# What's on your desk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 27, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169 "2005-02-27T19:16:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/41 "2005-02-28T04:13:52Z")
- Hula Girl - Hula Kitty - Small speakers - Monitor - Webcam on top of monitor - Lava lamp - Ceramic coaster - Fax / phone combo - Typed list of all passwords taped to desk surface ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/42 "2005-02-28T04:16:57Z")
That’s three lava lamps! ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/43 "2005-02-28T04:26:33Z")
[ol][li]Black Dell keyboard[/li][li]Black CRT Monitor from Dell[/li][li]Grey Dell mousepad[/li][li]Black Dell optical mouse[/li][li]Cordless telephone[/li][li]Calculator shaped like a mobile telephone[/li][li]Empty powdered gatorade container full of pens[/li][li]Bottle of Germ-X[/li][li]Bottle of Naproxen Sodium[/li][li]Bottle of Centrum vitamins[/li][li]Tube of mint-vanilla chapstick[/li][li]Empty tin of breathmints full of ephedra pills[/li][li]Toenail clippers[/li][li]Bottle opener/corkscrew with a folding blade[/li][li]Wristwatch[/li][li]Silver ring with a celtic leaf pattern[/li][li]Keychain with all my keys[/li][li]_Garden State_ DVD[/li][li]_Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home_ special edition DVD[/li][li]_Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_ DVD[/li][li]_Lord of the Rings: Return of the King_ DVD[/li][li]Two adult DVDs[/li][li]_Donnie Brasco_ DVD, sleeve, and envelope from Netflix[/li][li]_Goodfellas_ DVD, sleeve, and envelope from Netflix[/li][li]_Paradise Road Brasco_ DVD, sleeve, and envelope from Netflix[/li][li]_Dirty Pretty Things_ DVD, sleeve, and envelope from Netflix[/li][li]DVDR with episodes of _Lost_, _Joan of Arcadia_, _JAG_, _Desperate Housewives_, _Boston Legal_, and _Enterprise_ from the first week of January on it[/li][li]Last month’s rent bill[/li][li]A bill from the orthopedic surgeon’s office in Salem[/li]An empty 20 fl oz. bottle of Coca Cola with Lime[/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/44 "2005-02-28T04:30:46Z")
Oh, yeah. I forgot a Hot Wheels dragster and a miniature ceramic kitten. My tower is beneath my desk and serves as a convenient footrest. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/45 "2005-02-28T05:08:35Z")
Sweet Jesus, do I have a lot of crap on my desk. Then again, my desk comes with a hutch, giving me several additional levels for storage. On the desk itself: [ul][li]Monitor[/li][li]Speakers[/li][li]Optical mouse[/li][li]Keyboard (on a sliding shelf under the desk)[/li][li]Water glass[/li][li]Homestar Runner paper coaster (under water glass)[/li][li]CD for _The Punisher_ computer game.[/li][li]portable CD player[/li][li]a pad of note paper[/li][li]a cup for pens and pencils[/li][li]three pencils[/li][li]467,209 pens (two of which still work)[/li][li]Scissors[/li][li]Ruler[/li][li]Scotch tape[/li][li]Stapler[/li][li]Calculator[/li][li]Address book[/li][li]Newsletter for my singles group[/li][li]Some coupons for Burger King. They expire tomorrow. They’ll still be there a month from now.[/li][li]A list of movies I’m going to rent eventually. (Man, I’m way behind.)[/li][/ul] On the hutch: [ul][li]A sheet of Avery labels with my return adress on them[/li][li]A packet of blank Avery labels[/li][li]An eyeglass cleaning cloth[/li][li]Spray cleaner for eyeglasses[/li][li]Can of compressed air[/li][li]Cleaning wipes[/li][li]Electronic spelling checker (used quite often. My spelling sucks.)[/li][li]Box of envelopes[/li][li]Staples.[/li][li]Book of stamps[/li][li]Box of resume-grade paper[/li][li]Box of envolopes to go with resume paper[/li][li]Near-infinite number of business cards and old Christmas cards crammed into an organizer[/li][li]Some receipts and a few more Christmas cards stuffed into another organizer (Whoever named them “organizers” was a pretty optimistic guy)[/li][li]A street map of Ann Arbor, MI (where did this come from? 😕 )[/li][li]One extra strip of 3M Command Adhesive.[/li][li]A half-used pack of printer paper[/li][li]A half-used pack of typing paper (Bought in college. Too thin for use in printer, it’s been gathering dust for years. Occasionally I use a sheet for doodling or something.)[/li][li]My printer[/li][li]A small clock[/li][li]A lamp[/li][li]A pencil sharpener[/li][li]A bunch of old floppy disks that haven’t seen the inside of a computer in years.[/li][li]Some CD’s for old games[/li][li]A small booklet giving instructions for building your own kaleidoscope.[/li][li]A cool little globe that I bought on a trip.[/li][li]One of those little glass blocks with a 3-D image inside that you get for like $20. It’s a tiger. Has a lighted base. Kitchy as hell. It’s getting donated to the church garage sale this summer.[/li][li]A compact fluorescent bulb for the lamp. I’ll put it in as soon as the old bulb burns out.[/li][/ul] Beat that. ---
**Author:** ![Hokkaido\_Brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d26b3c/32.png) [@Hokkaido\_Brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hokkaido_Brit)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/46 "2005-02-28T10:43:09Z")
My “desk” is actually the alcove for the Buddhist altar but we don’t have one, and I worship my computer anyway! Just on the flace surface is, from right to left: An out of date not yet paid credit card bill A speaker Cotton buds A notebook with a drawing of a jellyfish Monitor Keyboard Timer Telephone Camera Dental floss Chocolate wrapper Wallet with British credit cards only ever used on the Internet Laminated cards with my students names on Laminated “clothes” themed ESL card game Fishing line Moisturiser Empty bowl with grape stalks lamp (not lava, sadly) highlighter pens More dental floss! Mike for the computer ESL worksheets Japanese 2nd grade kanji worksheets Biore pore strips (unused!) Envelopes Pingu CD rom Photo of my kids Address book CDs with my English school stuff on them Mirror Another credit card bill (Paid, that one!) And a slipping, sliding pile of papers, mostly kids drawings and English teaching stuff. And a letter from my four year old, reading “Dea Mummy I am sorree dat I kikt and puched you. I wil kiss you betar.” ---
**Author:** ![AsecretK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ab992/32.png) [@AsecretK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AsecretK)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/47 "2005-02-28T13:22:09Z")
On the desk: squishy airplane squishy heart squishy brain squishy cell phone squishy pill squishy earth squishy computer squishy hippo 3 squishy balls (basketball, football and soccer) water bottle coffee cup 2 coasters daffy duck holding a pen that says “whoever has the most pens, WINS” miniature Scooby doo miniature Pikachu small knitted bunny small jar full of pennies candle some bat toy from Burger king small ceramic piggy bank with my name on it Sweet Pea hand lotion small M&M candy dispenser stapler staple remover various colored and lined post it pads computer monitor keyboard mouse mouse pad desk blotter bottle of purell 6 pens 3 legal pads 2 disks plastic in box with WAY to much stuff in it 4 piles of various stacks of papers a small American flag a rubber jack o lantern small bean bag Browns football 20 paperclips stress ball on the credenza: tiny Baltimore mug tiny Washington DC mug tiny Colorado Mug tiny Walt Disney mug tiny Los Angeles mug tiny Arizona mug tiny San Francisco mug Arizona shooter Windsor Shooter Lake Tahoe shooter Hilton Head Island shooter large Bourbon Street mug with 20 pens in it large Boston mug large Mede America mug large Los Angeles mug with plastic flowers in it mug with buildings on it and 14 pens in it ceramic snowman a small glass that says Kiawah paper punch phone clock radio can of coke tiny jar with shells and sand from Miami 2 organizer shelves another in box stack of papers 7 CD cases a wood block that has ABC on it with six pens in it company phone list ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/48 "2005-02-28T14:21:04Z")
At home (the preferred desk 😉 ): -Computer (duh) -Printer -Scanner -Rubik’s Cube (Will probably forever remain unsolved) -Two slotted round plastic thingies for holding notes; one has nothing in it, the other has a few fortune cookie fortunes -A Ren & Stimpy Powdered Toastman figurine (says “Leave Everything to Me!” around the base :D) -Almost always a mug with an inch of coffee in it somewhere on the desk -A 12" Abe Sapien figurine posed in an action-like position, his variant head at his feet; head and position periodically change -Books, CD’s, & various other junk on the shelf at the side of the desk …that’s pretty much it. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/49 "2005-02-28T14:55:01Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Does that…bother you, Ginger? It will have to continue to be from afar, lest you get near enough to infect my desk. You know, like Pig Pen. ---
**Author:** ![petelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@petelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petelin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/50 "2005-02-28T15:23:33Z")
I have the normal computer/keyboard/speakers stuff, along with way too many papers, pens, clips, etc…as well as: -Dilbert calendar - sunglasses -slinky -4 boxes of girl scout cookies, one opened, 3 not -coiled up extension cord -empty water glass -soon to be empty coffee mug -a bag of trail mix that’s quite old -an oven-mitt-type-thing from a hotplate of fajitas from a local bar -2 passport photos taken at kinko’s that I have yet to send in ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/51 "2005-02-28T15:31:34Z")
> [@petelin](#): > > -slinky That reminds me of a quote I heard once: Slinkys are like people. Not that interesting, but it’s kind of fun to watch one tumble down the stairs. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/52 "2005-02-28T15:47:30Z")
I have just this minute got back from a trip to the local garage for supplies, so my desk is unusually covered in consumables. Half-consumed _Twirl_ bar (ie. one bar left). 1 bottle Schweppes slimline Indian Tonic Water (unopened). 1 pack Princess Marshmallows (so that the Sunday School can get my daughter to stop crying without giving her less safe sweets). 1 pack antidepressants. 1 pill organiser. 1 “Best Husband In The World” mug, w/coffee dregs. 1 Private Eye 40th Anniversary mug, stuffed with scissors, pens, pencils, bits of computer. 1 copy PC Plus magazine (unopened) bought for £5.99, which both me and the bloke behind the till at the garage agreed was a ridiculous amount of money. 1 copy Glasgow Evening Times. 1 copy International Critical Commentary on the book of Job. Borrowed from my Prof. 1 copy 1 empty 90-minute Digital Camcorder cassette case. 1 copy full course notes from last year’s Wisdom classes. 1 curled up scripture from Promise Box, “He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also”. 1 Wireless Netgear Router, with wireless function turned off in case it fries my noodle. 1 folded & tied polythene Morrison’s bag. 1 notebook with “Notes” written on the front in big letters in case I forget what it’s for. 1 Epson Stylus C44UX printer. 1 telephone line splitter. 1 docking bay for minidisc recorder. 1 USB hub. 1 Epson Perfection 1670 scanner. 1 half-used pack BluTack. 1 copy “Pocket Glasgow”. 2 “Driving Skills” videos. 1 copy “Careers in Information Technology”. 1 copy Prospects Graduate Guide “Making Applications”. 1 copy School of Divinity Undergrad Handbook 2004-2005. 1 Radioshack Answerphone. 1 copy “Directions in Biblical Hebrew Poetry”. 1 copy “Vladimir Propp and the Study of Structure in Hebrew Biblical Narrative.” 1 copy “Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture”. 1 copy “Biblical Structuralism”. 1 half-assembled air freshener. Various crumbs. 1 Wireless USB Adapter for laptop. Various cables. 1 small piece unidentified packaging. 1 Hi-Grade laptop. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/53 "2005-02-28T16:00:34Z")
A roach Beanie Baby (His name is Scurry, and he comes with a little poem: “I play in the cellar with all of my friends. We laugh, we sing, the fun never ends. I hurry and scurry and hide most of the day. But if you come down, I’ll stay out and play.”) A Sarcastic Ball (You have a question, I have the answer–today’s answer is “As if.” Tomorrow, it might be “Yeah, right.”) A bobblehead turtle Brain stress ball (mmmm, brains…squishy, gooey brains) A bunny finger puppet, bunny key chain, and a little stuffed bunny ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/54 "2005-02-28T16:21:47Z")
Have the following, A set of two shelves, with envelopes, staples, tape dispenser, paper clips, pens pencils (in boxes) three black ink cartridges, three kinds of printer paper, a rolodex, a disk player and speakers, one very old book (1808) in a plastic bag, another plastic bag with the manuals for the equipment on the desk. Computer External Hard drive Monitor Keyboard Printer Cable modem Power back up A small stack of business cards, a small stack of letters Several partial books of stamps Two pair of scissors A flash card, 512 meg A thumb drive 256 meg A MA11 USB reciever A half dozen plastic covers for stuff like thumb drives, and din connectors. A whistle Eight feet of wired candlewick A plastic bag with the flags of every nation in the world on bamboo skewers A pen and pencil set, in a box A glue stick A stack of plastic cards (Health insurance membership, Kinkos, etc) Three statuettes from Red Rose Tea A wooden disk with a tree in bas relief on one face A Klein bottle Four wheat pennies and a whistle (the wooooeeeeeee type) The sender for my mouse Side table has mouse pad, mouse, a set of chimes and a calculator, two AA batteries, a nail clipper and some trash. It would have a cup of tea, but I ran out of tea last night. Bummer. There is a bunch of stuff that lives under the desk, as well, Scanner (on the box the printer came in), paper cutter, Shoebox of data CD disks, OED, Stack of new CD disks. A pump for Roho cusions. Box of photo prints. Bundle of bamboo skewers. Trash can. ## Tris “Sic transit gloria mundi. And Tuesday’s usually worse.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein ~ ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/55 "2005-02-28T19:58:02Z")
A Klein bottle? How cool is that! I really do need to clean up my desk here. It’s starting to look like a sysadmin works here, minus the Mountain Dew cans. 22" CRT main monitor 19" CRT “other” monitor mini PC (like the Mac Mini, but larger, made by HP and ugly) Keyboard and mouse for this box are on top of the 19" monitor Two cans of “dusting air” Tape dispenser Stapler Jar of dead AA and AAA batteries Box (formerly held instant oatmeal packets) of soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, etc packets 18" steel ruler iPod and headphones Phone Headset for phone Speakers for radio Tin of Liquorice Altoids Squishy elephant Trade show give-away calculator Large tin of Peppermint Bark candy Wood coffee mug Brick of 32x CD-Rs About a dozen Hershey Kisses Set of computer re-imaging CDs Step-by-step printouts showing how to find employee numbers in the mainframe Giant battery-shaped bank Badges from trade shows Work papers On the credenze behind me: Laptop case Magic 8-Ball Two rainbow plastic slinkies from trade shows Cheep and cheezy backpack from a vendor Trebuchet Information security books Short orange traffic cone Inflatable “world” beach ball with amusingly bad US city labeling - San Diago, Not Folk, Farqo and Galvesto? Old-style countertop “ring for service” bell Large black ceramic plant pot with no plant ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/56 "2005-02-28T20:13:41Z")
> [@Foible](#): > > 1 Ford LTD convertable, black with white top. > \ > The sixth item down really isn’t on my desk, I just threw it in the list to prove nobody is reading these by the twenty-somethingth list of “what’s on my desk.” I saw it. I have a 6 year old boy…I assumed it was a Matchbox or HotWheels car until you said it wasn’t really there. ---
**Author:** ![Marsie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Marsie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marsie)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/57 "2005-02-28T22:35:13Z")
Telephone Printer Fax machine Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Islam Poker for Dummies Chase’s Calendar of Events 2005 Box of Kleenex Fake Rolex watch Red Epi Leather Louis Vuitton wallet Louis Vuitton Day timer Address book One of my client’s CV’s A client folder Eiffel tower lamp from Target Voodoo doll with pins Autographed photo of Peter Noone A University of Cincinnati mug with pencils, pens, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/58 "2005-03-01T04:18:26Z")
I forgot to mention the piece of petrified turtle dung. Polished on one side. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/59 "2005-03-01T04:32:08Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#): > > I forgot to mention the piece of petrified turtle dung. Wow! I panicked for a minute, when I realized that my pieces of Trinitite were not on the desk under the monitor. A frenzied search has revealed that they must have been knocked under the shelf when I was cleaning up. Whew. Tris [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169.md?page=2)