Ok, ok, so this review of Weirdos in the Workplace by John Putzier is a little old, but the book sounds good…

Author John Putzier offers an assortment of weirdos, like the guy who always wears the same outfit to work, a girl who talks to herself all day, one who moonlights as a stripper, another who has fierce body odour, and yet another who adorns his cubicle with hateful messages about his boss.

So, if you still haven’t thought about what to get me for Christmas this year, now you know. And, just for the hell of it, here’s a good old Amazon affiliate link.

Ri5.co.uk reports that 87% of employers expect a claim for harassment after their Christmas party. And two out of three bosses said they’d had occasion to dismiss a member of staff on account of their Christmas party antics.

I’d like to be at some of those parties. Invites to the usual address.

Also, some of you must have some weird, offbeat, or just plain deplorable office party stories to share. Either leave them in the comments, or send ‘em to info@wurk.net.

Confidentiality is encouraged.

Weird jobs? Everyone in this family has one.

It all started with a a second-hand slide projector, old slides of strangers, and a musically inclined mother, father, and daughter.

Talk about sitting through a home slide show; audiences do this more than willingly - eagerly - as the Trachtenburgs serenade them with a little travelin’ music: Dad on a miniature keyboard; Tina on drums and vocals; and Mom on…projector.

Wonder if a DVD player and photo CD would have as much appeal.

From The Jewish Exponent

Sound advice there - especially if your job involves being fired out of a cannon twice a day. Or, if your job also involves comedy western bar brawls.

Anyway, just ask human cannonball, Diego Zeman. He grew up around circus performers and started training when he eight. “I was born into the circus and started with the trapeze and high wire,” he says. Moving on to the job of human cannonball was therefore an obvious next step.

But more tellingly, in this interview with the BBC, Diego said “I always feel nervous”.

Softie.

(Found at the BBC, image c/o BBC)

I’ve heard stories about this kind of thing before: taking part in clinical trials to earn some cash. Now I know they’re probably very safe and all, but you still hear all kinds of tales about what actually goes on at these things. Like the kind of clinical trials where you have to take drugs that make it seem like you have alzheimers. Just to see what happens. Or where you have a finger surgically removed, then reattached. Just to see what happens. Or where you have your brain swapped out with one of your kidneys for a couple of weeks, both hands surgically attached to your knees, and a full body hair transplant.

Y’know, just to see what happens.

“And I love my job so much that I want to tell everyone just what I do!” Ummm….actually, in this case, that might not be such a good idea.

(Found at StrangeCosmos.com)

Just found a short conversation over at Lostblog about the strange jobs that people do, including all of the above. Anyone got any stories to share?

…that Sean Connery polished coffins for a living before he became an actor?

Nope, neither did we. He also worked as a bricklayer and a lifeguard, and in 1950, he placed third in the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition.

Weirdo. Heh.

A job as Santa Claus during the holiday season isn’t so weird, but it is if you have to adhere to the following rules:

• No handing out lollies
• No patting children on the head (for fear of insulting religious beliefs)
• No children on laps unless parents give permission
• No photographs taken with youngsters unless your hands are in full view
• No ho-ho-ho’ing in case you frighten children
• No coming out from behind glass screens separating you from the children

Ok, the last one isn’t true but some Santas think that’s the way it’s going. Meanwhile, some are asking for extra helpers to act as witnesses in case a complaint is made.

Maybe it’s not the Santas who are weird, but the paranoid parents.

The New Zealand Herald, December 6, 2005

Test your knowledge of what the starts got up to before they became er… stars, over at MSN in this little quiz.

I managed a paltry 5 out of 12. But I did guess right that Whoopi Goldberg started out as a funeral home makeup artist. Can’t think why she wanted to change careers.