Good day all: from A (Alan, Arki7) to Z (Zentao).

This article describes me 100% to the point that it is scary. So much that I am responding to it one of very few posts since I joined TR circa 2001. I fit all 10 curses/blessings; even that #11 proposed by one poster.

One example from this morning:

My almost standard answer to How are you? was *up to *****.
This morning I had to explain that my politically incorrect answer is actually POSITIVE one.

In few minutes I managed to convince other man that:
1. ****=fertilizer: good thing for plants to grow and then everything up the food chain
2.**** at work = you are very busy at work (1):
- You have a job!
- You are very busy (overloaded) so you have some kind of guarantee that you will be employed for some time, =stream of income to satisfy your hunger, thirst, computer upgrades and (maybe) fixing your car.
3.**** at work = very busy at work (2)
Being busy in fact getting jobs initially allocated to others means you are COMPETENT and seen as the last resort when ***** hits the fan*
4.**** at work =getting jobs outside of your official scope of work
- Others see your ability to learn and do new things, when nobody else around knows how to do it or they are too lazy to try
- You have one more chance to learn one more subject (unconventional prints of off-road race route, bonsai, rescuing little sunbirds etc.)

I am using politically incorrect word ****** in slightly modified form for this forum. My apologies if I offend somebody, but Im sure those sensitive types did not reach that far

It is #9, #6, #4 and probably few others which got me fired once, after >9 years of employment. I never got confirmation what it was, but I suspect it was my email send to Indian female (I am European male) in response to stupid email send to all people in the company. As I was unable to identify sex of that Affirmative Action person I addressed her Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms and the full name of the sender.
As a gesture of goodwill I was given 3 weeks notice period instead of escorting me to the gate. I shortened this to 2 weeks because I got another job, better paid and half a distance to travel.
Few years later they wanted me there for over 60% higher salary than I had in my current job. Reason for my previous dismissal became irrelevant. I declined.

Thank you very much for good article and all the responses.

Regards,

Andrzej
[Edited for extended characters were dropped..]