# What's that on your desk? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2001, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335 "2001-03-09T13:04:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/1 "2001-03-09T13:04:18Z")
I’ve been in my “new” job for two years. During that time I’ve accumulated a lot of things on my desk. Some I brought from my prior job (Teaching gig), some I’ve brought in recently and some just showed up. Here’s the list, from right to left. \*Year 2000 Chinese Calendar wall scroll from chinese restaurant, still in box. - Photocopy of Dilbert cartoon, tape dispensor. - Stuffed Mole toy named “Horatio” from teaching gig. (think about it) - Ceramic Pinch Pot made by former student, currently used as pen holder. - Rolling toy of M&Ms. Looks like a big prize from a kid’s meal. - two inspirational framed things given to be by former co-worker. - Foam trumpet - Name plate - little Picachu figurine (given to me by co-worker). - Micky Mouse business card holder - Going away plaque from teaching gig. - 2 pics of my baby son. - lamp - Dice from Reno, Nevada - Ferrari F50 metal diecast model, from vendor. - “Magic Ball”, rubber ball that flashes when bounced. Giveaway at trade show. What’s on your desk? [sub]Why did I waste post 700 on this drivel?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Balalaika\_Gap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@Balalaika\_Gap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balalaika_Gap)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/2 "2001-03-09T13:10:24Z")
Aside from the computer-scanner-phone type stuff, I have: \*Biography page-a-day calendar \*Avocado hand lotion \*A rock that looks a lot like a clam \*Einstein Bagels club card \*Jar of mysterious things (a gourd, seeds, dried petals, etc.) left to me by a laid-off coworker \*“I love my dog” award ribbon from a moment of silliness at Osco’s award ribbons rack \*Stack of CDs \*Printout of my first Photoshop victory \*Wide array of post-its with phone #s, notes to self, etc. \*Many small plastic glow-in-the-dark snakes ---
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/3 "2001-03-09T13:29:26Z")
Hmmm… nothing too exciting. -some pamphlets from my trip to Spain/Greece this past summer. -dilbert cartoon-a-day calendar. -3 high school yearbooks. don’t ask. -a pen/pencil holder shaped like a golf bag stating that I am, apparently, the “world’s best golfer”. -small brutus buckeye doll…currently camped out in the golf bag. -mish-mash of CDs (Pulp, Cibo Matto, Radiohead, Run Lola Run sountrack, Mykonos Mix, etc.). -about 30 empty soda cans (dole apple/orange juice, barqs rootbeer, coke, pepsi, surge, etc.). Told ya. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/4 "2001-03-09T13:45:38Z")
I’m home sick from work right now, so apart from the usual workstuff on my big computer desk: [li]3 buffalo stuffed animals [on the monitor][/li][li]a moose that mom thoght was a buffalo [on the monitor][/li][li]a Buddhist monk with a latte and a cell phone squeaky toy (twin is at work) [on the monitor][/li][li]some peacock tail feathers[/li][li]some peacock wing feathers[/li][li]assorted earrings[/li][li]a covered ceramic dish - “Orlando Sentinel Communications” (local paper)[/li][li]a red M&M (how’d I miss that one?)[/li][li]a orgy of small plastic lizards (each one is printed with our tenant’s website, and he gave me a handful - they look so cute tangled together)[/li][li]an unopened box of Altoids[/li]a travel bottle of Listerine (never know who you’re going to meet on-line) ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/5 "2001-03-09T13:59:49Z")
\*jumble of cds (music and games) \*bottle of fingernail polish: Sangria \*my son’s Adderall \*Syllabi for my classes this semester \*(on top of my monitor) miniture Babylon 5 ships \*standing beside my speakers) Xena and Ares dolls \*a howling wolf cub figurine \*bunny rabbit riding a Harley figurine \*a jillion pens, highlighters and pencils, only about half of which actually work. \*letter opener that is a replica of Duncan’s katana from Highlander. \*green stapler \*lighter \*stuffed wolf (beside monitor) \*eyeglass repair kit \*manicure tools ---
**Author:** ![Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/6 "2001-03-09T14:02:12Z")
Let’s see… [list] -A stuffed Snoopy “Joe Cool” christmas ornament (Secret Santa gift from work) -A Utah Runnin’ Utes Christmas ball (from **Diane** in the SDMB secret santa) -A stress relief “squeeze ball thingy” that looks like the Earth -A _Street Shark_ remote control shark -_Who Wants to be a Millionaire?_ page-a-day calendar -An atlas -A dictionary and a law dictionary -A Spider-Man Pez dispenser -A picture of my dog -A cheap plastic clock (hand signed by a friend who used to work here) -A pair of tweezers (??!!) -Several books that I’ve lent to co-workers that have just gone into a drawer when they returned them -Four pins from various superbowls (bought at a garage sale a few years ago for a dime a piece - I use them as push pins) ---
**Author:** ![racerx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5e9695/32.png) [@racerx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racerx)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/7 "2001-03-09T16:51:53Z")
(not going to mention the boring work related stuff) - Pics of my brother’s family - Mystery Machine pen holder - Hand lotion and chap stick - Container of green playdoh - Watch - Racer X action figure (complete with gun, brief case, walkie talkie, and top secret plans) - Two pokemon figures (Chancy and Gengar) - Lego ninja warrier riding a origami bunny. - Plant given to me by boss when I broke my ankle. - Pokemon day calendar - Cheap silver ball game. Pull lever and pop balls into plasic pockets. - Empty urn that has stars and moons on it. ---
**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2001, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/8 "2001-03-10T15:28:26Z")
Let’s look around… Framed pictures of my nephews Baby blue ceramic dolphin-secret santa gift Krusty the Clown action figure complete w/ a Krusty Meal Tinkerbell doll Jeff and Matt Hardy action figures sitting on ladders Stone Cold Steve Austin action figure deadlifting a teeny beanie baby A Sobe Essentials jar filled w/ Skittles A Fossil watch tin filled w/ Altoids On one of my bulletin boards I have along w/ my dolphin calendar and Jeff Hardy picture I have a Mr Hanky ( the Christmas Poo) hanging-love the faces people make when they realize who/what it is 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2001, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/9 "2001-03-10T15:47:20Z")
-a perpetual calendar from Yuppie Furniture, Inc. – er, Restoration Hardware -a half-used packet of suphedrine -a bottle of bubble solution (I try to set aside a few seconds of quality bubble-blowing time every day) -a damaged N scale hopper car (PRR 174221) -a box of Dilbert-brand “Improve-mints” (was my sister trying to tell me something?) -a Crackerjack whistle, shaped like a baseball -a stack of used Post-its bearing cryptic, expired information; here’s a typical one in its entirety: ``` Thrombin Clotting Week of 18 Sept. H745 - Feat. H764 - Consum. ``` - scrap paper covered with crude conceptual drawings for a Battlebots Robot (middleweight class) - a stack of bills and invoices I haven’t filed yet. ---
**Author:** ![Eo\_Echo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ebca7d/32.png) [@Eo\_Echo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eo_Echo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2001, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/10 "2001-03-10T22:54:18Z")
My desk is tiny. Actually it’s not even technically a desk. It’s actually a typewriter table. Other than my computer, the only thing on it is my [http://www.blowme.com](http://www.blowme.com) shot glass, which I keep in easy reach at all times. ---
**Author:** ![activgurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@activgurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/activgurl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2001, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/11 "2001-03-11T04:58:50Z")
Hmmm, a mound of printer paper in neon brights, my canceled check list from the bank, canned air, my headphones for chat, a 100’ fiberglass tape measure, some CD’s, some 3.5" disks, and about 5 pounds of cat hair. And a stapler. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2001, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/12 "2001-03-11T14:51:55Z")
Well, I don’t have an office, but I’ll describe my desk at home which I use all the time for writing: - A Spagetti-O’s can cleaned and full of pens/highlighters/pencils. - CD case of **Amadeus** - A little plastic penguin from the movie **Batman Returns** - A Las Vegas snowglobe. - A little Skippy jar full of rubbing alcohol with a cat heart and cat tounge from Anatomy class, after we disected the cats (my most morbid decoration; people say I’m sick, but it’s quite fascinating). - Barrel Full of Monkeys; red - A great picture I took of my cat peering at me from under the bed. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2001, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/13 "2001-03-11T17:38:40Z")
The desk itself was made by my father for himself when he was at school, left at my grandfather’s, and inherited by me upon Grandpa’s death. It’s quite a piece of work. Anyway, my desk is a complete mess. Just looking around I see: a pigeon hole filled with paper; a vase full of pennies and dimes; a hole punch; a censer; a bottle of 4711 Echt Kölnwasser; a stamp with my name on it; two cute guys’ phone numbers; miscellaneous dirty dishes and cutlery; one foot of my bookcase, which I cut off short so it would stand on my desk (everyone who comes into my room says my bookcases are nifty); scads of paper, books, folders, and scrap; a stapler; a necklace; a pair of beard scissors; a green highlighter; a rainbow mouse pad; fifty cents in change; an aromatherapy candle holder; a photo of Zazou the Wonder Kitty (who occasionally occupies the desk in person, as it were, as does Littlun the Roommate’s Cat); a dead battery; and of course, my computer, Beulah. ---
**Author:** ![FormerlyKnownAsBlank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@FormerlyKnownAsBlank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerlyKnownAsBlank)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/14 "2001-03-11T17:42:05Z")
No desk. No tables in the apartment, except a dresser, with sweaters and sox piled on top. It’s the simple life for me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2001, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/15 "2001-03-11T19:02:57Z")
It’s more of a table than a desk, but… my nifty sapphire iMac, Grover a box of Kleenex A stainless steel Eastern Mountain Sports coffee mug A star-shaped wire basket thingy that holds assorted colored paperclips, a small purple Post-it notepad, and fortune cookie fortunes flyers promoting my coworker’s upcoming party a plant that’s not doing too well a little plastic tree frog a stuffed Buttercup doll a clear plastic box that held Ghirdellhi chocolates a customer brought in for me because “you’re a miracle worker” a small jizo statue a dragon beanie baby a penholder from my old job that says IntellectualEdge: The Power of Knowledge, Shared a pink Slinky a tin of cinnamon Altoids bottle of Advil hand lotion a pair of chopsticks a notebook, and a vi Editor reference manual a pile of papers that I need to find a home for a _huge_ ball of rubber bands a smiling Buddha on my monitor a yellow Whiffle ball bat which I pace around with when on the phone My old desk was worse. Lots more stuff on that one, but I had my own cube so it accumulated stuff. We have lots of toys here, so I didn’t have to bring my own in. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2001, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/16 "2001-03-11T19:59:29Z")
My desk is really junky at the moment. I clean it off about once a week, as a rule, but haven’t done it this week! I have on my desk, at this moment: A scanner. A coffee cup. Cigarettes. Lighter. Ashtray. Green kerosene lamp (just for looks, basically) A printer. A photograph of my son’s kindergarten class. A miniature replica of Dale Earnhardt’s #3 car. (not mine, but a permanent fixture) A cd holder, but no cd’s! A tiny replica of Big Ben. (not mine either, but still another permanent fixture!) A stapler. My printer. An incense holder. A polaroid camera in the case. (I have a desk that has “levels” to it; this all isn’t on the main desktop.) Oh yeah, my pc and my keyboard, without which none of this would have been broadcast! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/17 "2001-03-11T23:07:52Z")
good afternoon, friends. my desk is a solid core door, with the edges rounded off by router and a slab of 1/4" plexiglass covering it. it sits on two filing cabinets. it contains: hp scanjet scanner monitor wine carafe full of incense joss sticks coffee cup full of pens, pencils ect drinking glass full of various colors sharpie markers small wooden crate full of various notes zen page-a-day calendar large seashell shaped kleenex holder copy of “using office 2000” checkbook hp deskjet printer on a small wooden stand under the printer stand: latest copy of pc world magazine latest copy of men’s health magazine 1/2 ream of paper a waterford crystal bowl 3/4 full of sand with a brass buddha and various mementos used as an incense burner (now burning 1 sandalwood and 1 jasmine joss stick) table model zippo lighter mousepad "edvard munch’s “the scream” with trackball mouse roll of stamps 1/2 cup of rapidly cooling coffee eyeglasses (wearing screen readers) two cd rom backup disks freshly burned manual for new cable modem and broadband service (no more aol blues! 24-7 access at warp speed!) hairbrush with hair ties on handle ---
**Author:** ![CanadianSue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@CanadianSue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanadianSue)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/18 "2001-03-12T02:04:35Z")
Wow it could take forever to list everything \*monitor \*coffee mug \*ashtray \*various bills that have been paid and not filed \*man in a can \*a can of canned air \*various cd’s \*can of lysol \*printer \*pic of me and a friend \*speakers \*three angels \*5 candles \*free oil change card \*a glass from last nite \*box of tea bags that boyo brought me earlier today \*cable modem \*box of blank cd’s \*mouse and mouse pad \*nail clippers and manicure scissors \*two band aids \*package of file folders \*a book called Laugh Again \*angel calendar thats about all I can see through the dust ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/19 "2001-03-12T02:09:58Z")
Well I used to have three ceramic sheep on my tower, but they have migrated to the coffee table, nowall there is on my desk is a bottle of water, a coaster and a pen… Keith ---
**Author:** ![celestina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@celestina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/celestina)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335/20 "2001-03-12T17:39:00Z")
At work I haven’t seen the surface of my desk for about a year now. I have 5 of those stackable trays full of papers that I should either file or throw away. I have a computer whose screen I can’t really see well for all of the post-it notes I’ve taped around the edges. The rest of the desk is covered with legal pads, papers, and folders full of papers with data from last year’s program and the program I’m planning for this year. I also have a tape dispenser, a rollodex, a phone whose time display I can’t program for the correct time so that I never know what time it is, the mouse and keyboard for the computer, and a stapler. I know I should clean it up–people who work in the building walk by my office and just look in sometimes with this strange look on their faces, even the program secretary has politely tried to get me to clean up–but I’m scared that if I do clean it up I won’t be able to find anything. In fact I know that’s what’s going to happen. Right now, I can put my hands on anything I need. I know which pile it’s in and exactly how far down in that pile to look. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-on-your-desk/57335.md?page=2)