my workplace continues to be surreal. because of the 2 resignations last week (both of which have still not been announced to the department, but which people are talking about openly) one area will be completely un-staffed. An employee who used to work in that area, who was only recently reassigned job duties (he was actually given an ultimatum: take new responsibilities or be let go) is now being coddled and asked to go back to old job duties. His ego is all bruised because he was one of three people in the whole department up for the lay-offs before getting the option of the new duties. I think he wants to tell the boss to screw off and just leave, but without another job that seems unlikely. Boss seems only slightly concerned and continues to have unscheduled meetings with the staff that are working on the non-work project.

That sounds like a hot mess.

Are you *sure* your company is run by Germans? I thought they were a bit more orderly than that.

it is (a hot mess) and I have to overhear way more than I want of these conversations. Just a few more months.

Yes, it is, but they are not here. Here it is all American mess. The German mess tends towards lots of talk and little action, also bad management.

That sounds like a hot mess.

Do you mean the long-term effects of failure to take action on climate change, or msbelle's dystopian workplace?

In this case I think the market will work. As easily accessible oil peaks, the price will rise enough to make more expensive oil extraction techniques (like getting it from oil shale) cost-effective. With the cost of oil increased, then alternative technologies can take over, like electric cars that get their power from coal-fired power plants. We got lots of coal.

Lately I've become such a cynic, I think it means not so much investment in alternative technologies (we could have had electric cars a long time ago) just that only rich people will be able to afford to drive, and they will make sure none of their taxes go to public transportation or urban walkability/livability projects.

Then maybe the peasants will riot and something will get done after that.

Lately I've become such a cynic, I think it means not so much investment in alternative technologies (we could have had electric cars a long time ago) just that only rich people will be able to afford to drive, and they will make sure none of their taxes go to public transportation or urban walkability/livability projects.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

Then maybe the peasants will riot and something will get done after that.

Yes. Aliens will arrive to consume the corpses.

Ain't security theater grand?

The scanner caught a subject's cell phone and Swiss Army knife -- and the microphone he was wearing -- but missed all the components to make a bomb that he hid on his body. Admittedly, he only faced the scanner from the front and not from the side. But he also didn't hide anything in a body cavity other than his mouth -- I didn't think about that one -- he didn't use low density or thinly sliced PETN, and he didn't hide anything in his carry-on luggage.

Do you mean the long-term effects of failure to take action on climate change, or msbelle's dystopian workplace?

All of it! Although in that case, I means msbelle's job. My one coworker is now working from home at the end of her pregnancy, and she still hasn't been able to hire either of the two other positions in her department. And their big piece of work happens while she's on leave. Oops.

Lately I've become such a cynic, I think it means not so much investment in alternative technologies (we could have had electric cars a long time ago)

I'm curious to see how the Chevy Volt does. I think it's the most compelling electric car to come onto the market. (Yes, it has a gas engine onboard, but it's a generator, the powertrain is electric.) Around town, you can be almost all electric, but you can still take a trip in it.