The best task you've been asked to do

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My colleague has just been given the high-priority job of watching all 104 episodes of Pingu. With apologies to Nick et al for almost certainly reviving a done-and-dusted thread, what's the most fun thing you've ever been asked to do at work?

I once had to win the World Cup on World Cup Soccer or somesuch on the Nintendo 64 to unlock some secret levels we wanted to use for a game show I was working on. Took me four hours, but I made it. Whadda guy.

― Mark C, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Watch 'Cecil B. Demented' and interview John Waters for Adhoc magazine, Cambridge. I got £110! John Waters - what a guy. He'd tell me how 1950s cinemas would put electrodes under the seats when horror movies were running to 'intensify' the shocks. Young Waters would sneak into the cinemas during the day and fix the electrodes to (his words) 'get his ass buzzed all day'. I don't know about you but that's Classic in my book.

― Will, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The lack of responses I think speaks to the dismalness of our working lives.

― Tom, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

My mum the scammer thought it would be a good idea to do a story for the Observer about Christmas shopping in the Mall Of America. They bit and I was flown home in 1st Class for massive free hols with a bit of story tacked on the end of it. Got to hassle a very Machiavellian PR woman in front of a CBS crew then got very drunk with my best friend from home (who was lesboid at the time) and went into Hooters to be ironic.

Being sent to interview (x) never a good answer (except for John Waters, he's cool) because by the time that day comes, you've heard too much you don't like about the person and if they're megafamous the PR has a massive atitooood as if they were some kind of star themselves.

― suzy, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Damn right Suzy. Worst PR to date -the guys with Christopher Nolan, although Nolan himself was cool. Best PR to date - Artificial Eye, who I've found to be unfailingly lovely.

― Will, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

In my old job my boss wanted me to go to an agricultural show near Coventry, 'unfortunately' on the day I was due to go the trains out of Euston were fucked so I got a refund on the ticket he'd already paid for and went over to Covent Garden shopping (see, Coventry / Covent Garden, easy mistake) and spent the refund then went off to the pub with Pete for the afternoon. Admittedly I wasn't actually asked to do this but I did it anyway. The next day when my boss asked about the show I just said 'yeah, cows, tractors, y'know' and he was none the wiser.

In my current job I think my best task is shredding. What? I like shredding. It gets out all that latent aggression.

― Emma, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nothing. And I perfect that goal daily.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I was asked to add up the library usuage statistics today. That's as fun as it gets.

― james, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

My boss asked me to write his leaving e-mail to the rest of the company for him. I went to the pub for lunch and did it when I got back, making it as sentimental and stupid as I could thinking he'd never let it go out and would rightfully be forced to do it himself. He OK'ed it immediately, even the bits which were my in-jokes. Cue enormous mirth and wrath around the company as it was obvious he (a machiavellian dyslexic loathed by all his peers) hadn't written this flowery Hallmark Card tosh. Halfway through his leaving drinks he twigged and came after me and I managed to persuade him that it had all been meant sincerely, so he bought *me* drinks for the rest of the night.

The next day someone from the print room came up to one of my colleagues and said "You know, I always really hated R_____, but when I read that leaving e-mail I actually cried." Unfortunately she burst out laughing and had to confess and the print room were arsey to me ever after.

― Tom, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

look thru scads and scads of edo era homoerotic japanese porn.

― anthony, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

You met John Waters? Will. And got paid? you lucky devil

― Menelaus Darcy, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The best task I was asked to do was to polish a friends silver. I just love doing that and for me ther is no other task as calming. :) Gale

― Gale Deslongchamps, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Hee hee, Gale! When I worked in a china shop, I quite enjoyed polishing the silver products, too. It was better than dusting or serving customers, heh heh.

― rosemary, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I was going to make a dusting customers gag but I became enveloped in ennui.

― Nick, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dip biscuits in a vat of melted chocolate. Put chocolate buttons on top of cakes. Gut sardines. I may be the only person here who enjoys gutting sardines.

― alix, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Lixi in enjoys being a fishwife SHOCKAH!

― RickyT, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Right on Rosemary! I love polishing silver & brass :) Gale

― Gale Deslongchamps, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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