Conversation

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Starting Conversations is difficult, you sort of notice something and comment on it and then they answer the question and then where do you go from there?

Or you ask a question and then get an answer and then there is the end of the conversation .

Or you try to join in with something you think is realvent and it isnt really .

Or you try to join in where you think there is a pause and it isnt just a breath.

Or you try talking about something you think you will both like and the other person doesnt really care

Or you get really excited about something and try to share and no one really cares .

Or you transfer information and once the information is transfered then its over .

I could talk about Art and no one gives a fuck. Or I could talk about the music I like but no one seems to know it . Or I could ask them about themselves but then that always ends up sounding like i am prying or some other mine field. Or I could talk about school or politics but that never really leads anywhere .
How do you make small talk ?

― anthony, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I can really relate to this.

One thing I hate is when someone else says something I think is very well-expressed or even brilliant, and I can't think of anything good to add. So I just say nothing, because I can't even think of a good way to say "That's brilliant."

― Justyn Dillingham, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I usually just introduce myself. After that I gauge what I say based on the initial reaction I get.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"do you come here often?"

i actually got asked this today in a record shop. and i answered ("sometimes"), and that was the end of the conversation. which was my fault. don't shoulder the blame for a conversation not working out. it takes two, baby!

― minna, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I enjoyed talking to you the other day, anthony

― Ron, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

on the interweb its fine

― anthony, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I am the world's worst at small talk. I used to think that discussing trivia was stupid, but hey - probably the other person is finding conversation as awkward as you. Isn't the key to getting things going to find something they're interested in, rather than submitting them to your worldview (NB this doesn't necessarily require prying)? Not easy, I recognise.

― Jeff W, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

When trying to engage in small talk...I used to find my mouth moving but no words coming out. These days it seems I just seem to ramble on and on about the first thing that comes into my head, which is usually very trivial or idiosyncratic...I can't decide which situation is better! Chatting in the internet has increased my confidence I think, now I would like to appear more intellectual...whilst running from the truth that I am not intellectual.

― jel --, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

As long as you have two people who are genuinely up for the conversation, you should be mine, mostly. It's when you don't that you might as well give up - this tends to be responsible for about 90% of all the confidence-lowering situations I've ever been in.

― Mark C, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

mine all mine bwahaha!!

― mark s, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

This is one of the things I am very, very good at.

― Pete, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

What I always find interesting is that for every 5 or 6 words I actually say during small talk, I've a hundred other options piled up in my head. Too much internal conversation, or meta-fizzle, as my Dad would point out.

― bnw, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm ok at making small talk however I wish this was not the case because (a)I don't like doing it and (b)I always end up making small talk with people I don't like which then means in the future small talk is a necessary and I can't just say hello to these people.

― Ronan, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

*grunt*

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

That's a very interesting point you make there Tracer! Please tell me more!

― jel --, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

* clears throat *

um, i SAID that i think people who aren't good at asking for what they want are often fantastic conversationalists because they're so used to silently demanding that other people pick up on their hopelessly tiny cues via ESP that they're able pounce on other peoples'. of course in the UK this is known as "living".

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

no no. we're not actually picking up on the cues *in* the conversation, we're generating multiple *other*, later conversations picking over the detritus of the original conversation looking for lost half cues that might never've been there in the first place and speculating about what it might all *mean*. at least, that's what I'm doing.

― Ellie, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually now that I think about it my conception of the English as better conversationalists is just one of those skewed results of reading too many English novels. It’s impossible for me to verify because every English person I run into in the U.S. is sullen and silent based on being sick of saying “so I took the lift” and having us go “hahaha you said ‘lift.’” Also there's the sit-commish young American love of like extended parsing of who says what, which we all learn in college when it turns out that so-and-so says "pop" versus so-and-so saying "soda" (see old thread I posted about "English muffins" -- these conversations are horrible and yet you can't get through an American college without being brainwashed into starting them all the time). (Also there’s the problematic desire of loads of Americans to do bad British accents around British people. I have this desire. I even succumbed to it once after much much drinking and annoyed the living hell out of this poor PWEI-loving girl at a Burger King, which ranks among the 10 things I regret most in life.)

In the end, though, I think that if the English are better conversationalists than us Americans, it’s because you lot tend to have a firmer connection with culture as a sort of communal thing to be discussed and referenced, whereas American conversation frowns on the involvement of free-floating culture: you’re expected to talk about Yourself and What You’re Like and What You’re Doing (and all- too-often How Fabulous You Are) and are not as expected to have opinions on cultural figures or lines of thought beyond the ones you personally are involved in. My experiences with Brits and western Europeans seem to indicate a greater stress over there on just knowing about non-personal things in general (current events, “culture”) for the purpose of discussing them with others; Americans, on the other hand, seem to get very awkward when conversation veers outside the scope of the conversants’ lives—I do too, even though I don’t want to. I think this is because we are mostly so sensitive and touchy and frequently chip-on-shoulder about other people knowing more or different things than we do. It’s like egalitarianism colliding with snobbery: “knowing about stuff doesn’t make you a better person than me” leads to “well then there’s no point in knowing about stuff.”

Oh oh but wait, the threads all come together: our common- conversation topics are basically sports and driving (at least on the male end). I’m assuming it’s only here that entire family holiday gatherings can be filled with lengthy very involved discussions of how everyone got there and whether there was road construction and how no next time you should take the third exit and cut through Michigan City.

Umm conversationally I used to be almost exactly like BNW, which is why I kept wanting to talk to him in New York. Then I started talking more. Now I realize I need to quit that because I have completely lost the ability to express myself verbally. I just grimace and wave my hands and say, “No, that’s not quite what I’m trying to get at…”

― Nitsuh, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I even succumbed to it once after much much drinking and annoyed the living hell out of this poor PWEI-loving girl at a Burger King, which ranks among the 10 things I regret most in life.

Some would argue that PWEI itself does a bad British accent, so that's all right. Which prompts a question as to why PWEI get abuse for Brummie flow while the Streets get praise. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

because pwei were rubbish: nitsuh don't beat yrself up abt this, your instinct was good

when my sistah lived in new york and i stayed with her and merkins werer trying to imitate our accents, we went into a bro-sis telephathic routine of being even MORE CLIPPED AND QUICK AND GLOTTAL STOPPISH than we actually ordinarily are. First they would laugh, then they would say: "But that is no longer comprehensible language." (Actually no one evah said that.)

― mark s, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(Also mainstream-American discussion of current events tends to go "Yeah, isn't that crazy?" and then "Yeah, it's unbelievable the world today" and then mostly stop there. If it goes further it's either like that scene in The Meaning of Life where they're talking about philosophers or it descends into nebulous bitching of the "oh, they're all crooked" sort.)

― Nitsuh, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

because pwei were rubbish:

FITE.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Wait wait sorry, I am being an ass and completely diverting this thread. Sort of back on topic: do you have "default" conversational questions, e.g. "So what do you do for a living?" or "So did you grow up around here?" Which ones seem to provoke good conversations?

― Nitsuh, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I quite often think too much about what topics to talk about, so instead of reacting to whatever the other person says I just say the next thing/topic and before I know it the conversation's over and it looks like I don't listen (which I do).

Or you try to join in with something you think is realvent and it isnt really

I'm always paranoid that people are talking about something completely different to what I think they are (though they never are), so never involve myself in other people's conversations.

― Graham, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

[D]o you have "default" conversational questions, e.g. "So what do you do for a living?" or "So did you grow up around here?" Which ones seem to provoke good conversations?

I'd go for the second, as in my age group people tend to not currently live in the city they were born in. And asking about employment often produces much agonizing. Icebreakers are so inavoidably cliched, I always feel like such a fucking lamer using one. If only we could still kick people in the shins to show them we're interested, like in kindergarten.

― bnw, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

You mean we can't?

― Graham, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm so bad at this. I usually just don't talk at all and people don't like me (they do not know me and they say things like "she's too smart and it's annoying" even though i don't say anything to sound smart about). Or I wait for them to lead on the conversation.

― Maria, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually bnw I frequently poke people or throw bits of paper at them, which is basically the same thing.

― Nitsuh, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

revive?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 03:54 (twenty-one years ago)

We never did resolve the PWEI FITE

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 January 2004 03:56 (twenty-one years ago)

heh. I'll be on the PWEI side, if it helps! *rolls up sleeves*

But conversation. Terrible at it. I always feel like my face has this "oh my GOD you are so dull and I'd rather eat my own fingers" expression when I'm trying to look intrested when people talk to me. I get paranoid I do the "held the smile just that bit too long" thing, like I try too hard.

Mind you around good friends, in cosy circumstances, the flow is easy and intelligent. I just dunno why I cant bring myself to that with people I know not very well/at all unless I get drunk, and that another story I dont wanna go into right now blargh :(

So yes, I struggle sometimes. But I'm painfully shy.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 04:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes. I think you're right re casuual cobnversation/smalltalk. My life is so busy now I only have much time for real friends. I keep smalltalk and casual conversation to a minimum. Does that mean I don't meet any new people? Not really, as when I click with someone, we don't make much small talk in the first place. So yeah, reduce noise pollution while remaining courteous is my philosophy on this one.

Eg:

Person At Work: How was your weekend?
Me: Good! Yes, a good one. Just took it easy. Yours?
PAW: Well, we did some renovating blahblahblah
Me: Nice one!

*end of conversation*

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 04:10 (twenty-one years ago)

do you ever get asked about your music at work colin? it's one of my biggest peeves in the universe

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 04:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh YES Jim! And the conversations that result are very annoying! I'm glad I'm not the only one suffering on that count.

However, I did discover that the IT guy went to school with the Young brothers and drummed in a school band with them prior to ACDC.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 04:16 (twenty-one years ago)

i hate it when people at work ask about my music. its cos they end up trying to get you to sing at the xmas party. i don't much like talking to people at work though. i don't care enough about them. i'm a terrible conversationalist. i'm definitely of the "soooooo...do you like stuff?" school of conversation. most people make me nervous and then i either run away or draw attention to myself in a superficial way to deflect from actually having to talk.

there are less than ten people in the world that i am completely at ease talking to. they are the people who best understand that i am not at ease, if that makes sense.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 04:52 (twenty-one years ago)

its cos they end up trying to get you to sing at the xmas party.

*cries tears of horrible horrible recognition*

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 04:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Ahah, you poor souls, I haven't had that one at least.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 04:56 (twenty-one years ago)

they are the people who best understand that i am not at ease, if that makes sense

That totally makes sense, and if you saw my friend who replied to that whiny LJ post I made the other day, I'm ever so greatful I do have friends who think (and struggle) with this stuff like I do.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha Jim - I have this vision of Tuggers up on stage with drunken workmates making you play covers of "Lola" and "Blister in the Sun".

Oh the humanity.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:01 (twenty-one years ago)

they had karaoke here at some work party a couple of months ago. all you could see of me was the trail of dust and corpses in my wake

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:02 (twenty-one years ago)

hehe.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:03 (twenty-one years ago)

hahahahahahaha now i want to karaoke-duel with you and colin.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:03 (twenty-one years ago)

'they are the people who best understand that i am not at ease'

I do like that phrase, it's very nicely put.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:04 (twenty-one years ago)

trayce your journal is now the tartan of my HIGH SCHOOL UNIFORM OH GOD NO.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:06 (twenty-one years ago)

colin will probably use some fancy technology to cheat

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't sing or play AT ALL. I will have to sit this one out. Or come preprogrammed.

Damn, I can't sing, dance, or play, why do I even call myself a musician? 'Come over for a jam, colin'. 'Oh, OK, I'll make the tea'.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:07 (twenty-one years ago)

actually he might well have a lovely voice for all i know!!! i should never assume.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:07 (twenty-one years ago)

er, xpost

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Di - oh god, haha sorry! Mind you, I wish I'd been able to wear HOTTT red and black tartan in high school. I'm always jealous of schools like Mac Robs here in Melb with its gorgeous green n red tartan minis and black (black!) knee high sox. I had to wear a grey skirt and a horrid maroon sloppy joe :(

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:08 (twenty-one years ago)

COLIN IS KRAFTWERK!

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I am not Kraftwerk or the music mole. I am not even colin.

My voice is lovely only when I speak. Many a woman has told me I have a lovely speaking voice. Then again, many a woman has told me I'm a smug d***head, so...

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Oooh I love it when the Australasians just explode on ILE on a Fri arvo.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:10 (twenty-one years ago)

colin is nothing and everything at once

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:10 (twenty-one years ago)

hes a million different people from one day to the next.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:11 (twenty-one years ago)

oh i am cruel, nobody wanted that song in their head.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:11 (twenty-one years ago)

trayce do you karaoke?

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I have done karaoke once, yes. I did a duet of "Dont You Want Me" by the Human League with some guy at an IRC meet. Only he started singing "dont chew on me baby" and I lost my shit laughing.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:13 (twenty-one years ago)

i have nevah evah done karaoke and my life is lesser as a result

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:13 (twenty-one years ago)

oh my god trayce thats seriously funny shit.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:19 (twenty-one years ago)

btw following duels i will not accept challenges for: guitar. unless its a competition for how many songs you can write that sound like they could be black sabbath but aren't.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:21 (twenty-one years ago)

i would lose that one. unless you change it to The Bats

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:22 (twenty-one years ago)

if it was a bats-off, then i would get bob scott to enter dressed up as me. no-one would ever know the difference. we're both short and have been known to do ramones covers.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:26 (twenty-one years ago)

i reckon i could beat him these days

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey look, we're having a conversation! :D

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:28 (twenty-one years ago)

are we drunk or something?

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm drunk on power. Does that count?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:29 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm drunk on ego

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:30 (twenty-one years ago)

oh i am cruel, nobody wanted that song in their head.

I like that song! But I'm weird. Hey, can I butt in on this Antipodean conversation and be the strange American? *drawls and wonders about beer and other things*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:30 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm drunk on I'VE GOT A GIG IN LIKE 4 HOURS!

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Here Ned, have a chiko roll.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Woo! Rock! (To both points.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:32 (twenty-one years ago)

mmmm gigs i remember what those were like. break a leg and kick ass!!

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Here Ned, have a vegemite sandwich!

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:32 (twenty-one years ago)

you forgot the smile

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Now there's another song I didn't want in my head.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Now I have flute solos in my brain!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:33 (twenty-one years ago)

ned is an honorary new zealander as he has watched shortland street. what kind of power are you drunk on colin? electricity? I am drunk on power chords. THANKEE JIM I NEED IT.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I didnt need that song implanted either *cries*. HEY! that reminds me tho. Colin Hay walked past me in Carlisle street yesterday afternoon. He looked very dessicated. I didnt think he even lived in Melb, maybe he was visiting. He looked kinda bored walking along with wifey (girlfeiendy, whatever).

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:34 (twenty-one years ago)

So all Australians star in wacky early eighties pop videos and dance around, right?

ned is an honorary new zealander as he has watched shortland street.

Woo! I even know that LOTR actor Craig Parker was in Shortland Street when he wasn't being a raspily voice ethereal gay elf.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:35 (twenty-one years ago)

What a pity I'm going home soon. I love youze all. Have a nice weekend.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:36 (twenty-one years ago)

see ya col'n

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:36 (twenty-one years ago)

DAMN YOU FOR ALREADY HAVING A WEEKEND. *cries*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Di, the kind of power I'm drunk on is the kind you get from a 9v adaptor.

Haha, work hard Ned.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:37 (twenty-one years ago)

*snaps fingers* You've got to work hard, you've got to work hard... < / Depeche >

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:38 (twenty-one years ago)

colin, yesterday:

http://jacketmagazine.com/graphics/robot.jpg

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:39 (twenty-one years ago)

merry weekend colin! may the pseudo echo follow you wherever you go

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:43 (twenty-one years ago)

...and that, everyone, is how you have a conversation :D

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:55 (twenty-one years ago)

except substitute hand gestures for pictures

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I love me some Australiasians

― oops (Oops), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:09 (twenty-one years ago)

aww

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi, oops! ;D

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi trayce!

― oops (Oops), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:22 (twenty-one years ago)

*awkward pause*

― oops (Oops), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:23 (twenty-one years ago)

*pukes on self and runs away*

― oops (Oops), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:23 (twenty-one years ago)

hi oops.

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:24 (twenty-one years ago)

hi orbit!

― oops (Oops), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:25 (twenty-one years ago)

promise you won't hurl on me!

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:26 (twenty-one years ago)

wow I just had a Wayne's World flashback

― oops (Oops), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:28 (twenty-one years ago)

excellent!

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Awww come back oops and quit yer pukin ;P

I dated a guy once who fell off his stool drunkenly at a nightclub and then hurled all over himself. I had to take him into the mens to clean him up. What a night that was hehe.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:33 (twenty-one years ago)

OOOOOOppppppsss!

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:36 (twenty-one years ago)

*stage whisper* do you think we scared him off?

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:48 (twenty-one years ago)

*whispers back* let me consult my magic 8 ball.
All Signs Point To YES...

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:50 (twenty-one years ago)

It takes a lot more than that for two purdy ladies to scare me off.
okay no more puke for me. or from me. Thankfully I've never puked on myself. I've always had enough sense to, you know, turn my head and aim away.
that 'hehe' sounds very devilish, trayce.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:51 (twenty-one years ago)

aw, he's back *ruffles oops' hair in a twee way*

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Devilish, moi? *bats eyelids totally innocently*

... totally, ya got me?

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:54 (twenty-one years ago)

let's be-devil him, trayce!

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:55 (twenty-one years ago)

oh no. please don't. that would be awful.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 9 January 2004 06:59 (twenty-one years ago)

consider yourself bedeviled.

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 9 January 2004 07:15 (twenty-one years ago)

excellent

― oops (Oops), Friday, 9 January 2004 07:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Ummm. So small talk, then. I have a co-worker who works in the next office over and who without fail asks the following two questions EVERY DAY, sometimes multiple times:

1) So, how's your stuff [work] coming along?

and

2) So, anything interesting going on?

Gah! I hate these questions. They're so open-ended -- my responses 9 times out of 10 are "Fine" and "No." And the fact that he asks them so frequently just reinforces the fact that they're nothing more than small talk, that he's just looking for mindless chit-chat on the way to the soda machine. But Christ, I wish he was more creative sometimes.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 9 January 2004 07:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Here's my rote response to those two questions:

1) Getting there!

2) Nah, not really. *If feeling very sociable, add:* Yourself?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Monday, 12 January 2004 00:56 (twenty-one years ago)

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