALLY enjoy your company, and if I weren’t married… And I love the dirt. She has better contacts than I. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395/237 "2016-11-02T03:57:02Z")
All right, I made a November thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=809282](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=809282) **dropzone** , anything fun to tell us? And I tend to trust (hope, until proven otherwise) that married men are “safer” so she may not be clueless - just hopeful - that you will tote her around and be buds without having to deal with you creeping on her. Guy friends are hard to come by, and mine tend to be gay or married with work context wedged in there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollow-halloween-mini-ranting/767395.md?page=11)